Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Extending Literacy Work Beyond Our Buildings: The Collaborative Work Of Creating A Community Writing Center, Catherine Calabro Cavin, Cathy Fleischer, Ann Blakesee, Mary Garboden

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

YpsiWrites, a community writing center that supports youth and adults, is a collaborative effort among 826michigan, Eastern Michigan University’s Office of Campus and Community Writing, and the Ypsilanti District Library. The authors share the background for this work, the partnerships that sustain it, and the day-to-day realities of operating it. They conclude with ideas for how others might create similar collaborations to extend literacy beyond the walls of schools.

Characteristics Related To Parent-Child Literacy And Numeracy Practices In Preschool, Amy R. Napoli, Irem Korucu, Joyce Lin, Sara A. Schmitt, David J. Purpura

Purdue Center for Early Learning Faculty and Staff Publications

Despite evidence suggesting that home literacy and numeracy environments are related to children’s school readiness skills, little research has examined the child and family characteristics that relate to the home literacy and numeracy environments within the same sample. These factors are important to investigate in order to determine what may foster or prevent parent-child engagement. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the shared and unique parent-reported child and parent variables that are related to the frequency of parent-child literacy and numeracy practices. The 199 preschoolers included in the study ranged in age from 3.00 to 5.17°years ( …

Making The Child Care Tax Credit Permanently Refundable Could Benefit Low-Income Families, Gabrielle Pepin

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

How Would A Permanently Refundable Child And Dependent Care Credit Affect Eligibility, Benefits, And Incentives?, Gabrielle Pepin

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

The federal Child and Dependent Care Credit (CDCC) subsidizes child care costs for working families. Before 2021, the CDCC was nonrefundable, so only families with positive tax liability after other deductions benefited. I estimate how CDCC eligibility, benefits, and marginal tax rates would change if the credit were made permanently refundable, relative to 2020 CDCC parameters set to be restored in 2022. Under refundability, some 5 percent of single parents gain eligibility and receive on average over $1,000 annually. Eligibility increases are largest among Black and Hispanic households. Increases in marginal tax rates among moderate-income taxpayers are small.

Using Mindfulness Practices To Increase Self-Regulation In Pre-Kindergarten And Kindergarten-Aged Children, Ellyn E. Culotta

LSU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Self-regulation is identified in the literature as an early predictor of later life success and an important skill that develops over the course of a lifetime beginning in early childhood (Flook et al., 2015; Montroy et al., 2016; Murray et al., 2017). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research study was to assess whether direct instruction of Mindfulness Practices, such as guided meditation and yoga poses (Lee et al., 2020; Poehlmann-Tynan et al., 2016; Zelazo et al., 2012) would increase self-regulatory behaviors, such as impulse control, emotion regulation, and problem-solving in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten aged children. METHOD: Target children were …

Unit #6: Animals - Remote Learning Activities, Lindsey Herlehy, Cassandra Armstrong

Little STEAMers: Early Learning Program

No abstract provided.

Eating Smart And Moving More For Head Start: A Pilot Study, Virginia C. Stage, L Suzanne Goodell, Susan Chase, Stephanie Mcdonald, Archana V. Hegde, Jocelyn Bayles, Lorelei Jones

Journal of Extension

Our study examined the relationship between improved personal health behaviors of Head Start teachers’ and the promotion of positive health behaviors in their classroom. Thirty-three Head Start teachers across 7 centers received six 30-minute nutrition education lessons. Dietary intake, physical activity, and self-efficacy for promoting positive health behaviors in the classroom were measured at baseline and post-intervention. Significant improvements were observed for dietary intake and physical activity. Self-efficacy for promoting health behaviors in the classroom did not significantly improve. Additional education is needed to improve health promotion practices. Lessons learned contributed to program refinement. Implications for Extension are discussed.

Army Child And Youth Services Early Childhood Educators: A Mixed-Methods Assessment Of The Association Between Workplace Wellbeing And Turnover, Tamara Nuttall

Doctorate in Education

The Department of Defense operates the largest employer-sponsored childcare system in the United States. Army Child and Youth Services is the largest component of the military childcare system, employing over 5,400 early childhood educators who care for and teach soldier and Department of Defense Civilian children aged six weeks to five years old in child development center settings. Early childhood educators’ workplace wellbeing and turnover has long been the focus of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike. Despite extensive research examining these issues in the civilian childcare context, military-provided early education has heretofore been absent from the research literature. This globally …

Connecting Families And Continued Learning Through Covid-19, Michael C. O'Neal, Tameka Tribble, Michelle Rice

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

For 20+ years in Savannah, Georgia, Parent University has successfully enhanced the ability of families to create an environment in which learning thrives for both children and parents. When the pandemic closed schools and disrupted normal programming, Parent University immediately pivoted to online programming to continue connecting families with relevant education, resources and support throughout this time of need. The pandemic also exposed a huge gap in technology and education. Therefore, Parent University is working to close that gap with our new Tech College at Parent University.

Care For Some Lunch? It’S More Than Just Food! Care, Commensality And Pedagogic Meals In Irish Primary Schools, Caroline Mcgowan

Level 3

This expository article addresses a lacuna in policy and practice literature around using primary school lunches as both a pedagogical opportunity and a space to expose children to social and cultural ‘rituals’ that model both care and food sharing as commensality. The article argues that policy literature in this space broadly tends to be concerned with a medicalised paradigm of nutrition, physical and cognitive development, and disease prevention, with scant regard for the impact that natural ‘everyday’ practices of eating and caring can have on enhancing encultured commensality, care and learning.

Unit #5: Buildings - Remote Learning Activities, Lindsey Herlehy, Cassandra Armstrong

Little STEAMers: Early Learning Program

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Creative Video Games On Creativity, Haiqal Sazalli, Sharil Sungkono, Mohammed Rashaun, Khalis Muzakir

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

The purpose of this research is to find the effects of creative games on the Creativity Quotient of human beings. Assessing creativity is based on divergent thinking consisting of fluency, originality and uniqueness in thinking methods. The theoretical framework assesses the creative thinking of candidates through a 4-week gaming programme consists of a pre-and post-assessment of the Creativity Quotient Test which consists of 10 critical thinking questions. These questions will test the fluency, originality and uniqueness of the candidates. To provide a fair result, the same questions will be used for the pre-and post-assessment. Results will prove that games are …

Assessing Young Children’S Language And Nonverbal Communication In Oral Personal Narratives, Shelley Stagg Peterson, Nazila Eisazadeh, Andrea Liendo

Michigan Reading Journal

In this article, we describe tasks and an assessment framework, collaboratively designed with kindergarten teachers in a northern rural Canadian school district, to assess young children’s language and nonverbal communication. Our analysis of 44 five-year old children’s language samples showed that children usually provided information about the name or role of at least one character in their narrative, although a few children referred to characters only using pronouns and a few provided information about multiple features of characters. The events and ideas in most children’s narratives were loosely connected, although some children used conjunctions to connect them and even explained …

Centering Values: Building An Equitable Future Through The American Rescue Plan Act, Emily Sharrock, Brandy Jones Lawrence, Karen Demoss, Brigid Brennan

Bank Street Education Center

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) constitutes a significant change in our nation's approach to social policy and offers a new opportunity to imagine positive change in how we value and support human development and learning with a clear focus on equity. This memo outlines Bank Street's recommendations for spending to inspire communities and policymakers as they think broadly about the potential this funding offers to invest in our future.

Determining The Feasibility Of Creating A New York State Early Childhood Integrated Database, Center For Human Services Research, University At Albany

Education & Early Childhood Development Reports and Research Briefs

New York State’s commitment to building a stronger and more effective early childhood care and education (ECCE) system is evidenced by its diverse and robust mixed delivery system of programs, services, and supports available to young children and families. However, addressing questions related to service availability, utilization, and effectiveness can be challenging given the lack of an integrated early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) in the state. An ECIDS collects, integrates, maintains, stores, and reports on information from the many programs comprising the ECCE system, including data about individual children and their families; early childhood programs, providers, and services; and …

Building Inclusivity And Empathy Through Writers' Workshop, Beth Beschorner, Anna H. Hall

Publications

All children have the right to experience a safe and inclusive classroom that engages them in learning and advances equity. Writers' workshop is particularly well suited for creating a safe and inclusive space. Writers' workshop encourages children to share their own stories and listen to, learn about, and develop empathy for others. This instructional strategy can also encourage conversation about important social issues in local communities and the broader world. This article explains specific approaches that can be used within the writers' workshop framework to examine assumptions, use inclusive language, and practice respectful interactions.

Nebline, March 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Naturally Occurring Elements in Groundwater - Part 1 of a Series — Calcium and Magnesium

Celebrate National Nutrition Month

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

2021 All-America Selections Vegetable Winners

Starting Seeds Indoors

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

Planning for Spring Calving Season

Chemigation Trainings

2021 Nebraska On-Farm Research Annual Results Update Meetings

Houseplants: Simple Solutions to Plant Pests

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Whitney Lehn

Meet 2020–2021 4-H Council

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

Private Pesticide Applicator Trainings by Zoom

EXTENSION CALENDAR

Upcoming Early Childhood Trainings

Compassion Fatigue Among Help Me Grow Care Coordinators: A Case Study, Alexandra Goldberg

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods case study was to explore the perceptions of the prevalence and impact of compassion fatigue among Help Me Grow (HMG) care coordinators throughout the United States. Guided by the compassion fatigue and professional quality of life theories as the conceptual framework, the prevalence of compassion fatigue was explored quantitatively through the Professional Quality of Life questionnaire (ProQOL) and the impact of compassion fatigue was explored qualitatively through semi-structured, open-ended interviews. The ProQOL questionnaire results indicated that no participants were experiencing compassion fatigue. Seven key themes emerged from the qualitative interviews, including (a) …

Empowering Children's Literature For Stressful Times, Barbara C. Wheatley Ed.D., Jennifer Whorrall Turner Ed.D.

Virginia English Journal

Abstract

Reading and books are synonymous with children and education. Caregivers and educators alike understand the many benefits of reading books to help children learn about their world but also to help manage emotions. As the pandemic rages across the country and the world, books are one way to help children deal with the emotions that are present in their lives. Bibliotherapy is explored as the practice of clinically and educationally using literature to help children deal with anxiety and stress. Research is explored that supports the emotional needs of children and the use of books to help children empathize …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Women Enrolled In Or Graduated From A Doctoral Program And Have Experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces): A Phenomenological Study, Alicia Williams

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this heuristic phenomenological study is to describe and understand the lived experiences of African American women who are enrolled in or graduated from a doctoral program and have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in regards to the supports received and barriers experienced in their life journey toward enrolling in a doctoral program. Methodology: The methodology used for this study was a heuristic phenomenological approach which explored the factors of supports received and barriers experienced during the childhood of African American women who experienced ACEs and still pursued a doctorate degree. The study revealed the commonalities among …

Implementing Peace Education Strategies In The Post-Nursery And Post Primary Schools: An Example From Nigeria, Zipporah Onyinyechi Omenma, Nkechinyere Charity Edeh, Eric Kenechukwu Nwagu Professor, Bernedeth Nkiru Ezegbe Professor, Chukwuma Patrick Nwabudike, Emmanuel Eze

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

No abstract provided.

Does Reading Ability Affect Students' Attitudes Toward Reading?, Beth Buterbaugh

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Abstract

The purpose of this non-experimental study was to determine if the students’ reading abilities affect the students’ attitudes toward reading. The effect of gender on reading attitudes was also determined. Participants were a convenience sample of 91 second-grade students from an elementary school in Arkansas. The participants completed the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey as well as questions about demographic information. Classroom teachers participated by completing two questions that pertained to ethnicity and reading ability. An analysis of the results revealed that the students’ reading abilities impacted their attitudes toward reading. The results also revealed that girls had a more …

Using Verb Extension To Gauge Children’S Verb Meaning Construals: The Case Of Chinese, Weiyi Ma, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Lulu Song, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

Publications and Research

Verb extension is a crucial gauge of the acquisition of verb meaning. In English, studies suggest that young children show conservative extension. An important test of whether an early conservative extension is a general phenomenon or a function of the input language is made possible by Chinese, a language in which verbs are more frequent and acquired earlier. This study tested whether 3-year-old Chinese children extended a group of familiar verbs that specify various ways to carry objects. Shown videos that portrayed typical, mid-typical, or atypical carrying actions (as verified by Chinese adults), children were asked to judge whether they …

How Drawing To Distract Improves Mood In Children, Jennifer E. Drake

Publications and Research

Previous research has shown that drawing improves short-term mood in children when used to distract from rather than express negative thoughts and feelings. The current study sought to examine (a) how drawing might elevate mood in children ages 6–12 by examining the role played by absorption, enjoyment, and perceived competence as well as entering an imaginary world; and (b) whether children spontaneously use drawing to distract from a sad mood. Across three studies, children were asked to think of a disappointing event. After a sad mood induction, they drew for 5 min. Mood was measured before and after the mood …

Music, Our Human Superpower, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

Research about music pervades every discipline because music touches every area of life. Studies revealing the salutary effects of music can be found not only in music educator research, but in research in psychology, speech and hearing, child development, neuroscience, and increasingly, health and wellness, aging, rehabilitation and recovery. Since my focus is especially in the areas of language and literacy, I research the positive effects of music on reading, writing, and learning languages - and of this, there is no shortage. In this brief Academia article, I share what I’d like to call an “homage-with-references” to our great Superpower, …

Realizing The Promise Of Early Educator Apprenticeships, Brandy Jones Lawrence, Emily Sharrock, Courtney Parkerson

Bank Street Education Center

In response to the introduction of the Early Educator Apprenticeship Act in both houses of Congress, this positioning statement outlines recommendations for rebuilding the workforce at this critical moment with quality and equity at the center through apprenticeships, which have been effective in improving K-12 school systems. A national system of robust apprenticeship programs would support rebuilding our supply of care while also ensuring educators receive the high-quality clinical practice and coaching required for the complex task of supporting early brain development.

Best Practices For Preschool Music Education: Supporting Music‑Making Throughout The Day, Jentry Stoneman Barrett, Rachel E. Schachter, Danni Gilbert, Mathew Fuerst

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Active engagement in music has numerous academic and social benefits for young children and music-making is included in many early childhood standards and preschool curricula. The purpose of this article is to provide quality resources for classroom teachers to use in providing music-making activities for young children, ages 3–5. Although teachers may use music in their classrooms, we provide resources and suggestions for more intentional and extended integration of music-making. Specifically, we identify best practices for preschool music education based on key standards and research as well as with common music pedagogies. We then turn to concrete examples of how …

Intergenerational Learning: An Exploratory Study Of The Concept, Role And Potential Of Intergenerational Learning (Igl) As A Pedagogical Strategy In Irish Early Childhood Education (Ece) Services, Anne Fitzpatrick

Doctoral

This study investigates the concept, role and potential of intergenerational learning (IGL) as a pedagogical strategy in Irish early childhood education (ECE) services. It explores the perspectives on IGL of educators(5), children(70) and their parents(43) in five Irish ECE services in city, town and suburban locations. The theoretical and conceptual framework was informed by socio-cultural theories of learning aligned to key principles of IGL. A qualitative methodological approach was adopted to access these perspectives.Specifically, the methods used to gather data were semi-structured interviews with educators, draw and talk strategies with children and informal written feedback with parents. Educators played a …

Nebline, February 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Staying active in winter

Nebraska Extension’s Physical Activity Resources

At-Home Workout: No Equipment Needed

Recipe of the Month

2021 Flower All-America Selections Winners

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

ProHort Lawn & Landscape Update

Know Your Bugs Before You Treat: Bed vs. Bat

More Than Counting: Incorporating Math Into Daily Interactions With Preschoolers

Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Total Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water

HEART OF 4-H Volunteer Award, Laura Cook

Meet 2020–2021 4-H Teen Council

4-H Club Gives Youth With Special Needs Opportunity to Show Lambs

Pick-A-Pig Club Accepting New Members

Companion Animal Webinar Series

4-H Rabbit Show, March 20 …

Is This My Body? A Manual On Navigating Child Masturbation Without Shame, Stephanie M. Amis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Children’s natural exploration of their bodies and sexual expression through masturbation is often considered to be taboo by many adults and caregivers. It is important that children are taught that they have the right to explore their own bodies, to express and experience any sexual developments that may be happening. A child can be innocent and still have the freedom to explore the biological processes of their sexuality. In early Christianity, 19th century physicians and some 20th century psychologists greatly influenced the negative attitudes around aspects of child sexuality such as masturbation that still thrive today. As far as child …