The Hidden Curriculum In Financial Literacy: Economics, Standards, And The Teaching Of Young Children, Debbie Sonu, Anand R. Marri

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Pathways To Kindergarten Growth: Synthesizing Theories Of The Kindergarten Transition To Support Children's Development, Rita Yelverton

Dissertations and Theses

The transition into Kindergarten is a critical time for children's development--children's patterns of academic development and engagement with school often start in Kindergarten and persist throughout their academic careers. This is a developmental period that is marked by many changes in children's lives, and therefore it is not a surprise that many children struggle during this transition. These struggles are more common for children who are living in poverty, and although there have been national initiatives to address opportunity gaps in access to early education, investigations into the effectiveness of these programs in promoting children's Kindergarten development have shown mixed …

Cognitively Guided Instruction In Elementary Mathematics: Understanding Factors That Influence Classroom Implementation, Teresa A. Conowal

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This study focused on the teaching technique known as cognitively guided instruction (CGI), through which teachers explore the individual learning styles of their students and use the information they gather to teach more complex concepts more effectively. The focus of this study was on 10 elementary mathematics teachers, with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the reasons they are making limited use of CGI techniques in their classrooms. The study used interviews and classroom observations of the 10 participants to identify the factors influencing their willingness or reluctance to apply CGI techniques to their instructional practices. The study …

Applying Critical Thinking Skills For Successful Pilot Projects, Shawna Flaherty

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Piloting is an approach that can be used when introducing a desired change. It allows for smaller scale trial and leaves room for modification prior to full implementation. When applicable, this approach can be a proactive way to avoiding any potential issues or conflicts relating to the change. As a graduate student in the Critical and Creative Thinking program at UMass Boston, I have explored the concept of pilot projects for three years, planning and implementing, and revising 3 pilot projects. These pilot projects include: Meeting of the Mind’s, a space in which members of the community are invited to …

Treehouses: Civilizing The Wildness Of Men And Nature, Courtney Mckinney

English Undergraduate Distinction Projects

In this paper, I explore how treehouses operate symbolically in tandem with culture. Through an analysis of British and American print culture, I argue that the treehouse building project became bound to boyhood at the turn of the twentieth century as the naturalist movement spread and youth organizations embraced treehouses as part of their vision for the development of boys. Parents and youth leaders intend for treehouse projects to build self-reliance, independence, imagination, and courage in their boys. Congruously, this activity associated with a child’s personal growth takes place in an actual growing organism. I analyze how treehouses juxtapose humans …

An Action Research Investigation Into An Early Childhood Digital, Storytelling-Based Solution, Jessica Smith

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The development of literacy skills prior to the classroom has been established as essential for future school and life successes. However, the present achievement gap between lower-socioeconomic neighborhoods and their higher-income counterparts illustrate vast dissimilarities in early childhood provisions for quality reading materials and instructional aides. In an effort to bridge the educational breach, a collaborative, storytelling-based program entitled Kid Forward was introduced to five nationwide families as a means of assistance for early childhood literacy development. Through the use of demographic surveys, interviews completed before and after the program implementation, and exit surveys, the action research study examined early …

Anti-Racist Education Through The Visual Arts: Lesson Plans For Early Childhood Educators, Janet Elder

Master's Projects and Capstones

Despite the shifting racial and ethnic demographics of the United States, as well as the increase of children enrolling in public preschools, early childhood educators often lack the resources and pedagogical training needed to teach anti-racist education. Preschool teachers must move beyond simply celebrating cultural holidays and traditions and explicitly counter discriminatory attitudes and behaviors. Teaching children in preschool comes with the challenge of considering varying developmental stages. The visual arts can be used as a dynamic learning medium that can be adapted for different subjects and topics, and is an excellent learning source for young children. With the increase …

Teaching Towards A Culture Of Peace In Early Childhood Education Classrooms, Samantha Ferber

Master's Projects and Capstones

This curriculum guide was conceived keeping in mind the diverse educational settings of early childhood education in the United States. It is especially targeted for preschool classrooms of children aged two and a half to four years old. However, it can be modified for use in early elementary school where teachers hope to incorporate peace education into their classrooms. Early childhood educators are the primary audience for this guidebook, but any educator, parent, or caregiver can benefit from the concepts of peace education.

This curriculum guide should stem from a critical engagement between teachers and the communities within which they …

Facilitating A Block Program In Kindergarten And First Grade: A Manual For Kindergarten And First Grade Teachers, Hannah Rau

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Many preschool classroom have unit blocks. Unfortunately, not as many early primary classrooms incorporate blocks into their programs. This paper discusses the power of using unit blocks in a Kindergarten and first grade. The first three sections of the thesis focus on the importance of a unit block curriculum in early primary classrooms by discussing the developmentally-appropriate ways blocks invite problem solving and mathematical and scientific thinking. The final section is a teacher’s manual designed as a guidebook to support teachers who are starting a block program in their Kindergarten and first grade classroom. In this manual, critical components of …

The Emergence Of Friendships And Social Groups In Kindergarten, Denae Shake

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

The school classroom is an inherently social setting where students interact with each other for seven hours, five days a week. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how students select their friends and how social groups begin to form and emerge. The author collected data through student and teacher interviews, dictated drawings, a sociogram, and a parent survey. After analyzing the data by using the constant comparative method, the author found four major themes. The first was that each social clique came equipped with unique characteristics that the clique members embodied. Second, there were …

Champs In A Second-Grade Classroom, Amanda Ford

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Classroom management can be a big struggle for some teachers, to the point that some school districts have begun initiatives for the implementation of specific behavior management programs. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of the behavior management program of CHAMPS. The author collected data through student surveys, classroom observations, and teacher and student interviews. After analyzing the data by using a constant comparative method, the author found five major themes. The first theme was the continual reference to CHAMPS expectations within the classroom. The author then found the theme of the …

What Happens When The Seesaw App Is Used In A Kindergarten Classroom?, Alison Ryan

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Parent-teacher relationships can make or break a student’s academic career. It is possible that taking advantage of parents’ media-connectedness to form positive relationships may be more effective than more traditional methods like hand-written notes, phone calls, or emails. In this study the researcher sought to understand what happens in a kindergarten classroom when one technology in particular was used facilitate communication: Seesaw (a digital portfolio app used to post pictures and videos of children as well as communicate with parents using its private messaging feature). Data was collected through parent surveys, observations, and interviews of parents, students, and teachers. Analysis …

Engagement During Math Small Groups Using The Interactive White Board, Grace Diana Cozby

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Interactive whiteboards are an integral part of many elementary classrooms. These boards are becoming increasingly common in the early childhood setting. This study looks at how the interactive whiteboard impacts engagement in a Head Start, pre-kindergarten classroom. This study was done by teaching math small groups, both with and without the use of the interactive whiteboard, and recording the results in regards to engagement. Interviews, surveys, checklists, tally sheets, and journaling were used to garner both teacher and student perceptions about the use of the interactive whiteboard. This study found that interactive whiteboards increased direct instruction engagement and were perceived …

Teaching Place-Based Science In Kindergarten, Lucy Atkins

Capstones, Research Projects, and Curricula

This action research explores how kindergarten students learn about forces and motion through inquiry-based, place-based methods. The learning took place as part of an existing day spent learning outdoors, known as Forest Monday, that includes extended time for free play. The three sub-questions addressed 1) science content learning, 2) science practice application, and 3) the incorporation of science content and practices into free play time outdoors. It was a mixed-methods study, with science assessment data supporting observations and interviews. The participants were 12 kindergarten students in a rural elementary school. All students were assessed and interviewed but observations were focused …

Using Coaching Strategies To Build Caregiver Capacity, Beth Hadrava

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This research study investigated the use of coaching strategies to foster engagement and build the capacity of caregivers of very young children receiving early intervention services. This study was conducted as a result of concerns regarding low caregiver engagement and unanswered questions about acquisition of caregivers’ skills. Four participants were included in this study. The researcher collected qualitative and quantitative data to examine the impact of using a coaching model with caregiver-participants. Interview data, engagement ratings and a research journal were used to collect engagement and caregiver capacity data. As a result of data collection and analysis, the author reported …

The Effect Of Small Group Intervention Activities In An Enrichment Program With Second Grade Students, Kari Dahlgren

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the effect of using small group reading intervention activities in an after-school program with second grade students can increase their foundational reading skills and oral reading fluency. The students selected for the study were already enrolled in the after-school program. The study evaluated the reading skills of 12 of the 17 second grade students at Circle of Life Academy. The assessments used were the AIMS-web Plus assessment and Assessing Reading Multiple Measures assessments. The results of the AIMS-web fluency scores showed that those students who received interventions in reading fluency …

Grade Retention: Knowledge And Attitudes Of Teacher Educators And Preservice Teachers, Jenny Pearson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Grade retention, otherwise known as “failing” or “being held back”, is a common practice for schools when they feel a student is not performing at or meeting school standards. While grade retention is a popular practice, very little research supports the use of it as an effective intervention over other interventions (Jimerson, 2001). A survey, structured around Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985) was distributed to preservice teachers and teacher educators at a Midwestern university to examine their knowledge and beliefs about grade retention, as well as the prevalence of the topic of grade retention in teacher training. Results from …

Weaving Theory/Practice For Art As Knowing In Early Childhood Education, Corinna E. Peterken

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Early childhood education has a tradition of arts based pedagogy. Current emphasis on high stakes testing and test scores as evidence of learning, even for young children, has educators moving away from the arts as academic learning. This visual essay is an a/r/tographic inquiry with woven threads of theory/practice from this moving fault zone that support the arts as a way of knowing for the early years. Making and writing with woolen fibers and feathers form a mat as a surface that is thinking with encounters from teaching pre-service early childhood educators with art. The weaving is an opening to …

Teacher’S Use Of Technology In A Preschool/Kindergarten Setting, Maudi Mckell Sundrud, Jennifer Wimmer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Teacher’s Use of Technology in a Preschool/Kindergarten Setting Mentor: Jennifer Wimmer, Teacher Education As a response to the increase of technology in society, the education system has pushed for greater technology integration in schools. Schools across the nation have invested in technology intended to help students learn more effectively the skills and strategies they may need to be competitive members of this technological society. From this, the question emerges: while funds are being allocated for technology, how often and when do teachers use the technology in their classroom?

Teacher Perspectives On Social Thinking, Kelley Yankowski Sarnelle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain teachers' perspectives on students' social skills and problem behaviors before and after implementing a social skills curriculum to students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Teachers were given a survey to rate students' social skills and problem behaviors prior to and following intervention. Students were then taught using the Think Social! social skills training program. Students participated in six sessions. Results showed that teachers reported that most of the students increased their social skills and decreased their problem behaviors after being taught using the Think Social! curriculum. Results suggest students with emotional and …

Inclusion In Morning Meetings, Robin Lauber

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This thesis explores the extent to which teachers implement best practice of inclusion during their daily Morning Meetings. Morning Meetings are a standard practice at the beginning of the school day where student and teachers greet one another, share personal stories and information, participate in a group activity, and read a morning message written by the teachers. Preschool through third grade teachers in local school districts were given a self-reflection survey. The survey was a standardized checklist that was informed by research on inclusive practices and The Morning Meeting Book (Kriete & Davis, 2014). It was modeled after the Division …

Sun Prevention Fun (Spf): A Multicomponent Sun Prevention Program For Children In Kindergarten And First Grade, Sarah Gouker

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Skin cancer is an important topic in the United States due to the recent increase in cost and mortality. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if the early implementation of a multicomponent sun prevention program positively impacted kindergarten and first grade students’ knowledge and behavioral intentions to practice safe sun techniques after a one week period. Kotter’s Model of Change and the ACE Star model were utilized to guide this EBP project. An exhaustive review of the literature yielded 12 articles which were used to develop best practices for education on sun safety. The quality …

Assistive Listening Devices In Primary And Secondary Educational Settings: A Systematic Review, Paige Wagner-Skinner

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the scientific evidence available to support the use of assistive listening devices in primary and secondary educational settings. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that it is the role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) to modify the classroom environment, as needed, to enhance communicative abilities for this population (ASHA, 2016; Carney, 1998). Each journal article included in this study was published in a peer reviewed journal between the years of 2000 and 2018, written in the English language, and comprised of scientific information relevant to the research question proposed. Experimental …

The Importance Of Teaching Young Children Academics Through Multi-Sensory Activities, Tiffany Schardt

Senior Theses

In this project, one will find information regarding the benefits of multi-sensory learning. Multi-sensory learning is a hands-on form of learning. One will find information on how technology is causing children to spend less time learning through their senses. The project is accompanied by information for parents and what they can do to promote multi-sensory learning at home. Along with this information, parents will find a guidebook that incorporates academic concepts with multi-sensory lessons. The project is organized so that one can find information on technology, importance of multi-sensory learning, proof, and guidebook contents. The project is easily laid out …

Improving Spatial Visualization Abilities Using 3d Printed Blocks, Vanessa Lebow, Michelle Bernhardt-Barry, Jyotishka Datta

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Spatial visualization abilities have been shown to be a key predictor of success in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Past research has revealed that women and underrepresented minorities tend to lag behind in spatial visual abilities, however, research has also shown that these skills can be improved with guided practice. This study seeks to examine whether 3D printed aids help spatial visual retention in 6th graders. A modified Purdue spatial visualization test was used as the assessment standard. Students’ mental rotation abilities were assessed before and after the 3D printed aids were administered. Data was collected from five different …

Nebline, May 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Farmers: Use climate for planning, weather for doing

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

and other extension news and events

The Children’S Focus: Creating A Brand – A Look At Website Influence On Preschool Choice, Hope Meltser

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project is divided in two parts. The first part consists of branding The Children’s Focus, a Montessori-style preschool in Manlius, New York. Over the course of the project, I have developed a brand with a logo and a live website to provide information and resources both for prospective and enrolled families. The second half of the project is a survey study of parents of preschoolers to investigate how preschool websites influence parents’ preschool selection. This survey included a brief look at parent priorities, website usage, and social media considerations. The survey data established the importance of a functional, updated …

Fostering The Concept Of Autonomy In School-Aged Children, Michelle Newcombe

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Studies show that autonomy in school-age children helps students in terms of academics and in becoming well-rounded members of the society (Bandura, 1993). This senior capstone explores how autonomy is taught successfully in Japanese schools, explains its structure, and how it can be facilitated. Through the use of literature review as well as surveys conducted with 12 Japanese exchange students and 15 Liberal Studies students, results were inconclusive and are premature to determine how the concept of autonomy is fostered in U.S school-aged children. However, the literature review found that in Japanese elementary schools, educators use the Self-Determination theory and …

Academic And Social Effects Of Waldorf Education On Elementary School Students, Christian Zepeda

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As society becomes more critical of public education, alternative education systems are becoming more popular. The Waldorf education system, based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, has increased in popularity and commonality each decade. Currently, 23 Waldorf institutions exist in California. With this increase in popularity, it is important to analyze and examine the effectiveness of this education philosophy. An examination of Waldorf education, through research and interviews of Waldorf teachers and administration, will provide parents and teachers with an understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, Waldorf education provides a positive environment for students, yielding positive effects but this …

Teaching Gender Diversity In Preschool Classrooms, Nicole Marie Valhuerdi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As early as toddler years, children are absorbing information about gender stereotypes on what they should and should not be doing based solely off their sex and “have typically come to prefer activities defined by the culture as appropriate for their sex” (Wolter & Hannover, 2016, p.683). I thought it was important to start coming up with age appropriate ways to explain the concept of gender to children and teach preschool children about acceptance of differences in one another as well as themselves. For my project, I created a two-day lesson plan that was meant to be an introduction on …