Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Sibling Rivalry, Elana Peninah Pamm

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Independent Study was inspired by the creation of the children's book Sometimes, I Hate My Brother. The book was written to help children understand that when their brothers or sisters hurt them it isn't their fault, and also to become more aware of the harm caused by them if they hurt their siblings. Family interactions can bring up feelings in children that may overwhelm and confuse them. The book was written with the goal of helping children understand the repercussions of their actions and deal with their feelings when sibling problems exist.

Nebline, April 1999

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Earth Wellness Festival fifth year celebration
Annuals or perennials? Many factors to consider
Color your landscape with 1999 rose winners
Basil in the garden
Ground covers-The landscapes quilt
Springtime animal FAQs
Upcoming household hazardous waste collections
Be on the lookout for flying termites!
Where do you go for wildlife removal?
See no weevil? Scout your alfalfa to make sure!
Fertilizing with Phosphorus
Reader response - I would like an article about starting a commercial rabbit business
Lagoons for the home
Tractor safety tips (part 4)
Fertilizing trees and shrubs
New plants to consider
Strength training—a fountain of youth?
Healthy Eating: …

Nebline, March 1999

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Weed control a universal concern
National Agricultural Day-March 20
Accessing extension information
One garden, many uses
Easter lily care
All America Selection winners for 1999
Cover or uncover?
Build a nest box to attract birds
What makes the water cycle polluted?
earth wellness festival
Make your own water filter
Wetland factoids
Questions about liming acid soils
Watch for chinch bugs in ‘99
Cut down on tillage with no-till or ridge-till
Introduction to precision agriculture
The “Blue Baby” Syndrome
Tractor safety tips (part 3)
How about that wood stove
Acreage Owner’s Guide available
Table manners
Healthy Eating: Strawberry Fruit Salad with …

Nebline, February 1999

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Remembering the 4-H lock-in
Reflections of Teen Leadership
1999 Perennial Plant of the Year
The garden corner
Using garden catalogs
A spoonful a day keeps the mole away
Mangy squirrels
Misplaced wildlife become problems
Beginning Beekeeping Workshop
Are squirrels using your bird feeders?
Try this trash game!
It’s fun!
Computerized financial record keeping
1999 Integrated Crop Management Winter Programs
Lime and other nutrients key to soil fertility
Reseeding CRP acres
Introduction to precision agriculture
Final private pesticide applicator training session
Fertilizing trees and shrubs
Tractor safety tips (part 2)
Battery maintenance tips
NEP teaches non-English Families Nutrition
Healthy Eating: Bread …

An Integrated Emergent Literacy Curriculum For Primary Students, Katrina M. Clark

All Graduate Projects

A completely integrated reading curriculum has been developed for the primary classroom. The curriculum may be used in whole to cover all academic subjects or as a supplement to an already existing program. The main theme, interdependence, is sub divided into: home/family and farms. Any specific directions or copies of activities are included as well as a teacher reference list and a children's literature list. The Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements as interpreted for kindergarten are covered by use of this curriculum.

Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, Onva K. Boshears Jr., University Of Southern Mississippi

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the thirty-second annual Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1999.

See Dick Run: Developing Literacy In Kindergarten, Rachel Moss

The Corinthian

Literacy has become an issue of great importance in our country. Many children have reached middle and high school without the ability to read fluently. Educators have therefore earnestly sought the best method of teaching literacy. Children in younger grades are now being taught beginning language arts skills. Standardized tests have been developed to measure the extent of these skills. Parents are also inquiring about the most effective means of preparing their children for school.

Collaborative Strategies For Teachers And Parents In Achieving Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements In Reading And Language, Theresa Laffey

All Graduate Projects

A teacher handbook containing suggestions and activities teachers can recommend to parents to assist their children in achieving the State Essential Learning Requirements for Kindergarten was developed. Activities and suggestions were based on 25 Expectations set by the State within the Essential Learning Requirements at the Kindergarten level. Each suggestion or activity was supported by research and directly linked to a specific Expectation. The suggestions and activities were selected based upon parent/ child interest, materials required to implement and ease for parents to follow instructions.

Promoting Phonological Awareness In Young Children Through At-Home Activities: A Video Curriculum, Kathleen A. Kwak

All Graduate Projects

Research relating phonological awareness, beginning reading acquisition, and parental involvement in children's literacy development was read, evaluated, and summarized. A positive relationship between phonological awareness and learning to read was indicated from this review, and a correlation between parental literacy activities and children's language and reading acquisition was found. Studies suggesting the existence of a developmental sequence of phonological skills were examined. The literature review provided a rationale and design for phonological awareness instruction. A research supported curriculum containing a teacher's manual, take-home interactive video activities and activity sheets, and assessments was created.

Teacher Tricks A.K.A. Parent Tools: Workshops To Promote Healthy Family Literacy, Timothy A. Martin

All Graduate Projects

Four workshops, supported by research on parent involvement, were developed to help promote family literacy. Each workshop incorporates both parents and students as they are encouraged to read preassigned books together. In addition, each family was given tasks to complete as they read their books. Workshops incorporating helpful tips and suggestions were provided to the families so they could better assist their children with their reading needs.

The Arctic And Antarctic: An Integrated Curriculum Unit, Grades K-2, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

Effects Of An Interactive, Literacy-Rich Environment On The Social, Language, Cognitive, And Literacy Development Of Young Children With And Without Special Needs, Jeanne M. Canelli

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study is twofold: to identify play and literacy practices that are useful in an inclusive early childhood classroom and to demonstrate how these practices contribute to the development of children with and without disabilities. Play and literacy teaching practices are documented in this study of four preschool children. Two of the children have typical development patterns and two have mild to moderate special needs.

A Guide To Early Reading With Parent Involvement, Sandra Elaine Kerr

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to increase literacy skills of children birth to age eight, through parent involvement. Research on the factors that contribute to early literacy and ways that parents can be involved in the literacy development of their child was studied. A parent handbook was created, which suggests that the development of literacy is a gradual process, which occurs long before the child enters school. The handbook included resources, information and activities to further increase parent involvement in the literacy learning of their child.

Readiness: Is Your Child Ready For Kindergarten?, Cynthia L. Nott

All Graduate Projects

A handbook has been designed to aid parents or care givers in guiding their preschooler towards a successful formal education. The handbook will allow parents or care givers to be more involved in their child's first five years of learning. It will also enable the preschooler to have a better chance for success in his or her education. The handbook consists of suggested activities developed by the author with the parent or caregiver in mind. These activities are designed for the parent or caregiver to incorporate within their everyday routine. These activities are organized in order of age levels and …

A Parent Education Program For Spanish Speaking Parents Of Children In Kindergarten, First, And Second Grade Students, Shannon Mccarty

All Graduate Projects

This project is a program for Spanish speaking parents of children in kindergarten, first, and second grades. This program was designed to help parents better support their children's literacy development. An additional goal of this project is to build stronger relationships between Spanish speaking families and schools. Chapter four of this project contains the manual for this program. It includes the planning, promotion and presentation of the program, as well as extensive appendices. This manual is intended to be used as a framework for teachers interested in developing a parent education program for Spanish speaking parents K-2 in their schools. …

Nebline, January 1999

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

This year I resolve...
Ten steps to good gardening
Lilac renewal
Protect trees from animal damage
Winter care of houseplants
Dispersal of blackbirds, crows and starlings from urban roosts
Environmental book review for kids
Beginning beekeeping training
Treasures in the trash
Tips to enhance the art of using snap-traps for mice
Attention land owners and renters
1999 integrated crop management winter programs
Grain stubble rental rates
Learn about soil fertility/crop nutrient needs in your spare time
Farm tractor, combine fires cost millions annually
Controlling eastern redcedar
Tractor safety tips (part 1)
Acreage reply
Rural living clinics scheduled
Use information at …

Reviewing Software As A Means Of Enhancing Instruction, Marcus D. Childress, Guang-Lea Lee, Gregory P. Sherman

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

A software review procedure developed by the authors is described. The procedure centers around a form that extends the functionality of traditional software evaluation forms by enhancing the use of the computer software in the early childhood classroom. The form encourages teachers to discover ways a piece of software can be integrated across disciplines and used as an anchor for instruction. Users of the review form are also encouraged to examine ways the software motivates the user to remain engaged in its use. The majority of the review form emphasizes the important role of the teacher in identifying outcomes or …

Delaying Kindergarten Entrance, Nancy Hayes

Graduate Research Papers

This study addresses the issue of delayed kindergarten entry of children five years of age. Benefits as well as problems were discussed. Guidelines for implementing a developmentally appropriate kindergarten program were outlined and conclusions were drawn from the literature. Recommendations were made for future kindergarten programs.

Value Of Self-Talk In An Early Childhood Setting, Althea Murphy

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to examine the self talk of the child and how it relates to the child's cognitive development. The views of Piaget and Vygotsky regarding self talk are compared. Development and varieties of self talk are examined. Factors that encourage and discourage self talk are discussed. The final chapter summarizes this study, draws conclusions from the literature, and this paper suggests guidelines for developing an effective program of self talk in the early childhood setting.

Reading In The Kindergarten, Christine E. Resch

Graduate Research Papers

This study examines the effectiveness of implementing a formal reading program in the Kindergarten. Past and present reading instruction methods were reviewed. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with such implementation and instruction were discussed and conclusions were drawn from the literature. Guidelines and recommendations for implementing various approaches to the teaching of reading in the Kindergarten were outlined.

Perspectives On Early Literacy : The Monroe School, Mona S. Rosdail

Graduate Research Papers

This article is based on two days of observations and interviews in an all- kindergarten school in a small midwest city. The purpose of my research was to look at how the steps taken by this school correlate with the steps of Erickson's Dance in addressing the needs and development of the school when becoming an all-kindergarten literacy center. I feel that the information in this article would benefit educators who would like to implement changes in their schools.

Two Current Approaches To Science In Early Education : The Physical-Knowledge Approach By Kamii And Devries And The Science Education Approach By Diane Dodge, Seon Chun

Graduate Research Papers

The primary focus of this paper is to review the characteristics of two science approaches to teaching science to children: the physical-knowledge approach by Kamii and De Vries, and the science education approach by Diane Dodge. Similarities and differences between the two approaches are analyzed. The conclusion of this study found that both approaches emphasize children's active role in learning. However, Kamii and DeVries's physical-knowledge approach emphasizes children's logical reasoning development, while Dodge's science education approach places greater emphasis on content and scientific knowledge.

Concerns Based Adoption Of Instructional Technologies For Learning For Russian Pre-Service Early Childhood Education Students : A Pilot Study, Garth D. Cornish

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in concerns toward the use of instructional media for pre-service Russian elementary education teachers. Participants were a combination of 16 second- and third-year students in the early childhood department of Herzen Pedagogical University located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) was used to gather data for the study. A pre-test was administered before a specially designed series of seminars and workshops on instructional technologies for learning were conducted. Post-test results were gathered at the conclusion of the seminars and workshops. Findings indicated that awareness levels of …

Wild Boy (1998) By Mordicai Gerstein, Gareth B. Matthews

Picture Books

Once there was a boy who lived alone, without a mother or father or any friends, in a forest in Southern France. He was naked. He didn’t even know what clothes were. He didn’t know he was a boy. He didn’t know what people were. He was wild. When a group of hunters discovered the boy, they delivered him to scientists in Paris, who eventually gave up trying to communicate with him. The boy was taken in by Dr. Itard and his housekeeper, Madame Guerin, who taught him to dress himself, to read and write simple words, and help around …

Defining Readiness : For, Against, And An Appropriate View, Linda Harris

Graduate Research Papers

The appropriate time to begin kindergarten is no longer simply a matter of chronological age. Developmental readiness, or maturational readiness concern, has caused parents and educators to delay the entry of selected children into kindergarten programs. Some educators look to the developmentally appropriate kindergarten programs, or multi-age grouping in the primary grades, to solve the readiness dilemma.

This study reviews the most recent literature on the subject of readiness. It also looks at the benefits and problems concerning delayed entry. The study attempts to pull together an appropriate view of readiness for parents and early childhood teachers, and offers guidelines …

Winter : A Literature-Based Unit For Kindergarten, Amy L. Murray

Graduate Research Papers

A literature-based program in a classroom can provide many opportunities for children to engage in the language 'process. As a result, children's thinking-language abilities are extended and their enthusiasm for involvement in classroom learning experiences is enhanced. Literature experiences representative of the different genres add dimensions to the study of themes and topics.

A literature base and related expressive activity for the topic of winter in kindergarten is presented in this article. The subtopics of the unit include seasonal changes, weather, outdoor activities, clothing and changes in animal behavior. Teacher-directed and student-initiated activities through learning centers are presented.

Great Blueness And Other Predicaments (1968) By Arnold Lobel, Gareth B. Matthews

Picture Books

Long ago, there was no color in the world. It was the time of The Great Greyness. Down in the cellar of his house a Wizard mixed up something in a pot and used it to paint the thatched roof of his house. “I call it blue,” he told his neighbors, who begged him to share it. Soon the whole world was blue. It became the time of The Great Blueness. Unfortunately, having blueness everywhere made people sad. So, the Wizard went back down into his cellar and came out with something new .... Philosophy is colorful! Plenty of …

Predictable Text With Primary Age Children In A Title One Reading Program, Joanne H. Dearment

Graduate Research Papers

Readers create meaning in print through the process of prediction. Prediction and comprehension are intricately tied together. Reading predictable books helps young readers comprehend text because their expectations are repeatedly confirmed. Predictable text brings children naturally into the reading process and allows them to process print much as mature readers.

When predictable text is implemented into a Title One reading program, students can more successfully interact with text. This sense of achievement motivates them to become actively engaged in reading experiences. As a result, students became better readers because they are reading more. Also, they became improved writers because the …

Adjustment And Developmental Outcomes Of Students Engaged In Service Learning, Michelle R. Dunlap

Human Development Faculty Publications

In an effort to better understand the psychosocial and adjustment processes experienced by college students engaged in service learning, 22 randomly selected reflection journals were content-analyzed from a class of 44 child development students who had been engaged in service learning in a variety settings. Three of the themes that emerged in the journals involved students: feeling awkward during the first visits; feeling uncertain about redirecting children's misbehavior; and having ambivalent feelings when bringing their service learning experiences to an end. The coping mechanisms and resources upon which students draw to successfully grow beyond these initial challenges are discussed, as …

Using Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities To Identify Gifted Students And Augment Their Gifted Potential, Sande Kristiansen-Hagne

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study was to examine the potential for using Dabrowski's theory of overexcitabilities as an alternative method for identifying gifted students and augmenting development of gifted potential in students. Specifically, in what ways can Dabrowski's psychic overexcitabilities and Theory of Developmental Potential be used to find and serve the educational and emotional needs of the residual group of unidentified and unserved gifted students?

Educational implications and strategies are suggested and discussed. Pedagogic and curricular strategies that utilize the interactive nature of Dabrowski's psychic overexcitabilities and emotional development are examined. The benefit of development of an instrument to measure overexcitabilities at …