Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Feeding And Swallowing Disorders In Children With Autism: What Caregivers Need To Know, Olivia Hopkins

Undergraduate Publications

This study investigates the complex topic of feeding and swallowing disorders in children with autism, highlighting the significant challenges they pose, particularly related to sensory sensitivities and oral motor difficulties, and the persistent lack of understanding. We examine diagnostic criteria, risks, familial impacts, cultural nuances, and evidence-based intervention strategies, with a focus on practical guidance for caregivers, to equip them with resources for navigating these challenges (Schulz & Eden, 2016). Despite the prevalence of these disorders, many remain unaware of the struggles, underscoring the urgent need for targeted investigations and supportive measures. Specifically, this paper aims to provide Speech Language …

Short-Run Economic Effects Of Michigan's State-Funded Preschool Programs, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Policy Papers

This policy paper estimates the short-run economic effects of the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Michigan’s state-funded preschool program for 4-year-olds. The paper considers 15year effects on state residents’ per capita incomes due to impacts on employment rates and real wages, as well as cost-savings from free preschool and fiscal benefits due to tax base expansion. These 15-year effects ignore the program’s outcomes for child participants and focus on how the Michigan economy is affected by GSRP’s direct impacts on parents and preschool teachers. The estimates use a regional econometric model of a state’s economy, developed originally to evaluate economic …

The Effect Of Age Of Acquisition On The Development Of Lexical Attainment And Oral Proficiency In English As L2 In Adult Native Arabic Speakers, Mona Ahmed Kamar El-Zaman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the influence of the age of acquisition (AoA) on the development of lexical attainment and oral proficiency in English as a second language (L2) among adult native Arabic speakers, focusing on classroom foreign language learners within the Egyptian context. AoA, a critical variable in second language acquisition (SLA) research, is explored in relation to two key domains: lexical knowledge and oral proficiency. The study examines the role of AoA and AoA related effects, such as the order of bilingualism and the length of exposure to rich language input (LoE) as a confounding factor. Through a mixed-methods approach, …

The Impact Of Age, Gender, Race, And Socioeconomic Background On Montana Students’ Reading Achievement, Robin Cormier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in this study was that 88% of local Montana elementary school students were not proficient in reading by the end of the 2023–2024 school year. The study’s purpose was to determine whether a relationship existed between students' performance on standardized reading tests in the local school setting and the key variables: age, gender, race, and socioeconomic background. Grounded in Piaget’s constructivist theory of cognitive development, the analysis explored whether the demographic factors contributed to differences in reading performance. Using a quasi-experimental, ex post facto design, (N = 64) students were categorized by age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. …

Perspectives Of Childcare Directors, Teachers, And Parents Regarding The Risks And Challenges Of Nature Preschools, Mary Lavere Traub

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nature preschools are becoming more widespread but most nature preschools in the United States are not licensed. The problem addressed in this study was that unlicensed nature preschools may present risks and challenges for children because they are unlicensed. Guided by the work of Ernst and colleagues about the safety risks inherent in nature preschools, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of directors and teachers who work in nature preschools and parents who enroll their children in nature preschools regarding the risks and challenges for children that these preschools may present. Interviews were conducted …

Identifying Research-Based Practices For Increasing Peer Interaction In Children With Hearing Impairment: A Review Of The Literature, Amal Aldawoud

International Journal for Research in Education

Establishing peer interaction is critical for all childhood development, especially for children with hearing impairment (HI), who tend to experience a lot of difficulties in interaction. Practices aiming to promote peer interaction in children with HI need to be informed by evidence from quality research. This paper aims to review and evaluate research studies that focus on interaction between children with HI and their peers (with or without HI) in self-contained and inclusive classrooms. Seven empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 1990 to 2023 were examined and evaluated, using the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC, 2014) quality indicators. Several …

Let’S Talk About Quality: How Equitable Funding And Program Structure Impact Academic And Social Outcomes In Supplemental Education Programs, Inayah Ansari

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although many studies have highlighted how high–quality supplemental education programs (early childhood education and after-school programs) help children and adolescents reach developmental milestones faster, very few studies focus on how programs are structured to create the quality that produces positive outcomes. In this paper, I define quality as equitable funding and program structure and interrogate how this conception of quality determines cognitive and social-emotional benefits, particularly for programs in New York City. Using fiscal data and study reviews, I illuminated the impact of budget cuts on programs and the importance of funding. Using a thematic analysis of six interviews conducted …

The Perspectives Of Play Advocates On Children’S Unstructured Play In Turkey, Bengi Sullu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Convention on the Rights of the Child has established children’s rights to non- discrimination, development, participation and the observance of their best interests. With this recognition, there has been a growing global interest in acknowledging play as a right. Yet unstructured play, in which children can choose when, where and how to play, with control over their play, has not received the same attention, support and investment as organized, structured play (UNCRC General Comment 17, 2013). The way adults perceive and support play shapes the play opportunities that are available to children (Bianquin, 2018; Göl-Güven, 2017). Additionally, institutions and …

Autonomy And Relatedness: Motivating Kindergarten Teachers In An Online Professional Development, Xuanyi Eliza Wu, Alfredo Bautista, Marc Clarà

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Drawing on the self-determination theory, this paper focuses on two factors that are essential for individuals to be motivated, namely the psychological needs of autonomy and relatedness. We implemented three different iterations of an online PD course, entitled Chat with Children. While content was identical, the designs of autonomy and relatedness varied. Participants of this exploratory study were 417 in-service Hong Kong kindergarten teachers. We analyzed teachers’ enrollment, participation, and completion in the three iterations, and also interviewed teachers to explore their experiences of different autonomy and relatedness designs. We found that participation and completion were significantly higher in the …

Centering Equity In An Ai-Generated Literacy Read Aloud Lesson Plan Brought To Life By Preservice Teachers, Denise Farrelly

Open Educational Resources

This resource is a series of in-class activities geared toward preservice teachers (PSTs) focused on how to center equity in their instructional planning and lesson implementation. PSTs will be able to use a generative AI tool to select an appropriate read aloud book and create the framework for a literacy lesson plan that stems from their own students’ interests. While AI will generate the learning objectives, standards, and basic procedures for the lesson plan, the PSTs will integrate the student-centered and culturally-responsive elements such as meaningful and engaging questioning, activities, and assessments. PSTs will consider these factors as they revise …

Manejo Y Conocimiento Del Cafetal Como Espacio Para El Fortalecimiento Educativo En Escuelas De Zonas Indígenas Y Rurales, Atzin Elihu Calvillo-Arriola, Alma Adrianna Gómez Galindo

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2024)

El café es uno de los cultivos más importantes en el mundo, en México este sistema agroforestal, considerado de bajo impacto para los ecosistemas, es manejado por familias campesinas e indígenas, esto abre la posibilidad de valorar y reconocer al cafetal como un laboratorio viviente para la enseñanza de las disciplinas STEM.

Stem Como Respuesta A La Interdisciplinariedad En El Currículum Mexicano, María Del Rocío Hernández Hernández, Alma Adrianna Gómez Galindo

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2024)

No abstract provided.

Perspectivas De Docentes De Secundaria Frente A Una Enseñanza Con Enfoque Stem En Escuelas Rurales, Yesenia Castaño Torres, María Teresa Guerra Ramos

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2024)

Se analizan las perspectivas de docentes de una escuela ubicada en una zona rural de México sobre el enfoque STEM para la enseñanza de los saberes escolares en secundaria. Se reflexiona sobre lo que entienden los docentes sobre las disciplinas STEM y la viabilidad del enfoque en contextos escolares rurales.

Bridging Indigenous And Hispanic Knowledge Systems Through Collaborative Panel Discussions: Stem Teachers’ Perceptions Of Culturally Sustaining Nature-Based Pedagogy, Uma Ganesan

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2024)

This paper presents findings from a transformative collaborative panel discussion session at the 2024 STEM Education Conference, examining how nature-based, environmentally conscious, and culturally sustaining science teaching practices implemented at the Umonhon Nation Public School (UNPS) in Nebraska can inform teaching practices in the Rio Grande Valley. The session was co-facilitated by University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Associate Professor Dr. Amanda Morales and UTRGV Assistant Professor Dr. Uma Ganesan. The study combines panel discussion analysis with qualitative survey data from participating STEM educators, providing rich insights into teachers’ perceptions of implementing culturally and linguistically sustaining (CLS) practices in diverse contexts. By …

Mentoring And Supporting All Writers: Strengthening Writing Instruction In Pk To 5th Grade With Halpern’S “Interactive Writing” And Anderson’S “Mentor Texts”, Chad H. Waldron, Meghan K. Block, Alicia D. Fluker, Mariah C. Schepak, Michelle R. Snyder

Michigan Reading Journal

Shared, co-authored book review by educators and researchers of Matt Halpern’s (2023) A Teacher’s Guide to Interactive Writing, Grades PreK-2 and Carl Anderson’s (2022) A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts, Grades K-5 (Heinemann)

Teacher Candidates’ Perspectives On The Integration Of Digital Tools In Teacher Training Programs: A Case Study Of Using Seesaw, Gui Ying Annie Yang-Heim, Xi Lin

Faculty Publications - College of Education

Digital tools are crucial in modern education for improving teaching practices and student engagement. While technology enhances learning, many teacher candidates still struggle to effectively integrate it into their teaching (Habibi et al., 2023). For instance, Seesaw is a widely used digital platform in K-12 classrooms but seldom explored in higher education. This study explores teacher candidates' views on integrating Seesaw into their learning processes, revealing benefits and challenges. The study is guided by Puentedura's (2010, 2014) SAMR model as a framework to evaluate and discuss the findings of integrating Seesaw in a literacy methods course. The study's insights aim …

The Effectiveness Of Using Al Hodhud Application To Teach Reading Skills In Arabic As A Second Language In The International Baccalaureate System For Kindergarten Students, Samaa Bassem Haroun, Mohammad M. T. Habib Samkari

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدفت الدراسة التعرف إلى فاعلية تطبيق "الهدهد" في تنمية مهارات القراءة باللغة العربية كلغة ثانية لدى طلبة رياض الأطفال في برنامج البكالوريا الدولية، وقد أجريت الدراسة في مدرسة المواهب الإنجليزية في محافظة العاصمة عمان في الأردن خلال الفصل الدراسي الثاني من العام الدراسي 2022-2023. ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تم استخدام المنهج شبه التجريبي، وتم اختيار مجموعة الدراسة عمدياً، وتألفت المجموعة من (40) طفلاً من مرحلة رياض الأطفال، وتألفت العينة من مجموعة واحدة درست استخدام تطبيق الهدهد، وتم تطبيق الاختبار القبلي والبعدي، وبعد تطبيق الدراسة وإجراء التحليل الإحصائي أظهرت نتائج فاعلية تطبيق الهدهد في تنمية مهارات القراءة باللغة العربية كلغة ثانية، وأظهرت …

درجة تأثير تكنولوجيا التعلم الرقمي على النمو المعرفي والمستوى التعليمي لطلبة المرحلة الأساسية, Muna Mustafa Husni Alsadk

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال التعرف على درجة تأثير تكنولوجيا التعلم الرقمي على النمو المعرفي والمستوى التعليمي لطلبة مرحلة الصفوف الثلاث الأولى في مديرية التربية والتعليم بمنطقة الزرقاء الأولى، وتمحورت مشكلة الدراسة للكشف عن درجة تأثير تكنولوجيا التعلم الرقمي على النمو المعرفي والمستوى التعليمي، وقد قامت الباحثة في استخدام المنهج الوصفي التحليلي في الحصول على المعلومات واستخدام الاستبيان كأداة لجمع المعلومات، حيث قامت بتوزيع الاستبيان على المعلمين في منطقة الزرقاء الأولى وبلغ عددهم (500) معلم ومعلمة، وتوصلت الى عدة نتائج أبرزها وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية (α = 0.05) تعزى لأثر الجنس، وعدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية تعزى لأثر سنوات الخبرة العلمية …

Chronic Student Absenteeism In The Mountain West, 2018-2023, Anirudh Polagani, Yashesvi Sharma, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet examines data on chronic student absenteeism rates across five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada. The “Tracking State Trends in Chronic Absenteeism” report by FutureEd, an education policy think tank at Georgetown University, provides data for 42 states and the District of Columbia for the school years of 2018-2019, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023.

Interactive Read Aloud Planning Template For The Story, The Letter From The Book Frog And Toad Are Friends, Lauren Dehmer, David Wolff

OER Materials

This is a read-aloud planning template for the story The Letter from the book Frog and Toad are Friends, which holds five stories. The goal of the assignment is to create an effective read-aloud. Research supports these as they can expose children to new words and language structures (Burkins & Yates, 2021). Cunningham et al. (2023) also explain interactive read-alouds as a way to “immerse students in rich content.” The author was given a list of stories from the anthology, The 20^th Century Children’s Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud, from instructor Dr. David Wolff, who …

Nebline, January/February 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2024 Extension Highlights

4-H Engaged 34,177 Youth

Nebraska Extension’s Strategic Direction

Reflflection, Growth and Whole-Person Wellness for 2025. Emily Gratopp

Recipe of the Month: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup, Emily Gratopp

Extension’s 2025 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Begins Soon

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

ProHort Lawn and Landscape Update

2025 Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Crop Production Clinics

Leaving a Lasting Legacy for Midwestern Farm Women

At Ag Literacy Festival, Students Learn How Agriculture Impacts Their Daily Lives

Managing Hard Water, Becky Schuerman

Don’t Let Fungus Gnats Bug You and Your Plants, Kait Chapman

2025 Lincoln …

Interprofessional Collaboration To Create Visual Supports In Preschool Classrooms: Perspectives Of Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students, Shelby L. Klick

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives of speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate students following participation in a Preschool Visual Supports interprofessional education (IPE) project. Though IPE initiatives have become more prevalent in healthcare, they are limited in preparing future education professionals. Using qualitative inquiry, this study aimed to explore and assess the impact of an interdisciplinary collaborative project and how participation might influence SLP students’ future approach to creating visual supports for young children and their confidence to do so. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes across five semi-structured interviews conducted with SLP graduate students at a Midwest university. The data …

Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement: Social Emotional Wellness Through Yoga, Gianna R. Delfino

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

This doctoral capstone program, Social-Emotional Wellness Through Yoga: Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement, aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a family-centered occupational therapy (OT) program designed to enhance emotional connection, co-regulation, and wellness in caregiver-child dyads at a pediatric outpatient clinic. This project was guided by a systematic review of literature on the effects of yoga on the mental health of children 3-10 years old, which suggests that yoga has positive outcomes on the mental health and wellbeing of children (Khunti et al., 2022). Grounded in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and strengths-based care, the 10-week group was designed for children ages 3–11 and their …

Explore Your Future, Faith M. Merritt

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

Explore Your Future, a doctoral capstone project, was developed to aid the development and learning of low socioeconomic status (SES) children attending the McGlynn Center. This project focused on career readiness, addressing community concerns by providing resources on career possibilities, educational pathways, and skills training. A scoping review revealed gaps in research on interventions improving career readiness in low SES children, with limited studies identified across seven databases. Early intervention is proven to enhance career exploration, social-emotional outcomes, social awareness, academic performance, and vocational identity (Howard & Ferrari, 2022). Improvements in self concept, interpersonal and critical thinking skills, and confidence …

Growing Partnerships Into Non-Instructional Spaces For Technology Integration, Innovation, And Organizational Development, Tracy Driehaus, Scott Matz

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Multi-Tiered School University Partnerships: How Schools And Universities Can Work Together To Make Collective Impact, Tracy Driehaus

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Leadership For Teacher Education In Challenging Times: A Collaborative Approach, Rebecca West Burns, Thomas Conway, Tracy Driehaus, Tracy Keyes

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Innovating Art Education: An Art Education School University Partnership, Tracy Driehaus

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

One Day This Tree Will Fall (2024) By Leslie Barnard Booth, Maughn Gregory

Picture Books

Can a tree live a life worth living? This picture book makes the case that trees have lives that are at once intriguingly similar to human lives and just as intriguingly – and importantly – different. It nudges us to consider the meaning of our own lives and our place and our role in the natural world. But trees are quite mysterious. The more we learn about them, the more fantastical they seem – these ordinary inhabitants of every human city and village. This book invites young people and older people to think more about trees; but there is just …

The Performance Of Artificial Intelligence In Lesson Plans, Meghan Mezzacapo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As a future teacher, I have recently observed the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. Many of the classes in my teacher education program have encouraged me to use AI as a tool for creating lesson plans. In schools, I have noticed an increased expectation from administrators that teachers use AI in the classroom. After experimenting with various Artificial Intelligence generators, I became interested in whether these tools could create a better lesson plan than myself. Determining AI’s capability may benefit teachers by allowing them to spend less time on creating lesson plans and more time on other …