Early Childhood Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Identifying Early Intervention Needs In Infants And Toddlers, Jennifer L. Mcgregor

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Brain research conducted on infants and toddlers through the past 20 years has resulted in the widely held knowledge that most brain growth occurs in the first three years of a child’s life. That knowledge reinforces the importance of providing early interventions to children as early as possible in order to maximize the brain’s potential for learning. This study analyzes a set of data collected from an area of a midwestern state that encompasses both urban and rural populations as well as a diverse socio-economic population and aims to confirm whether it makes a difference in the learning trajectory if …

Integrating Stem/Steam Learning Into The Preschool Classroom, Kaitlyn Van Sickle

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan was developed to address that STEAM integration is an essential component of preschool student’s learning and education. This school improvement plan will also show that STEAM is not a curriculum but a way of thinking. In order to integrate STEAM effectively there needs to be change towards students’ and teachers’ thinking. Research has shown that when students are exposed to STEAM teaching starting at an early age it will positively impact student achievement. The two main components of this improvement plan include indicating the instructional strategies and teachings needed for STEAM integration and the professional development …

Implementing Literacy Interventions Into A Preschool Classroom, Kayla Stofferan

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research findings show that early literacy skills are important in building children’s skills. Providing teachers with adequate trainings on implementing early literacy skills can allow teachers to build their children’s skills. An area of need is having an adequate literacy intervention for the children whose skills are not developmentally where they should be. With research findings in mind, a school improvement plan was created to revise the literacy intervention plans for greater student success. This plan improved a current literacy intervention plan to create successful intervention plans for teachers and create more consistency in each grade level.

Teachers’ Perspectives On Creating Secondary Attachments With Infants And Toddlers Experiencing Toxic Stress, Cheryl A. Hovey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of infants and toddlers experiencing toxic stress in the United States has increased significantly. Toxic stress, characterized by prolonged exposure to adverse experiences, has significant implications for the development of infants and toddlers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood teachers’ perspectives on the successes and challenges to create secondary attachments with infants and toddlers exposed to toxic stress. The conceptual framework was Bowlby’s attachment theory. Two research questions addressed the perspectives of early childhood teachers’ successes and challenges to create secondary attachments with infants and toddlers experiencing toxic stress and what they …

Roots And Refuge: A Critical Exploration Of Nature In Black Visual Narratives, Desiree Cueto, Wanda Brooks, Susan Browne

College of Education Departmental Research

This article examined the underrepresentation of Black characters in children’s picture books, particularly in natural settings, and its effect on Black children’s relationship with nature. Through an analysis of four contemporary picture books, the study revealed how visual depictions challenge these exclusions and expand narratives about Black engagement with the natural world. Utilizing visual semiotics and the theory of Black Aliveness, this research underscores the transformative power of illustrations by Black artists in enriching children’s literature and advancing joy.

Let’S /R//Ē//D/: Using Decodable Texts With Beginning Readers, Rosa Pangari-Schneller

Essays in Education

The use of decodable texts can support beginning readers in building a strong foundation for reading, especially when reinforcing skills taught in phonemic awareness and phonics programs. Decodable texts have a home within the science of reading, which can be used to motivate and inspire children. The purpose of this essay is to share my experiences implementing decodable texts in small groups to support beginning readers. I will discuss teacher use and implementation of decodable texts to support student application of grapheme-phoneme relationships and the strategies used to improve not only student learning, but their love for reading.

Beat The Boredom With Books! (Spanish), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screentime use in pediatrics and information about the library.

Beat The Boredom With Books! (English), Mattie Lastovica, Lorraine Sheldon

Bibliotherapy

Beat the Boredom with Books was part of a resident research project. The research questions was "does intentional promotion of the Krissi Holman Family Library and the benefits of reading/screen time limitations during the hospital admission process increase use of and access to books from the in-hospital library in children ages O to 5 years?" The document includes facts about screen time use in pediatrics and information about the library.

Sharing The Story Of Public Library Programming For Young Children With Disabilities Or Developmental Delays, Denice Adkins, Maria Cahill, Alicia Long, Bobbie Sartin Long, Derek Daskalakes

Library Research Seminar 8: Telling Library Stories

No abstract provided.

Human Capital At Home: Evidence From A Randomized Evaluation In The Philippines, Noam Angrist, Sarah Kabay, Dean S. Karlan, Lincoln Lau, Kevin M. Wong

Education Division Scholarship

Children spend most of their time at home in their early years, yet efforts to promote human capital at home in many low- and middle-income settings remain limited. We conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an intervention which encourages parents and caregivers to foster human capital accumulation among their children between ages 3 and 5, with a focus on math and phonics skills. Children gain 0.52 and 0.51 standard deviations relative to the control group on math and phonics tests, respectively (p<0.001). A year later effects persist, but math gains dissipate to 0.15 (p=0.06) and phonics to 0.13 (p=0.12). Effects appear to be mediated largely through instructional support by parents and not other parent investment mechanisms, such as more positive parent-child interactions or additional time spent on education at home beyond the intervention. Our results show that parents can be effective conduits of educational instruction even in low-resource settings.

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Training To Address The Needs Of Children Who Experience Trauma, Jordan Sager

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increased number of children are entering the classroom with an exposure to various types of trauma. Early childhood educators are faced with the reality that they have to be prepared to meet the educational needs of the students. The problem that prompted this study is the potential lack of effective training provided to early childhood educators with regards to children who have faced traumas. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of early childhood educators regarding to potential lack of training to address the needs of children who experience trauma. The theory of social …

Teacher Perceptions Of Reading And Mathematics Achievement Gaps Among Elementary Students Resulting From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kayla Lynn Caprio

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to discover Second through Fifth Grade rural North Texas teacher perceptions focusing on reading and mathematics student achievement gaps resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores how the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown affected students not only academically but also socially as well. Through a qualitative case study design, this study collected qualitative data by interviewing seven-Second through Fifth Grade teachers through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and MAP data by analyzing MAP data collected in the beginning and middle of the year from the 2019-2023 school years. The social learning theory …

Using Chatgpt To Analyze Child Observations, Grace Keengwe

AI Assignment Library

This assignment describes how to use ChatGPT for analyzing child observations.

Coyote Play: A Critical Inquiry Of Power At A Nature-Based Preschool, Timothy Mckenzie

All ETDs from UAB

The distribution of power in the educational institution exists as a hierarchy from governing bodies to the masses. This causes children within the institution to align themselves with the institution rather than the institution meeting the needs of the children it serves. The purpose of this study is to examine how children engage with power at a nature-based preschool. The researcher used data from field observations and programmatic resources to analyze the power enacted by children. The researcher found that the children enact power through structures, to define place, care for themselves, and care for others. The implications of this …

Acknowledgments, Matthew T. Wappett Ph.D.

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Exploring Parental Perspectives On The Transition To Kindergarten For Children With Disabilities, Kari Alberque, Somer Matthews

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This qualitative interview study explores the personal narratives of parents of children with disabilities regarding the transition of their child to kindergarten. Informed by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, we conducted six parent interviews during the kindergarten year to collect insights about their experiences, challenges, and sources of support. This study aimed to inform the development of effective practices that support families during this critical transition period. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we identified several themes from the data, which include: (1) challenges in understanding the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the transition process, (2) the value of parent-to-parent support networks, (3) …

Exploring The Incumbent Early Childhood Workforce As Teachers Who Student And Students Who Teach: A Phenomenological Study, Kate Maxine Connor

Dissertations

The professionalization efforts within the early childhood workforce continue to push for current workforce members to return to college to earn associate or baccalaureate degrees. Leaders of these efforts have called for higher education institutions to be flexible and supportive. At the same time, there is little research on the experiences of teachers returning to college, particularly those attending community colleges where most early childhood higher education programs exist. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of early childhood teachers returning to school to earn their Associate of Applied Science degree in Early Childhood while working in classroom settings. …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions Of How Leadership Relates To Their Workplace Well-Being, Joanna Skourletos

Dissertations

The early childhood workforce faces many unique challenges which have exacerbated educators’ already high levels of workplace stress and turnover. Despite such system-wide issues, there are many thriving early childhood programs that cultivate environments that promote positive professional well-being for early childhood educators. This mixed methods sequential explanatory study examined the experiences and elevated the voices of early childhood educators to explore their perceptions of how their administrators relate to their workplace well-being. Using an online survey and semi-structured interviews, findings indicated that teachers’ perceptions of administrators’ leadership style, trust level and congruence to ideal relate to educators’ workplace stress …

Inquiry Into Equity Practice In A “White Space”: Student-Led Discussions And Academic Discourse, Caran Mullins

Journal of Practitioner Research

In this study I used teacher inquiry to explore how to better engage my Black and Brown elementary students in student led discussions that could enhance academic discourse. The research questions driving my work emerged at the intersection of my beliefs and commitment to creating an equitable learning environment. Specifically, I wanted to know: (1) How do I scaffold my minority students to increased participation in academic discourse?, (2) How might these scaffolds support their development of metacognition, reading comprehension, and deeper critical thinking?, And (3) How do these scaffolds contribute to student feelings about their voice and place in …

A Study Of Inhibition Development In Young Children, Ai Thi Thanh Hoang

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Child inhibition can be learned consciously and unconsciously, and it is highly dependent on the quality of interaction with adults (i.e., parents and teachers). However, little is known about the impact of teachers’ emotional management and sensitivity on the development of inhibition skills among students in early childhood classrooms. This dissertation takes an integrative approach to explore whether teacher-child relationship and teacher self-efficacy have a bidirectional connection and how they work to impact child inhibition, directly and indirectly. The present research utilizes the large nationally represented Early Childhood Longitudinal Study 2010-2011, sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics in …

Promoting Community Responsive, Trauma-Informed Consultation Practices In Rural School Communities: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Sequential Approach, Elly Q. Maras

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural youth are placed at greater risk for experiencing adverse childhood experiences, developing mental health disorders, and dying by suicide when compared with the general population. Due to a widespread need for better access to mental health treatment, many are left untreated. These concerns are often exacerbated by individual and systemic risk factors that are endemic to rural communities. Rural school districts are being asked to deliver mental health services to students, with school psychologists as key stakeholders. Though school psychologists are uniquely qualified to support this need, graduate programs typically do not provide adequate coursework and training on consultation …

Impact Of Dialogic Reading Intervention On Language And Literacy Development Of Young Dual Language Learners, Ekta Ghosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a pressing need for research on early language intervention for dual language learners (DLLs) at risk of developmental delays, especially young children who are non-Spanish speakers. Despite the projection that 62% of the nation's children will be children of color by 2050, there is a significant research gap in this area (Lin et al., 2023). This study aims to fill this gap and recommend effective early language interventions for DLLs. The present study uses a single-case design to determine the impact of Dialogic Reading on vocabulary and alphabetical knowledge of preschoolers aged 36 to 60 months in English …

Oral History Interview With Sharon Carnahan And Wenxian Zhang, Sharon Carnahan, Wenxian Zhang

Oral Histories

Sharon Carnahan, Ph.D. (UNC Chapel Hill 1991) is Professor of Psychology at Rollins College, where she was the Executive Director of the Hume House Child Development & Student Research Center, a laboratory preschool, from 1992-2024.

Dr. Carnahan was born in Chicago and reared in upstate NY. Her father, grandmother and 2 sisters were all teachers. The Carnahan family ran a summertime wilderness outfitting business in the Adirondacks, leading groups though weeks of primitive camping and canoeing, and she has held instructor certificates from the American National Red Cross in canoeing, boating, CPR, First Aid, and Adaptive Aquatics.

Dr. Carnahan graduated …

Social Experiences, Life Satisfaction, And Social Support Of Immigrant Families With Young Children In A Highly Urban City, Zeynep Isik-Ercan, Huan-Tang Lu, Nicole Edwards, Madji Fall, Latifa Sebti

College of Education Departmental Research

Grounding this study in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, the authors used a survey that includes psychometrically sound measures, to investigate the social experiences of 54 immigrant families with young children and the factors that shape their perceptions of life satisfaction and social support in a highly urban city. Results show persistent challenges related to discrimination and access to resources. Despite these challenges, participants’ overall satisfaction with life was rated high and positively correlated with their comfort with practicing their culture and with their perceived social support. Implications involve the need to design evidence-based policies and programmes that promote immigrant families’ wellbeing.

Promoting Emergent Literacy In Preschool Through Extended Discourse: Covert Translanguaging In A Mandarin Immersion Environment, Robin E. Harvey, Kevin M. Wong

Education Division Scholarship

Rich oral language practices, including the opportunity and ability to participate in cognitively and linguistically challenging extended discourse, are foundational to early literacy development. To meet children’s needs in their first exposure to the languages of schooling, educators may engage students in extended discourse multilingually. The current study focuses on student-centered translanguaging conversations to examine strategies that preschool teachers employ to support young children’s emerging bilingual and biliteracy development in a Mandarin immersion preschool serving primarily nonheritage learners of Mandarin in the United States. Findings indicate that, despite the school’s Mandarin-only policy, teachers engaged in covert translanguaging practices to extend …

My Friend Petunia, Norma Allman, Cello Wicklin

Fiction and Poetry

Let’s go to the garden! I’ll open the gate. You’ll scratch for critters, we mustn’t be late. Petunia is a pretty white hen with quite a personality. This beautifully illustrated children’s book takes the reader through a day in the life of Petunia and her caretaker, Norma. Petunia wakes up early, scratches for bugs, lays one single egg, and brings joy to Norma’s day.

Increasing Participation For Children With Special Needs, Calvin Shin, Amy Lyons-Brown

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project focuses on increasing participation for children with special needs through community engagement and social interactions. The purpose of this program is to explore the needs of children with special needs and increase participation of children within the community. The goal of this project is to increase participation in children with special needs, provide opportunities for children to feel more inclusive, promote meaningful relationships between peers, parents, and staff, and improve overall quality of life.

Examining Parental Engagement In Early Intervention, Part C Special Education, Through The Parents’ Perception, Zach Selnes

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This study, employing a qualitative research approach within an interpretivist paradigm, aimed to explore the diverse experiences of parental engagement among 25 families with children receiving early intervention (i.e., Part C special education services) in a rural southeast MN educational district. While there has been a plethora of research on parental engagement, that research is often limited to how teachers perceive parental engagement or interactions in school activities or curriculum (Ansari & Markowitz, 2021; Gross et al., 2020; Hackworth et al., 2018). When parents actively, and intentionally, engage with their child outside of intervention services, it significantly enhances the child's …

Prekindergarten Teacher Experiences With Professional Development For Inclusive Practices, Clory D. Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers in inclusive prekindergarten (PK) settings often serve children with special learning needs without having had professional preparation or development (PD) for using inclusive practices. The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study was that many PK teachers have not received the PD they needed to promote inclusive practices to teach young children within inclusive early childhood classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore PK teachers’ perspectives on the PD they need to promote inclusive practices to teach all young children, including children with special learning needs, in inclusive early childhood classrooms. The conceptual framework used …

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Teaching Students Who Lack Age-Appropriate Social And Emotional Skills, Rachel Ann Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the significant increase in the number of students who lack age-appropriate social and emotional skills (SES), which has become a concern, especially for teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood teachers’ perspectives on the challenges of teaching students who lack age-appropriate SES and what support they believed would help them when working with these students in the classroom. The conceptual framework that guided this study consisted of Bandura’s social learning theory. The focus of the research questions was early childhood teachers’ perspectives on the challenges of teaching …