Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons^™

Beyond The Pencil: Creating Early Writers, Pamela L. Gernaat

Masters Projects

“Schools in many countries are faced with the challenge of developing student writing proficiency. Identifying and implementing effective writing instruction for young, beginning writers play important roles in improving student writing performance. Providing effective writing instruction to beginning writers can promote writing development and minimize the number of children who encounter challenges in learning to write” (Finlayson & McCrudden, 2022, p. 1). Despite the amount of research that has been done on the importance of early writing instruction, many lower elementary students struggle with the ability to write and cannot keep up with the cognitive demands of written instruction. Many …

Early Education Indirect Service Research With Generalization Data: A Systematic Review Of Single-Case Design Methodological Rigor, Zachary C. Labrot, Brittany D. Garza, Tyler Smith, Emily Maxime, Abigail Lawson

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Consultation and coaching are both forms of indirect service delivery that have been found to be effective for improving early childhood educators’ implementation of evidence-based practices. These indirect service delivery modalities have also been found to be effective for promoting early childhood educators’ generalization of evidence-based practices. However, less is known regarding the methodological rigor of early childhood indirect service delivery research that collected generalization data. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to apply the 2020 and 2020 What Works Clearinghouse single-case design standards to this literature base to determine the extent to which these studies were conducted in …

Learning Through Play: The Effects Of Play-Based Instruction On Literacy Development, Jherica Goodgame

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of play-based learning in early literacy development, emphasizing its impact on student engagement, executive functioning, and overall academic success. Drawing from research and personal experience, it argues that play is not separate from learning but a critical component of it. This thesis also highlights the benefits of play for diverse learners and examines the challenges teachers face in implementing play-based instruction. It provides numerous examples of play-based instruction practiced in a real classroom setting with 17 students who are varying from early kindergarten to late kindergarten levels. This thesis seeks to demonstrate the importance of …

Early Childhood Special Education (Ecse) (Spanish), Children's Health School Services

School Guides

Parent guide about the Texas Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program. Translated into Spanish.

Building Early Phonemic Awareness, Tessa K. Sutfin

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Alphabet knowledge and phonemic awareness skills are strong predictors of later reading ability (Stanley and Finch, 2018). Therefore, phonemic awareness and letter-sound relationships are skills that Kindergarteners have a limited amount of time to master. As a result, educators must think critically about the strategies and forms of assessment implemented to ensure they are setting young readers up for lifelong success in reading. The purpose of my study was to determine if explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and letter-sound correspondence would increase student ability to isolate, segment, blend, and decode grade-level text. Strategies included kinesthetic movements of the hands and …

‘I Don’T Know Which Fire To Put Out’: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of First Year Teachers In Title I Schools, Crystal P. Glover, Erin Hamel, Koti Hubbard

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

For many early childhood and elementary educators, the early years of their professional career can prove to be the most challenging. Not surprisingly, approximately 30% of teachers leave the classroom within the first five years (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond & Carver-Thomas, 2019). That rate is even higher (~50%) for teachers in Title I schools (Miller, 2018). Despite a plethora of research regarding the causes of teacher attrition, very little has been done to specifically investigate the experiences of beginning teachers in Title I schools. This study seeks to identify and document the factors that positively and negatively affect those experiences.

Supporting Multilingualism In Early Childhood Education: The Vital Role Of Teacher Development, Ebeny Salazar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The expansion of multilingualism, the ability to speak and understand more than one language, has added to a culturally diverse world today. With these abilities, those who are multilingual from diverse backgrounds are often met with resistance against the dominant Westernized culture. Currently, there is not adequate training in the United States for teachers to be able to implement a multilingual curriculum in early childhood settings and classrooms. There are many benefits to providing a diverse classroom environment, which can have a positive impact on the young learners present. The importance of supporting multilingual children, specifically in early childhood, is …

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)

Exploring Saudi Families’ Engagement In The Us Early Childhood Schools: Experiences Of Bearing The Burden, Sarah Alberaidi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A vast body of research in early childhood education has shown the positive effect of parents' engagement on children's emotional, cognitive, and social development. However, researchers identified limitations to parent involvement activities within the culturally diverse context. The purpose of this case study was to fill the literature gap in exploring how Saudi families engage in their children's early education in the United States. Within the context of sociocultural theory, Muscrit theory, family ethnothories, and mirror, window, sliding glass doors framework, this study aimed to understand the family engagement practices of three Saudi families whose children enrolled in early childhood …

Turkish Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives On The Education Of Advanced Young Learners, Gülçin Bilgener

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to shed light on preschool teachers’ perspectives on education of young advanced preschoolers. I conducted this study in a public preschool in the northwestern neighborhood of a city in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye. While choosing this research site I employed convenience sampling based on the accessibility of individuals and the site (Bloomberg & Volpe, 2012). This study designed as a qualitative study, three semi-structured interviews were used as main data collection methods. Two observation sessions took place during participants’ teaching and these observation notes were used as supporting data. I utilized grounded …

Exploring Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel Preparation For Teaching Social Emotional Skills And Addressing Challenging Behavior, Melissa Yarczower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social emotional development is crucial for all young children. Children who develop age-appropriate social emotional skills engage in positive peer relationships, establish friendship skills, and have competent problem-solving skills. Without adequate social emotional skills, young children are at risk for detrimental long and short-term consequences such as academic failure, exclusionary practices, and school dropout. Interventions and support from well-trained teachers are essential for young children to acquire these skills. Using an explanatory mixed method approach, this study investigated how early childhood (EC) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers were trained to teach social emotional skills and address challenging behavior. …

Universal Design For Learning (Udl) In Inclusive Preschool Science Classrooms, Marla J. Lohmann, Katrina A. Hovey, Ariane N. Gauvreau

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Science instruction is a critical aspect of early learning. Teachers can support young children’s learning about scientific concepts through the use of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which is a proactive approach to instructional planning that helps ensure success for all learners. This teaching techniques article offers preschool teachers practical solutions for implementing in the UDL framework for science instruction in their classrooms.

A Program Evaluation Of Prekindergarten Program In One School District, Alicia Eubank

Dissertations

I explored the potential impact of position and salary change on prekindergarten teachers in a public-school district in a southern state. I provided an educational, economic, political and moral/ethical analysis in partial support of this change for the district.

The current policy in the district is that the school year prekindergarten teaching positions are considered non-instructional. However, the summer prekindergarten program teachers are certified teachers as per state requirements. The new policy will make all prekindergarten teaching positions require state certification. This change would give them the financial pay and benefits included with the position change and keep them in …

How Prepared Are Educators To Work With Students Of Color, Ja're Thorn

Dissertations

From what I have experienced, there has been a lack of preparation when it comes to preparing educators to work with students of color. This research aimed to explore the importance of early childhood teachers’ cultural preparation programs when it comes to working effectively with students of color. Most of the time, teachers teach to the common core standards set in place by the state. They also implement a curriculum that is considered “best practices” for students instead of paying attention to and considering the individual student’s specific culture, family, and community values and ways of life before planning (Spies, …

Staff Perspectives Of Children With Challenging Behaviors In A Preschool Setting, Tamika D. Schaffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschool children exhibiting challenging behaviors are expelled or suspended instead of identified, evaluated, and linked to appropriate services for their needs. This qualitative case study explored preschool teacher, administrator, and technical assistant perspectives related to identifying, evaluating, and linking to appropriate services children with challenging behaviors which the research questions focused on. The research frameworks were the ecological systems theory and assertive behavioral model. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 teachers, two administrators, and two technical assistants who worked in a preschool center for at least 1 year and experienced one or more past incidents where they had to …

Early Childhood Directors’ Perspectives Regarding Barriers To Childcare Quality Improvement, Charlotte Richards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood childcare program directors face barriers that impede program quality, but there is a lack of research exploring these barriers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of early childhood childcare center directors regarding barriers they encounter as they attempt to implement quality improvements to rate at the highest, 3-star level in the state quality rating and improvement system (QRIS). This study was grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which notes the influence of environmental systems on the development of young children. The research question explored the perspectives of early childhood childcare center directors’ regarding …

Second- And Third-Grade Educators’ Perspectives On Technology Integration And Implementation In Early Childhood Literacy Classrooms, Renee Kenny

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have indicated that educators integrate technology based on their perspectives. Despite the increased expectation for educators to integrate technology into the daily academic environment, there has not been a significant improvement in outcomes in the critical area of literacy. In this basic qualitative study, the research questions were designed to explore second- and third-grade educators’ perspectives on the challenges they face when integrating technology and how technology implementation influences literacy outcomes. A total of eight purposefully selected participants, educators who had taught second or third grade within the last 3 years with 2 to 3 years of experience teaching …

Early Childhood Teachers' Perspectives Of Their Relationships With Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Tyesha Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

General education early childhood (EC) teachers may find it challenging to build positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) with students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD). There is a gap in practice regarding general education EC teachers’ TSRs with students with EBD and the support they need when teaching these students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of general education EC teachers regarding their TSRs and the support they need when teaching students with EBD. The conceptual framework was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory of human development. Participants were nine general education EC teachers who were currently …

Perspectives Of Kindergarten Through Second Grade Teachers Regarding Methods To Promote Student Engagement In Learning, Laura O'Hayer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this basic qualitative study was low levels of engagement in learning exhibited by kindergarten through second (K-2) grade students in rural schools located in the southern region of the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore how K-2 teachers promoted student engagement in learning. The conceptual framework combined constructivist theory and the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) model. Two research questions guided exploration of how teachers incorporated active instructional practices and provided frameworks for learning; and how teachers incorporated questioning strategies, hands on learning activities, and problem solving exercises. Data were collected …

Civilian School Educators’ Perspectives Of Needed Supports For Military-Connected Early Childhood Students, Demetreia D Head Adderley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The support needed for military-connected children in civilian schools remains a largely unexplored subject. Military-connected children and their families face unique stressors due to the nature of military life and culture. The problem is that civilian educators are often unaware of the presence of military-connected students in their schools and of the academic and behavioral support these students require to be successful. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of educators concerning the support needed for military-connected early childhood students in civilian schools to be successful. The three research questions focused specifically on teachers’ perspectives on …

Early Childhood National Board Certified Teachers’ Perspectives On Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Gay Fitzgibbon Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many early childhood teachers feel increased pressure to prioritize academic rigor in their early childhood classrooms over student centered developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood National Board Certified Teachers’ (NBCTS) perspectives on the DAP and strategies they use that are consistent with DAP guidelines. The National Association for the Educators of Young Children guidelines for DAP served as the conceptual framework for the study. The research question focused on early childhood NBCTs’ perspectives on the practices and strategies they use that are consistent with DAP guidelines. A total of 10 …

Positioning Dispositions In Initial Teacher Education: An Action Research Approach, Qilong Zhang, Joanne Hayes, Rawhia Tehau-Grant, Roberta Skeoch, Lois France, Ke Jiang, Ruth Barnes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In spite of debate, ambiguity, and tension around teacher dispositions, in the past over two decades, the place of dispositions in initial teacher education (ITE) has been widely supported among policy makers and researchers. Specifically, debate on whether dispositions are teachable has largely given way to action to foster dispositions. Adopting a two-cycle participatory action research design, this study explored ways to teach the first-year teacher candidates’ dispositions in an early childhood ITE programme in New Zealand. The intervention included eight focus dispositions and corresponding strategies to teach each focus disposition. Data collection methods included student self-assessment surveys, individual and …

Coaching As A Framework For Early Intervention Service Delivery, Rebecca Walzak

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) has set forth a list of high leverage practices that have significant impact on children with special needs from birth through early childhood. One of these impactful strategies is building family capacity, which can be effectively addressed using a coaching framework for service delivery. Research in the field has not yet clearly defined coaching terms, definitions or characteristics, which impacts the fidelity of the practice and requires research and consensus moving forward. This body of work seeks to look at current research around the topic of coaching and it’s effectiveness in meeting student …

How Can Early Childhood Educators Promote Equitable Outcomes Through Trauma-Informed Practice?, Elizabeth Terry

Graduate Teacher Education

An abundance of research acknowledges the effects of trauma on children from an early age. Prolonged and severe trauma in early childhood can lead to adverse outcomes in important areas of development, such as one’s physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being (Morsy and Rothstein, 2019). Children present school systems and educators with the task of addressing this important, but infrequently considered issue. Trauma has lasting effects regardless of age, but the impacts of trauma during childhood are especially profound during such formative years. Children require safe spaces to learn and flourish as individuals, therefore it is important that early childhood educators …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions Of Active Shooter Drills In Early Childhood Classrooms, Melissa Joy Racioppa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The threat of an active shooter is something early childhood educators need to prepare for, but a literature review regarding active shooter drills indicated a gap in the research focused on the perceptions the early childhood educators. Using a conceptual lens based on developmentally appropriate practice and the developmental theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, this qualitative case study aimed to explore the perceptions of early childhood educators on the current model of active shooter drills and the developmental appropriateness of these drills when used with an early childhood population. The participants were early childhood educators familiar with their school’s emergency …

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teaching Children Who Are Experiencing Toxic Stress, Stephanie Renee Abell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A growing number of children entering early childhood classrooms are experiencing toxic stress. Early childhood teachers are responsible for meeting the educational needs as well as fostering their social and emotional development. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood teachers’ perspectives of being challenged to support the emotional and academic needs of young children who are experiencing toxic stress in the early childhood classroom, which the research questions focused on. The theory of social constructivism was the conceptual framework for this study. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 early childhood teachers to share their …

Perspectives Of Online Cda Recipients Regarding Development Of Expertise Without Apprenticeship, Victoria Lynn Long-Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little was known about how online Child Development Associate (CDA) credential recipients developed practical expertise in early childhood education (ECE) without the benefit of an apprenticeship. Learning the practice of teaching from a qualified more knowledgeable other (MKO) through an apprenticeship is a feature of teacher preparation in public school contexts but is missing in preparation for child care teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how online CDA recipients developed practical expertise in ECE without a supervised apprenticeship. Vygotsky’s social construction of knowledge was the conceptual framework of the study. The research question addressed how …

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives On Engaging Fathers In Their Child’S Education, Jawan Marquis Burwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschool environments set the educational foundation for children in the early years. Despite the positive effects that preschool environments have on children and families, previous studies have shown that preschool teachers are challenged to engage fathers in their child’s education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate preschool teachers’ perspectives on engaging fathers in their child’s education. The conceptual framework was based upon Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. The research question focused on the challenges that teachers encounter in engaging fathers in their child’s education. This qualitative study included individual one-on-one interviews with 12 teachers using an open-ended …

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives Of Professional Development Related To The Management Of Challenging Behaviors, Obioma Ijeoma Uche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany young children enter preschool programs exhibiting challenging behaviors and are suspended from preschool at a rate 3 times more than K–12 students. Many preschool students who need help are instead suspended or expelled. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore private preschool teachers’ perspectives on past or existing professional development opportunities related to children with challenging behaviors and the resources/professional development needed to support these students. Knowles’ theory of andragogy served as the conceptual lens for this study. Interview questions were developed to elicit in-depth participant responses to answer the two research questions on preschool teachers’ …

Planting Seeds Of Numeracy: Supporting Quantitative Literacy In Young Children, Jennifer Ward, Victoria J. Damjanovic

Numeracy

This paper aims to present how quantitative literacy was made a focus in a preschool classroom of three- and four-year-old children. With a focus on examining two areas of quantitative literacy, number knowledge and counting (Jordan, Kaplan, and Locuniak 2007) we seek to explore how educators, within an early childhood setting, used a project approach (Katz, Chard, and Kogan, 2014) and inquiry-based practices to build and extend upon the emerging competencies of the children. Utilizing narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), we draw from planning meeting notes, lesson plans, and lesson artifacts to construct a story that chronicles the journey …