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

The Effects Of School Autonomy On Students' Reading Achievement In Early Grades: A Dose-Response Treatment Approach, Esther Ferreira Dos Santos Carvalhaes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

School autonomy is at the core of influential educational policies aimed at improving school effectiveness and students' academic performance both in the United States and abroad. Initiatives that promote a transfer of authority from higher levels of the school system to local schools, such as the charter school movement and School-Based Management (SBM), have become increasingly popular in the last two decades. These initiatives operate under the premise that local stakeholders (principals, teachers, and parents) understand their students' needs better than higher-level administrators, which enables them to make better educational decisions regarding students' academic success. However, despite the prominence of …

Perceptions Of Kindergarten Teachers Regarding Professional Development In New Jersey's Public Schools, Deborah Fitzpatrick

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

PreK-3 is a growing national initiative designed to transform the educational experiences of young children. Research indicates that young children’s educational gains are more likely to last when quality preschool programs are linked with the elementary years. A PreK-3 approach integrates and builds strong connections between the learning experiences of children ages three through eight. Kindergarten is the grade where preschool and primary grade experiences intersect.

The purpose of this study was to examine kindergarten teachers’ opinions regarding professional development opportunities in early childhood education which may help facilitate implementation of the PreK-3 continuum. This was accomplished through an examination …

The Effects Of Kindergarten Redshirting From A Parental Perspective, Kelli Dougan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Kindergarten redshirting is the term used to describe the phenomenon where a parent chooses to keep their child from attending kindergarten so that the child may gain a year's worth of maturity. This qualitative dissertation examines the decision making process undergone by parents who have redshirted their children. While some parents began the decision making process soon after their child's birth, every parent in the study considered the decision carefully. The study also provides an analysis of the outcomes the redshirting has provided for children as perceived by their parents. Parents rated the academic, Social and emotional effects of kindergarten …

Vocabulary Instruction Practices Of Highly Effective Kindergarten Teachers, Huda Alenezi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate vocabulary instruction in kindergarten classrooms by exploring and describing highly effective kindergarten teachers' practices. The fundamental question that guided this study was how do highly effective kindergarten teachers teach vocabulary? The study focused on five areas: teachers' methods, techniques to select vocabulary, assessment approaches, use of technology and whether their practices in the previous four areas were consistent with recent research. The study involved nine highly effective kindergarten teachers from nine elementary schools within one school district in Northwest Arkansas. The sample teachers were selected based on principals' recommendations, using specific …

A Comparison Of Vocabulary Learning From Joint Reading Of Narrative And Informational Books With Dual Language Learner Children, Deborah Bergman Deitcher

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A Comparison of Vocabulary Learning From Joint Reading of

Narrative and Informational Books With Dual Language Learner Children

By: Deborah Bergman Deitcher

Advisor: Professor Helen L. Johnson

This study examined joint reading of narrative and informational texts in the home setting, between parents and their English-Hebrew dual language learning preschool children. Parent-child dyads were video-recorded while reading two sets of books; each set contained one narrative and one informational text on the same theme. Children's target word learning of 48 target words (12 words per book) of varying difficulty levels was measured from pretest to posttest. Results showed that children …

A Study Of Kindergarten Teachers' Ability To Teach The Kindergarten Informational Text Common Core Standards In Fifteen West Virginia School Districts, Shelly Ann Ratliff

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study sought to determine kindergarten teachers’ perceived knowledge of the informational text Common Core State Standards within the population of 185 kindergarten teachers in 15 West Virginia counties.

A four part researcher-developed survey was mailed to each participant. Subjects were also given the option of participating in a follow-up telephone interview and interviewees were asked a series of questions based on a researcher-developed interview protocol. Subjects that participated in the interviews were asked if they were willing to be observed by the researcher for 30 minutes during reading instruction and an observation checklist was used to guide the time …

Prekindergarten And Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of Demographic Determinants And Academic Success, Melanie Ellen Boyle

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine kindergarten and prekindergarten teachers' perceptions of academic success for children based on the type of care children received prior to beginning kindergarten, as well as other demographics, which could cause variations in academic success. The researcher used a seven section multi-method survey instrument, which included teacher demographic questions, Likert-scale perception questions, and one open-ended question. Sections of inquiry included: Common Core, general academic risk factors for students, barriers to overall academic success, student demographics, and promotion of academic success for students. The survey instrument was distributed to prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers in …

The Relationship Between The Boehm And Aimsweb On Kindergarten Student Achievement In One Northern Michigan Intermediate School District, Emily O'Hearn

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Kindergarten students are asked to perform at a level formerly expected of first grade students and are expected to be well on their way to reading (Bassard & Boehm, 2007). With tight school budgets, site leaders must choose wisely about allocation of resources and determine the most effective means of helping students, especially those struggling in the area of reading. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine what relationship, if any, exists between the Boehm test and AIMSweb Test of Early Literacy (TEL) administered to kindergarten students during the 2010-2011 school year.

Data in this research were collected …

From Seed To Mighty Tree: Susan Blow And The Development Of The American Kindergarten Movement, Madelyn Silber

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

St. Louis is home to the first continuously running public kindergarten in the United States. In 1873, Susan Blow began teaching a small group of students at the Des Peres School using the methods of German educator Friedrich Froebel, “the father of the kindergarten.” Despite the rejection of Froebel’s ideas in Germany, Blow studied his pedagogy and implemented his curriculum into classrooms in America. Her first class was known as the kindergarten “experiment,” which would later become a standard in schools across the nation. Froebel’s kindergarten curriculum was unique because it was based on learning through play, an understanding of …

The Impact Of Preschool Education On Students' Kindergarten Readiness And Subsequent Kindergarten Performance, Kelsey Musselman Carroll

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of preschool education on students' kindergarten readiness and subsequent kindergarten performance in a low socioeconomic primary school. There are several factors that influence a child's readiness for school, including the children's natural talents and abilities, their families, their early environments, their schools, and their communities.

The setting for this research was a primary school located within a small, urban school district in the piedmont area of North Carolina. For the purpose of this study, all kindergarten students were placed into three subgroups: kindergarten students who attended the prekindergarten program at …

Utah Kindergarten Teachers' Challenges And Concerns About Teaching Kindergarten, Ruth Jane Liebschutz Moore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative study was an exploration of 55 Utah kindergarten teachers' perceptions of challenges in teaching. It investigated written concerns teachers expressed in a statewide survey of kindergarten teachers. Study findings indicated that two main issues were communicated by teachers: a disparity between their developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices in the classroom, and concerns about children's kindergarten readiness and transition to school. About 56% of teachers felt a struggle in implementing their developmentally appropriate beliefs about education, for a variety of reasons: large class sizes, district and state mandates, and lack of resources, particularly time. Furthermore, 53% of educators conveyed …

Kindergarten Teachers' Developmentally Appropriate Beliefs And Practices And Their Perceptions Of Children's Kindergarten Readiness: Comparing The Beginning And The End Of The School Year, Rachelle Ernest Wright

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined 180 matched pretest/posttest surveys of kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the transition children experienced upon kindergarten entry. Investigations of changes in the percentages of children perceived as not being ready for kindergarten and percentages of children who were rated as having had a very successful, moderately successful, or difficult transition from the pretest to the posttest were conducted. Additionally, changes in teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices from the beginning of the school year (pretest) to the end of the school year (posttest) were explored. Further analyses were conducted to find differences and associations between teacher and classroom …

A Case Study: The High/Scope Preschool Curriculum And Kindergarten Readiness In The Pittsgrove Township School District, Loren D. Thomas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Importance Of School Readiness And Early Childhood Education, Amanda L. Moore

All Graduate Projects

The need for childhood education was studied and, based upon experiences garnered as a Kindergarten teacher, Cub Club was created and implemented in order to begin to reduce the achievement gap. The program was designed to educate parents about the importance of family involvement and the benefits, lasting into adulthood, of working with children at home during their early years of learning.

A Guide To Teaching Writing In Kindergarten, Pamela Lynn Wangsness

All Graduate Projects

Research was conducted on the topic of writing in kindergarten. Many different forms of teaching writing were researched and summarized in the literature review of this project. Curriculum that is designed for kindergarten is mostly written for full day kindergarten, not taking into account the time constraints of half-day kindergarten. The results of the research were combined in the form of lesson plans that a half-day kindergarten teacher could use to begin teaching writing.

Blended-Art At The Kindergarten Level, Jessica E. Sill

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

A foundational research assumption for this project is that the combination of open-ended-art and structured-art will enhance the development of the kindergartener. In today's standards driven classroom environment, art is often overlooked in place of text based curriculum. The idea of this project is to blend two approaches to teaching art and intertwine this approach into the rigorous daily curriculum. The deficits in each approach will be covered by the other, thereby providing opportunity for all students to reap the benefits. The purpose of this endeavor is to determine the positive and negative effects of blended-art, a combination of open-ended-art …

My Five Senses [Kindergarten], Trinity University, Canyon Ridge Elementary School (San Antonio, Tex.)

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Students will understand that… • They have five senses. • Humans utilize their five senses to gather information from their environment.

Maps And Globes [Kindergarten], Trinity University, Canyon Ridge Elementary School (San Antonio, Tex.)

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Students will understand that… A map is a representation or drawing of a place. A globe is a three dimensional model of the earth. Any place can be depicted on a map. Features of land and water are shown on maps and globes. Maps and globes are smaller representations of places.

An Integrated Nutrition Unit For Half-Day Kindergarten, Erin Spencer

All Graduate Projects

The obesity rates among children in the United States have been rising rapidly over the past thirty years. Children are getting messages from the media to eat unhealthy foods. This epidemic is beginning to be addressed in schools. A nutrition curriculum was developed and implemented in a half day kindergarten program. Core academic subject were integrated using Washington State GLEs as a guide. Parent involvement was a component to strengthen student's understanding of cultural diversity as it pertained to food.

Teacher Perceptions Of The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Effects Of Full-Day Versus Half-Day Kindergarten In Suburban New Jersey Public Schools, Gina M. Rosamilia

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Kindergarten Readiness: Using Age Or Skills In Assessing A Child’S Readiness, Leslie Barden Smith

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Currently, age is the primary indicator of kindergarten readiness. A concise list of readiness skills to guide parents and teachers when deciding if a child is ready for kindergarten is lacking. The literature reveals that older age kindergarten entrance is not a predictor of academic success, nor is age an accurate indicator of readiness. In this study, responses from approximately 22 kindergarten teachers to a readiness questionnaire identify and develop a succinct list of the skills these professionals view as most significant for kindergarten readiness. According to the teachers in this study, the ability to sit and listen for approximately …

Classroom Structures, Instructional Methodologies, And Education Benefits Of Full- Day Versus Half-Day Kindergarten, Linda A. Freda

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Teaching English As A Foreign Language To Younger Japanese Children, Viviane D. Fleischer

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Materials In The Billingual Kindergarten: Student Teaching At The Carew Street School, Diane Wunderlich

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

What Makes A Good Kindergarten?, Shirley Jean Riel

All Master's Theses

The problem is to find what constitutes a positive kindergarten program; and the purpose of this study is to analyze the value of kindergarten as a necessary part of every school program.

A Study Assessing Changes Occurring In Kindergarten Children At Central School, Hoquiam, Washington, During The School Year 1967-1968 In Terms Of Readiness And Academic Growth, Elizabeth Pinkley Morris

All Master's Theses

A group of fifty-one kindergarten children (23 boys and 28 girls) from Central School in Hoquiam, Washington, were studied for the purpose of evaluating changes occurring during the school year in terms of readiness and academic growth. A series of tests were given in October and November as an inventory of the child's background of skills and readiness in the fall, and the tests were repeated in May to measure any change occurring during the school year.

Status Of Kindergarten Teachers In The State Of Washington, Charlotte Yost Mccartney

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the educational background of teachers currently teaching kindergarten in the State of Washington.

A Study Of Child Nature: From The Kindergarten Standpoint, Elizabeth Harrison

Elizabeth Harrison’s Writings

Preface

These talks for mothers and teachers were given before my classes in Chicago and elsewhere. They are now published at the earnest request of the members of those classes, and are in nearly the same form as when given, which accounts for the number of anecdotes illustrating different points, as well as for the frequency of personal reminiscence. Fully aware of their many defects, but knowing well that "Charity covereth a multitude of sins," I give them with a loving heart to the mothers of America. I hop that the thought underlying them may be as helpful to others …

When Children Err: A Book For Young Mothers, Elizabeth Harrison

Elizabeth Harrison’s Writings

Table of Contents: The Introduction, The Problem, Who Sets the Standards?, How Wrong Standards are Set Up, Danger of Vague and Varying Standards, When Standards Differ, The Highest Standard, The Growth of Standards, The Discipline of Nature, The Discipline of the Inner Life, The Discipline of the Social World, Value of Confession, Various Forms of Discipline, Arbitrary, or Impulsive Punishment, Retributive, or Revengeful Punishment, Protective, or Legal Punishment, Educative, or Wise Punishment, How to Avoid the Need of Punishment, The Answer Which Time Has Given

The Montessori Method And The Kindergarden, Elizabeth Harrison

Elizabeth Harrison’s Writings

Report commissioned in 1914 by the U.S. Bureau of Education on a study of Dr. Maria Montessori's schools in Italy, by Miss Elizabeth Harrison. Describes Maria Montessori's contribution to the education of young children and compares her methods with that of the Froebelian Kindergarten method.