This thesis is centered on the subject of the form of cooperation between the kindergarten, the primary school and the family to prepare the children and their families for the least problematic transition into primary level education.The theoretical part of the thesis is characterised as focusing on the confluence of pre-school education and primary school education and in particular in this section I measure the depth of understanding of the topic of preparing children for entering schooling. Subsequently I bring attention to the possible risks which can appear when a child starts primary school and I look into the cooperation of the family and the school in the curriculum documentation. In the practical part of the thesis the basis is action research from actual dialogues with teachers who teach the first grades, I attempt to uncover which classifications of cooperation between the kindergarten, primary school and family will have the most positive effect on enabling the smoothest transition to the new environment. I described effective methods of cooperation which will encourage the smoothest induction of children to the new school, and I mention the possibilities of how to inform the family of possible challenges which can appear in certain circumstances. Keywords kindergarten, primary school,...

The aim of this thesis is analysis of the market situation of pre-school education in the Czech Republic. It consists of theoretical and practical parts. In the theoretical part, there is a focus mainly on legislation, general overview of the educational system and description of institutions for pre-school care and education. The practical part deals with the statistic about amount of children and pre-school institutions, the current situation and outlook for the future. Finally, there are SWOT analysis for the pre-school education and advice for those thinking about doing business in this area.

This curriculum project reviews the methods, materials, movements, music and reading activities that have been shown in the literature to be appropriate for teaching social, emotional, intellectual, and physical skills to three year olds. The development, major findings, various methods, and teacher effectiveness in early childhood education are also discussed. This curriculum project is specifically designed for three year old skills and abilities as listed by The Florida Kindergarten Council, Inc., 1987. The criteria for selection of the activities is included. This project includes a list of the reviewed activities arranged in the format of a nine month calendar and categorized under one of the following headings; art activities, movement activities, music and recipes. One color, number and shape will be introduced into the curriculum each month. Finally, suggested stories appropriate for the central theme of each month will be included for teachers to use in reinforcing the concepts presented.

Inservice--Peer coaching--Grade-level meetings.

Preschool STEM is important for later learning for all children, including dual language learners (DLLs). However the preschool workforce is generally not well prepared to teach STEM or to work with DLLs. The objectives of the SciMath-DLL professional development (PD) model are to increase preschool teacher knowledge and improve classroom instruction around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), improve educators’ attitudes toward teaching STEM, enhance classroom supports for dual language learners (DLLs), and improve coaching. This paper reports on the effects of participation in SciMath-DLL workshops, individualized reflective coaching cycles (RCCs), and professional learning communities (PLCs) on educators and children in a qualitative design and development study. Future work will test effects experimentally.

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Research overwhelming identifies science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains as vital to young children’s later school achievement (Duncan et al., 2007; Grissmer et al., 2010; Morgan, Farkas, Hillemeier, & Maczuga 2016; Watts et al. 2014). However, preschool teachers rarely receive in-depth training in math and science, and culturally and linguistically diverse students from low-income backgrounds are particularly at risk for lower academic outcomes in these domains (Brenneman, Boyd & Frede, 2009; Barnett, 2008; Cognitive Development & Beyond Project, 2009). The ScMath-Dll Instrument for Teacher Learning (SMILE) assessment tool was developed to measure teacher’s knowledge. Items relevant to each workshop assess the following: (1) content knowledge; (2) understanding of the developmental learning trajectory of the concept covered; and (3) application of the content and developmental trajectory to classroom practice (pedagogical content knowledge: PCK). Further information about the intervention and the SMILE assessment, as well as implications and future directions, will be discussed.

Preschool science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is important for later learning for all children, including dual language learners (DLLs). However the preschool workforce is generally not well prepared to teach STEM or to work with DLLs, and attitudes and beliefs may play a role in teachers feeling challenged to provide high quality STEM teaching. The objectives of the SciMath-DLL professional development (PD) model are to improve attitudes and change beliefs of educators, increase preschool teachers’ knowledge, and improve classroom instruction around STEM and supports for dual language learners (DLLs). This paper provides preliminary results from a randomized trial of participation in the SciMath-DLL PD on preschool educators’ attitudes and beliefs.