Thesis (M.S.)--Northern Michigan University, 2006 / Bibliography: leaves 34-36.

Στην εργασία αυτή εξετάσαμε αν και κατά πόσο μπορεί ένα πρόγραμμα Φιλοσοφίας για Παιδιά (ΦγΠ), να εφαρμοστεί στο ελληνικό νηπιαγωγείο. Με άλλα λόγια, προσπαθήσαμε να δούμε εάν τα παραμύθια με τις συγκεκριμένες θεματικές που επιλέχθηκαν, ευαισθητοποίησαν τα παιδιά, για να συζητήσουν φιλοσοφικά θέματα. Για να διερευνήσουμε αυτό, χρησιμοποιήσαμε δύο σχολεία, το ένα ως πειραματική ομάδα και το άλλο ως ομάδα ελέγχου. Εδώ, εξετάσαμε αν, στο χώρο που υλοποιήθηκε η ερευνητική παρέμβαση (πειραματική ομάδα), συμμετείχαν περισσότερα παιδιά, αν συνεργάζονταν καλύτερα, αν υπήρξε μεγαλύτερη δυνατότητα για έρευνα, αλλά και για ανάπτυξη κριτικής και δημιουργικής σκέψης. Συμπεράναμε πως τα παιδιά, ύστερα από κατάλληλη παρέμβαση, (πειραματική ομάδα) η οποία στηρίχθηκε σε ερωτήματα, που διερευνούσαν το θέμα του εκάστοτε παραμυθιού, συνεργάστηκαν σε μεγάλο βαθμό, ακούγοντας προσεκτικά τους συνομιλητές τους και διαμορφώνοντας αντίστοιχα τη δική τους άποψη. Ταυτόχρονα, διαπιστώσαμε πως, τα παιδιά αυτά, είχαν μεγαλύτερη δυνατότητα για έρευνα, διαχειριζόμενα καλύτερα τις ερωτήσεις που τους θέτονταν και κάνοντας σε δεύτερο επίπεδο τις δικές τους ερωτήσεις. Το πιο σημαντικό όμως είναι πως, ανέπτυξαν, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, την κριτική τους σκέψη, έχοντας τη δυνατότητα να στηρίξουν με λογικά επιχειρήματα την άποψή τους. Το ίδιο συνέβη και με τη δημιουργική σκέψη, όπου απέκτησαν τη δυνατότητα να κάνουν γενικεύσεις και να διερευνούν υποθετικούς συλλογισμούς. / In this study, we examined whether or not a program of Philosophy for Children can be implemented to the Greek kindergarten system. In other words, we tried to see if the stories which were used, made children more sensitive, in order to discuss philosophical issues. We used two schools to investigate this subject, one as the experimental group and the other as the controller. Here we examined, whether implementation of the experimental group included more children, had better cooperation with each other and created more opportunities for research. We also investigated if the children developed critical and creative thinking. We concluded that children, after appropriate intervention to the experimental group, based on questions that explored the theme of each story, cooperated with each other through listening carefully to the speakers and respectively forming their own opinions. Simultaneously, we found that these children had a greater opportunity for research by answering questions and putting forward their own. The most important thing is that they have developed to a larger extent, critical thinking, having the ability to support logical arguments of their own opinion. At the same time, children, developed creative thinking, to which they developed generalizations and the ability to explore hypothetical reasoning.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Debbie Mercer / The Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a model of collaborative professional development that involves teachers and administrators working together on an ongoing basis to develop shared visions, plans, goals, resources, and ideas in order to increase student learning. Research indicates that students in schools with teacher PLCs are significantly more academically successful than students in schools that do not have PLCs. The teachers in PLCs also report positive benefits. There are six equally important dimensions of an effective PLC: shared and supportive leadership; shared beliefs, values and vision; collective learning and application of learning; supportive conditions (both structural and relational), and shared personal practice (Hord & Sommers, 2008). The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of kindergarten teachers through the use of a survey and to further explore how two kindergarten teachers in Dammam describe their experiences of the conditions needed for implementing PLCs in their schools through personal interviews. The design of this study was mixed methods research conducted via a survey (questionnaire) and personal interviews. The data analysis suggests that the overall PLC dimensions in kindergartens in Dammam are somewhat supportive of PLCs. In the quantitative analysis, the mean scores ranged from 2.88 for Shared and Supportive Leadership to 3.15 for Shared Personal Practice (on a scale of 0-5). In the qualitative analysis, the participants’ descriptions of their experiences indicated that Shared Values and Vision was the weakest dimension. Keywords: professional learning community, kindergarten, conditions for PLC, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF AFTON KHALE DELVECCHIO, for the Master of Science Degree in Food and Nutrition, presented on November 15, 2013 a Southern Illinois University. TITLE: THE IMPACT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EDUCATION WITH A SCHOOL GARDEN ON KINDERGARTENERS' NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sylvia Smith, CHE BACKGROUND: Over 12.5 million children and adolescents are obese in the United States (Nowak, Kolouch, Schneyer, & Roberts, 2012). Only 7% of youth are currently consuming the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables (Krebs-Smith & Cook, 1996). Children are required to receive some sort of schooling, thus schools are utilized as a prime location in the United States for nutrition and health education. It has been found that exposure to and knowledge about food items, such as fruits and vegetables, results with increased intake (Ohri-Vachaspati, Turner, & Chaloupka, 2012). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a nutrition education intervention with a school garden on kindergarten students' attitude and knowledge about fruits and vegetables. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A five-week quasi-experimental study design was used. Three kindergarten classrooms from the same school participated in the study: a control, an education only, and an education with a garden. A total of 62 kindergarten students made up the convenience sample for this study. The study was conducted during April and May of 2013 at Parrish Elementary School in Carbondale, Illinois. The intervention classrooms experienced a half hour nutrition education intervention twice a week, for five weeks. The intervention lessons were based on the Fresh from the Farm curriculum, specifically for the first grade population. The classroom with the garden had an additional hour throughout the week to work and explore a growing garden. The students were given a Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire for baseline measurement and again after the five week intervention. The students' attitude was measured using a three-point hedonic scale, while nutrition knowledge was measured using three separate matching exercises: fruits and vegetables to color, nutrients, and body parts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Independent Variables: Demographics, Nutrition Education Intervention. Dependent Variables: Attitudes to Fruits and Vegetables, Nutrition Knowledge. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Descriptive statistics were run to evaluate the study's sample. Chi-square test for cross tabulations was used to evaluate the attitude and knowledge of the kindergarten students. RESULTS: Kindergarten students in the garden classroom had a p-value of <0.001 for the nutrient matching portion of the nutrition assessment. In addition, self-identified white students correctly matched nutrient to body part significantly better than self-identified black students, p< 0.05. An association was found between the garden classroom and correctly matching nutrients, p< 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Positive associations were found with students experiencing a school garden along with a nutrition a nutrition education intervention and their knowledge outcomes. The children in the garden classroom improved from pre-test to post-test, specifically with the nutrition matching portion of the nutrition knowledge. When compared with the education-only and control classrooms, the students in the garden classroom out-performed on the nutrient matching aspect of nutrition knowledge.

abstract: The present study tested 1) whether children’s bedtimes, wake times, and sleep durations change as they transition into kindergarten (TtoK), 2) if changes to children’s sleep schedules were contingent on their pre-kindergarten (T1) napping status and if T1 bedtimes were related to fall (T2) and spring (T3) bedtimes and durations, and 3) whether T1 sleep, changes to sleep from T1 to T2, and concurrent sleep quality were related to academic achievement and participation in 51 kindergarteners. It was hypothesized that 1) wake times would be earlier and sleep duration would be shorter during kindergarten (T2 and T3) than at T1, 2) children who napped at T1 would go to bed later and have shorter sleep duration than their non-napping peers and T1 bedtimes would be positively associated with T2 and T3 bedtimes and negatively associated with T2 and T3 durations, and 3) more optimal sleep (e.g., consolidated, consistent, and high quality) would be positively related to academic achievement and participation. Parents reported on children’s bedtimes, wake times, and nap lengths during T1, T2, and T3. During T3 children wore actigraphs for five consecutive school nights and completed the Woodcock Johnson tests of achievement (WJ-III). Teachers also reported on children’s participation in the classroom during T3. Results demonstrated that bedtimes and wake times were earlier at T2 and T3 than T1. Duration was shorter at T2 and T3 than T1. Additionally, napping was unrelated to bedtimes and durations, but T1 bedtime was positively related to T2 and T3 bedtimes and negatively related to T2 and T3 durations. Finally, T1 nap length, change in bedtimes, and Actigraphy duration were negatively related to participation. Actigraphy onset variability was positively related to participation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Family and Human Development 2015

Inledning Den teoretiska utgångspunkten i studien är Bowlbys anknytningsteori som visar tillsammans med aktuell forskning att barn som har en trygg anknytning utvecklas bättre kognitivt och känslomässigt. För att kunna skapa en trygg anknytning krävs det förskollärare med kunskap kring ämnet för att veta vilka förutsättningar som krävs för att kunna skapa en trygg anknytning. Syfte Syftet med studien är att beskriva förskollärares uppfattningar om barns anknytning till personalen i förskolan. Frågeställningar • Hur beskriver förskollärarna att de arbetar med barns anknytning i förskolan? • Vilka förutsättningar enligt förskollärarna krävs för att barn ska skapa en trygg anknytning inom förskolan? • Kan barnens anknytning till förskollärarna påverka dem under deras förskoletid? I så fall på vilket sätt anser förskollärarna att anknytningen kan påverkar barnen? Metod I studien har kvalitativ metod använts med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Fem förskollärare som har både längre och kortare erfarenheter av arbete i förskolan. Resultat Flera av förskollärarna nämner att de arbetar aktivt med anknytning vid inskolning. Dock är det endast några som nämner hur de arbetar med anknytning efter inskolningsperioden. Förskollärarna beskriver några viktiga förutsättningar för att kunna hjälpa barn skapa en trygg anknytning i förskolans verksamhet. Förutsättningarna är utbildning, förskolemiljö och verksamhetens innehåll. Andra uppfattningar som förskollärarna benämner vid arbetet med anknytning är hur förhållningssättet till föräldrarna och bekräftelser av känslor kan påverka barnens anknytning och flera av förskollärarna nämner hur deras tillvägagångsätt vid inskolning kan påverka barnens anknytning.

This thesis is focused on the inclusion of athletic activities in kindergarten. It is conceived as a methodical collection of athletic activities that are established for kindergarten teachers. Its aim is to find suitable athletic activities, to create an overview and to practically try them with preschool children. The work is divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. The theoretical part is dedicated to a preschool child in terms of physiological and motor. It also describes the importance of play and movement in this age. Another chapter deals with the Framework educational program for preschool education and its relationship to athletics. Then the chapter about athletics follows, which provides a brief history of athletics and its importance to the child. There are also described physical abilities, which are closely related to athletic activities since their assumption. The last part is about the correct techniques of athletic disciplines that can be implemented in kindergarten and it is running, jumping and throwing. In the practical part there are selected athletic activities and games, which are divided into groups according to disciplines of running, dumping, throwing and combination of all activities. In the final section is recorded according to their evalution of selection and...

Syftet med vårt examensarbete har varit att redogöra för förskollärares uppfattningar och erfarenheter av att använda dramapedagogik i förskolan. I studien har vi utgått från ett sociokulturellt perspektiv, där fokus ligger på individen och gruppens samspel med varandra. Genom perspektivet ges individer också möjlighet att förklara tankar, känslor och handlingar som människan i det sociala samhället konfronteras med.   Studien är av en kvalitativ metod där vi har använt oss av fokusgruppsintervjuer. Dessa fokusgruppsintervjuer har bidragit till ett rikt datamaterial som sedan analyserats utifrån den tidigare forskningen och Mia Marie Sternudds (2000) fyra dramapedagogiska perspektiv som också bidragit till en god grund för analysarbetet. Ur analysen har det sedan framkommit resultat på de problemformuleringar som studien grundar sig i. Vi har genom resultatet fått en fördjupad förståelse för hur drama kan användas i förskolan men också vad förskollärare har för syfte när de väljer att använda drama i förskolan. Av resultatet framkom det att förskollärarna använder sig av material som de vet att barnen är intresserade av samt att dramapedagogik i förskolan ofta används som ett verktyg för att synliggöra händelser, frågor eller funderingar. Det framgår också att utbildning och mod att agera i samband med drama bland personal tycks ha en betydande roll för dramats utformning i förskolan.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Marjorie R. Hancock / With the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (PL 107-110) many pedagogical practices for literacy learning have been re-examined to align themselves with the results of the National Reading Panel report (2000). The federally funded Reading First initiative mandates systematic and explicit instruction of the key components identified by the National Reading Panel report (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). Higher accountability and high stakes testing has caused reflection regarding how instructional time is spent in classrooms. This qualitative case study was conducted in a combined setting of a kindergarten classroom and music education classroom in a small mid-western community over a period of nine weeks, from February 15 through April 23, 2007. This study, framed in the socio-cultural theory of constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978) and Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence (2004) explored the way a kindergarten teacher and music educator provided literacy learning opportunities for young children. Data were collected through detailed observational fieldnotes, interviews of the kindergarten teacher and music educator, and conversations with children. Data analysis revealed five characteristics that framed the literacy learning environment which included: 1) providing a caring community; 2) use of conversations; 3) connections to prior knowledge and community; 4) collaboration; and 5) consistency. Pedagogical commonalities were found to include: 1) a gradual release of responsibility; 2) use of metacognition; 3) a sharing of quality children’s literature; 4) purposeful oral language development; and 5) use of active engagement in learning, especially the use of gesturing. Data also revealed evidence of support of six components of early literacy learning: 1) phonemic awareness; 2) phonics; 3) fluency; 4) vocabulary; 5) comprehension; and 6) concepts about print. Data identified that the classroom teacher provided more incidences of instruction coded as phonemic awareness, phonics, and comprehension; with the classroom music educator providing more evidence of coded events for fluency and vocabulary learning. Analysis of combined events identified a balance of instructional methods, experiences, and techniques identifying the critical importance of the elementary music educator’s role in supporting early literacy learning of young children and the importance of collaboration in meeting needs of children.

The main purpose of the Master Thesis is creation of the business plan on the establishment of the new preschool education institution Family Education Center. The center will be specialized in operating a kindergarten as well as in organizing educational and personal development activities for children and adults. The theoretical part of the thesis gives some insights on the importance of the entrepreneur and enterprises in the society, provides description of the basic requirements for a business plan and characteristics of the preschool education system in the Czech Republic. Practical part provides an application of the theoretical findings on the creation of the actual business plan. This part verifies the viability and competitiveness of the business project on the basis of the market analysis, marketing and financial plan.