Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Theses (Ed.S.)--Marshall University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains 21 pages. Bibliography: p. 15-16.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: Stuart Reifel. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 2, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1216. Adviser: Mary B. McMullen. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 14, 2007)."

<p> The quality of educators&rsquo; teaching practices is a crucial aspect of children&rsquo;s learning. This is why researchers, policy makers, teacher educators and educational leaders have focused their efforts on developing methods and programs to support educators&rsquo; teaching practices. Although teachers are the ones who actually apply the contents and skills learned in professional development programs, there is little research that considers their perspectives. The purpose of this study was to explore Latina immigrant early childhood teachers&rsquo; professional identity and perspectives about their professional learning and development (PLD) experiences. Data collection consisted on eight in-depth face-to-face interviews with early childhood educators who work in four multicultural Head Starts, and who self-identified as Latina Spanish-speaker. Data analysis was conducted using open and axial coding techniques. The main findings suggest that Latina immigrant teachers share some values, beliefs and experiences that might play a role in shaping their careers, as well as their identities as teachers and learners. Also, the findings suggest that teachers present a positive attitude towards ongoing professional learning. However, they believe that in order to be effective for their learning, PLD programs should include more active, collaborative and contextualized approaches. Additionally, the findings indicate that teachers perceive that their work environments constrain their possibilities to fully exercise their profession.</p><p>

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

<p> Music plays a fundamental role in early childhood education. Research shows that the first of the intelligences developed is the musical intelligence. Educators argue that while this is an intelligence with which all human beings are born, development of this intelligence will depend on the environment and the opportunities that are provided to the child. In today's global society, music has a permanent presence and is significant in everyday lives. It is a basic element in elementary education in many countries; however, few schools in Puerto Rico integrate music in their curriculum. In addition, there is unequal access to music education in schools in Southwest Puerto Rico because the justification for including it in the curricula is questioned. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study using secondary data was to determine if there is a relationship between music integration in Southwest Puerto Rico elementary schools and academic achievement. Secondary data from schools with and without music education were correlated to determine if a relationship existed that would justify the inclusion of music education in all such schools. The findings of this study support the importance of music education for elementary school students. Children acquire more knowledge in reading and writing when music education is integrated into the curriculum. Findings show that the stage of literacy of elementary school students is higher, according to the academic achievement tests of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico, when there is music education integrated in the curricula. In summary, it is concluded that music education is of great importance for improving reading, and hence, improving the development of children.</p><p>

<p> This study was undertaken to explore ways to assist at-risk African American students in phonemic awareness skills using their cultural vernacular. African American, at-risk preschoolers typically lag behind their peers. Teachers typically do not use culturally responsive methods to instruct them. For these reasons, these children struggle with literacy. Research questions were as follows: (1) Do African American at-risk preschoolers&rsquo; phonemic awareness increase after exposure to AAVE instructional strategies? (2) Do African American at-risk preschoolers&rsquo; rhyming and alliteration increase after exposure to AAVE language instructional strategies? and (3) Do African American at-risk preschoolers&rsquo; blending, manipulation, and segmenting increase after exposure to AAVE language instructional strategies? The theoretical framework of this study was African American at-risk preschoolers and all children must be taught in a manner in which they can learn and this would include using their vernacular. The methodology used was a quantitative study involving two groups of 20 randomly sampled preschoolers enrolled in a Head Start Preschool for All program. The study took place for twelve weeks with a control group of 20 and a treatment group of 20. Data analysis included an independent T-test, followed by a paired dependent T-test. Results indicated there were insufficient data to indicate significant differences in phonemic awareness. Recommendations include further research regarding culturally responsive teaching. </p><p>

In this dissertation I argue the case for placing children's reading of non-fiction in the context of the whole language and learning programme. The emphasis is on supporting reflective reading rather than only on the acquisition of study skills. An action inquiry, involving a whole class of 9 year olds using non-fiction in the context of project work, is described and evaluated by the writer as teacher-researcher. The study is in three parts. Part 1 begins with a short analysis of the present state of affairs, then proceeds to an examination of different theoretical approaches to learning and particularly the role of language in learning. Out of this analysis four principles are suggested as a framework for learning and this general model underpins the planning of the practical example in Part 3. The study moves into Part 2 by offering a taxonomy of children's non-fiction texts. It is argued that while many children's books are 'transitional' and cannot easily be assigned to a particular kind of adult non-fiction, it is possible and helpful to recognise some broad categories. Part 3 examines evidence from surveys and classroom studies illuminating the major question - what is reading comprehension? Some problems involved in reading nonfiction are considered. The main study describes and evaluates a classroom example, the planning and carrying out of which aims to embody some of the pointers to good practice indicated in the whole work. While it is not possible to generalize from one example it is argued, following Bassey (1981), that the description and evaluation are 'relatable', that other practitioners will be able to relate to the challenges and partial solutions achieved. Finally, drawing on all parts of the study, a framework for reflective reading of non-fiction is set out in seven principles.