Serving infants and toddlers and their families is the core of Part C under IDEA. Early motor delays have an increased risk for developmental delays in visual motor perception, social-emotional, and cognitive domains. Physical therapists in early intervention can assist families understanding of their child’s strengths and abilities so that families help their children develop and learn. The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) have recommended practice areas and special monograph series that guide practitioners in working with families. These document support promotion of the active participation of families in decision-making related to their child and development of a service plan for achieving the goals they hold for their child. In this interactive session, participants will learn about tools to help engage families to focus on intervention strategies in their natural enviornment. The session will challenge providers to think about their interactions with the child's family and how those interactions strengthen a family’s ability to support learning. Family-centered practices, family capacity-building practices and family and professional collaboration will be discussed with case examples. Participants will walk away with resources and tools to build capacity and tailor practice with families in their natural environment for best practice under IDEA.

This study explored and demonstrated the effects of storytelling and pretend play on short-term and long-term narrative recall. Specifically, this study examined and identified the cognitive changes which underlay children's actions during pretense enactment and narration. Educators and researchers propose that play and storytelling emerge at the same time in a "stream of symbolization" as preschool and kindergarten children learn basic skills relevant to the narrative as a cognitive model of an event. Pretend play has long been considered an important area in the development of the child's growing cognitive and social competence. This study focused on the developmental differences between storytelling and pretend play, short-term and long-term memory, encoding and inferences and their interrelationships. According to the data, there were significant differences between storytelling and pretend play in facilitating narrative recall. The data also indicated that the ability to encode exceeded the ability to make inferences. The children were able to engage in storytelling and pretend play while at the same time they did not improve in their abilities to make inferences. This indicates that inferences required more complex cognitive skills, and was not related to the improvement of storytelling and pretend play. There was not a significant difference overall between the short- and long-term conditions. However, this study supports the hypothesis that storytelling and pretend play are affected by cognitive variables.

Although prior research has shown that parental involvement positively affects a child's literacy development, attention should also be directed to the factors that keep parents from being involved in their children's education. The study reported in this dissertation examined five factors: socioeconomic status, level of education, employment, culture, and language that may be influential in parental assistance of their children's literacy development in the home. The data sources for this investigation included interview responses and a demographic survey. Data from 17 parents, each from a different household, and each with a child in kindergarten were obtained and used for the study. For analyses of these data, content analysis was used to identify similar themes among the interview responses and the demographic survey. Results indicated the following: (1) the time parents spent assisting their child with literacy activities was affected by long work hours, (2) parents with a yearly income of $25,000 or less were unable to provide additional literacy materials for their children, (3) lack of multicultural literature caused culturally diverse parents to feel devalued, and (4) parents who did not speak English fluently lacked the strategies to assist their children in completing English literacy homework. The findings suggest there are significant factors in the home environment that impact the quality and amount of literacy activities that parents provide for their children. In order for teachers to support parents in providing for their children's literacy development, they need to be aware of these factors. In addition, teachers should be culturally sensitive by including multicultural literature in the curriculum.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, early intervention services are offered to children and their families from birth to three years of age. Likewise early childhood special education services are offered from three to five years of age. Research demonstrates that among the intervention frameworks available, applied behavior analysis has the largest evidence base, solidifying its status as the best practice for early intervention and early childhood service. This paper endeavors to provide comparative information to evaluate the effectiveness and validity of other intervention practices based on developmental and relationship-based theory such as the Montessori Method and DIR®/Floortime™. In addition, the use of music therapy within early intervention and these specific intervention frameworks will also be discussed. / A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music. / Spring Semester 2016. / April 18, 2016. / Applied Behavior Analysis, DIR/Floortime, Early Intervention, Music Therapy, The Montessori Method / Includes bibliographical references. / Jayne Standley, Professor Directing Thesis; Dianne Gregory, Committee Member; Lori Gooding, Committee Member.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between Turkish preservice early childhood teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and their mentor teachers’ mentoring. The study also examined related factors including the mentor teachers’ modeling, the feedback provided by the mentor teachers, the amount of time mentor teachers devoted to teaching science, and the amount of time spent teaching science by the preservice teachers. Participating in the study was a sample of 96 Turkish preservice early childhood teachers and their mentor teachers (N=41). The data were collected at two Turkish universities during the time when the preservice teachers were completing their teaching practicum or field-experience. The Pre-Service Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) was administered to the preservice teachers to measure their self-efficacy beliefs. A related instrument (STEBI-A) was also administered to the mentor teachers to measure their self-efficacy beliefs. As the preservice teachers were participating in their practical teaching experiences in kindergarten classes in Turkish public schools they completed the Science Experiences Time Tracker Record. This instrument was designed to measure the amount of time spent on science teaching and observing activities by the preservice teachers and mentors. At the conclusion of the field experiences the preservice teachers were administered the Mentoring for Effective Science Teaching (MEST) instrument. This instrument was designed to measure the preservice teachers’ perceptions of their mentoring teachers’ mentoring activities, including modeling and feedback. Correlational analyses were used to measure the relationship between the preservice and mentor teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. Correlational analyses were also used to measure the relationships between the preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and the amount of time they spent teaching science, the amount of time they spent observing science teaching, and their mentor teachers’ modeling and feedback. There was a statistically significant correlation between the mentor and preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. There was also a statistically significant correlation between the time spent teaching science and the preservice teachers’ self-efficacy. Also, correlated with the preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs were the measures of mentor teachers’ modeling and feedback. The correlations uncovered in this study suggest that if preservice teachers have an opportunity to see the outcomes of their teaching, and receive constructive feedback from their mentor teachers, they will probably have more confidence in their teaching, and thereby increase their self-efficacy beliefs. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2016. / November 7, 2016. / MENTORING, PRESERVICE EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS, SCIENCE TEACHING, SELF EFFICACY BELIEFS, TEACHING PRACTICA / Includes bibliographical references. / Ithel Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ming Cui, University Representative; Diana Rice, Committee Member; Lindsey Dennis, Committee Member.

The field of education requires professionals to respect the diversity of all families. Many professional organizations outline required practices for all teachers in regard to professional expectations in working with children and families. In the past, family diversity has typically been portrayed in terms of socioeconomic status, language, culture, family constellation, and ethnicity. The need to recognize diversity in family structures is supported by the increasing diversity in family constellations in the United States over the past few decades. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013) reports that there are 640,000 same-sex couples residing together in the United States. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision (Obergefell et al. v. Hodges, Director, Ohio Department of Health et al., 2015) making same-sex marriage a right nationwide, it is likely that the number of same-sex parented households will increase. Previous research has indicated that homophobia in schools is directed toward gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) students as well as children and families headed by same-sex parents (Kosciw & Diaz, 2008; Kosciw, Greytak, Palmer, & Boesen, 2014). Some of the key findings of past research has shown that students and parents reported hearing biased language, including sexist remarks as well as blatantly homophobic comments from both students and school staff members. Additionally, students and parents alike have reported reported that school staff members rarely intervened upon hearing negative remarks about LGBT parents. An additional concern regarding the population of children and families headed by same-sex couples is the impact that teachers’ personal beliefs and attitudes have on classroom practices in schools. The current literature regarding teacher beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors toward children and families headed by same-sex parents is sparse and dated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ personal beliefs and attitudes toward working with children and families headed by same-sex parents. Additionally, the study examined the relationships between pre-service teacher background characteristics and their personal beliefs and attitudes as well as the relationship of their perceived learning in coursework to their personal beliefs and attitudes about, comfort levels in working with, and feelings of preparedness in working with children and families headed by same-sex parents. The study also investigated the correlation between pre-service teachers’ personal beliefs and attitudes about and comfort levels in working with children and families headed by same-sex parents. All undergraduate pre-service teachers in the programs of early childhood education, elementary education, visual disabilities, and exceptional student education in the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University were invited to participate in an online survey administered during face-to-face classes. A final sample of 201 pre-service teachers participated in the study which utilized a Qualtrics survey. The data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 statistical software. Results of the study show that while pre-service teacher personal beliefs and attitudes, comfort levels, and feelings of preparedness in working with children and families headed by same-sex parents is fairly high, there are some areas worth noting. Specifically, the study found that there is a correlation between a pre-service teachers’ religious background and beliefs, geographic location, and exposure to diverse populations including LGBT people, and their personal beliefs and attitudes toward working with this population. The results of the study also suggest that although less than half of the participants reported having been exposed to coursework related to working with children and families headed by same-sex parents, pre-service teachers who were exposed to coursework related to working with children and families headed by same-sex parents had more positive personal beliefs and attitudes and higher feelings of preparedness in working with this population of students and their families. While the study had limitations related to age, gender, and geographic location, due to the survey being implemented in face-to-face classes at one university, the results indicate a need for teacher preparation coursework that includes LGBT issues along with specific tools and resources to help pre-service teachers in preparing to work with an ever expanding diverse population of students and families, including those headed by same-sex parents. The results of this study also highlight the need for continued research in the area of teacher preparation related to working with children and families headed by same-sex parents so that pre-service teachers will be prepared to create welcoming classrooms and design instruction that is inclusive of all children and families. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2016. / July 11, 2016. / Same-sex parents, Teacher attitudes & beliefs, Teacher preparation / Includes bibliographical references. / Mary Frances Hanline, Professor Directing Dissertation; Motoko Akiba, University Representative; Ithel Jones, Committee Member; Kelly Whalon, Committee Member.

Children's emergent literacy skills have been found to be predictive of concurrent and subsequent academic achievement. Proponents of a nurture-driven approach to learning posit that children's linguistic competencies are associated with the quantity and richness of language input that they receive from primary caregivers. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relations between the properties of parent language addressed to children when they were 3 years old and children's emergent literacy skills (vocabulary, grammar, and phonological awareness) a year later. This study also examined longitudinal continuity of children's emergent literacy skills and explored how two different types of parent language input (contextualized and decontextualized) predict children's outcomes. Participants included 69 parent-child dyads from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Participants were audio-recorded at home during completion of two semi-structured tasks: conversation about past events and free play. Parent and child verbal communication was transcribed, coded and analyzed. About a year later, participating children were assessed using a battery of standardized tests measuring vocabulary, grammatical skill, and phonological awareness skills. The results indicated that children's early oral language skills, vocabulary in particular, predict their later emergent literacy skills. Parent oral language input, specifically its lexical diversity, predicts later child emergent literacy skills when child prior language is not in the model. Finally, parent language input from different communication contexts did not differentially predict child outcomes. Overall, the findings tentatively supported a nurture-driven account of language acquisition in children and highlight the importance of providing sophisticated language models to children in early stages of language development. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / April 4, 2017. / emergent literacy, language development, language sample analysis, parent language input, standardized assessment, vocabulary skills / Includes bibliographical references. / Beth M. Phillips, Professor Directing Dissertation; Carla Wood, University Representative; Alysia Roehrig, Committee Member; Insu Paek, Committee Member.

Purpose: Evidence for the multiple oppositions intervention approach indicates it should be delivered 3 times weekly; however, this high dose frequency is not provided by many speech-language pathologists worldwide. This study investigated whether parents could be involved in delivering phonological intervention to fulfill this intensity shortfall. Method: Five children with moderate-to-severe phonological impairment aged 3;3–5;11 (years;months) and 1 of their parents participated in this study using a multiplebaseline across participants design. Participants attended one 60-min clinic-based session per week for 8 weeks, and parents completed home practice 2 times per week over this period after receiving training. Parents also attended a 60-min training session prior to commencing intervention. Results: All children showed a treatment effect to treated words. Three of the 5 children demonstrated a large effect size for generalization to nontreatment words, with 1 child demonstrating a moderate effect and 1 child demonstrating no effect. However, all children showed qualitative changes to their speech system. Three of the 5 children experienced significant changes to communicative participation. Measures of treatment fidelity indicated that parents were able to competently deliver the intervention both within the clinic and at home. Conclusions: Combined parent-and speech-language pathologist–delivered multiple oppositions intervention is effective for some children with moderate-to-severe phonological impairment. The findings indicate that parents can be trained to competently and confidently deliver phonological intervention. Further evidence is needed to identify optimal child and parent characteristics most suited to this modified service delivery approach.

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