<p> This phenomenological study explored five pre-kindergarten and five kindergarten teachers' expectations for entering kindergarteners, the sources of teachers' expectations, and nature of collaborations between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews. The findings suggested that: (a) there were similarities and differences in expectations of both groups of teachers; (b) participants did not have differential expectations for children from different backgrounds, such as children's race and ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status; (c) teachers' ideal expectations did not always match with the competencies of children in their own classrooms; (d) teachers' classroom experience was the most influential source of teachers' expectations; and (e) there was no systematic collaborative relationships between participating pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs. The study's findings suggest the need for sustained collaborative relationships among preschool programs, kindergarten, and families of preschoolers to communicate realistic expectations for kindergarten.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of singing tempo during specific song acquisition of preschool aged children. The study had two research questions: 1. What is the effect of slow and fast singing tempos on preschool children&rsquo;s performance of musical components (melody, rhythm, and text, individually and combined) of a duple major song over time? 2. Will children&rsquo;s performance tempo be the same as or similar to the presented instructional tempo? </p><p> Participants were randomly assigned by classroom to Tempo Group A (120 beats per minute) or Tempo Group B (60 bpm). A three week pilot study (<i> N</i> = 14) validated the teaching procedures, recording procedures, and the scoring rubric. During the six week main study, participants (<i> N</i> = 50) were exposed to the song 30 times. Three judges evaluated individual performance recordings from the pilot study and the individual midpoint and final performances from the main study in three dimensions: melody, rhythm, and text. </p><p> Interjudge reliabilities were calculated using a Pearson product moment reliability. Data analysis used a two-way Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) with repeated measures for the individual components and an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures for the composite score. The melodic scores, the rhythmic scores, the text scores, and the composite scores showed statistically significant growth for both groups from the week three recordings to the week six recordings. There was no statistically significant difference between the instructional tempo groups. </p><p> The mean of complete performances for both tempo treatment groups moved toward the center of the tempo range (60&ndash;120 bpm) Using a <i>t </i>-test, the change in performance tempo from instructional tempo was statistically significant. Further research is needed for specialized groups (English as a Second Language, developmental delays, and different tonalities/meters). </p>

<p> This study examines differing perspectives on kindergarten readiness as defined by preschool and kindergarten teachers. Data were collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews of two preschool and two kindergarten teachers and analyzed using perspectives from the maturational theory, the accountability movement, and the ecological perspective. The literature indicates that there is no single concrete understanding developed by preschool or kindergarten teachers surrounding kindergarten readiness. Results of this limited study indicate that both preschool and kindergarten teachers value social and emotional development, focusing on group and individual understanding, as opposed to a focus on academic development per se.</p>

<p> Due to demographic shifts suburban schools are having difficulty meeting the needs of students of immigrant, poor and working class families. Schools are forced with the difficult task of closing learning gaps with students who may have difficult circumstances. Literature indicates fostering a healthy home / school connection by conducting educational home visits may support schools ability to embrace the cultural wealth and social capital of students and their families. In a suburban elementary school, six elementary school teachers and the assistant principal formed a research team to explore the relationship between home visits and teachers' practice. </p><p> The study focused on an overarching question: What is the relationship between home visits and teacher practice? The sub questions were: (1) What changes occur in teachers' thinking about students' contexts following home visits? (2) What changes occur in teacher practice following home visits? (3) How do teachers think these changes influences student learning? </p><p> The action research study consisted of three distinct phases of work cycles. The phases were, Phase I, Initiation, Phase II, Duration and Phase III, Conclusion. The team investigated how home visits influence teachers' practice and their perception of students' learning. The team collected data through conducting home visits, group meetings, peer classroom observations, triad discussions and maintained journal notes, audio tapes, and electronic notifications. The findings were teachers' improved practice, teachers' professionalism and professional growth. These themes emerged from the home visits, classroom applications experiences and group meetings of the action research project. </p><p> <b>Keywords:</b> cultural wealth, action research, home visits, teacher practice, professional development, students' home contexts</p>

<p> The majority of children with exceptionalities aged 3-5 are being served in general education settings. Teachers working in these inclusion classrooms must have the ability and knowledge to work with all students under their care. The purpose of this study was to determine how teachers in early childhood inclusion classrooms plan to incorporate the principles of Universal Design for Learning, an inclusive pedagogy, and to determine how professional development in UDL changes teachers' knowledge and behaviors in the classroom. This qualitative case study followed two early childhood inclusion co-teachers and a district office specialist in charge of the UDL professional development. Interviews, observations, lesson plans, and training materials were collected over an extended amount of time in the field. Results of the data analysis indicated that many principles of UDL were inherent in quality early childhood instruction. Teachers were adept at individualizing instruction on an as needed basis, but they needed more practice at embedding modifications and accommodations into curriculum and instruction. Early childhood teachers understood and saw the value in UDL, but they lacked appropriate professional development, access to the necessary resources, and the time needed to take universal instruction to the next level.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine children's musical and mathematical behaviors as they participated in an interdisciplinary pre-K curriculum. Research questions were: 1. What connections&mdash;if any&mdash;do young children make between music learning and mathematics learning? 2. Is there a relationship between young children's emergent rhythm development and emergent numeracy development? </p><p> To address these questions, a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design was utilized. One intact class of 14 preschool children were observed at predetermined points throughout the Spring 2012 semester through participant observation and video footage of music classes, math activities, and other times where music was used in the curriculum. Interventions for classroom and music teachers were intended to foster developmentally appropriate practice in music and mathematics. Music aptitude and pre- and post-test measures of early music rhythm achievement and early numeracy achievement were correlated to embed a quantitative dimension. </p><p> Observed rhythm responses included movement such as (a) continuous, free-flowing motion during songs; (b) steady beat motions of bouncing, tapping, and clapping; and (c) rhythmic body motions of tapping or clapping rhythm patterns; chanted responses of (a) echoed rhythm patterns, (b) improvised rhythm patterns, and (c) parts of poems. Sung responses included singing with a light quality in initial singing range, as well as resting tone and tonal patterns. Mathematical responses included subitizing, one-to-one correspondence, counting fingers, forward and backward verbal counting, and using finger patterns to count on, and add and subtract numbers less than 10. </p><p> Limited, but supportive quantitative evidence was found regarding the relationship of early rhythm and early mathematics development. Emergent themes, <i> community of learning and sharing, expanded social conventions,</i> and <i> reinforcement of learning,</i> revolved around current thought that learning is both individually and socially constructed. That some children express themselves more readily through music and others through mathematics was supported; carefully selected song literature that meets both music learning and mathematics learning objectives can elicit observable musical and mathematical responses and may reinforce learning connections. Recommendations include replication with a design that addresses limitations of the present study and increased music and math pedagogy courses and professional development for pre-K classroom teachers.</p>

This phenomenological study explores the beliefs and practices of New Zealand early childhood teachers in supporting English acquisition for Asian immigrant English language learners (ELLs). The focus of the study is on the analysis of early childhood teachers’ beliefs about how they can support English acquisition among Asian immigrant ELLs and how these beliefs influence the teachers’ practices in early childhood education (ECE) settings. The theoretical framework of this research draws on a range of sociocultural perspectives, including (i) the sociocultural positions initially defined by Lev Vygostky (1978), (ii) the notion of guided participation articulated by Barbara Rogoff (2003), (iii) theories of second language acquisition discussed by Lantolf and Thorne (2000), and by Krashen (1982, 1985), and (iv) acculturation as addressed by Berry (2001). The main participants of this study were seven early childhood teachers and six Asian immigrant ELLs from two ECE centres. Four Asian parents participated in interviews to ascertain the parents’ perspectives about their children’s learning of English and their maintenance of home language. Research methods for the teachers included observations and semi-structured pre- and post-observation interviews. For each centre, observations were carried out over a six week period which enabled a series of snapshots of how the teachers supported the ELLs as they acquired English. The findings were analysed using thematic analysis, and presented three themes: English dominance, social cultural adaptation, and guided participation. These themes impacted the learning experiences of the Asian immigrant ELLs and other children attending the ECE as well as the teaching approaches of the early childhood teachers. The findings revealed that there were dissonances between the teachers’ beliefs and their practices, as well as variation between individual teachers’ beliefs and practices. Because of a significant increase in the number of ELLs in New Zealand ECE centres, it is important for early childhood teachers to understand the emphasis upon sociocultural theories in the ECE curriculum, so that they can effectively apply these theories to their practices. This study will provide a basis from which to consider how early childhood teachers in New Zealand can draw upon sociocultural perspectives to better support ELLs as they acquire English, while valuing and supporting their linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Little literature currently exists on naps in infancy, particularly in Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings. This study follows previous research by Stuart (2011) on children attending ECE Centres. The objective of the current study was to examine the architecture of naps in infants who were transitioning to attendance at an ECE Centre. Four males and one female aged between 4 and 11 months contributed to five case studies. Digital video recordings were made of participants napping in two settings: the home and the ECE Centre. Baseline recordings were made in the home only, and recordings were made in both settings as infants transitioned to the ECE Centre, and once they were deemed to be “settled” at the centre. The recordings were then coded to determine sleep states and amount of caregiver interaction. The results showed that all infants displayed a reaction to the transition to ECE attendance. However, the transition to the ECE Centre had a minimal effect on most infants’ home naps. Overall, naps were longer and more efficient at home than at the ECE Centre, and infants engaged in more Active Sleep than Quiet Sleep in both settings. Caregiver interaction during naps also differed between the settings. This is an important area of study as attendance at ECE Centres in New Zealand is increasing (Ministry of Education, 2011b), and as such, suggestions for future research have been made.

<p> Educators have a responsibility to choose and share picture books with young children carefully, with a full understanding of the psychological, cultural and developmental potential that these books have for children. Picture books have a profound and lasting effect on children at a most impressionable age. Children identify with the characters in the picture books, sometimes through the personality of the characters, and that identification allows them to acquire ideas and emotions, conscious and unconscious, that promote developmental growth and teach social and cultural constructs.</p><p> This study employed a mixed methods research design using content analysis to describe the total personality of young characters in picture books from three decades: the 1950s, the 1980s, and the 2000s. This study looked for changes in the personalities of young characters in those time periods, including changes related to the gender of the characters.</p><p> This study found a consistent whole personality for the young characters in the picture books studied that can be described using the Big Five Personality Factors. There were statistically significant differences in the time periods for two of the Big Five Personality Factors. Although there were differences in personality between genders, those differences were not statistically significant. </p><p> Significant differences in the personality factors of extroversion and openness to experience in the time periods studied may be related to changes in society that have impacted the lives of children. The use of media, especially television, had exploded into the lives of children in the time periods studied. The relationship between children and nature had changed over the time periods. </p><p> Children may need adult intervention in terms of providing context, literary analysis, and discussion when reading picture books. Educators using picture books in instruction may need to carefully consider cultural standards, cultural ideals, and cultural change reflected in the books as part of instructional planning. Educational researchers need to examine the whole personality of characters in picture books so that the findings of their studies may inform and influence those in the home and the school using this powerful tool to help our children achieve their potential.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable survey instrument to examine elementary general education teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the general education classroom. By determining what influences attitudes, the needs of elementary general education teachers can be established to make educated decisions, develop meaningful professional development activities, or enable teachers to self-reflect thus improving attitudes of elementary general education teachers toward inclusion of students with ASD. </p><p> The study was guided by the following phases: Phase One: (1) Reviewed current literature and conducted a discussion with a focus group to determine the overall construct, (2) wrote and modified an initial set of items, (3) consulted a panel of experts to certify that items measure the overall construct intended for content and construct validity, (4) conducted a think-aloud with individual teachers to ensure questions are being interpreted as intended, and (5) rewrote and revised as needed. Phase Two: Conducted an Exploratory Factor analysis in order to determine common factor structures. Phase Three: Conducted a pilot test to establish reliability in a test/re-test format. The findings indicate evidence of a valid and reliable survey instrument to examine elementary general education teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the general education classroom. </p>