<p>Children need to be ready to enter kindergarten, or they may begin to fall further and further behind. The achievement gap may start prior to children entering kindergarten due to their lack of early learning opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of kindergarten teachers regarding which readiness skills preschool children should master prior to entering kindergarten in order to be successful. </p><p> A literature review supports the variance in perceptions kindergarten teachers have in relation to readiness skills. The conceptual framework starts with a brief history of preschool programs. Following is a discussion regarding the benefits of preschool programs. Next is an overview of the rigor of kindergarten and the transition between preschool and kindergarten. Finally, what readiness skills children need in order to be successful in kindergarten will be reviewed. </p><p> This quantitative study surveyed 30 kindergarten teachers in a suburban school district with nine elementary schools. From these surveys, data were collected on kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the readiness skills needed. The results indicated that kindergarten teachers endorsed social-emotional skills as very important skills that should be taught prior to entering kindergarten. Directions for future research or implications for practice are discussed. </p>

<p>Educational leadership appropriates significant amounts of money for technology in school budgets. Teachers must decide how to use technology to maximize student learning and make the most efficient use of instructional minutes. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if a relationship existed between the amount of time students spent in a computer-assisted reading instruction program and the increase in reading skills as measured by an assessment of oral reading fluency. A Pearson Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the amount of time 87 first-grade students spent in a computer-assisted reading instruction program and the increase in oral reading fluency test scores measured by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills test (DIBELS). Numerical information for this study consisted of archived data from the 2010&ndash;2011 school year generated from the computer data bases of DIBELS and the Ticket to Read program. The Pearson Correlation analysis indicated a weak positive relationship between the variables. However, the weak coefficient of determination indicated that the correlation did not have any practical significance. This indication may imply that teachers should not allocate instructional minutes to computer-assisted instruction for the purpose of increasing oral reading fluency. Educational leaders may want to consider other technological interventions that may produce learning opportunities for young students to develop technological awareness and increase oral reading fluency at a reduced cost. Ninety-seven percent of the variance was unaccounted for indicating a need for further research with additional variables. </p>

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The title of this thesis is "iPad and Computer devices in Preschool: A tool for literacy development among teachers and children in preschool." The study was an exploration of how teachers and their pupils put iPad and other computer devices into use in early childhood education. This study was a qualitative research study, based on the observation of the pupils and the interviews of the teachers. In this study, observation of the children and interviewing of the teachers over a period of five weeks produced significant results. The children participants in the observation were approximately 60 and they were between the ages of 3 to 6,5 years. Four preschool teachers and one preschool teaching assistant were interviewed in an attempt to substantiate the use of ICT in early childhood education. The overall result of the study was that the teachers’ positive attitude towards iPad helped to enhance and facilitate the development of literacy skills in the children. This study provided evidence of how children created their own learning environment by actively practising their reading, writing, and comprehension skills. It also showed how ICT enhanced social interaction and developed intra-action activities among the children, to a situation that eventually led to the development in their learning.

<p> Verified improvement in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the past decade has involved both early interventionists and parents. It is widely acknowledged that the parent-child relationship is fundamental to the development of communication and social skills, especially for children with ASD, and accordingly that parent education is critical. However, lists of required skills and knowledge in professionally developed curricula designed for parents of children with ASD have not been prioritized by the consensus of large numbers of variously affiliated practitioners. The present research yielded wide professional agreement on the prioritization of such skills and knowledge. The instrument used was a self-evaluating, closed-ended survey administered to 483 behaviorists who treat autism. In particular, the survey identified whether a participant had a child with autism or not. The information gathered will assist in the development of a curriculum intended to guide parents in optimizing the help they can give their children with autism.</p>

Current government policy aims to redress the persistent under-participation of Pasifika children in early childhood education by improving the standard and availability of services delivered through Pasifika early childhood initiatives. This research explores the rationale that underpinned the choices of sixteen New Zealand-born Samoan parents in Christchurch by using the qualitative method of in-depth interviews, structured around a questionnaire. Three primary themes emerged from the primary data: Pasifika early childcare provisions; identity issues; and the effect of generational changes in parenting styles. As first and second generation New Zealand-born Samoans, participants' preference vis-ā-vis the types of early childhood initiatives they accessed, reflected trans-generation differences between the original migrants and their offspring. Moreover, some participants and many of their children are of multi-ethnic heritage, exemplifying the changing face of Pasifika people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Participants were divided into three groups. Findings indicate that Group A parents, who had the highest levels of social, cultural and economic capital, made informed decisions to access Pasifika Education and Childcare Centres in order to ensure their children were acculturated in Samoan language and culture. While there were multiple reasons why Group B parents withdrew their children from Pasifika services they were generally ambivalent about the effectiveness of Pasifika provisions in meeting the needs of their children. Group C parents did not access Pasifika preschool education; barriers to participation included their personal perceptions of alienation from the traditional Samoan community. Findings suggest that government policy formulation processes exclude the voices of stakeholders who demographers predict will comprise an increasingly large percentage of the population of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Pasifika parity in accessing early childhood education is contingent upon service provision that is conducive to meeting the needs of all Pasifika parents, including those who are marginalized by mainstream society and Pasifika communities.

This qualitative ethnographic study explored the various ways a team of early childhood teachers made sense of, and used, an assessment framework based on learning dispositions and formative assessment for assessing children’s learning. In the late 1980s and early 1990s traditional methods for assessing children were being significantly questioned. The development in 1996 of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, signalled a re-form of assessment practices in the early years. This reform involved a major shift in thinking and practice for teachers who worked in early childhood education. The teachers in this study were already beginning to change their assessment practices to reflect learning dispositions and formative assessment. This study focused on the theoretical and policy framework that reflected the shift toward teachers being encouraged to adopt these new ways for assessing children’s learning Multiple sources of data collection included individual interviews, a group interview, an analysis of documents including relevant policies, staff meeting minutes and Learning Stories written by three of the teachers over a six-month period. Findings revealed that the ways in which the teachers in this study made sense of, and used, the dispositional framework depended on how they viewed the purposes of assessment and their role as teachers. The study also explored some of the consequences of teachers adopting the dispositional framework when they were already experienced in other forms of assessment practice. The significance of self-directed professional development was also highlighted. Implications for management include the need to consider that the theoretical concepts associated with shifting from a developmental approach to a dispositional focus requires extensive time, resources and a team that is committed to change.

<p> Literature that depicts females in restrictive roles may limit girls&rsquo; aspirations and success. Previous studies of award-winning books for young children have found gender-stereotypical role portrayal to be common. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to identify the archetypal roles assigned to female characters in picture books read aloud by teachers in the preschool classroom. The conceptual framework for this study was derived from feminist theory and Jungian archetypes. Data were collected in the form of teachers&rsquo; logs of books they read aloud over a 2-week period. Data were analyzed by employing the 3-read method developed by Madsen, which was revised to assign Jungian archetypes to each female character in a sample of 20 books. According to study results, female characters were portrayed as passive and often silent. Most of the female characters in these books were assigned archetypes typified by low personal agency, passivity, and service to others (orphan, innocent, and caretaker) and none were assigned archetypes associated with innovation (magician, jester, and creator). Of the 106 female characters portrayed in this sample, only 26% were verbal, and of those who spoke, 46% were limited to the one or two words needed to ask for assistance or to offer to serve. Female characters who did advance the plot through dialogue were often in animal form. Gender stereotypes still exist in children&rsquo;s picture books, as evidenced by objectification of females, female servitude, and lack of positive agentic female roles. This study has potential to elicit positive social change, benefiting both boys and girls, through increased awareness of archetypal role portrayal of female characters in picture books and teachers&rsquo; increased care in selecting read-aloud books with regard to the gender-based messages they send.</p>

<p> The preschool years are a crucial time for children to develop vocabulary knowledge. A quality preschool environment promotes large amounts of language usage including picture book read alouds and discussions. There is growing research to support the use of nonfiction literature in preschool classrooms to promote vocabulary growth and knowledge of the world for preschool children. This research study compared vocabulary growth of preschool children using fiction and dialogic discussions versus vocabulary growth of preschool children using nonfiction and dialogic discussions following a six week study of autumn and changes that happen during this season to the environment and animals. The quasi-experimental design used the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4, a curriculum-based measure for receptive vocabulary, and a curriculum-based measure for expressive vocabulary to assess vocabulary growth. Results showed that there was significant difference in the vocabulary growth in the treatment group indicated by the curriculum-based measure for receptive vocabulary, but the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 and the curriculum-based measure for expressive vocabulary did not indicate significant difference in growth in the 6-week research period. The findings of this research have implications for teachers. Using nonfiction literature during read aloud times is beneficial to vocabulary growth. Dialogic discussions used with fiction and nonfiction read alouds provide authentic opportunities for students to use vocabulary in meaningful ways. In order to maximize vocabulary growth during the preschool years, teachers should be aware of the benefits of using nonfiction literature for interactive read alouds.</p>