This study was conducted to describe the initial physical education experiences of two less skilled (LS) and two more skilled (MS) kindergarten children, to gain insights into children’s feelings about those experiences, and to suggest their educational significance. Data for this study were triangulated through the use of observations, fieldnotes, and interviews. A narrative description of the setting, program, and teacher were written along with descriptive profiles of each the four children’s experiences in physical education. The results of this study indicated that there were both similarities and differences in the experiences of LS and MS kindergarten children as they participated their initial physical education classes. LS children appeared hesitant in get involved in activity while the MS children appeared more confident in their participation. LS children appeared to learn about classroom procedures by observing their classmates while the MS children appeared to learn about procedures from the teacher or simply figured out what to do on their own. Children were similar in their feelings about participating with partners. They all reported they would rather work by themselves than with a partner. Throughout their initial experiences all four children appeared to possess a "relentless persistence for play’. Whenever physical education tasks were too easy, too difficult, or uninteresting, the children were observed to change the activities to be more play-like. The teacher’s "zone or appropriate responses’ provided children the opportunity to change some tasks to be more play-like while other tasks required a specific non-play-like structure. / Ed. D.

Although practical guidelines in the field of early childhood education recommend a high level of involvement among teachers with children, empirical research on the effects of such involvement has been equivocal. This study assessed the contribution of teacher presence to the appropriate behavior of preschool children in a single area of the childcare setting, the dramatic play area. In addition, parent reports of child behavior problems were used to delineate two groups of children, with high and low scores on this measure. A normative analysis of differences across teacher involvement conditions indicated that children engaged in more social play when the teacher was absent. This was particularly true among those children with fewer behavior problems, and appears to have been due in part to a roughly proportional increase in interactions with an adult. Children's dramatic play also differed across these dimensions: the highest rate of this behavior occurred among low behavior-problem children when the teacher was absent, and the lowest rate was obtained among high behavior problem children when the teacher was present. Other useful indicators included age, gender, and socialization experience. In general, older children and those with more socialization experience engaged in more appropriate play, while boys exhibited more disruptive behaviors. / Master of Science

The purpose of the study is to shed light on how preschool teachers describe the work with mathematics, linked to the responsibilities, to gain a deeper understanding of the conditions the children are given for mathematical learning.  The approach is qualitative. Six semi-structured interviews of preschool teachers were conducted, where the results were analyzed with Bronfenbrenner´s developmental-ecological systems theory. The results reveal differences in the preschool teachers´ descriptions of how mathematical teaching is conducted to create progression. It appears that proximal processes are created in planned teaching situations, everyday situations and through theme work. All teaching situations do not automatically start from the prevailing situation, the mikrosystem even if directions are always made. Based on the preschool teachers´ description that planned mathematical teaching is more aimed at the older children in the preschool. Greater need for supply of materials and resources is hereby described as required.  The planning time and documentation tools are described as important to ensure that teaching is carried out. Without documentation, it will be difficult to challenge and expand learning. Documentation tools in application, where curriculum goals can be linked are described to give a good overview of mathematics areas that have been worked on.  Dividing children into small groups creates good conditions for paying attention to all the children and following their progress. Children´s participation in teaching is described as the basis for being able to challenge the children further. Which when there are large groups of children is described as more difficult.  The study can contribute to an awareness among preschool teachers about which systems need to be developed and thus directions in the work with mathematics can be taken. Preschool teacher professional development is thus possible. A good mathematical foundation can thus be made possible, which benefits children’s future mathematical learning. / Syftet med studien är att belysa hur förskollärare beskriver arbetet med matematik, kopplat till deras ansvar, för att få djupare förståelse för vilka förutsättningar barnen ges till ett matematiskt lärande.  Ansatsen är kvalitativ. Sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med förskollärare genomfördes, där resultatet analyserades med stöd i Bronfenbrenners utvecklingsekologiska systemteori. I resultatet framkommer skillnader i förskollärarnas beskrivningar av hur matematikundervisning bedrivs för att skapa progression. Det framkommer att proximala processer skapas i planerade undervisningssituationer, vardagssituationer samt genom temaarbete. Alla undervisningssituationer utgår inte automatiskt från den rådande situation, mikrosystemet, även om riktningar därtill alltid görs. Utifrånförskollärarnas beskrivningar framkommer att planerad matematikundervisning mer är riktat mot de äldre barnen i förskolan. Större behov av utbud av material och resurser beskrivs härmed krävas.  Planeringstiden samt dokumentationsverktyg beskrivs betydelsefulla för att säkerställa att undervisning bedrivs. Utan dokumentation blir det svårt att utmana och vidga lärandet. Dokumentationsverktyg i applikation, där läroplansmål kopplas beskrivs ge en god överblick av matematikområden som har arbetats med.  Indelning av barn i smågrupper framkommer skapa goda förutsättningar för att uppmärksamma alla barn och följa deras progression. Att barn är deltagande i undervisning beskrivs vara grunden till att kunna utmana barnen vidare. Vilket när det är stora barngrupper beskrivs vara svårare.  Denna studie kan bidra till en medvetenhet hos förskollärare om vilka system som behöver utvecklas och därmed kan riktningar i arbetet med matematik därtill tas. Förskollärarprofessionsutveckling blir härmed möjlig. En god matematisk grund kan därmed möjliggöras som gynnar barns framtida matematiska lärande.

There is evidence that the conceptualization of creativity as a process of original problem-solving is applicable to Indian preschoolers (N=66, mean age 54.8). The cross-cultural validity of the measuring instruments has been demonstrated. The lack of age and sex differences was consistent with results found in the U.S. (Moran, Milgram, Sawyers, & Fu, 1983) and in Israel (Milgram, Moran, Sawyers, & Fu, 1987). Quantity and quality of ideational fluency responses were found to be strongly related; a marked order effect with popular responses occurring earlier and original responses later in the response sequence was found to exist more in high original subjects than in low. These findings duplicate those found with preschool children in the United States and in Israel. The relationships between the variables proved to be more complex than hypothesized. In the present study with Indian preschoolers, fantasy did not act as a bridge between convergent and divergent thinking as hypothesized on the basis of results obtained in the U.S. The multidimensional model with ideational fluency, fantasy, metaphoric comprehension, intelligence and the home as predictors accounted for 48.9% of the variance in problem-solving. The home environment was found to be a crucial factor in the prediction of original thinking and its role in conjunction with the cognitive variables needs further examination. Considering this, it is recommended that a measure of the home environment and its profound influence on the divergent and convergent thinking of the preschool child be studied. The investigations have also revealed that the measures for stringent problem-solving are not completely satisfactory and a more appropriate criterion measure of creativity needs to be established. / Ph. D.

Bilingual children, the majority of whom are Spanish-English learners, now constituteover a third of the preschool population in the United States (Migration Policy Institute, 2021). Bilingual children and their families face multiple barriers to high-quality early childhood education, which are largely due to the underutilization of culturally and linguistically responsive academic assessment, instruction, and family engagement practices (Adair, 2015; Cuba, 2020; McWayne et al., 2022; Nores et al., 2018; Paulick et al., 2023). However, preschool practices for promoting bilingualism can be challenging to implement because bilingual children are highly heterogeneous, and there is relatively little research available on typical development and home environments in this population (National Academies of Sciences, 2017; What Works Clearinghouse, 2023). This dissertation consists of two person-centered studies aimed at advancing the field’sunderstanding of heterogeneity in the preschool development and home environments of Spanish-English bilingual children. The first study identified profiles of Spanish and English pre- academic skills using fall and spring oral language, pre-literacy, and early numeracy assessment data from 348 pre-kindergarten children. Demographic predictors of children’s profiles and changes from fall to spring in the number and type of profiles, as well as profile membership were examined. Four profiles of bilingual development were selected. Profiles were distinguished by patterns of English-Dominant Average, Spanish-Dominant Low, Balanced High, and Balanced Average pre-academic skills. The number and types of profiles remained stable from fall to spring, as did children’s individual profile membership. Child age and maternal education were key factors that differentiated children in the English-Dominant Average and Balanced High profiles from children in the other profiles. The second study identified profiles of bilingual home environments using family questionnaire data from 348 Spanish-English bilingual pre-kindergarteners. Specifically, home environment profiles were generated based on patterns of variability in the amount of language exposure, child language use, and parent-child activities that occurred in mostly or all Spanish, mostly or all English, and equal proportions of both languages. Additionally, demographic predictors of home environment profiles were examined, followed by an investigation of the relationship between home environment profiles and child outcome profiles. Three home profiles were selected, including an English-Dominant Home Environment, a Dual-Language Home Environment, and a Spanish-Dominant Home Environment. Child age and maternal levels of education significantly influenced children’s membership in the Dual-Language Home Environment and the English-Dominant Home Environment. Additionally, children were more likely to be classified in the child outcome profile with patterns of language dominance or balanced bilingualism corresponding to their home environment profile. The profiles identified in these studies help distill the complexity of bilingual development and bilingual home environments without obscuring meaningful variability. Findings have important implications for developing culturally and linguistically responsive assessment, instruction, and family engagement practices that center and celebrate bilingualism as an academic asset.

This study, as stated in Chapter I, is designed for the purpose of determining the relationship between an individual's degree of social acceptance and social adjustment in the classroom and the presence or absence of pre-school training.

Disney commands a strong market presence worldwide in print and multimedia products used for early childhood entertainment. Yet, the gender and cultural bias found in Disney animated fairy tale media has been well documented. Although preprimary early childhood teachers are urged to maintain a multicultural environment that is free of bias and stereotypes, very little training or support is presented to guide preprimary early childhood teachers in the selection of materials for use in their preprimary early childhood classrooms. The study sought to investigate the influence of a professional development module focused on the gender and cultural bias found in Disney animated fairy tale media on preprimary early childhood teachers. How would they respond to this professional development module? Would it change their intentions to use Disney animated fairy tale media with preprimary early childhood children? Would the participation in this preprimary early childhood professional development module actually change their practice? Using both quantitative and qualitative inquiries, participating preprimary early education teachers reported mixed findings. While some preprimary early childhood teachers were clearly influenced by their discovery of the existence of bias in this media, others revealed a cognitive dissonance from a strong personal and emotional attachment to Disney animated fairy tale media products juxtaposed against the evidence of cultural and gender bias found in the media. Implications and suggestions for future research included the expansion of professional development modules and higher education/teacher education to include the study and consideration of the content of children's media. / Policymakers and advocates need to address concerns of bias found in children's media with respect to gender and cultural bias development during the preoperative developmental stage of preprimary children. Further, interdisciplinary discussion needs to the concern of the influence of media on the holistic development of young children. / by Ruth A. Doran. / Thesis (Ed.D)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family characteristics and parent involvement in Head Start, and the differences between parents who participated in Head Start parent involvement activities and parents who did not participate, as to their behaviors and attitudes concerning education, their children, their communities, and their children's academic achievement. This study analyzed existing data collected for a national parent involvement study. The sample consisted of 2,051 parent-child pairs (1,443 Head Start and 606 non-Head Start). Findings indicated a significant relationship between numerous family characteristics and parent involvement in Head Start, with variables related to a higher level of education of the mother or primary caregiver being the most dominant. Significant differences were found between the parents who participated in Head Start activities and parents who did not participate. The involved parents felt more strongly about teachers needing knowledge of their children's families, parents having knowledge worthy of sharing with their children's teachers, and parents wanting advice or input from their children's teachers. They reported a higher frequency of behaviors such as talking, reading, and playing with their children, trying to teach their children basic concepts, and having materials available for their children's use. Involved parents rated their level of participation, acceptance, and influence in their communities to be greater than did the uninvolved parents. Also, they had higher expectations concerning their children's education. The involved parents and the non-Head Start parents had heard of the resources available in their communities more than the uninvolved Head Start parents had; however, both groups of Head Start parents had used the resources more than the non-Head Start parents had. The children of the involved parents and the non-Head Start parents scored significantly higher on the Preschool Inventory than did the children of the uninvolved Head Start parents.

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

The study examined the literacy practices, general resources, and technological tools being used by parents to promote literacy at home. The primary purpose was to determine if differences existed in the literacy practices used by parents of preschool children with and without disabilities. The study also sought to determine if the age and education of parents had any effect upon the literacy practices utilized by parents.The population for the study consisted of 384 parents from six counties in Indiana. Each participant had a child between the ages of 3- to 6-years old who attended a preschool program. Over half of the participants had a child with disabilities. Preschool administrators who were selected for the study distributed the data-collection instrument, Parent's Views on Literacy Survey, which was developed by the researcher. The survey instrument consisted of demographic questions that addressed the study's independent variables and 20 questions that were designed to act as the study's dependent variables. The questions pertained to the types of literacy activities being provided in the home.A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed and a significant difference between parents of preschool children with disabilities and parents of preschool children without disabilities was determined. Parents of preschool children without disabilities used significantly more general literacy practices and literacy activities using technology. There was a significant difference in the types of activities and in the quantity of activities provided. It was also determined that the differences were not due to the factors of age or education of the parents. The second part of the questionnaire directed questions specifically to parents of preschool children with disabilities. The type of disability of the child, the types of assistive technology (AT), and the frequency in which AT was utilized to promote literacy activities were identified. A simple cross tabulation between the types of disabilities and the categories of AT revealed that there were also differences among the categories of AT used and disability types.Three open-ended questions were used to determine additional information about parents' literacy practices. The data collected was stratified and analyzed for emergent themes. Parents of typically developing children reported the need for more technological tools and resources while parents of preschool children with disabilities reported that more information on specific skill development was needed. Furthermore, parents of preschool children with disabilities expressed the belief that the greatest barrier for their child in developing literacy skills related to factors that were associated with the disability. It was also determined that parents of children with disabilities underutilized assistive technology devices for facilitating literacy skills.This research further supports the differences in the literacy practices among parents. Parents of preschool children without disabilities use general literacy practices and technological literacy practices with greater frequency than do the parents of preschool children with disabilities. / Department of Special Education