Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Education Policy, 2008. / Dissertation committee: Gary Sykes, Barbara Schneider, Peter Youngs, Sandra Schneider, and Larry Schweinhart--From acknowledgments. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 19, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-158). Also issued in print.

Literacy is a fundamental to all areas of learning. Early reading experiences prior to elementary school and kindergarten years are critical factors for later reading success. This study evaluated the effect Direct Instruction® reading procedures vs. Scholastic Early Childhood Program® reading procedures on the production of letter names, letter sounds, CV and CVC blends by preschool-aged students in a Head Start program. Results showed the intervention group improved in all areas, while the control group improved only in letter naming and letter sounds. This study discusses reading as a behavioral cusp as well as limitations, and recommendations for future research.

The purpose of this study was to appraise certain aspects of kindergarten adjustment of children in San Joaquin County, California, who had participated in the Head Start program during the 1965 eight-week session, and compare it with the adjustment of a comparable group of kindergarten children who had not had an organized preschool experience by testing at the beginning and again at the end of the kindergarten year.

Twenty years ago, kindergarten was a year of informal education designed to help a child develop some readiness skills, adjust to school, adjust socially and learn through play. Readiness for elementary education was defined in terms of attitude and motivation rather than in specific academic achievements. The hazards of the academic model for young children is supported by recent research. Elkind (1986), for example, confirms that young children do not learn in the same ways as older children and adults. Because the world of things, people, and language is so new to infants and young children, they learn best through direct encounters with their world rather than through formal education. During the '80s there has been an increase in the number of high-risk children entering kindergarten who may not be ready for that experience. Perhaps in response to this trend, kindergarten, rather than serving as a readiness program for future schooling, has become an experience for which children need to be prepared entering kindergarten. The National Association of Early Childhood (1987) notes that expectations have become increasingly high and unrealistic, as the curriculum from upper grades has been pushed down to lower levels, thus doom large numbers of young children to the increased possibility of failure. As a result of this change, there has been quite a controversy over the policy of kindergarten retention. Although grade retention is widely practiced at all levels, research suggests that it does not help children to "catch up." While retained children may appear to do better in the short term, they are at much greater risk for failure than are their non-retained peers (Shepard and Smith, 1990). The provision of an extra year of schooling prior to first grade is intended to protect unprepared children from entering too soon into a demanding academic environment where, 'it is thought, they will almost surely experience failure. Yet Shepard and Smith (1988) note that, "depending on the philosophical basis of kindergarten retention, which differs profoundly from one district to the next, the extra year is meant either to be a time for immature children to grow and develop learning readiness or a time to work on deficient prereading skills" (p. 34). So the criteria by which retention decisions are made are critical. The question of which criteria determine a child's kindergarten retention becomes paramount. The study examines this question by addressing the following issues: 1. Current practices regarding kindergarten retention;2. The percentage of kindergartners retained each year (locally and statewide); 3. The effects of kindergarten retention; 4. The ways in which teacher pressure, parents, standardized tests, and basal reading programs contribute to kindergarten retention; and 5. Alternatives to kindergarten retention. There will always be a group of children who lag behind their kindergarten classmates. Before we create a new program, however, we need to examine the effects of kindergarten retention. It is the intent of this study to provide county school supervisors and others with information which would enable them to take action to reverse the negative effects of past practices. This information can assist those responsible for decision-making as they struggle to make the correct decisions regarding the placement of young children.

This study examined the effectiveness of training Head Start teachers and aides in child teacher relationship training (CTRT). CTRT is based on child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) (Landreth & Bratton, 2006), a filial therapy model based on the principles of child-centered play therapy, and was adapted for the classroom. In this quasi-experimental design, 12 teacher/aide pairs (n = 24) were assigned to the experimental (n = 12) or active control group (n = 12). Children who scored in the Borderline or Clinical range on at least one scale of the Child Behavior Checklist-Caregiver/Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) at pretest qualified for the study (n = 54). Nine hypotheses were analyzed using a two factor repeated measures multivariate analysis to determine if the CTRT group and the active control group performed differently across time according to pre-, mid-, and posttest results of the C-TRF. Additionally, effect sizes were calculated to determine practical significance. Five hypotheses were retained at the .05 level of significance. Post hoc analysis was conducted to analyze the effects of the two phases of treatment. Results indicated that children in the experimental group made statistically significant improvements in externalizing problems (p = .003). Children of focus made statistically significant improvements in externalizing (p = .003) and total behavior (p = .01) problems. Results are particularly significant for the non-children of focus, who only received the in-classroom intervention. The non-children of focus made statistically significant improvements in externalizing behavior problems (p = .04) and practical significance was large. Results indicate that a school based intervention such as CTRT is a viable treatment option for many children with externalizing behavior problems.

本研究主要在探討美國啟智學前教育計畫與未來學校表現之間的關係。希 望能經由研究結果，提出可供我國在學前教育上參考之建議。本研究採整 合性分析進行研究，其樣本乃是從美國教育研究索引 ERIC資料庫中，對 有關啟智計畫對未來學校表現之文獻中，取得其中的二十二篇為研究樣本 。本研究使用LOTUS 電腦軟體對各研究中之相關係數再加以分析，並針對 其二十二篇研究進行同質性考驗。本研究穫得之結果為：一． 當二十二 篇研究報告納入分析時，其中的異質性相當高，故將樣本人數獨大者剔除 。針對十篇進行同質性考驗 所得之同質性高，故進一步探討其共同結論 。二． 參與啟智學前教育計畫之學生表現比未參加者在閱讀與數學能力 上要優、有較高的學習動機、對自己的表現有較高的滿意度、並對學校給 予正面的評價。此外，啟智計畫的學生被認定為低成就者或被編入特殊班 級的比例偏低，並較能適應學校生活且較獨立。三． 在比較參加啟智學 前教育計畫者與參加其它種類學前教育者之間的表現並差無差異，且有跡 象顯示：參加其它種類者之表現優於參加啟智教育者。本研究之建議為： 為了能解決貧困及偏遠地區之學前幼童就學問題，我國教育行政當局應成 立規劃小組，評估並設法解決這些幼童之就學問題，並由中央政府撥款給 各地方政府，實施類似啟智學前教育計畫的課程；給予願意擔任學前不利 兒童教學者較優渥的薪資，以吸引更多人投入此一領域。最後並提出未來 研究之建議以供參考。