Thesis (M.A.), Human Environmental Sciences--University of Central Oklahoma, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-57).

Emphasis has been placed nationally and internationally by parents, schools and communities on reading literacy skills as it is essential to be able to participate in today’s society. Reading and literacy skills underpin literacy in formal schooling. However in order for children to cope in formal schooling, children should fist acquire the necessary informal and formal literacy skills. These literacy skills can be developed through early literacy experiences gained within the home context. The home environment plays a vital role in the development and acquisition of children’s reading and literacy skills. It is the researcher’s intention to ascertain the role that the home environment and parental attributes play in influencing the reading literacy achievement of South African Grade 5 learners by conducting a secondary analysis utilising a standard multiple regression analysis (Tabachnick & Fidell, 2007) of the Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS) 2006 data. PIRLS collected data using contextualised questionnaires to gain valuable background information. This study utilised the Learning-to-Read survey (a questionnaire which was completed by the parents or caregivers) in order to study the home environment as well as parental attributes. The conceptual framework of the study comprises home environment and parental attributes which might have an influence on learner reading literacy achievement. The study adapted Myrberg & Rosén’s (2008) model of direct and indirect influences of parental factors on reading achievement as there is absence of a South African model which looks at both the home environment and parent attributes. The study hopes to provide insights through its findings, whether the home environment and parental attributes have an effect on learner reading performance. Particular focus has been placed on parental involvement since it is imperative to establish whether involvement is important for learner reading literacy. Reading literacy is an interactive process and it is clear that a learner will be able to perform at best when guidance is given in a cultural context. Parents, who actively take part in not only their children’s upbringing but their children’s literacy skills, can make an important contribution to their children’s reading literacy. There are cases in South Africa where parents are poorly educated but it did not stop them in inculcating a positive attitude towards reading literacy into their children. Parental involvement is therefore of great importance in children’s development of reading literacy skills. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / National Research Foundation (NRF) / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / Centre for Evaluation & Assessment (CEA) / MEd / Unrestricted

The World Health Organization has recognised Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a public health concern and have recommended access to appropriate assessment and interventions. Psychoeducation and parent support soon after diagnosis are considered global best practice. Parent Education & Training (PET) programmes provide education, skills and support to parents. Despite the high need for PET there has been limited research in this field and few programmes are available, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This project aimed to 1) evaluate the evidence-base for a UK-developed PET (EarlyBird/EarlyBird Plus); 2) evaluate the evidence-base for a broader range of PET; 3) generate a framework for evaluating global PET programmes; 4) conduct a comparative feasibility study of two PET programmes in South Africa. The EarlyBIrd/EarlyBird Plus scoping review identified a low level of evidence for the efficacy of the PET, and showed that relatively little implementation science examination of the programmes had been performed to date. Review of a broader range of PET showed very similar findings, suggesting that the field of PET (rather than any specific intervention) was still relatively immature. We proceeded to use an implementation science and participatory approach to generate a multi-stakeholder evaluation framework for PET in future studies. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was then used for a comparative feasibility study of two PET in a low-resource South African setting. In the feasibility study parents/carers found both programmes to be acceptable and adaptable for a South African context. Limited efficacy-testing showed positive outcomes for parents, children and families. Application of the Evaluation Framework proved to be a useful structural technique to identify the strengths and weaknesses of PET across the implementation themes of outcomes, processes & procedures, and implementation landscape. Taken together, our results highlighted the relative infancy of this important field of ASD research and identified the need for multi-site, randomized controlled trials of PET, particularly in low-resource settings. In addition, results underlined the importance not only of efficacy of programmes, but of a range of implementation-related factors, that are crucial to ensure sustainable and scalable PET in real-life settings around the globe.

Technology plays a huge role in our daily lives. While technology provides a multitude of positivity for society, many are blinded to the dangers it can present, especially for children. Technology is proving to impact pediatric development and impair family dynamics. The research presented in this doctoral manual will shed light on this problem, discuss previous attempts at providing a solution, and present the author’s solution – ON THE DOCK ™. ON THE DOCK ™ is a classic-style board game, based on current research, curated to aid child development through play. Every detail of this game, both big and small, was meticulously selected to provide as much therapeutic value as possible. Not only does the game provide benefit for children, but this author also created an educational component for parents. The parental education component is meant to bring awareness to parents about child play behaviors, how to create the best play environment for children, and marketing strategies often used to promote toys and games. This information will be presented in the form of a brochure included in each game box as well as through a seminar. ON THE DOCK ™, and its associated parental education, is an important invention that can prove beneficial for parents and occupational therapy practitioners alike; not only was it developed by an occupational therapist, but the author is also a parent which guarantees both perspectives are represented. The foundation of both components is grounded by three theories: Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, and Bruner’s Scaffolding Model. Disseminating the game and seminar will be of crucial importance for success; social media will be a big component of the dissemination process. The success of the program, both game and seminar, will be evaluated primarily through sales count. The seminar will also be evaluated through questionnaires completed by seminar participants. The game and seminar will be largely self-funded; the possibility of receiving grants and investors is considered as well. The research and intervention as described in this doctoral project will bring much needed attention to an ever-expanding situation of technology overload. / 2023-09-17T00:00:00Z

Infants enter this world relying on caregivers to nurture and protect them. Through this reliance, infants develop an attachment to their caregivers, thus setting the stage for how a child comes to view the world and the people in it. This study sought to further explore attachment behaviors through observation of a voluntary parent education course offered through the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County. Data were collected three times over the course of the nine week program on four mother-infant dyads. Across the three mothers who were present for at least two observations, negative behaviors decreased between the first and final observations; however, positive behaviors were observed, but less conclusive. The results of this study can be used to improve the current early intervention program, as well as those in the future.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Intensive Filial Therapy in: (a) improving the self-concept of child witnesses of domestic violence; (b) reducing internalizing behavior problems, such as withdrawal, somatic complaints, anxiety and depression, of child witnesses of domestic violence; (c) reducing externalizing behavior problems, such as aggression and delinquency, of child witnesses of domestic violence; (d) reducing overall behavior problems of child witnesses of domestic violence; and (e) increasing communication of empathy between mothers and child witnesses of domestic violence. A second objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Intensive Filial Therapy with Intensive Individual Play Therapy and Intensive Sibling Group Play Therapy with child witnesses of domestic violence. The experimental group consisted of 11 child witnesses of domestic violence whose mothers received 12 Intensive Filial Therapy training sessions within a three week period and had 12 mother-child play sessions. The Intensive Individual Play Therapy comparison group, consisting of 11 child witnesses, and the non-treatment control group, consisting of 11 child witnesses, were utilized from the Kot (1995) study. The Intensive Sibling Group Play Therapy comparison group was utilized from the Tyndall-Lind (1999) study. Children in all studies completed the Joseph Preschool and Primary Self-concept Screening Test and the Child Behavior Checklist. Mothers who received Intensive Filial Therapy training conducted pretest and posttest play sessions for the Measurement of Empathy in Adult-Child Interaction. Analyses of Covariance revealed the children in the experimental group significantly increased in self-concept, and significantly reduced overall behavior problems. A comparison of t-test scores of the pretests and posttests revealed mothers in the experimental group significantly increased communication of empathy to their children.

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