Thesis advisor: Marina Vasilyeva / Book-reading is a common practice among teachers in developed countries; yet, little research has been done on the nature and the role of this activity in predicting children's language outcomes in developing countries with languages other than English. The present study sought to address this gap by examining preschool teachers' speech characteristics and the read-aloud strategies used in Chilean schools serving Spanish-speaking children from low-income families. The investigation expanded previously used methodology by providing a more in-depth analysis of the teachers' strategies used during book reading in preschool classrooms. It examined whether the variability in read-aloud strategies and speech characteristics predicted preschoolers' vocabulary and comprehension growth over a school year. This study was exploratory in nature and it used available Chilean Prekindergarten data from Un Buen Comienzo intervention project. As part of the project, teachers were randomly assigned to either intervention or control group, with teachers in the intervention group participating in workshops designed to improve their instructional methods. Teachers' speech characteristics and read-aloud strategies were coded based on videotaped records of reading activities in classrooms. A final list of 24 read-aloud strategy codes emerged; High and Low level composites were created to reflect different degrees of cognitive stimulation. Descriptive analysis demonstrated substantial variability in the use of read-aloud strategies and speech characteristics across teachers. Teachers in the intervention group, on average, used a greater number of diverse read-aloud strategies than teachers in the control group. Results from Hierarchical Linear Modeling analysis revealed a significant difference in the relation between the use of Read-aloud strategies and the growth of children's vocabulary as a function of condition (intervention vs. control group). Specifically, for the teachers in the intervention group, High-level read-aloud strategies were found to be a statistically significant predictor of children's vocabulary growth scores. In contrast, for teachers in the control group, this relation was not significant. Low-level read-aloud strategies and speech characteristics were not significantly related to children's language outcomes in either intervention or control group. The implications of the findings for further research on classroom linguistic environment and for teaching practices in preschool classrooms are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

A review of the literature reveals that nothing has been done at the pre-school level in the measurement of attitudes; yet Gesell in his studies recognizes that young children do have attitudes even though many are short-lived and developmental. This lack plus the writer's interest led to the present study of the attitudes of the children enrolled in the Florida State University Nursery School. / Typescript. / "May, 1949." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Advisor: Ralph L. Witherspoon, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 43).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The present study investigated the atypically developing preschool children's numerical abilities in a variety of tasks. The microgenetic methodology was employed in this study in order to capture the change and variability of the participants' numerical abilities. First, it used a matching task to investigate the participants' ability to recognize equivalence in sets composed of high and low similarity items. Second, the abilities involved in counting, calculation, and production of a given numerical set was studied through different task, such as: Board Game, Give-A-Number, and Calculation. The results indicated that while atypically developing children are able to recognize equivalence by the age of 4 Y2 years in sets of high and low similarity, this ability is not generalized to all kind of contexts yet. Instead, participants did better in a context that provides perceptual and conceptual support. In addition, the results from counting, calculation, and production of a set revealed that there is a gradual development of these numerical abilities, which are initially isolated and context dependent and later become more integrated. The results also suggest that the learning of mathematics involves the interrelation of procedural and conceptual knowledge. Furthermore, participants showed different profiles of understanding according to their individual differences. In order to create effective educational programs and to assess mathematical di fficulties in children developing atypically, researcher and teachers need to collect information about the factors that might influence the development of mathematical abilities. This study contributed to the growth ofthis knowledge. / 2031-01-01

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

acase@tulane.edu / 1 / Megan C. Saybe

acase@tulane.edu / Research has demonstrated that high levels of teacher turnover are correlated with poorer student outcomes, including lower levels of educational quality, poorer academic outcomes, greater difficulties with emotion regulation, and greater externalizing behaviors. However, the research on teacher turnover in early childhood educational settings is limited. Furthermore, the conceptualization of teacher turnover in preschool settings has been fairly limited, not typically including alternative types of teacher-child relationship disruptions, such as teachers moving to another classroom within the same preschool. The current study added to the area of early childhood research by longitudinally examining the relationship between teacher ratings of work environment, teacher turnover, and preschool externalizing behaviors in a sample of low-income preschoolers (N = 2172) and their teachers (N = 126). Results indicated relatively low levels of teacher turnover in the current sample (5 %). This is likely explained by teacher demographics (e.g., education and years teaching), school factors (e.g., positive work environments), and preschooler behavior (e.g., low levels of externalizing behaviors). These findings suggest that future research should examine ways to manipulate teaching environments and increase supports for teachers in preschool settings in an effort to increase teachers’ decisions to remain in the teaching profession and thus positively impact preschooler functioning. / 1 / Corey Black

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Introduction: Surveillance data and other studies have indicated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool children in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is increasing, particularly in urban areas. No studies have examined the speed at which this public health problem is emerging in child populations in urban Vietnam. Knowledge of the risk factors for preschool-aged child obesity is limited since earlier studies have been cross-sectional in design and potential risk factors at different levels have not been fully investigated. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and trends in overweight and obesity, and to identify the risk factors associated with longitudinal changes in adiposity over a one year period in preschool children in urban areas of HCMC. In addition, a sub-study aimed to validate a proxy-questionnaire for use in measuring physical activity of preschool children. Method: Based on the available data from a cross-sectional study conducted with preschool children in HCMC in 2002, a restricted sample of 492 children aged four to five years from urban areas of HCMC was used for examining the trends in overweight and obesity in this child population, over the period from 2002 to 2005. The original study using the multi-stage cluster sampling was performed in preschool children aged one to six years in both urban and sub-urban areas of HCMC. A total of 1780 children aged one to six years participated in this study. Anthropometry of the subjects was measured using standard methods. Socio-demographic information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The one year follow-up study, using multi-stage cluster sampling, was conducted from 2005 to 2006 with children aged four to five years in preschools in urban areas of HCMC. At baseline, 670 children participated in the study and of these, 526 children completed two follow-up measurements at 6 month intervals. Information on neighbourhood, preschool and home environments, socio-economic status, the child’s and parental characteristics were collected using pre-coded, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires. Dietary intake and physical activity were measured in the home and preschool settings using modified, validated questionnaires. Anthropometry including weight, height, skinfold thickness at triceps, subscapular and suprailiac sites were measured using standard methods. The trends in overweight and obesity were examined based on data from the 2002 study and the baseline study of the cohort study. Data were collected in 2002 and made available for these secondary analyses. The validation study of the proxy-questionnaire to measure physical activity of children aged four to five years was conducted from July, 2005 to November, 2005, using accelerometers as the criterion method. A subset of 83 children from the entire cohort study participated in this study. Physical activity data over the three months, reported by the teacher and the parents, were compared with data collected from the accelerometers for seven consecutive days. Main outcomes: Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured weight and height. Overweight and obesity were defined using IOTF cut-off points. Underweight was classified using the 5th percentile cut-off point for weight for age, based on the 2000 CDC Growth Reference. Results: The findings indicated that the significance of overweight and obesity in preschool children in urban areas of HCMC is not only in its magnitude (obverweight: 20.5% and obesity: 16.3% in 2005), but also in the rapidly increasing trend in prevalence from 21.4% in 2002 to 36.8% in 2005. There exists an imbalance in food intake in this young child population. Dietary patterns have shifted towards higher energy obtained from protein and fat (particularly animal protein and fat) and less energy from carbohydrates, than is recommended. The risk factors of overweight and obesity in the four to six year old child population in HCMC were identified at multiple levels. The contextual variables in the community, school and home environments, interacted with individual characteristics influencing the changes in adiposity and overweight and obesity development over time. Risk factors for changes in adiposity and risk of developing overweight and obesity differed for boys and girls. The proxy-questionnaire was shown to be valid for ranking the child’s sedentary behaviour but it was not suitable for measuring the child’s physical activity patterns in absolute values. Conclusion: An obesity epidemic has been taking place in the young child population in urban areas of HCMC. Boys appear to be more vulnerable to this epidemic than girls. The diet of this child population has shifted to higher energy from protein and fat, and less energy from carbohydrate. The aetiology of overweight and obesity of preschool children ismulti-factorial. It is time for action to control this public health problem in young children in urban areas of HCMC, Vietnam.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-42).

Chemicals in preschools - a study of endocrine disrupting chemicals and awareness among preschool teachers The purpose of this study was to investigate endocrine disrupting chemicals that have been shown in preschools and also the preschool teachers’ awareness of these chemicals. There were two methods used for completing this study; a literature study and a practical study. The literature study was made by researching on the internet and in books. The practical study was performed by sending questionnaires to all preschools in Kiruna municipality to study awareness among staff. The result shows that there are many different chemicals in preschools and that they were found in beds, floor, toys, food packaging etc. The result also shows that the preschool teachers were somewhat aware of chemicals hidden in products and interior, but needed more knowledge to do something. The response rate of the survey was 89 percent. 25 of 28 preschools participated in the survey. Children were exposed to chemicals from air, dust, food, etc. The chemicals might affect children through a variety of diseases; reproductive problems, diabetes, cancer, allergies, asthma, etc. We need more laws and restrictions to overcome the chemical problem. To solve the problem, knowledge must be given to both preschool staff and parents. Information must be easily accessible. Communities need to be more conscious of chemicals in the preschools and also in the rest of the children's everyday lives.

Abstract The theme of this paper is to discuss the benefits of adding the final year of preschool to Taiwan's national education system. This theme will be explored by contrasting and comparing other countries¡¦ concepts and methods of education. Using America, England, Japan and Germany as examples, overall systems of private and public schools will be analyzed thoroughly. The issues discussed include funding, facilities, teachers, management effectiveness and differences between urban and rural. In addition to an analysis of other nation's educational systems are the findings from questionnaires. Questionnaires were designed to interview 1,827 teachers and 938 parents and were distributed throughout cities and counties in Taiwan in order to collect different views concerning ¡¨The extension of the national education policy to preschool¡¦s final year.¡¨ According to documents and surveys, several conclusions are made as follows: 1. Unbalanced distribution of governmental resources. For example, universities have priority over preschools and public schools have priority over private schools. 2. High percentages of unqualified teachers in private preschools. 3. Excessive rate of teachers working unstably among preschools. 4. Apparently higher business costs in operating private schools than public schools. 5. Undeveloped mechanisms for ¡§Evaluation of the effectiveness of educational vouchers for children.¡¨ Based on research results, a number of proposed solutions are made mainly for policy amendment and future study reference materials. 1. Reconsider the distribution of governmental resources. 2. Provide effective nursery policies. 3. Salary difference subsidies should be given to teachers and caregivers in private preschools, and the rules of public school teacher¡¦s applicative legislation should be applied to teachers in private schools. 4. Putting more attention on children of disadvantaged minorities. 5. Adoption of legislation ensuring free education in preschools. 6. Merge graduates from child care universities and colleges. 7. Accelerate the mechanisms for ¡§Evaluation of the effectiveness of educational vouchers for children.¡¨