Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005. / Prepared for: School of Education. Bibliography: leaves 126-158. Also available online.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Schoolreadiness is an important prerequisite for scholastic learning and progress. This forms the underlying basis for this study. The child who is not ready for school and learning, may eventually experience learning difficulties. It is alarming that so many children have developed learning problems in, for instance, reading, spelling or mathematics, because they were not ready for school. The need for support for these children should be seen as the primary objective of this study. A great number of these difficulties might be related to their not being schoolready, and could probably be reduced or avoided by timeous intervention. The aim of this study was to determine any perceptual-motor problems that grade one pupils still experienced after having completed the compulsory prescribed schoolreadiness programme. Another objective was to determine guidelines for a learning readiness programme which would remedy any of the identified perceptual-motor problems which might still exist. The study commenced with a survey of the literature on schoolreadiness. It was decided to do an empirical study where 75 grade one pupils were sUbjected to the Aptitude Test for School Beginners (ASB) to identify any possible factors which would indicate non-schoolreadiness. The results indicated that a large group of pupils still have problems with spatial orientation, gestalt and co-ordination after the initial TED schoolreadiness programme. In the light of the mentioned perceptual-motor problems, some guidelines were designed to be used in a programme to stimulate the child to become more schoolready...

This dissertation includes three papers. Using two nationally representative datasets – Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K: 1998) and 2010-11 (ECLS-K: 2010) – the first paper examines changes in disparities in school readiness by parental education from 1998 to 2010 in the United States. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis is used for investigating if financial resources, in- and out-of-home environment and activities, parenting, and child care contributed to these disparities differently in 2010 compared to 1998. The second paper follows the achievement trajectories of these two cohorts of kindergarteners and studies how school readiness disparities by parental education changed in 2010 compared to 1998 when children progressed through third grade. Using hierarchical linear modeling with piecewise spline function, it also estimates the roles of family and school factors at kindergarten in predicting school achievement growth rates for these two cohorts and compares to examine if there is any change in these roles. Since the content and data collection procedures of the two ECLS-K cohort datasets are very similar, the second paper pools these two datasets and uses interaction terms to examine the changes, providing more precise estimation. The third paper pools the China Family Panel Study (CFPS) 2010 and 2014 and investigates disparities in vocabulary and math by parental education and the roles of parenting and home environment in explaining and accounting for these disparities in China. Besides the whole sample, analysis is also conducted for the subsamples of children in rural, urban, and migrant settings due to different economic and cultural factors in these settings.

Research paper (M.A.) -- Cardinal Stritch College -- Milwaukee, 1971. / A research paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education (Reading Specialist). Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-70).

Social Work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Children in preschool are at an optimal time for the development of gross and fine motor skills. Children who enter into preschool with developmental delays struggle to keep up with their peers. These developmental delays often perpetuate into later school years, with negative effects. Visual-motor integration (VMI) is a hugely important skill that children need to develop before formal schooling commences. It forms the basis for academic skills like reading and writing, as well as many sport skills. Having a VMI and/or gross motor development delay can affect a child’s academic experience greatly. When referring specifically to reading and writing, many underlying gross motor processes occur simultaneously to enable the child to perform tasks successfully. Success in the classroom depends a great deal on developed VMI and gross motor skills. Research shows investigation into various factors that account for differences and delays in motor skills. Socio-economic status is mentioned as a factor that can negatively affect VMI and gross motor skills development. Gender differences have also been known to be a reason for varying success in VMI or fine motor skills and gross motor skills. It is most important that delays and differences in VMI and gross motor skills success should be the focus of preschool education curriculums. The purpose of the current study was to improve the VMI skills of children who presented below average VMI skills scores. The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration 6th Edition (DTVMI) was used to measure the participants VMI skills, and the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd Edition (TGMD-2), was used as a measure of gross motor skills. The supplemental tests of the DTVMI, as well as the subtests of the TGMD-2, were performed. Two preschools were conveniently selected to participate in the study, one from a high socio-economic background and one from a low socio-economic background. Of the total participants initially tested (N=77), only a small number (N=23), scored below average VMI scores and continued to participate in the study. From these participants (N=23) an experimental (n=12) and a control group (n=11) were randomly selected. The experimental group participated in a 14-week intervention programme, two sessions per week each with a duration of 45 minutes, that focused on the underlying gross motor processes that relate to reading, writing and VMI skills. After the 14 weeks the participants were tested again to measure the effects of the intervention programme. All data collected were statistically analysed.The most relevant result found in the current study showed that participants from the low socio-economic school showed significantly lower VMI skills than participants from the higher socio-economic school. No differences in VMI skills were found between the genders. Overall in both VMI and gross motor skills the intervention programme was beneficial to the participants, although these results were not found to be statistically significant. This study emphasises that the disparities in VMI skills between children from low- and higher socio-economic backgrounds should be addressed before they enter school. This will ensure that these differences become minimised. This study suggests that gross motor activities can be beneficial to VMI skills of preschool children. More research is needed to fully determine the potential of gross motor intervention programmes in improving academic skills such as VMI. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voorskoolse kinders bevind hulle in ʼn optimale periode van groot- en fynmotoriese ontwikkeling. Kinders van hierdie ouderdom met ontwikkelingsagterstande sukkel om op skool by hulle eweknieë by te bly. Hierdie ontwikkelingsagterstande duur gewoonlik voort tot in latere skooljare met negatiewe implikasies. Visueel-motoriese integrasie (VMI) is ʼn baie belangrike vaardigheid wat kinders voor hulle formele skooljare in aanvang neem, moet ontwikkel. Dit vorm die basis vir akademiese vaardighede soos lees en skryf, asook vir baie sportvaardighede. ʼn Kind se akademiese ervaring kan baie nadelig deur ʼn VMI en/of groot motoriese ontwikkelingsagterstand beïnvloed word. Met spesifieke verwysing na lees en skryf, moet baie onderliggende groot motoriese prosesse gelyktydig plaasvind om die kind in staat te stel om take suksesvol uit te voer. Sukses in die klaskamer is grootliks van ʼn ontwikkelde VMI en groot motoriese vaardighede afhanklik. Navorsing toon ondersoeke na verskeie faktore wat vir verskille en agterstande in motoriese vaardighede verantwoordelik is. Sosio-ekonomiese status word beskou as een van die faktore wat VMI en groot motoriese ontwikkeling negatief kan affekteer. Dit is ook bekend dat geslagsverskille ʼn rede vir variërende sukses in VMI- of fyn motoriese- en groot motoriese vaardighede is. Dit is van uiterste belang dat agterstande en verskille in VMI- en sukses met groot motoriese vaardighede die fokus van voorskoolse opvoedkundige kurrikulums moet wees. Die doel van die huidige studie was om die VMI vaardighede van kinders met ondergemiddelde VMI vaardigheid tellings te verbeter. Die Beery-Buktenica Development Test of Visual-Motor Integration 6th Edition (DTVMI) is gebruik om die deelnemers se VMI vaardighede te bepaal en die Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd Edition (TGMD-2) is gebruik om hulle groot motoriese vaardighede te bepaal. Die aanvullende toets van die DTVMI, asook die sub-toets van die TGMD-2, is uitgevoer. Twee voorskoolse skole, een uit ʼn hoë sosio-ekonomiese- en een uit ʼn lae sosio-ekonomiese omgewing is met ʼn gerieflikheidsteekproef geselekteer om aan die studie deel te neem. Van die totale aantal deelnemers (N-77) wat aanvanklik getoets is, het slegs ʼn klein aantal (N=23) ondergemiddelde VMI tellings behaal om met die studie voort te gaan. Vanuit hierdie deelnemers (N=23) is ʼn eksperimentele- (n=12) en ʼn kontrole groep ewekansig geselekteer. Die eksperimentele groep het aan ʼn 14-week intervensieprogram, twee keer per week, wat elk 45 minute geduur het, deelgeneem. Die intervensieprogram het op die onderliggende groot motoriese prosesse wat net lees, skryf en VMI vaardighede verband hou, gefokus. Na afloop van die 14 weke is die deelnemers weer getoets om die effek van die intervensieprogram te bepaal. Al die ingesamelde data is statisties verwerk. Die mees relevante resultaat wat in die huidige studie gevind is, dui daarop dat die deelnemers van die lae sosio-ekonomiese skool beduidende laer VMI vaardighede as die deelnemers van die hoër sosio-ekonomiese skool getoon het. Geen verskille in VMI vaardighede is tussen die geslagte gevind nie. Alhoewel die resultate nie statistiese betekenisvol was nie blyk dit dat in geheel beskou die intervensieprogram, in beide VMI- en groot motoriese vaardighede, voordele vir die deelnemers ingehou het. Die huidige studie beklemtoon dat die verskille in VMI vaardighede tussen kinders vanuit lae- en hoë sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde aangespreek moet word voordat hulle in skole toegelaat word. Dit sal verseker dat hierdie verskille tot die minimum beperk word. Hierdie studie suggereer dat groot motoriese aktiwiteite voordele vir die VMI vaardighede van voorskoolse kinders kan inhou. Verdere navorsing is nodig om die potensiaal van groot motoriese intervensieprogramme op die verbetering van akademiese vaardighede soos VMI ten volle te verstaan.

The purposes of this study were to identify public school districts that currently offer, or are planning to offer, transitional first-grade programs, to describe existing transitional programs, to describe the genesis of transitional first-grade classes in the North Texas area, and to assist in the establishment of a networking system for schools in the North Central Texas area that currently have, or are planning to have, transitional first-grade classes. The 158 school districts in Regions 10 and 11 were surveyed. The findings of the study indicate that about one-third of the districts offered transitional first-grade programs during the 1988-89 school year, and two-thirds of the districts saw a need for transitional first-grade classes. These transitional programs were implemented to meet the needs of children who had completed kindergarten but were not ready for regular first grade. Transitional first-grade programs focus primarily on language arts and math skills for kindergarten and early first grade. While curriculum materials vary from district to district, language arts is likely to be based on a whole-language approach, and math is likely to focus on manipulatives.. Kindergarten teacher observation is used in the screening procedures in the majority of the districts. A number of instruments are used in the transitional screening process. The Gesell School Readiness Inventory, used in 24% of the districts, is most popular. About one-half of the districts use an informal method of evaluating the transitional program. A pretest-posttest method is used in 32% of the districts, and a longitudinal student tracking method is used in 20% of the districts. Of the 158 districts surveyed, 122, or 77%, of the districts are interested in being included in a networking system to exchange information about transitional first-grade programs.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a transitional first grade program on the attitude and readiness scores of a group of regular first grade students who qualified for the transitional program but attended regular first grade (control group) and a group of transitional first grade students (experimental group). The study utilized a pretest/posttest design. The regular first grade students received formal instruction in all academic areas. The experimental group received no formal instruction.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a transitional first grade program. A comparison of reading and math achievement and school attitude was the focus of the study. The study utilized a pretest/posttest design. The group of regular first grade students who qualified for the transitional program but attended regular first grade was the control group. The group of transitional first grade students was the experimental group. The regular first grade students received formal instruction in all academic areas. The experimental group received no formal instruction. All students were pretested and posttested using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Minnesota School Attitude Survey. Testing was administered to small groups of five or less by the researcher. Scoring was done also by the researcher. An analysis of covariance was used to determine if a significant difference existed between the groups. The analysis of covariance did not produce a significant F at the .05 level when applied to the Iowa Test of Basic Skills except for reading for boys in both groups. The numbers in each cell were low and no further comparisons were made. Due to a testing date that was approved late in the year, the Minnesota School Attitude Survey was determined to be invalid. Scores are reported for the reader's perusal only.