published_or_final_version / abstract / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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

In 1998, seventy per cent of children in South Africa failed and had to repeat the Grade 1 year. This is the result of a number of factors, among them academic and cultural readiness for school. Many primary schools in South Africa teach through English, a language that is not the home language of the majority of learners. Despite recent legislation aimed at improving preschool facilities and teacher capacity, there has been insufficient consideration of which languages are taught and how they should be taught to children before they arrive at Grade 1. This study sets out to explore whether there is a relational link between preschool English language teaching and learning and subsequent educational achievement at Grade 1. It also sketches out possible recommendations for improving the teaching and learning of English in the sample schools. The study does not attempt to enter the debate over choice of language of teaching and learning (LoLT). In this longitudinal case study, four children from two different preschools, (one mainly isiXhosa medium and one English medium), were observed in their classroom environments over a period of four months. The following year, the same children were observed in their respective Grade 1 classrooms, all of which were English medium either entirely or to a degree. The parents of all four children were interviewed in their home environment, as were their teachers. The study found that there is a significant communication gap between preschool teachers and Grade 1 teachers. This was combined with a self-confessed need amongst some teachers for increased training in teaching through English. Low motivation and limited professional experience in some cases contributed to a preschool language-learning environment that lacked many of the factors identified as being essential for a positive learning environment in early childhood There was in addition a clear bias in many sites towards universality of ECD prinCiples with little regard for the hegemony of Western pedagogy, particularly in the area of literacy acquisition. The study concludes by suggesting some ways in which this situation could be improved in order to enable preschool children to cope better with the demands of Grade 1.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie navorsing is, om te bepaal of gesyferdheid by kleuters binne `n speelgroepsituasie ontwikkel kan word deur middel van `n program wat wiskundige konsepte aan kleuters oordra. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik is `n wiskunde program waarin verskillende hulpmiddels gebruik word, vir die kleuters aangebied. Die wiskunde program wat gebruik is, is saamgestel aan die hand van Charner, Murphy en Clark (2007) se “The Giant Encyclopedia of Math Activities for Children 3 to 6”. Die aktiwiteite wat tydens die voortoets en natoets gebruik is, is uit verskillende bronne op die internet verkry. Die aktiwiteite is uit gemelde bronne geneem en aangepas om by kleuters se ontwikkelingsvermoë te pas. Aan die einde van die wiskunde program kon daar `n verbetering in al die leerders se wiskunde vaardighede waargeneem word. Die resultate van die studie dui dus daarop dat kleuters se begrip en vaardigheid met wiskundige konsepte op `n vroeë ouderdom in `n speelgroep ontwikkel kan word. / The aim of this study was to determine whether numeracy can be developed among preschoolers in `n playgroup situation by means of a numeracy programme which introduces them to mathematical concepts. To achieve this aim a numeracy programme was used to introduce the mathematical concepts. The numeracy programme that was used is a programme compiled from “The Giant Encyclopedia of Math Activities for Children 3 to 6” by Charner, Murphy and Clark (2007). The activities which were used during the pre-test and post-test were taken from different sources on the internet. The activities taken from these different sources were adapted to the appropriate developmental phase of the preschoolers. At the end of the programme the post-test indicated an improvement in the mathematical competence of all the learners. The results of the study prove that preschoolers in a playgroup can improve their numeracy skills in the early years. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didaktiek)

This study sought to answer if the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program had a positive academic impact on Hispanic English language learners (ELL). HIPPY is a free, 2-year, home-based early intervention program for 4-and 5-year-old children. The program is intended to provide educational enrichment to at-risk children from poor and immigrant families, increase school readiness, and foster parent involvement in their children's education. A quasi-experimental design and quantitative measures were used to measure the academic success of Hispanic ELL students in reading, mathematics, and language arts. The sample included an experimental group and a purposeful control group. Hispanic students who attended an early childhood school as 4 year olds and participated in the HIPPY 4 and 5 programs were compared to Hispanic students who attended an early childhood school as 4 year olds and did not participate in HIPPY. Results from the Texas-mandated criterion referenced Texas Assessment Knowledge and Skills (TAKS™) Test and the TerraNova® and TerraNova SUPERA® norm referenced tests were used in this study. Results from the TAKS Reading and TAKS Mathematics Grade 3 and the TerraNova reading, language, mathematics, and total composite scores were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. The treatment group and control group results from both assessments were measured and compared. A statistically significant difference was found in 5 out of the 6 null hypotheses tested. The treatment group statistically significantly outperformed the control group in the TAKS Reading and the TerraNova and TerraNova SUPERA reading, language, mathematics, and total composite assessments. This study substantiates that the HIPPY program works and can have a positive impact on a child's school readiness. Additionally, a significant range of sustainability was also established since the results were measured from assessments administered in the third grade and 5 years after the treatment group began participating in the HIPPY program.

Denna studies syfte är att undersöka om, och i så fall vilka, stöttande strategier som framträder i den planerade matematikundervisningen i förskolan. Det är en jämförande studie mellan det pedagogiska arbetssättet learning study och de pedagogiska arbetssätt som används enligt Maria Montessoris idéer, samt i förskolorna i Reggio Emilia i Italien. Genom platsbaserade observationer på tre olika förskolor, belägna i norra Stockholmsområdet, har material samlats in med hjälp av anteckningar och ljudinspelningar. Det insamlade materialet ligger till grund för en analys ur teorin om relationella utvecklingssystem, med fokus på stöttande strategier inom ramen för denna teori. Studiens resultat indikerar att alla stöttande strategier framträder inom alla tre arbetssätt, fast i varierande mängd. Social stöttning framträder mest inom learning study, ekologisk stöttning är mer framträdande inom montessoriverksamheten och självstöttning är mest framträdande för arbetssättet enligt Reggio Emilia-pedagogiken. Slutsatser av denna studie är att stöttande strategier inom ramen för teorin om relationella utvecklingssystem, ger en mer helhetlig bild av de stöttande strategier som framträder under den planerade matematikundervisningen i förskolan, jämfört med vad den mer traditionella uppfattningen om stöttat lärande kan erbjuda. Därför bör dessa stöttande strategier läras ut till förskollärare och verksamma inom förskolan så att barn inom förskolans verksamhet kan få den bästa möjliga undervisningen.

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Recent research has elucidated the sustained benefits of early mathematics instruction. With growing concern about the performance of South Africa’s senior learners in mathematics, it is imperative to look at long-term solutions within the education process. One such solution may be to focus on improved mathematics instruction as early as preprimary school. However, children at this young age are not typically suited to formal teaching. Alternative methods of mathematics instruction must be considered for maximum and effective impact. The study was conducted to test the notion that not all early methods of mathematics instruction are equal. During the empirical research approximately 200 preprimary school children in three different socio-economic environments (urban higher SES, township and rural) were tested after experiencing a teacher-guided play-based mathematics teaching intervention, or after experiencing a worksheet-based or free-flow play-based curriculum. The test performance of the participants was primarily compared to find relations between teaching methods and early mathematics performance. The study found that a teacher-guided play-based curriculum is superior to other curriculums in the instruction of mathematics in all educational settings, regardless of socioeconomic background. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Text in English / The literature review indicated similarities between education and chess playing and possible transfer of knowledge between these two different domains. A link was then suggested between some aspects of intellectual abilities and chess instruction in children, but not in adults (Frydman & Lynn, 1992; Waters, Doll & Mayr, 1987). In this research study the aim was to explore the relationship between chess playing and cognitive and intellectual development in Grade R learners at Garsieland. Therefore the positive influence that chess playing brings to bear on the intelligence of 64 Grade R learners (as measured on intelligence scales) was investigated. The data was collected through short biographical questionnaires and psychometric tests and the participants in both groups were assessed on two occasions. The study suggested that chess instruction exerted a positive (small) effect on Performance intelligence and subsequently on the Global scale of the Junior South African Intelligence Scales. The children in both groups also exhibited improved cognitive development after the 40 week period during 2009. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education