Abstract/Notes: A social skills intervention was implemented at two suburban preschools. The purpose of the intervention was to develop subjects' empathic and social problem-solving skills to test whether this training would increase prosocial behavior in class. In addition, the study compared the effectiveness of two teaching methods in promoting cognitive and affective skills: training using role playing and discussion-based training. The subjects were 45 children of both sexes between the ages of four-and-one-half to five-and-one-half years. At each school, teachers led one of three training groups: empathy and problem-solving using role playing; the same training using discussion; home and outdoor safety training, which served as an attention-control group. Training sessions were conducted for 15 to 20 minutes, three times a week for six weeks. Pre- and post-intervention empathy, role-taking, problem-solving scores, observational behavior ratings, and teacher ratings using the Devereux scales were administered. Results of pre-testing revealed expected, significant associations between cognitive and affective skills and between these abilities and subjects' social behavior, with empathy showing the strongest associations. Responses to affective measures, however, did not prove to be consistent across emotions. Empathic and role-taking responses to anger and fear stimuli were unrelated to responses to happiness and sadness stimuli, yet were associated most strongly with observed and rated social behaviors. No significant differences in gain scores emerged across the three treatment groups on outcome measures, although gains in cognitive and affective skills correlated significantly with behavioral improvement. The most likely reasons for this lack of training effects across groups were: all children were from a higher SES background and displayed fewer behavioral problems than subjects used by many other studies in this area; children at one setting (a Montessori program) were much less receptive to a group social skills approach; the small sample size provided insufficient statistical power to assess small effects. Implications of the study's findings for future measurement and training of empathy and social problem-solving skills were discussed.

Language: English

Published: Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1983

Abstract/Notes: Part 3 of a series

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: 본 연구는 유아교육기관의 환경을 구성하는 교육프로그램 중에서 몬테소리 교육프로그램과 다중지능의 관련성을 살펴보고 몬테소리 교육이 유아들의 다중지능에 미치는 영향을 밝힘으로써 몬테소리 교육프로그램의 효율성을 규명하고자 하였다. 본 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 몬테소리 교육프로그램은 유아의 다중지능 발달에 효과적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 둘째, 다중지능 하위요인 중에는 몬테소리 교육프로그램이 유아의 음악지능과 신체-운동지능 발달에는 별다른 영향을 미치지 않았으나 논리/수학지능과 공간지능, 언어지능, 대인관계지능, 개인내지능, 자연지능 발달에는 효과적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 이상의 결과를 통해서 볼 때, 몬테소리 교육프로그램은 유아의 다중지능 발달을 도울 수 있는 효과적인 교수방법 중의 하나임을 알 수 있다. 본 연구를 통해 몬테소리 교과과정과 교재는 다중지능의 하위구성요인과 연결되어 있고 다양한 공통적 활동을 하고 있으며, 준비된 환경은 다중지능발달에 효과적인 교육환경임을 밝혀내었다.

Language: Korean

ISSN: 1738-9496

Abstract/Notes: In this study, 173 preschool teachers (80 non-Montessori teachers and 93 Montessori teachers) were given a survey at two early childhood professional conferences that examined their beliefs about Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). The purpose of this study was to (a) investigate preschool teachers' beliefs about Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) and Developmentally Inappropriate Practice (DIP); (b) discover the similarities and differences in the factor structures of the Teacher's Beliefs Scale (TBS) between the study conducted by Charlesworth, Hart, Burts, Thomasson, Mosley, and Fleege in 1993 and the current study about DAP; (c) discover the similarities and differences of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) and Developmentally Inappropriate Practice (DIP) beliefs between Montessori teachers and preschool teachers; and (d) investigate the factors that are related to teachers' beliefs about DAP and DIP. The Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS) was used to assess preschool teachers' beliefs about DAP and DIP. Factor analysis was used to support the validity of TBS in the current study. Multiple t-tests were used to identify the differences in developmental appropriate/inappropriate beliefs between Montessori and non-Montessori teachers. Multiple regression analyses were used to explain the relationship between variables of 173 Montessori and non-Montessori preschool teachers. Results of the study showed that a majority of preschool teachers agreed with 22 Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) and 12 Developmentally Inappropriate Practices (DIP). Responses to seven items were different from the original study (Charlesworth et al., 1993). There was a significant difference on Inappropriate Activities and on Appropriate Child Choice between non-Montessori and Montessori teachers. There was a relationship between teachers' beliefs about DAP and teachers' educational backgrounds, teaching experiences, ethics, and DAP understanding level in the current study.

Language: English

Published: Greeley, Colorado, 2003

Abstract/Notes: In order to address perceived problems of readiness for kindergarten it is important to know more about the effect of preschool attendance on improving the literacy skills of phonological awareness. The purpose of the study was to explore the possible effects of belonging to a particular ethnic group, attending preschool, belonging to varying socioeconomic groups, and belonging to a group classified as English as a second language on academic progress in phonological awareness. The data set included 134 children who attended kindergarten in the 2000-2001 school year. The children belonged to one of four preschool cohorts: those who attended a preschool using the High/Scope curriculum, a Montessori preschool program, a Head Start preschool program, and children who had not attended preschool of any kind, including summer preschool. Variables included the seven subtests from the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) for the fall and spring of kindergarten, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (free and reduced lunch) and English as a second language classification. Analysis of variance was used for the exploratory study. Exploratory analysis suggested that ethnicity had an effect on a child's scores in the fall and spring of kindergarten in select subtests (spelling, letter sound and summed score). Analysis also suggested a significant main effect on fall scores of all subtests for socioeconomic status. For children classified as English as a second language, analysis suggested order of means for both fall and spring for all subtests was native English and then English as a Second Language. Finally, the analysis suggested Montessori programs had the highest mean score in all subtests. The no preschool cohort was lowest in both fall and spring on word recognition, alphabet recognition, letter sounds, and summed score. A significant main effect attributable for preschool program was noted on all subtests for both fall and spring.

Language: English

Published: Fairfax, Virginia, 2003

Abstract/Notes: Early childhood education has been shown to positively impact future academic performance, as well as social and emotional development. With ever-increasing demands being placed on children's academic performances, school readiness has become a key component of academic success. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the effectiveness of different early childhood curriculum models in preparing children for kindergarten, and to investigate whether one early childhood curriculum model better prepares students than another. The theoretical framework for the study is based on the developmental constructivist theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, and Dewey. Kindergarten teachers assessed school readiness by administering the Kindergarten Observation Form. Each student had matriculated from either Montessori, High/Scope, or Reggio Emilia programs or early childhood programs without an identified curriculum model. Kindergarten teachers rated students on 24 items related to areas of cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development. ANOVA and post-hoc tests revealed that students matriculating from programs without an identified curriculum model scored significantly better than their counterparts, F (3,122) = 5.33, p = .002. Implications for social change include improved kindergarten readiness on the part of students, increased awareness by educators as to best practices in early childhood education, and, a move towards understanding the types of environments in which children learn best.

Language: English

Published: Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2012

Abstract/Notes: Froebel and Montessori are compared in their approaches for teaching preschool children the concept of number, numerical calculation, vulgar fraction and geometrical concepts. Froebel's approach is largely metaphysical whereas Montessori's is largely sensorial. But their approaches are not diametrically opposed to each other but rather cmoplementary to each other from the educational view point. Their different claims or views should be closely studied and objectively evaluated through various experiments, before any of them are seriously incorporated in our educational practices.

Language: Korean

Abstract/Notes: Within the last decade, the pressures of implementing state mandated early learning guidelines and meeting the requirements from federal, state and local agencies, have taken their toll on many preschool programs. In the present study, preschool programs were given a chance to voice their opinions about how curriculum standards and other external mandates were directly and indirectly influencing curriculum planning, teaching practices, and child activity. A brief survey was sent to 90 preschool directors in a region in Massachusetts, 28 directors completed this survey. A sample of nine directors, from the survey respondents, volunteered to be interviewed. In two separate interviews the researcher asked a series of questions to obtain data from the participants. These interview questions focused on how the participants made sense of the mandatory integration of early learning standards and other external mandates into their preschool program and their concerns based on their role as a preschool director. The results of the study revealed that external guidelines set forth by the state and federal government were a great concern to the preschool directors. These directors agreed that curriculum mandates were necessary yet the amount of work, time and expenditure needed to meet the demands of these mandates could be quite overwhelming. Concerns were particularly relevant in the areas of obtaining or maintaining NAEYC accreditation and the push for a standardized curriculum and/or a standardized assessment tool. To recieve specific types of funding, a program must be using a standardized assessment tool. Many funding sources also require that a program be accredited by NAEYC. The financial and physical expense of both of these requirements was prohibitive . The results were analyzed with respect to child development and early childhood education principles. The findings indicated that curriculum mandates focused primarily on young children’s cognitive development to the detriment of social and emotional competence. The findings also indicated that children were being pressured to spend more time on narrow academic skills and less time on play. Yet play has been found to provide children with opportunities to interact socially, express and control emotions, and develop symbolic thinking skills (Nicolopoulou, 2010).

Language: English

Published: Amherst, Massachusetts, 2011

Abstract/Notes: A video-based modeling handwriting program for lowercase letter formation was embedded in a Montessori preschool phonics curriculum in one of two Montessori classrooms for 16 weeks. Children could view the DVD on request during phonics lesson time. Phonics skill and letter sequencing patterns improved for the children in both classrooms. The children with access to viewing the video-based modeling showed greater improvement in letter legibility. As part of early intervening services, occupational therapy practitioners may be called upon to make recommendations that benefit all the children in a classroom. Video-based modeling was compatible with the Montessori phonics curriculum and effective for this group.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1080/19411243.2014.930618

ISSN: 1941-1243

Abstract/Notes: Part 1 of a series

Language: English