Language: English

Abstract/Notes: The study described below compares the goals, beliefs, practices and training of early childhood educators from three different origins: Montessori, Traditional and the Association of Playgroups (PPA), and reports practice of a research in progress. The information was gathered by means of a questionnaire which was sent to early childhood practitioners and which covers various subjects such as reading, writing, arithmetic, free choice, accessible activities, scoring, role played and commitment of parents. There was consensus on the main goals of early childhood practitioners, but many differences emerged between groups for beliefs, practice and training. The importance of high quality training for early childhood practitioners has been demonstrated. The Traditional group appeared to have the highest level of training and the practice is more often than not to maintain contact with current research more than the other two Montessori and PPA groups.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1007/BF03174924

ISSN: 0020-7187, 1878-4658

Abstract/Notes: This study was conducted in Kenya and focused on the use of instructional materials at the Early Childhood level. Purpose of the study was to establish the implications of instructional materials on oral skills among early childhood learners. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population comprised 42 head teachers, 126 teachers and 3180 leaners. It was found that that teaching using instructional materials improved the performance of learners in various learning activities such as repetition of letters, repetition of words and ability to write dictated words. The improved performance was in a range of 11% to 18%.

Language: English

DOI: 10.15739/IJEPRR.16.004

ISSN: 2360-7076

Abstract/Notes: A confusing variety of terms is used in discussions of age grouping practices. This digest examines terms that have important implications for teaching and the curriculum. The terms "nongraded" and "ungraded" typically refer to grouping children in classes without grade-level designations and with more than a 1-year age span. The term "combined classes" refers to the inclusion of more than one grade level in a classroom. The term "continuous progress" generally implies that children remain with their classroom peers in an age cohort regardless of whether they have met prespecified grade-level achievement expectations. The terms "mixed-age" and "multi-age grouping" refer to grouping children so that the age span of the class is greater than 1 year, as in the nongraded or ungraded approach. These terms are used to emphasize the goal of using teaching practices that maximize the benefits of cooperation among children of various ages. The distinctions between the grouping practices have

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Early childhood (EC) is the right period to start emphasizing on teaching young children about diversity, equity and inclusion. The new vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2030 target to boost educational system through continuous invest in and teachers' education and professional training focused on integrating multicultural education into the curricula. The current study dealt with two main dimensions: The first dimension revealed the different curricula, teaching strategies, and assessment of children's learning in kindergartens in the public and private sectors. The second dimension focused on investigating how these applied curricula take into account the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion for children from different cultural backgrounds. The current study used the descriptive analytical approach through the application of the questionnaire, which targeted a number of government and private kindergartens in various major cities in the Kingdom. The results revealed the interest of private kindergartens in applying modern and diverse curricula in terms of teaching and assessment strategies and in terms of respect for diversity, equity and inclusion for all children, which meets their different needs. Teachers in private kindergartens expressed their confidence and competence to teach children from different cultures, and that the applied curricula ensure respect for their cultural backgrounds in terms of teaching methods that are free of racism in any form. Continuous professional training and the employment of teachers from different cultures contributed to raising the cultural awareness of children in private kindergartens compared to government ones. The current study recommended decision-makers to update the curricula in government kindergartens in line with the global trend towards integrating children from different cultures and backgrounds in the classroom.

Language: English

ISSN: 0827-3383, 1917-7844

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this project was to study the impact of professional development on early childhood educator practice and its subsequent effects on toddlers’ experiences with Risky Play in the outdoor environment. The setting of this project was a toddler classroom within a Montessori school in Missouri. The population for this action research study was three adult assistant guides with varying levels of experience with Montessori and early childhood education and 10 students in a Montessori toddler classroom between the ages of 17 and 32 months. The intervention consisted of a professional development workshop related to Montessori philosophy and benefits of outdoor Risky Play paired with daily reflective journaling. Data collection included my observations, participant journals, interviews, and an attitude scale. As a result of the study, adult participants intervened with children’s play less often and in more constructive ways, and children had more positive experiences in the outdoor environment. In response to this study, future actions include implementing a classroom culture of continued coaching and reflection.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2021

Abstract/Notes: This action research project examined how the implementation of Kindness Guidelines affected prosocial behavior among Early Childhood students. The setting was a private Montessori school, with 18 children ages two to five-years-old. Guidelines were developed using child-generated ideas on how to be kind to themselves, others, and the environment, along with teacher-made materials that illustrated acts of kindness and emotional awareness. Implementation of the intervention lasted six weeks with 20 days of data collected during two 15-20 minute observations per day. Positive and negative behaviors were recorded using tally sheets and an observation journal. Use of teacher-made materials was tracked using a materials log, and children expressed their ideas about kindness through drawings. Data analysis showed that positive behaviors increased and indicated the changes were related to the intervention. Ideas for further research include increasing emotional awareness in children and how the practice of observation affects children’s behavior.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017

Abstract/Notes: Children in an early childhood Montessori classroom were taught songs that included words to label emotions and phrases for solving social conflicts. The purpose of this research was to find out if children’s emotional vocabulary and problem-solving strategies would be affected by learning words and phrases from songs about feelings and communication for six weeks. Data was collected through comparing words known to describe emotions on faces of an emotion chart, phrases known to communicate feelings, and records of children’s behaviors and conflict resolution strategies both pre and post-intervention. The results showed an increase in both the amount of words and variety of words known, and an increase in independently attempting to problem solve, while non-verbal reactions to problems. such as crying and hitting, decreased. Songs were found to be an effective tool to use to teach children in early childhood about emotional literacy. Because songs are shown to be an effective way to communicate important messages, teachers could consider using them to teach about other sensitive information, such as about privacy and strangers.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research study was to determine how community building music would affect the transition time in a primary Montessori classroom. The researchers were two female preschool teachers in public Montessori schools. The participants, aged three to six years old, were involved in a daily clean-up time, which took place before the study began. The teachers added a music intervention for four weeks to see if the dynamics of clean-up time would change. The teachers documented the research study using qualitative and quantitative data tools. The data tools included student surveys, teacher journals, a timer log, and a classroom tracker sheet. The intervention findings showed an overall decrease in the amount of time students took to clean up and an increase in happiness and community involvement in the classroom. Future researchers should consider the pre and post student survey be completed on an individual basis. Additionally, increase the length of baseline data collection and intervention.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research was to explore how a social justice-oriented mindfulness practice would impact the self-efficacy of an early childhood educator. This self-study, with the researcher as the sole participant, took place over a six-week period while the researcher was working in a private Montessori school in the Northeastern United States in a classroom of 20 students aged 3-5. The intervention included breathwork; both walking and seated meditation paired with articles, essays, interviews, and poetry relevant to social justice; meditation; and mindfulness. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through reflective journaling, a record of feelings scale, an attitude scale, and a pre- and post-intervention survey. While the data did not reflect any substantial impact with regards to teacher self-efficacy, the study was transformative in many ways. The intervention resulted in a deeper understanding of social inequities and a heightened sense of self-reflection. A more focused and comprehensive selection of content relevant to equity in the educational setting would likely have allowed for a more guided learning experience. Additionally, community organized events and workshops relevant to this work could play a crucial role in encouraging the need and responsibility to take action in establishing more equitable schools.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020