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: Recognizing the inherent attention in examining how educational practices affect our future, there is little known about society's demands related to early childhood education. This paper aims to analyze the current preschool enrolment situation in the Euro-Western world and the demands of society, focusing attention on the characteristics needed in the prepared environment and in teacher training practices that inclusive education offers. Different socio-cultural theories have been analyzed, and practices regarding human development have been presented as they guarantee an integral development of the child, one which respects infant developmental stages and offers the right scaffolding and environment to stimulate a child's interest and potential. All these aspects are claimed in society, and are reflected in the Montessori Pedagogy principles, where thanks to the observation and knowledge regarding children's needs, educators can prepare stimulating environments that lead to personal formative development.

Language: English

DOI: 10.46328/ijres.1272

ISSN: 2148-9955

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: This study was conducted to identify the social development in early childhood years. It was delimited to eight private schools of Lahore City from the area of Faisal Town and Shadman. Forty students (male and female) were randomly selected as the sample. Five students from Nursery, Prep and grade one were selected from each school. A checklist was developed by reviewing the related literature which covered attributes of social developments under the sections of individual, social skills, peer relationships and communication skills. It was revealed that individual, social skills, peer relationships and communication skills were developed in the children but a positive mood was lacking in them at this stage.

Language: English

DOI: 10.19030/tlc.v7i6.129

ISSN: 1544-0389, 2157-894X

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: English

ISSN: 1354-1498

Language: English

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

Abstract/Notes: The study aimed to determine in what way daily grace and courtesy lessons and more thoughtful, consistent adult intervention would affect children’s responses to conflict in an early childhood Montessori environment. There were 17 participants between the ages of three and six in an independent Montessori school in Northern Michigan. The researcher gave the children daily lessons on aspects of conflict resolution, used a scripted intervention strategy during conflict, and implemented three guided discussions throughout the course of the study. The researcher collected data by tallying number of conflicts, recording responses during guided discussions, recording details and language of each conflict, and reflecting in a journal. The study revealed that children knew many conflict resolution strategies before beginning the intervention, but they used more language from the lessons after the intervention and solved more conflicts independently. The number of conflicts decreased overall but did not consistency decline. The data shows further research is needed to support children to calm down before attempting to apply conflict resolution strategies and to determine the most effective waiting time before teacher intervention.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017

Abstract/Notes: This study investigated the viability and implications of technology-assisted story writing with kinder year students. Seven kinder year students at a private Montessori school participated in the study. Pre- and post-study conferences and Likert scales determined story writing skills and attitudes. These were followed by one-on-one storywriting sessions using a variety of story-writing tools. Students were given the choice of story-writing method at each session. Individual sessions were evaluated and completed stories compared to a rubric of fundamental story-writing elements. Stories written by the students improved with the use of computer and iPad programs, but independent story writing was not achieved. Individual phonetic abilities proved pivotal to any success with technology-assisted story writing. The results of the study suggest introducing technology-assisted story writing when a child can successfully build words phonetically.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017