The effective delivery of interactive read-alouds to young children fosters language and literacy development. Such development is attainable only when students can read proficiently and on grade level, starting from pre-k and kindergarten. The effectiveness of read-alouds is highly dependent on how teachers interact with their students during the…

An initiative to coordinate early learning programs across a major city in the Midwestern United States was undertaken in 2013. The opinions of teachers regarding effects on instruction and children were not included in the development and implementation of the program. This omission is important because multiple scholars have pointed to the…

When considering closing the achievement gap, full-day kindergarten (FDK) is a viable contender. The implementation of specific teacher strategies enhances the FDK experience and elicits gains among the students. The literature clearly articulates a strong correlation between poverty and poor achievement and supports the notion that the…

Proficiency in literacy is paramount during a child's education. Lacking proficiency can have lasting effects. At both the state and local level, continuing gaps in student achievement in literacy have been documented. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to focus on kindergarten teachers and administrators' early literacy strategies,…

Nature-based preschools are defined as educational settings in which children spend three or more hours per school day in natural environments such as woods, meadows, and beaches (Knight, 2013). The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to obtain a deep understanding of the challenges and successes of nature-based preschool (NBP)…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effect of teachers' professional development in video technology (PBS & Sesame Street videos) on mathematics and the English language learning among nursery students in the rural area of Pakistan where it was impossible for students to experience watching videos for learning purposes.…

Professional identity development encompasses concepts of personal identity and self-efficacy while continued education supports a teacher's change in perspective and practices leading to professional growth. A combination of motivation and personal goals guide teachers' behaviors as they interact within their social and cultural environments. The…

The purpose of this feminist case study was two-fold: (1) to describe the ways that Collaborative Inquiry (CI) can be proposed as a counter-discourse of professional development that acknowledges the multiple forms of personal and professional knowledge among five women preschool practitioners, and (2) to explore alternative constructs of the…

The purpose of this research was to explore the teacher self-efficacy beliefs of early childhood preservice educators and their preparedness to teach students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Phase One of this mixed-methods approach asked preservice early childhood educators (N = 34) to complete the short form of the "Teacher Sense of…

Early childhood education has gained national attention as a tool for increasing outcomes and reducing risks for young children and their families. In an effort to ensure that early childhood programs are of high quality, many states are implementing systems that identify levels of criteria that denote excellence. Pennsylvania has adopted such a…

With vastly ever-changing technology, there come greater possibilities in the school classroom. One possibility includes the interactive whiteboard, IWB (Higgins, Beauchamp, & Miller, 2007). However, there is little research on how to effectively promote the use of an IWB in the classroom for anything other than as a mediating tool. One option…

The identification and utilization of community funds of knowledge has been essential in understanding and assisting cultural groups to bridge the achievement gap. The purpose of this study was to examine the community funds of knowledge, the role of the parent, and the partnerships of a rural school in southeastern "Appalachia," United…

Environmental degradation, childhood obesity, and aggression of youth are societal problems that appear unconnected. However, their cause (and possible solution) may be linked to a common experience--the amount and quality of time spent in the natural world. Environment based education, significant life experience research, and studies involving…

This qualitative phenomenological study revealed factors affecting the overrepresentation of Hispanic English language learners (ELLs) in special education. An analysis of the lived experiences of school professionals indicate multiple causes that determine students to be disabled often in violation of state and federal guidelines. Child study…

This dissertation focused on the learning and interactional characteristics of LA 4 prekindergarten children who have remained in the first quartile at the end of the school year on the Developmental Skills Checklist. Their data were examined using a qualitative research deign. This design used progress reports, artifacts, child observation and…