A review of the evidence on the use of ICT in the Early Years Foundation Stage

This report reviewed existing evidence on the potential of technology to support the development of educational policy and practice in the context of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Reference is made to the use of ICT by young children from aged birth to five years and its potential impacts, positive and negative on their cognitive, social, emotional educational, visual and physical development

A study of poor Black children who are successful readers

Bibliography: leaves 46-48Supported in part by the National Institute of Education under contract no. HEW-NIE-C-400-76-011

Ideabook: Libraries for Families

The IDEABOOK is a research-based framework to guide and broaden family engagement in libraries.The framework helps libraries move beyond thinking of family engagement as random, individual activities or programs, but rather as a system where library leadership, activities, and resources that are linked to goals. The framework represents a theory of change that begins with a set of elements—leadership, engagement, and support services—that build a pathway for meaningful family engagement beginning in the early childhood years and extending through young adulthood.This IDEABOOK was developed for anyone who works in a library setting—from library directors and children's and youth librarians, to volunteers and support staff—and shares many innovative ways that libraries support and guide families in children's learning and development

Native American education between assimilation and self-determination - Schooling in tribal communities in the state of Arizona

The paper explores the situation of education of Native American students in Arizona, USA. This entails an attention to some historical and to current developments. Focusing on certain school types in tribal communities and on the understanding of education from a native perspective, the aim is to show the dichotomy between self-determination and assimilation in educational processes and the challenge for the tribes to find own forms of schooling to prepare the young generations for future developments that benefit them and their tribes. The four school types, which are presented in the ... text, the author investigated on the Hopi and the Navajo reservation and in a Tohono O\u27odham community in Arizona in 2006. The intention of the field study was to capture a range of current schooling possibilities. Therefore schools were chosen that present the common types of today\u27s native institutions as well as their use by different tribal communities. In addition to half-standardized interviews with teachers of the schools the method of open observation in classrooms and in community events as well as print media analysis were used. (DIPF/Orig.

Strengthening responsive and reciprocal relationships in a whānau tangata centre: An action research project

This project came about after discussions with the general manager of the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association and Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips (University of Waikato) about setting up a research partnership to support the teachers at Taitoko Kindergarten in Levin. The teachers were establishing an integrated community centre (the whānau tangata centre) as part of a parent support and development initiative funded by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Development. This initiative in Levin includes a drop-in centre for parents, parent workshops on topics of the parents’ choice, a well-resourced whānau room, facilities for infants and toddlers, school liaison visits and liaison with local health centres. The initiative at Taitoko Kindergarten is one of six pilot parent support and development projects. These pilot projects do not include any research components to evaluate the processes and outcomes for teaching and learning, or the level of engagement of the community. This Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project, in one centre, researched these aspects of the initiative in an ongoing action research project. The parent support and development contracts are a relatively new initiative for New Zealand, and this research project was designed to provide information to guide this teaching and learning policy for future initiatives of this nature. The aim of the TLRI research project was to investigate the development of the whānau tangata centre at Taitoko Kindergarten with teaching and learning in mind

Does the RTI Process Really Help Teachers Reach Struggling Students More Effectively? The Effects of RTI on Two Kindergarten Classrooms

The purpose of this paper is to share the results of an action research project relating to the effects of using Response to Intervention (RTI) in the kindergarten classroom. At a rural Iowa school, the process RTI was implemented in two kindergarten classrooms. One classroom had access to a researched based reliable universal screener, interventions and progress monitoring system. The other classroom used teacher created assessments and interventions. The paper will share the findings of the study that looked at the effects of implementing RTI with integrity in the Kindergarten classroom

Using social media to connect families and kindergarten classrooms

Schools are generally disconnected from all other areas of children’s lives and educational institutions have not been successful at integrating school learning with learning that occurs outside the classroom (NRCNA, 2009; Ryan, Adams, Gullotta, Weissberg, & Hampton, 1995). Addressing this problem is vital, because positive connections between school and home can increase students’ motivation to learn, achievement and well-being (Christenson, 1999; Epstein, 1994; Pianta, Rimm-Kaufman, & Cox, 1999; Fan & Chen, 2001). This case study describes a project co-designed with teachers and implemented in kindergarten classrooms that leverages social media to link home and school and increase families’ involvement in their child’s academic learning. Six kindergarten teachers and thirty-two families from a southwestern Pennsylvania lab school participated in the study. I investigated how families participated in and perceived the project, used social media, and interacted with other families. I examined ways teachers used the project to further their learning goals and the extent to which the project strengthened the kindergarten community. Data was collected through classroom, online and home observations, interviews and questionnaires. Results indicated that not all parents felt more involved as a result of the project, but most families had opportunities to be involved in new ways and families thought the project helped to bridge home and school. The project provided access to families’ “funds of knowledge”, which helped to contextualize content learning in the classroom and individualize conversations between teachers and students (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992). During the project, participants learned more about one another, which in turn, strengthened the kindergarten community. This study explores a potential way forward for making families’ home culture and experiences a part of academic learning. The project is a model for using technology to support family involvement in classroom instruction and learning. This study contributes to prior literature on the Connected Learning Model (Ito, et al., 2013) by more thoroughly linking the model to learning and engagement theories and describing ways in which the model can be used to design curricular projects that bridge home and school for elementary-school children and their families

Teacher decision making and the implementation of an integrated arts curriculum

This study examines the impact of teacher decision making upon implementing an integrated arts curriculum. Qualitative research methods, including interviews, lesson plan document analysis, and teacher discussion of student artwork comprise the research data from eight elementary classroom teachers. This study is designed to add to the descriptive data on teacher perceptions, especially with regard to their professional autonomy, and ultimately, the decisions within their sphere of influence---the classroom arts curriculum. The implications of this study reveal insight into teacher decision making. The research provides knowledge that contributes to professional development initiatives, acquisition of instructional and curricular resources, and student achievement. Ultimately, this knowledge will assist policy makers, administrators, the public, and teachers themselves, in understanding the enigma surrounding how and why teachers decide on their students\u27 instructional course. Every stakeholder in the educational community benefits from a deeper understanding of a teacher\u27s role in curricular design and implementation. What commands teachers\u27 attention when making their instructional decisions

A Teacher in the Living Room? Educational Media for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Examines available research, and arguments by proponents and critics, of electronic educational media use by young children. Examines educational claims in marketing and provides recommendations for developing research and product standards