This dissertation describes a project to develop an art-based curriculum to teach young elementary school-age children social and emotional skills in the classroom based on the experiences of experts in the field of elementary education. Social-emotional learning (SEL) focuses on several key concepts including skills in interpersonal…

We extended research on social skills training to determine if the activities first-grade students were engaged in while Tootling would influence their performance of two recently trained social skills: complimenting and encouraging peers. After receiving social skills training, students engaged in two experimental small-group activities, a…

Although universal social-emotional learning programs are increasingly implemented across the USA, few studies have examined the effects of sustained exposure to the same program across multiple grade levels. As such, the goal of this study was to isolate the effects of sustained exposure to a universal social-emotional learning program (Elliott…

Digital technology has long been ubiquitous in many communities within Australia and internationally, thereby requiring suitable digital proficiencies. While a majority of Australian children experience digital literacies as part of their everyday lives, limitations in access disadvantage others. In educational settings, there is a clear need for…

This paper reports the results of a randomized controlled trial evaluating "We Have Skills," a brief curriculum designed to teach early elementary students academic and social skills as well as improve teacher efficacy in classroom management. Intervention efficacy was tested with 127 teachers, randomly assigned to condition, and 2,817…

This mixed-method study examined the balance of narrative and informational text instruction in alignment with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and teachers' professional learning opportunities in elementary classrooms. Surveys were sent to teachers in one midwestern state, and audio recordings of literacy instruction were collected in one…

This qualitative case study examined the contribution a year-long professional development in the science of reading had on 10 first-grade teachers' knowledge of how reading develops and their instructional practices. Data for this research study was collected through a longitudinal interview process, from pre- and post-knowledge inventory…

Although social-emotional learning is associated with long-term success in school and careers, it is often a missing link in U.S. public education. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for social-emotional supports for children. In this time of crisis, educators have also sought new ways to make connections and reimagined how students…

This research aims to develop a model of floor gymnastics learning and rhythmic activities with the TPSR approach. The subjects of this study were students of grades 1, 2, 3 of State Elementary School 01 Sampangan Gajah Mungkur District of Semarang City and SDN Srondol Kulon 02, with a total of 76 students. The development research design has used…

The importance of effective reading instruction in the primary grades cannot be overstated. Teachers are expected to be qualified and capable literacy teachers to produce proficient readers (Bornfreund, 2012; Walsh et al., 2006). The purpose of this study was to explore Pennsylvania kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers' perceptions,…

Developing computational thinking (CT) skills at an early age can help develop literacy, science, and mathematics skills; however, CT instruction in grades K-2 remains limited. This study examined the perceptions of 45 K-2 teachers from 30 school districts before and after a CT professional development (PD) experience. The PD included two online…

The ability to read is fundamental in determining an individual's academic success and social integration, and it is also known to have an impact on other cognitive abilities. A lack of foundational pre-reading skills can accumulate later, causing reading and learning problems. Early diagnosis and development of these skills are therefore…

The Early Literacy Program focuses on the development of early literacy skills, with additional emphasis placed on intervention for students at risk of not meeting grade-based reading benchmarks. Resources available to aid these students include interventions and supports for students in grades kindergarten through third grade, standards and…

Background: Recent studies have found the effects of improvements in teachers' content knowledge (CK) on enacted pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and student learning outcomes. However, there is little research exploring the relationship between PCK and student learning in an individual fundamental motor skill-based elementary physical…

This study investigated the effects of the single programming approach (plugged-in and unplugged) and the mixed programming approach (plugged-in-first and unplugged-first) on the computational thinking (CT) skills of first-grade students. However, focusing only on the programming learning approach itself is insufficient. Therefore, the influences…