Assessment is often used to hold schools and teachers accountable for student learning. Assessment instruments are used as tools to guide curriculum choices and lesson plans, from districts to individual students. In any discipline, knowing what students know and what they have learned following a lesson is important on multiple levels. This is…

Observation is the preferred method of assessing small children in school and play settings. Despite being taught this, based on statements during the interviews of this study, it appears little instruction is dedicated to the performance of this type of authentic assessment. The professional literature surveyed for this study finds that due to…

Little research about Deaf Mentors is available, but available studies suggest that they benefit families with a Deaf Child. These mentors can support professionals who work directly with the child and their family. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of having a Deaf Mentor involved in early intervention with Deaf children and…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to expand the scarce information available on how mothers first observe their children's early development, assess potential problems, and then come to recognize their concerns. In-depth knowledge about mothers' perspectives on the discovery process can help social workers to promote identification of…

Understanding how young children are socialized to the process and products of storytelling as part of everyday family life is important for language and literacy instruction. A language socialization framework was used to understand storytelling practices on the Navajo Nation. This study examined how three young English-speaking Navajo children,…

The literature review demonstrated that the chronic disease of asthma is increasing in prevalence in the preschool classroom, presenting unique challenges for the educators of young children. This study explored teachers' perceptions in terms of their preparedness and capability in integrating a child with asthma in their classroom. In addition,…

There is a disparity of mathematics achievement between native English speakers and English language learners (ELL). This study sought to understand the barriers ELL kindergarten students faced in being successful in mathematics. The purpose of this qualitative, instrumental case study was to explore kindergarten teachers' perceptions…

Creativity is important for young children learning mathematics. Comparing the investment theory of creativity and national standards and principles for early mathematics shows that doing mathematics is more than applying rules and procedures; rather, learning mathematics takes a lot of creativity. However, much literature claimed that creativity…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been considered an uncommon childhood disorder, but now they are estimated as one of the most prevalent types of developmental disabilities. Although people are more aware of ASDs, many questions remain. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore three issues: parents' of young children…

Parental involvement is a factor in student achievement. Low parental engagement at home and school has created a problem in an urban elementary school. Guided by Epstein's 6 types of parental involvement, the purpose of this case study was to examine and describe the perspectives of 17 parents of K-2 students in an urban school in Michigan. Few…

Over the course of 12 months, I conducted an ethnographic study in an urban preschool classroom in the northeastern Unites States. Employing a sociocultural perspective of early childhood development, I investigated the various social and academic discourses related to race and ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) presented in a…

In this study factors preschool teachers perceive as influencing their referral decisions for young children with severe behavior problems were investigated. Research questions focused on 1) teacher factors such as teachers' knowledge, beliefs and concerns; 2) program-system factors such as availability of services and inter and intra-agency…

The importance of early recognition and intervention for developmental delays is increasingly acknowledged, yet high rates of under-enrollment and 1-3 year delays in entry to the public early intervention system continue. Much research has examined developmental screening in health and child care settings, but less well understood is what prompts…

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a South Central Pennsylvania public school's pre-kindergarten program in preparing young children for the transition to kindergarten. Despite the growing interest in pre-kindergarten education, no researcher had yet seriously examined the efficacy of providing a minimal amount of…

Early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders followed by timely research-based intervention is associated with better long-term outcomes such as the improvement of social skills, communication, and increased IQ (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001). Characteristics of children with autism and their families, including limited financial resources…