Existing research has suggested that multilingualism is an asset in many regards (e.g., cognitively, socially, culturally), yet many U.S. schools have created linguistically exclusive environments for multilingual learners (MLLs) by prioritizing/centering English language instruction and perpetuating deficit views of multilingualism for students…

Two cycles of Action Research were used to respond to the question: In what ways can parents support early literacy learning at home? Participants and data collected in Cycle One consisted of 7 Prekindergarten and kindergarten teacher interviews, 22 Prekindergarten and kindergarten family literacy surveys, and a document analysis of kindergarten…

Kindergarten teachers must balance the competing interests of meeting grade level standards, including teaching students to be literate, and integrating developmentally appropriate practices. Students need to have opportunities to read, write, listen, and speak; however, a didactic, teacher-centered approach is not in the best interest of young…

The problem addressed in this qualitative descriptive study was that despite the evidence illustrating the significance of STEAM curriculum in students' academic and career success, there was still a considerable degree of uncertainty regarding what challenges were faced by P-8 schoolteachers and what support may be required to facilitate the…

Administrators play a key role in establishing learning structures that impact student learning from the earliest developmental stages. Throughout the northeastern region of the United States, elementary schools continuously assess the quality of student-teacher interactions to evaluate students' developmental progress. The problem identified in…

With a change in access to information and a rising social and political consciousness for young people, elementary schools must start to think more about their role in shaping kids' understanding of social issues. While researchers certainly have not agreed upon a single definition of social justice education, Bell (2016) defines its aim as…

This qualitative case study explores the story of celebration for kindergarten teachers at a suburban elementary school in northern New England. This study explored the reality of self-celebration in kindergarten teachers' current practices during staff meetings, planning meetings, response to intervention (RTI) meetings, with their colleagues,…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if providing targeted professional development (AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading) in foundational literacy skills based on the science of reading and Structured Literacy can lead to a difference in teacher knowledge and to determine a relationship between teacher knowledge and student…

Retention in kindergarten involves holding students back from advancing to the next grade level due to unresolved learning gaps. This practice has been the subject of continuous research as educational experts seek to balance the potential developmental risks of prolonging kindergarten by providing students an additional year to fill their…

The original design of zero-tolerance policies was meant to support school safety through an anti-drug and violence campaign but in the years following their implementation, school districts have employed them repeatedly without merit. Exclusionary practices have become controversial, leading to high rates of recidivism, imbalanced implementation…

This dissertation investigates the actual versus perceived knowledge of oral language development strategies among early years teachers in international schools. Employing Prestwich's (2012) "Teacher's Knowledge of Oral Language Development" (TKOLD) survey, it assesses teachers' knowledge in critical areas such as promoting extended…

The quality of inclusion for young children with disabilities in early childhood learning environments has long been attributed to the effectiveness of the teachers within such settings. As the service delivery system has shifted toward more inclusive models, endeavors to improve preparation for inclusion have been marked by efforts to combine the…

Alabama standards for Early Learning and Development have shifted to a more academic-based learning approach that moves away from play-based learning. The problem is Alabama early childhood educators are expected to implement a more teacher-directed approach in the classroom. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to explore…

High expectations for student achievement, the continuous evolution of teacher evaluation protocols, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 have led schools and districts to find effective, ongoing professional development for teachers. Schools and districts have invested a great deal of time, energy, and money offering teachers the…

Early and explicit vocabulary instruction is one important way teachers can support early readers for later reading comprehension success (Duncan et al., 2007; Marulis & Neuman, 2010; Neuman & Dwyer, 2011; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 2000); however, some observations indicate that early childhood and…