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ADOLESCENT MOTHERS' IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THEIR CHILDREN'S EARLY LANGUAGE AND EMERGENT LITERACY SKILLS
Title
ADOLESCENT MOTHERS' IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THEIR CHILDREN'S EARLY LANGUAGE AND EMERGENT LITERACY SKILLS.
Creator
Canty, Meredith C, Towson, Jacqueline, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Previous studies have examined how the language skills of children with adolescent mothers differs from children of older mothers. However, there is limited information on what specific strategies adolescent mothers utilize to increase early language and emergent literacy skills in their children. The aim of the present study is to examine adolescent mothers' use of strategies to increase the early language and emergent literacy skills of their young children. A sample of 14 adolescent...
Show morePrevious studies have examined how the language skills of children with adolescent mothers differs from children of older mothers. However, there is limited information on what specific strategies adolescent mothers utilize to increase early language and emergent literacy skills in their children. The aim of the present study is to examine adolescent mothers' use of strategies to increase the early language and emergent literacy skills of their young children. A sample of 14 adolescent mothers enrolled in a teen parenting program were surveyed on their use of common strategies that are shown to facilitate early development of language and literacy skills in young children, and they provided a self-report of their child's language development using a norm-referenced tool. A researcher developed questionnaire was used to determine the frequency of strategies used by the adolescent mothers. The MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories were used to gather child language development data to compare with the frequency of strategy usage. The measures were analyzed with ANOVAs, Pearson Correlations and Spearman's rank-order correlations to determine the significance and relationship between variables. Adolescent mothers were found to generally score low on the Self-Assessment of Language and Literacy Implementation (SALLI), with deficits specifically in the areas of Directiveness and Home Environment. The CDIs showed that the children were reported to have below average language development, and their scores were significantly related to aspects of the adolescent mother's reported implementation.
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Date Issued
2016
Identifier
CFH0000234, ucf:44677
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0000234
Meeting the Needs of Students Through a Targeted Professional Development
Title
Meeting the Needs of Students Through a Targeted Professional Development.
Creator
Copelin, Anthony, Hopp, Carolyn, Vitale, Thomas, Robinson, Edward, Hayes, Grant, Puig, Enrique, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study presents a complex problem of practice occurring at Primrose Elementary school [pseudonym]. A large portion of Primrose Elementary School's population has been unable to meet Florida's state reading proficiency standards over the last twelve years. Students of Primrose Elementary have a poor foundation in language on which to build vital reading skills. Consequently, students cannot overcome this deficiency because teachers lack the content knowledge to meet the students' language...
Show moreThis study presents a complex problem of practice occurring at Primrose Elementary school [pseudonym]. A large portion of Primrose Elementary School's population has been unable to meet Florida's state reading proficiency standards over the last twelve years. Students of Primrose Elementary have a poor foundation in language on which to build vital reading skills. Consequently, students cannot overcome this deficiency because teachers lack the content knowledge to meet the students' language and subsequent reading deficiencies, in spite of 12 years of reading professional development. This dissertation in practice will propose the use of targeted professional development to address below grade level reading performance. The proposed professional development should be delivered through a cyclical model focused on six, sequentially presented key elements: (1) knowledge of language development; (2) knowledge of text complexity; (3) modeling; (4) close reading; (5) collaborative conversations; and (6) independent reading. Delivery is designed to support reading proficiency through language acquisition. Delivery steps will (a) introduce, (b) practice and plan, (c) use, (d) reflect on, and (e) review each element as a skill. A review of school performance and literature correlated impacts of low student socioeconomic status and teacher quality on student reading outcomes
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005475, ucf:50336
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005475
Transitioning from a Monolingual to a Dual Language Program: A Case Study of an Elementary School
Title
Transitioning from a Monolingual to a Dual Language Program: A Case Study of an Elementary School.
Creator
Davies, Alex, Nutta, Joyce, Regalla, Michele, Mihai, Florin, Johnson, Jerry, Biraimah, Karen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This qualitative study investigated the lived experiences of administrators, teachers, and parents from an elementary school that was in its first year of dual language transition. The majority of past studies conducted on dual language education focused on students' linguistic and academic outcomes (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). Studies investigating dual language schools' planning, policies, and classroom implementation are significantly less, and those that have, were at schools that were already...
Show moreThis qualitative study investigated the lived experiences of administrators, teachers, and parents from an elementary school that was in its first year of dual language transition. The majority of past studies conducted on dual language education focused on students' linguistic and academic outcomes (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). Studies investigating dual language schools' planning, policies, and classroom implementation are significantly less, and those that have, were at schools that were already functioning as dual language with the intent to examine what made the school successful (Alan(&)#237;s (&) Rodr(&)#237;guez, 2008; Freeman, 1996; Hunt, 2011). Through a phenomenological and case study approach, the current study examined the overall effect that transitioning from a monolingual to a dual language school had on the school culture with foci placed on the curricular and policy planning at the macro-level and its implementation at the micro-level. The study collected data from a variety of sources, including classroom observations, documents, photographs, and interviews with the school's principal, dual language teachers, and parents of the dual language program. Qualitative coding cycles concluded the following four themes, listed alphabetically: (a) classroom language use and second language differentiation, (b) dual language support, (c) language policy and curriculum development, and (d) teachers' dispositions on dual language teaching. This study highlighted the importance of inclusive leadership when planning a new dual language program. Additionally, the study shed light on the implementation process of the planned dual language program in which teachers need flexibility to adjust the language and curricular policies that were established at the macro-level. ?
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Date Issued
2018
Identifier
CFE0007167, ucf:52252
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007167
ADOLESCENT MOTHERS IN AN INTERVENTION STUDY: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF VARIABLES RELATING TO THEIR TEACHING INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR INFANTS
Title
ADOLESCENT MOTHERS IN AN INTERVENTION STUDY: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF VARIABLES RELATING TO THEIR TEACHING INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR INFANTS.
Creator
Guzman, Janisse, Culp, Anne, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The intent of this thesis was to study, in depth, the experiences of four adolescent mothers who underwent a home intervention program. I studied two mothers who did well with teaching their 12-month old children during play, and two mothers who did not do as well. All four mothers received weekly intervention from the time of their child's birth through 12-months of age. I studied the following variables: 1) how much time the home visitors spent on selected child development and parenting...
Show moreThe intent of this thesis was to study, in depth, the experiences of four adolescent mothers who underwent a home intervention program. I studied two mothers who did well with teaching their 12-month old children during play, and two mothers who did not do as well. All four mothers received weekly intervention from the time of their child's birth through 12-months of age. I studied the following variables: 1) how much time the home visitors spent on selected child development and parenting topics; 2) the mother's perceived social support; 3) how many community resources the mother used; and 4) if the infant was healthy and within normal developmental range. All of the mothers struggled in their lives, yet varied in the quality and time of most of the variables. It was striking how different each one was from the other. The implications of the study are important for child development specialists who can use the qualitative data within this document to better understand first time adolescent mothers in order to improve the outcomes of the home visitation services that they provide to mothers and infants. After spending time studying these four adolescent mothers, I would recommend that adolescent women not get pregnant. Adolescence is a time that is meant for experiences and self-discovery and should be spent free from a dependent child who critically needs them. Future research and funding should be spent on preventing adolescent pregnancy and ensuring that flexible curriculum be utilized by the home visitors in order to meet the varying needs of adolescent mothers.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFH0004251, ucf:44934
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004251
EMERGENT WRITING SKILLS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT
Title
EMERGENT WRITING SKILLS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT.
Creator
Pavelko, Stacey, Lieberman, R. Jane, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Much research demonstrates that alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and emergent writing are all significant predictors of later reading and writing outcomes, and that children with language impairments (LI) are particularly at risk for later literacy difficulties. Further, children with LI consistently demonstrate depressed emergent literacy skills in the areas of phonological awareness, print concepts, and alphabet knowledge; however, little is known about their emergent writing...
Show moreMuch research demonstrates that alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and emergent writing are all significant predictors of later reading and writing outcomes, and that children with language impairments (LI) are particularly at risk for later literacy difficulties. Further, children with LI consistently demonstrate depressed emergent literacy skills in the areas of phonological awareness, print concepts, and alphabet knowledge; however, little is known about their emergent writing skills. Therefore, the purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to compare the emergent writing skills of preschool children with language impairment to their typically developing peers using a range of writing tasks and a detailed, consistent scoring rubric for each task; and, (2) to explore the relationships among emergent writing skills and alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and oral language. The participants included four groups of preschool children: 11 4-year-old children with LI; 11 4-year-old language typical (LT) children, age-matched to children with LI; 20 4-year-old children with typical language; and, 21 5-year-old children with typical language. Children with language impairment scored between 70 and 84 on the Language Index of Assessment of Literacy and Language (ALL) (Lombardino, Lieberman, & Brown, 2005), and children with typical language scored between 85 and 115. All children passed a bilateral hearing screen, scored within the normal range on a non-verbal intelligence screen, demonstrated an unremarkable developmental history relative to sensory, neurological, and motor performance, spoke English as their primary language, and had mothers with at least a high school education or equivalent. During two sessions, children were administered the ALL and five emergent writing tasks: Write Letters, Write Name, Write CVC Words, Picture Description, and Sentence Retell. The writing tasks and accompanying scoring rubrics were adopted from a previous study by Puranik and Lonigan (2009). Results indicated that children with LI demonstrated significantly less advanced letter and word writing skills than their language typical, age-matched peers. In addition, significant relationships between all emergent writing tasks and alphabet knowledge were observed for all children as well as significant relationships between oral language and phonological awareness for children with typical language. No significant relationships between any of the emergent writing tasks and phonological awareness or between oral language and alphabet knowledge were found. Further, results indicated the same developmental patterns exist in written as well as oral language for children with LI. This study has therapeutic implications for speech-language pathologists. In particular, emergent writing tasks need to be included in comprehensive assessment and intervention approaches for children with LI. Assessments need to yield accurate descriptions of emergent writing skills relevant to later literacy outcomes. Finally, integrated intervention approaches that combine initial sound awareness tasks with alphabet knowledge and emergent writing tasks may achieve the best learning outcomes.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0004067, ucf:49138
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004067
AN EXPLORATION OF THE POTENTIALS AND LIMITATIONS OF ADAPTING TRADITIONAL TEXT-BASED NARRATIVE TO INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Title
AN EXPLORATION OF THE POTENTIALS AND LIMITATIONS OF ADAPTING TRADITIONAL TEXT-BASED NARRATIVE TO INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY.
Creator
Jardaneh, Said, Fiore, Stephen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Narrative is expressed in many forms, yet the reading of narrative through books may be unique in its transformative qualities. The medium of books has existed for thousands of years as a primary means of passing down and internalizing narrative from generation to generation. Are books now a dying medium in the face of ever-advancing technology in an increasingly fast-paced and technologically-dependent society? Technology now incorporates narrative into interactive environments in various...
Show moreNarrative is expressed in many forms, yet the reading of narrative through books may be unique in its transformative qualities. The medium of books has existed for thousands of years as a primary means of passing down and internalizing narrative from generation to generation. Are books now a dying medium in the face of ever-advancing technology in an increasingly fast-paced and technologically-dependent society? Technology now incorporates narrative into interactive environments in various ways often immersing the user in ever more realistic experiential scenarios. Yet, is something potentially lost with these advancements that can only be afforded through the time-tested method of old-fashioned reading? What makes reading so compelling a medium/activity for personal development? Does experience in these interactive environments offer the same transformative intrinsic experience afforded through the tranquil receptive processing, reflective elaboration and insight offered through the reading of books? This thesis seeks to explore these questions by looking at three major factors that must be considered in furthering our understanding of the potentials and limitations of interactive narrative technologies as they compare to narrative delivered via the established medium of books: 1) theories of self, identity/character, cognitive development and behavior (specifically as these relate to traditional text-based narrative), 2) theory and research associated with narrative transportation and transformation, and 3) current and future efforts to adapt narrative to the medium of interactive technology.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003037, ucf:48360
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003037
AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED BREVARD STUDENTS TO DROP OUT AND WHY THEY RETURNED TO EARN THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT (GED) DIPLOMA
Title
AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED BREVARD STUDENTS TO DROP OUT AND WHY THEY RETURNED TO EARN THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT (GED) DIPLOMA.
Creator
Spadaccini, Becky, Murray, Barbara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Dropping out of high school almost guarantees a life of hardship. The absence of a diploma contributes to poverty, increased crime rates and weakens the economy. To that end, school districts have a moral and ethical responsibility to bring an end to the dropout epidemic. This study was based on an analysis of more than 26,000 Brevard public school students. The researcher used 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 student data to determine the relationship between race, grade level, ESE status,...
Show moreDropping out of high school almost guarantees a life of hardship. The absence of a diploma contributes to poverty, increased crime rates and weakens the economy. To that end, school districts have a moral and ethical responsibility to bring an end to the dropout epidemic. This study was based on an analysis of more than 26,000 Brevard public school students. The researcher used 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 student data to determine the relationship between race, grade level, ESE status, ELL status, SES, type of promotion and dropping out of school. In addition, the researcher reviewed Student Exit Survey data and face-to-face interview data to determine why students dropped out and identified strategies students felt would have kept them in school. Finally, individual interview data were analyzed to understand the circumstances that encouraged participants to return to earn their diplomas. The researcher recommended use of data management and tracking systems for early identification of potential dropouts so intervention could be delivered at the onset of failure, assignment of trained adult leaders to monitor and intervene for students; enforcement of compulsory school attendance; creation of mechanisms to reduce absenteeism that do not lead to school failure; required intervention for students who are truant; identification and assignment of highly effective teachers to at-risk youth; intervention in classrooms that have high rates of student failure; use of relevant curriculum and employment of instructional practices proven to increase engagement; alignment of intervention strategies with researched practices; gathering of input and feedback from students to determine program effectiveness; creation of meaningful exit interview processes; utilization of survey data to identify and remove school-related barriers and collaboration with community agencies to find meaningful and genuine solutions for students in crisis.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0003578, ucf:48898
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003578
Evaluating Improvisation as a Technique for Training Pre-Service Teachers for Inclusive Classrooms
Title
Evaluating Improvisation as a Technique for Training Pre-Service Teachers for Inclusive Classrooms.
Creator
Becker, Theresa, Hines, Rebecca, Beverly, Monifa, Hopp, Carolyn, Hamed, Kastro, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Improvisation is a construct that uses a set of minimal heuristic guidelines to create a highly flexible scaffold that fosters extemporaneous communication. Scholars from diverse domains: such as psychology, business, negotiation, and education have suggested its use as a method for preparing professionals to manage complexity and think on their feet. A review of the literature revealed that while there is substantial theoretical scholarship on using improvisation in diverse domains, little...
Show moreImprovisation is a construct that uses a set of minimal heuristic guidelines to create a highly flexible scaffold that fosters extemporaneous communication. Scholars from diverse domains: such as psychology, business, negotiation, and education have suggested its use as a method for preparing professionals to manage complexity and think on their feet. A review of the literature revealed that while there is substantial theoretical scholarship on using improvisation in diverse domains, little research has verified these assertions. This dissertation evaluated whether improvisation, a specific type of dramatic technique, was effective for training pre-service teachers in specific characteristics of teacher-child classroom interaction, communication and affective skills development. It measured the strength and direction of any potential changes such training might effect on pre-service teacher's self-efficacy for teaching and for implementing the communication skills common to improvisation and teaching while interacting with student in an inclusive classroom setting. A review of the literature on teacher self-efficacy and improvisation clarified and defined key terms, and illustrated relevant studies. This study utilized a mixed-method research design based on instructional design and development research. Matched pairs t-tests were used to analyze the self-efficacy and training skills survey data and pre-service teacher reflections and interview transcripts were used to triangulate the qualitative data. Results of the t-tests showed a significant difference in participants' self-efficacy for teaching measured before and after the improvisation training. A significant difference in means was also measured in participants' aptitude for improvisation strategies and for self-efficacy for their implementation pre-/post- training. Qualitative results from pre-service teacher class artifacts and interviews showed participants reported beneficial personal outcomes as well as confirmed using skills from the training while interacting with students. Many of the qualitative themes parallel individual question items on the teacher self-efficacy TSES scale as well as the improvisation self-efficacy scale CSAI. The self-reported changes in affective behavior such as increased self-confidence and ability to foster positive interaction with students are illustrative of changes in teacher agency. Self-reports of being able to better understand student perspectives demonstrate a change in participant ability to empathize with students. Participants who worked with both typically developing students as well as with students with disabilities reported utilizing improvisation strategies such as Yes, and..., mirroring emotions and body language, vocal prosody and establishing a narrative relationship to put the students at ease, establish a positive learning environment, encourage student contributions and foster teachable moments. The improvisation strategies showed specific benefit for participants working with nonverbal students or who had commutation difficulties, by providing the pre-service teachers with strategies for using body language, emotional mirroring, vocal prosody and acceptance to foster interaction and communication with the student.Results from this investigation appear to substantiate the benefit of using improvisation training as part of a pre-service teacher methods course for preparing teachers for inclusive elementary classrooms. Replication of the study is encouraged with teachers of differing populations to confirm and extend results.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004516, ucf:49273
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004516