Kristen M. Kemple

Tackling Teacher Turnover in Child Care: Understanding Causes and Consequences, Identifying Solutions.

(2006). Tackling Teacher Turnover in Child Care: Understanding Causes and Consequences, Identifying Solutions. Childhood Education: Vol. 82, No. 4, pp. 219-226.

Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Education: The Development of a Unified Teacher Education Program in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education

Advocates of developmentally appropriate early childhood education are increasingly interested in promoting inclusive programs of early education and care for both typically-developing children and children with disabilities. The success of such programs is contingent upon the availability of personnel trained to meet the individual needs of children with a wide range of abilities. There is currently a scarcity of teachers who are adequately prepared to meet such a challenge. In this article, we describe the collaborative conceptualization and implementation of a preservice teacher education program in early childhood and early childhood special education in the Departments of Special Education and Instruction and Curriculum at the University of Florida. Processes of program initiation and development are delineated, and factors that have supported and challenged the programs success are described The successes and pitfalls outlined here can inform others seeking to meet the challenge of preparing teachers to work with young children with and without disabilities in inclusive settings.

Getting along: How teachers can support children's peer relationships

Peer relationships provide an important context for the young childs social development. Teachers can influence childrens developing social competence in a variety of ways. This article describes how teachers can support childrens peer relationships by intentionally shaping the classrooms physical and emotional context. With these basic supports in place, teachers can effectively use planned activities and on-the-spot guidance to help children learn to interact competently and form satisfying relationships.

Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs about Promoting Peer Competence.

The primary purpose of this study was to describe early childhood teachers’ beliefs about the importance of young childrens social competence with peers, and their beliefs about their own influence on childrens developing peer competence. Teachers’ beliefs specific to the promotion of peer competence were also examined in relation to their beliefs about developmentally appropriate practice and the observed quality of their classroom environment. Data were collected from 22 teachers of children from age three through six, using interview, various questionnaires, and observations with the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. Results suggest that teachers valued peer competence in early childhood, but academic goals were more frequently valued than social goals. Teachers viewed peer competencies as more strongly influenced by the childs inherent nature than by teachers’ efforts, but reported a moderate degree of self‐efficacy for the promotion of peer competence. Lower program quality was associated ...

Teacher's roles in supporting inclusion and peer competence: Frameworks for decision‐making

Abstract Social development is an important developmental domain for children ages birth through age 8. Increasingly, children with disabilities are included in general education classrooms. Preservice teachers need to develop the knowledge base and decision‐making skills regarding teacher roles and strategies related to peer social competence and inclusion. This paper focuses on how the faculty in the preservice Unified Early Childhood Education PROTEACH program at the University of Florida uses frameworks, including a hierarchy and continuum of interventions for promoting peer social competence, and frameworks for reflective teaching and collaborative teaming.

The Power of Outdoor Play and Play in Natural Environments

Young childrens outdoor play serves important and diverse purposes, including physical exercise and opportunities for growth in all developmental areas. Unfortunately, the amount of time that children spend engaged in unstructured, child-directed outdoor play has diminished significantly in the past generation. In this article, the authors describe some of the reasons for this decline and outline the research-supported benefits of outdoor play in general, as well as benefits of play in natural outdoor environments in particular. Suggestions for making the most of outdoor play will benefit children around the world.

Playing at School: An Inquiry Approach to Using an Experiential Play Lab in an Early Childhood Teacher Education Course

Play is considered an important activity of the early childhood years. Research supports the contribution of play to children’s development, learning, and well-being. In spite of this, time for play is being pushed out in many early childhood programs by greater time allotted to formal instruction in narrow academic skills to be tested eventually by standardized tests. As a result, current preservice teachers are likely to see fewer examples of appropriate time and support for play in their field placements in early childhood settings. The purpose of this study was to document and analyze what happens when an experiential play lab is implemented in an early childhood teacher education program. This qualitative study includes multiple forms of data collection, including two forms of reflective writings and group discussions. After the workshop, preservice teachers made a greater number of references to play in their defense of developmentally appropriate practice, and the nature of their references to play increased in their focus on play process and on teacher roles in children’s play, as compared to prior to the lab. The results of this study of an experiential play intervention support its potential as a means of probing, documenting, and enriching students’ understanding of the importance of providing for and supporting play in classrooms for young children.

Becoming Color-Conscious: Preparation to Address Young Children’s Curiosity about Race

Abstract When young children notice and comment about physical appearance differences often associated with race, adults may experience discomfort and uncertainty about how to respond. As a result, many adults try to avoid or terminate such discussion, leaving children with unanswered questions and misunderstandings. To prepare educators to be supportive of the development of children’s positive racial identity and racial awareness, it is important for educators to examine their own attitudes, biases, and knowledge about race and racism. This chapter summarizes research on children’s racial identity and awareness, describes critical approaches to anti-racist education, and provides resources and strategies through which professionals can better understand themselves and the young children they serve.