Myae Han

Tutoring: A Value-Added Way to Support Head Start Preschoolers' Language and Early Reading Development.

This article describes the language and early literacy program, including the use of extra instructional support, provided to low-income children in one Early Reading First (ERF) project. The article (a) describes the specific strategies used within a tutoring program to provide assistance beyond the classroom intervention program to children identified as at higher risk for future reading difficulty (i.e., children who performed below age-appropriate levels on the tools selected to measure childrens language and early reading knowledge), (b) describes the impact of this support in conjunction with the classroom intervention on these childrens language and early literacy achievement, and (c) offers suggestions for using this approach in other early care and education settings and future research.

Comparison of Preschoolers' Narratives, the Classroom Book Environment, and Teacher Attitudes Toward Literacy Practices in Korea and the United States

This study investigated Korean and U.S. preschoolers’ personal and fictional narratives, their classroom book environments, and their teachers’ attitudes about reading aloud. The participants were 70 Korean and American 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in 2 university lab preschools and their 4 teachers. The structures and content of the preschoolers’ personal and fictional narratives were analyzed. The teachers’ attitudes and practices about their language and literacy curriculum, including books provided in the classroom and selected for reading aloud, were examined for associations with preschoolers’ narrative productions. Research Findings: The content of preschoolers’ personal narratives and the structural levels of their fictional narratives differed between the 2 Korean and 2 U.S. classrooms. The classroom book environments in the Korean and U.S. classrooms also differed, with more fictional books displayed in the 2 U.S. classrooms than in the 2 Korean classrooms. The 2 Korean and 2 U.S. preschool teachers also held different attitudes about the use of fiction and nonfiction for read-aloud story sessions, and U.S. teachers allocated more time in their school day for reading aloud than did Korean teachers. Practice or Policy: U.S. preschoolers may profit from a greater balance between fiction and nonfiction books in the classroom. Korean children might benefit from more exposure to fiction and fantasy along with more practice in creating fictional narratives.

A Two-State Study of Family Child Care Engagement in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

ABSTRACT Research Findings. The current study is a mixed-methods investigation of family child care provider participation in voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) in 2 states. Study 1 is an analysis of matched QRIS and child care licensing administrative data extracted from both states in May, 2014. Poverty and population density variables were added to the dataset by aligning U.S. Census data and Rural Urban Commuting Area codes (RUCA) to the matched state child care data. Participation patterns differed in the 2 states relative to provider characteristics (subsidy receipt, years licensed, and location). Study 2 consists of focus groups with participating (n = 22) and non-participating (n = 19) providers. Professionalism and financial incentives emerged as significant in attracting family child care providers to QRIS. Although family child care providers identified several clear benefits to QRIS, many more challenges emerged that negatively impact their participation. Practice or Policy. As most states are employing a QRIS framework to integrate quality improvement efforts, perspectives from this sector of early care and education are often overlooked. Study findings suggest that QRIS can be more responsive and effective with family child care providers if more consideration of their unique features are considered in systems design and implementation.

Parental Beliefs on Children's Play: Comparison among Mainland Chinese, Chinese Immigrants in the USA, and European-Americans.

The current study surveyed parental play beliefs among the three groups of parents: the mainland Chinese, Chinese immigrants in the USA, and European-Americans. Limited comparison studies on parental play beliefs were previously reported for these three populations in the literature. Two measures, the Chinese child-rearing ideology and parental play beliefs scale, were used in this study. Responses from 144 responses were collected. The mainland Chinese parents reported similar scores both in the Chinese child-rearing ideology and in play beliefs as to the European-American parents. Surprisingly, the Chinese immigrant parents reported the highest scores in the Chinese child-rearing ideology and the lowest scores in the parental play beliefs among the three groups. This indicated that the surveyed Chinese immigrant parents held more traditional Chinese child-rearing ideology and were less positive towards childrens play.

Factors affecting variance in Classroom Assessment Scoring System scores: season, context, and classroom composition

ABSTRACT Early care and education programme quality is usually assessed at the classroom level. One such measure of classroom quality is the classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS). In an effort to ensure higher quality programming, the CLASS is being used to direct teacher professional development. However, there has been relatively little research on environmental features that lead to differences in CLASS scores. As the CLASS becomes a regulatory tool, more research is needed on factors that can affect CLASS scores. In this quasi-experimental, descriptive study, we compare CLASS scores over the course of three years. Our data indicate patterns of seasonal fluctuation with rising scores fall to spring, but the scores revert to lower levels in the subsequent fall. We also found a relationship between CLASS scores and the proportion of boys in a classroom. These findings call for additional exploration of the factors that influence preschool CLASS scores.

No Child Left Behind: What About Refugees?

As populations migrate and seek refuge around the world, educators in receiving countries need information about how to provide meaningful education experiences. Refugee children have higher rates of school dropout and are faced with many challenges, such as acculturation stress, poverty, poor housing, dangerous neighborhoods, and psychological disorders. The purpose of this article is to examine the research and current status of U.S. school system supports for the education of refugee children and to provide suggestions based on evidence-based practice for refugee childrens success. The authors provide a historical overview of policies and provisions of refugee education, an assessment of multiple factors affecting refugee childrens adjustment and success at school, and a review of evidence-based practice for refugee children.

Teachers’ Responsiveness to Preschoolers’ Utterances in Sociodramatic Play

Abstract Research Findings: This descriptive study used sequential analysis to examine both preschool teachers’ responsiveness to children’s utterances in sociodramatic play and the children’s responses to their teachers’ utterances. Eleven teachers in a Head Start program were videotaped while interacting with children in the dramatic play center. Salient findings of this study are threefold: (a) Teachers’ responsiveness and the children’s responsiveness to their teachers’ talk varied substantially, (b) the children responded frequently to the teachers’ topic-continuing utterances, and (c) the children responded frequently in the pretend play mode when teachers extended the children’s utterances following the topics initiated by the children. Practice or Policy: The current study contributes to the extant research by providing a more fine-grained analysis of children’s response modes in the sociodramatic play context. In addition, the current study suggests that teacher education and that practice and policies supporting teaching quality should consider emphasizing the details of teacher–child interaction in the dramatic play center at the utterance level.

Development of Early English Language and Literacy Skills among Spanish-Speaking Children: Does Preschool Make a Difference?.

This study examined the early English language and literacy skill development of 179 children from 11 Head Start classrooms who participated in an added focus on language and literacy skill-building supported by Early Reading First programme. Of this sample, 118 children were Spanish-speaking English Language Learners (ELL). All children were assessed with a battery of assessments to measure their language and early literacy skills twice each year. Linear growth model analyses show that Spanish-speaking ELLs made significant gains from pre- to post-test after receiving a double dose of an intervention (Head Start and Early Reading First), and there was a significant effect for years enrolled in the programme on Spanish-speaking ELLs.

Children’s Responses to Different Types of Teacher Involvement During Free Play

This qualitative study uses secondary data from videos of 11 teachers in community childcare settings to explore the different roles that teachers use to facilitate play and the way children respond to teachers’ behaviours within these roles. Results suggest that specific teacher behaviours within the roles they adopt elicit three types of children’s responses: ignore/reject, evaluative, and acceptance behaviours. The co- player and play leader roles were often associated with children’s acceptance behaviours and were considered more appropriate for teachers to support children’s development.

Immigrant Families and Early Childhood Programs: Addressing the New Challenges of the 21st Century

Abstract Nowadays children from immigrant families are the fastest growing group of youth in the United States. Despite the fact that emerging research has highlighted the significance of strong partnerships between families and high-quality early childcare/education programs, many immigrant families face numerous barriers in accessing high-quality childcare/early education as well as establishing strong partnerships with centers. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the emerging challenges that immigrant families face in navigating the U.S. early childhood education system. This chapter first briefly reviews the literature on the role of family involvement in early childhood education within the general U.S. population. This is followed by a review of the unique funds of knowledge that immigrant parents engage in while interacting with their children at home. Then this chapter explores the barriers of immigrant families in developing strong partnerships with early childcare/education programs such as, communication, limited parental English proficiency, lack of public funding, acculturation, education, and cultural perceptions of involvement. Furthermore, this is followed by a focus on two distinct rising immigrant populations within the United States, Hispanic (specifically non-refugee) and refugee populations, and their unique sets of obstacles. Lastly, recommendations are provided for future practitioners and policymakers to support the establishment of stronger immigrant family and professional partnerships within early education and childcare settings.