Coding Is Lit: Integrating Coding and Literacy in Early Childhood Inclusive Settings

2021 ◽  
pp. 004005992110101
Author(s):  
Nicole S. Fenty ◽  
Abby Pierce ◽  
Julia Schildwachter
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Young Children ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Inclusive Settings ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Common Grade ◽  
To Receive

There has been an increased emphasis in recent years on supporting young children with building 21st century literacy skills such as critical thinking and collaboration. Unfortunately, young children with or at risk for disabilities are unlikely to receive access to experiences that build 21st century literacies. Pre-coding activities, which include hands-on coding games and stories appropriate for young children, are one way to provide access to this population of students. The purpose of this article is to provide details about how educators in early childhood inclusive settings may integrate pre-coding activities with everyday routines and procedures as well as with common grade level appropriate read alouds. Fundamentals of pre-coding are provided along with guidelines for planning and instruction.

Using Gamification to Improve Literacy Skills

2022 ◽  
pp. 289-301
Author(s):  
Jamie Mahoney ◽  
Kristina M. Buttrey
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
Traditional Teaching Methods ◽  
Pencil And Paper ◽  
Delivery Style ◽  
Tools And Methods

Students in the 21st century are learning by doing and playing. Teachers need to incorporate technology into everyday tasks. Games assist students in the learning process. Once students have learned a task through the playing process, they will remember this much easier and longer than simply doing a worksheet. Research shows students enjoy interactive and engaging activities and will choose these types of activities over pencil and paper types of activities. Teachers must prepare students for the future which involves more critical thinking and technological types of skills. Traditional teaching methods and styles have underused technology tools and pedagogical methods. The 2020 Covid pandemic and remote learning delivery style assisted teachers in developing new tools and methods to reach and teach all students with various and diverse needs.

scholarly journals Preschool Education in Madagascar: State of Play and Challenge to Development in the 21st Century

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 395-408
Author(s):  
Andrianasy Angelo Djistera
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
Full Development ◽  
Individual Potential ◽  
Use Of Knowledge ◽  
Future Growth

The 21st-century society is characterized by the increased importance given to the acquisition and use of knowledge. This article examines the education of young children in Madagascar, a country where a significant portion of the population has never attended preschool. It strives to present an overview of the early childhood sector and its relationship to development. The increase in the number of pupils enrolled in preschool activity centers is a testament to the growing interest in preschool education. However, not all children have access to the same educational services. Inequalities start in early childhood. They can act as a brake on future growth by preventing the full development of individual potential. Strengthening the early childhood sector will contribute to the training of actors working for the long-term development of Madagascar.

Assistive Technology Toolkit to Increase Access to Early Learning Environments for Young Children With Disabilities

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen C. Sadao ◽  
Jennifer Brown ◽  
Debbie Grant
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Emergent Literacy ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Young Children With Disabilities

Abstract The development of assistive technology (AT) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions for young children with disabilities is rapidly expanding with a range of no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech approaches to provide access to adapted and augmented tools for participation in inclusive early childhood settings. Discrepancies exist in the legal requirements to consider AT and AAC for all children in the IFSP/IEP planning process. Researchers in the applications of AT and AAC with young children identify the importance of activity-based approaches that infuse AT methods and AAC systems within natural routines for young children. This article focuses on the development of an AT Toolkit Guide for early intervention and early childhood providers. The development of the AT Toolkit concept, content, and applications is based on research-based methods and tools with demonstrated effectiveness to promote language development, emergent literacy skills, play, mobility, and interaction with the environment for young children with disabilities. Suggested items, sources, applications and development guidelines for the SWEET AT Toolkit are provided.

Families of children with disabilities helping inform early childhood education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Swart ◽  
Reem Muharib ◽  
Kristi Godfrey-Hurrell ◽  
Mark M. D’Amico ◽  
Bob Algozzine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Program Development ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inclusive Settings ◽  
Young Children With Disabilities

Purpose This paper aims to survey and interview parents of young children with disabilities to document their perspectives on what professionals working with their children need to know. Rather than comparing opinions over time or as part of an outcome study, this paper met with participants at a single point in time for a conversation addressing two questions with implications for training, program development and continuing research, namely, to what extent do families believe the Advancing Community College Efforts in Paraprofessional Training (ACCEPT) standards and topics are important to include in educational programs preparing professionals to work with young children with disabilities in inclusive settings (survey)? How satisfied or dissatisfied are families with the practices of early childhood educators working with their children with disabilities in inclusive and other settings (focus group)? What knowledge and skills do families recommend are important for the preparation of early childhood educators working with children with disabilities in inclusive and other settings (focus group)? Design/methodology/approach An exploratory design was used to gather information for use in future research and program development and research efforts. Descriptive statistics were compiled for the survey data and focus group interviews were content-analyzed for themes consistent with the project’s eight standards and topics. Findings Analyzes of survey and focus group interview data indicated that parents/caregivers held consistent views about information and skills needed to prepare teachers and others to work with children with disabilities in inclusive settings. Parents/caregivers were asked to complete a brief survey prioritizing the importance of the eight ACCEPT standards and topics when preparing early childhood educators for working with children with disabilities in inclusive settings. They all (n = 21) rated each standard and topic as “very important” (4) and provided 184 comments during follow-up interviews that represented positive examples, negative examples and recommendations distributed across the eight focusing standards. Originality/value This research identified the need for educators to understand the high value and importance of communication with parents of children with disabilities. This study further suggests the need for teachers to value each child’s individual needs and differences for their relationships with children and families to thrive.

Improving Critical Thinking Skills of Early Childhood through Inquiry Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 2241-2249
Author(s):  
Nita Priyanti ◽  
Jhoni Warmansyah
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Action Research ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Inquiry Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Problem Finding ◽  
Group B

21st-century skills that children must have, namely the ability to collaborate, create, communicate and think critically. This study aims to improve critical thinking skills in children to adapt to their time. This research was conducted in group B of the Kindergarten in Madinah Pamulang, South Tangerang with a total of 20 children. The research method uses classroom action research with 2 cycles. Collecting data by means of observation, interviews, documentation and the data obtained were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative. The results showed that the children's critical thinking skills increased by 18.4% in cycle I and cycle 2 by 45% after research and corrective action were carried out. The results of the action in the second cycle of 45% prove that the children's critical thinking skills have increased significantly. Improvement occurs through simple experimental activities with the stages of problem finding, exploration, creation, and reflection. The conclusion of this study is that critical thinking skills in early childhood can be improved through inquiry learning.

scholarly journals ‘They Get Fed up with Playing’: Parents' Views on Play-Based Learning in the Preparatory Year

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 266-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyndal O'Gorman ◽  
Jo Ailwood
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Small Group ◽  
Academic Progress ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Parental Opinion ◽  
Preparatory Year

Within early childhood education two ideas are firmly held: that play is the best way for children to learn, and that parents are partners in the child's learning. While these ideas have been explored, limited research to date has investigated the confluence of the two — how parents of young children view the concept of play. This article investigates parents' views on play by analysing the views of a small group of parents of Preparatory Year (Prep) children in Queensland, Australia. The parents in this study held varying definitions of what constitutes play, and complex and contradictory notions of its value. Positive views of play were linked to learning without knowing it, engaging in hands-on activities, and preparation for Year One through a strong focus on academic progress. Some parents held that Prep was play-based, while others did not. The complexities and diversity of parental opinion in this study echo the ongoing commentary about how play ought to be defined. Moreover, the notion that adults may interpret play in different ways is also reflected here. The authors suggest that for early childhood educators these complexities require an ongoing engagement, debate, and reconceptualisation of the place of play in light of broader curricular and sociopolitical agendas.

The Relationship of Classroom Behavior and Income Inequality to Literacy in Early Childhood

2022 ◽  
pp. 23-51
Author(s):  
Ross Glen Chandler Nunamaker ◽  
William Arthur Mosier
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Classroom Behavior ◽  
Developmentally Appropriate ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Whole Child ◽  
Social And Emotional

This chapter addresses the association between nurturing prosocial classroom behavior in young children, literacy, and income inequality. Literacy will be explored as it relates to social competence in the classroom as influenced by income inequity. One highlighted area of importance is a play-based, child-focused environment that is culturally sensitive and responsive to the needs of the whole child. Socioeconomic disparities in literacy skills have been increasing over the past 40 years. This subject must be addressed in order to effectively meet the cognitive, social, and emotional needs of each individual child. Literacy skills are developed during early childhood. It is also the case that limited literacy during early childhood increases the risk of children displaying aggressive behavior at school as they progress to higher grades. For these reasons, tackling the problem during the early years with developmentally appropriate adult-child interventions are what is needed to reverse the trends placing an increasing number of young children at-risk of academic underachievement.

scholarly journals The Challenges of Functional Adult Literacy: A Descriptive Study on EFL Learners in Beqaa District

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-48
Author(s):  
Eman Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Adult Literacy ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Computer Skills ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Functional Literacy

The world witnesses a rapid change as a result of the technological revolution thatshapes people's daily lives. This new lifestyle demands from 21st-century students new skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and computer skills. However, it is noticeable that literate people in Lebanon lack these skills which hinder their success at the professional and social levels. In this way, functional literacy is needed to help the literate to read, write, do calculations, and solve technical problems in the social and professional context. Therefore, this research conducted descriptive research on 100 EFL literate in the Beqaa using a questionnaire and a poll to test functional literacy level and to determine the challenges that prevent adult literates to act as functional literate in the 21st-century. The results affirmed that nearly half of EFL adult literates in the Beqaa district can act as functional literates, but the majority of them are at the intermediate level. The results also revealed that they need more improvements regarding developing English skills, technological skills, and numeracy skills. Thus, it is recommended to design training courses that develop functional adult literacy skills by presenting them in a procedure that depends on promoting communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and computer skills so that that the adult learners can substitute the gaps they missed in their educational systems and contribute in the sustainable development of the society

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document