Journal Articles
How Are CKA Research Articles Important to You?
Over two decades CKA has published research articles about early childhood education topics. CKA has reviewed these articles and discovered them to still be highly applicable to educators. But why should you pay attention to them?
1. These articles are written about the students you teach. They focus specifically on children of preschool and/or early primary years.
2. These articles are about topics that affect you. Whether it’s full-day kindergarten, stages of art development, literacy activities or mathematics instruction, the topics are relevant to your teaching and learning.
3. These articles have Study Guide Questions for deeper understanding. Schools have Professional Learning Communities that study research as it relates to educators’ teaching and students’ learning. CKA, with the help of the research authors, developed Study Guide Questions to help educators “dig deeper,” to build connections for their own classrooms.
A Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) trainer informed CKA that teachers going through induction must complete 24 hours of Professional Development. This can be done in a number of ways, including the reading and analyzing of research articles that relate to their inquiry (self-selected focus area). BTSA candidates can read research and then write a synopsis and how it relates to student success. They share this with their Support Provider who, in turn, sends the work to the County Office of Education and indicates that two hours of their Professional Development has been completed.
4. These articles have ongoing opportunities to enrich your teaching. Several authors have agreed to update their research, serve as discussion leaders for online professional development sessions, and respond to questions from the field.
Zoology in the Early Childhood Curriculum, Saundra Plett
“This article details the progress of a zoology program in a Montessori class of 20 children, 3 to 6 years of age. The teacher’s diary begins with planning in July and continues through the first two months of school. Described are content and learning experiences about vertebrates and invertebrates. Guiding the program are theoretical principles regarding instruction and learning.” ...
read moreExploring Math Concepts with Children’s Books, Belle Akers
“The purpose of this article is to discuss and demonstrate how children’s literature is an important resource in mathematics instruction for young children. Books concerning the following concepts are discussed: numbers, one to ten; counting by 2’s and odd and even numbers; groups or number patterns; large numbers, and the 100th Day of School. The successful use of the recommended books with kindergarten and first grade children is described.” Belle Akers, 1st Grade Teacher Convent of the Sacred Heart Elementary, San...
read moreLearning to Move and Moving to Learn, Robin D. Reese
“Research has found relationships between physical development and other areas of development in children. This article presents an overview of these interactive relationships and answers the following questions: Why is movement important? How does it contribute to learning? What should kindergarten children learn in physical education?”
read moreBalancing Constructivist and Instructivist Curriculum Goals in Early Childhood Education, Lilian G. Katz
“The field of early childhood education has long been marked by intense controversy concerning appropriate curriculum and teaching methods and goals. This article explores some implications of traditional dichotomies of the field and suggests that while there are many reasons to resist the side that advocates formal academic instruction, it does not necessarily follow that what is offered to children in nonacademic programs sufficiently addresses their academic development.”
read moreDeveloping Conventional Spelling: Temporary Spelling and the Transition Point, Adrienne Herrell
This article makes the case for temporary spelling as a contributor to auditory sequencing and improved visual memory. It details the sequences in spelling development with many relevant examples.
read moreThe Role of Choice in the Literacy Development of Young Children, Daniel Meier
One of the hallmarks of a developmentally appropriate classroom is allowing children choices in learning. This article shows the linkage between language, literacy, and children’s social and cultural development. This article is appropriate for both preschool and elementary educators. (Visit his website at http://drdanielmeier.com/site/Home.html)
read moreOur 31st Annual Conference
We are thrilled to announce that our 31st conference in January, was a huge success! We are so thankful to Jim Gill, Peggy Campbell Rush and all of our great presenters who made it a fabulous time. It was wonderful to see so many of you there! We hope you're planning to join us in 2014!
ART Really Teaches
