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Latest content added for UNT Digital Library Partner: UNT Librarieshttp://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/partners/UNT/browse/?fq=dc_rights_access:public&fq=str_degree_discipline:Early+Childhood+Education2014-03-24T20:07:29-05:00UNT LibrariesThis is a custom feed for browsing UNT Digital Library Partner: UNT LibrariesThe Relationship of Developmentally Appropriate Beliefs and Practices of Greek Kindergarten Teachers2014-03-24T20:07:29-05:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278118/

Sixty Greek kindergarten teachers were surveyed regarding their teaching beliefs and practices using the Teachers Questionnaire based on guidelines recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. A Varimax factor analysis produced four factors for the Teacher Belief Scale and five factors for the Instructional Activities Scale. Scores on developmentally appropriate factors were consistently higher than factors classified developmentally inappropriate. Correlation between appropriate beliefs and activities was significant (r = .470); correlation between inappropriate beliefs and practices was significant (r = .475). However, developmentally inappropriate beliefs were also positively correlated with developmentally appropriate practices (r = .537). Developmentally appropriate beliefs were not correlated with inappropriate practices. Results were discussed with possible theoretical and practical implications for future research and teacher development.
Effects of a Brain Improvement Program on Students' Reading Achievement2014-02-01T18:14:03-06:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271931/

How to close the reading achievement gap among K-12 students is an ongoing emphasis for educators in the 21st century. The purpose of the study was to determine if using kinesthetic movements from the Brain Gym® program improved the reading achievement of Grade 3 Hispanic and African American students. Students from four elementary schools participated in the study. The students in the control and experimental groups completed a 2004 release TAKS third grade reading assessment for the pretest and posttest. Students in the experimental group completed five selected kinesthetic movements from the Brain Gym® program five minutes at the beginning of each Monday through Friday school day. The intervention lasted 30 days and a total of 150 minutes. Data were analyzed using a 2 x 2 mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance. Findings revealed that performing the five kinesthetic movements from the Brain Gym® program did not increase students' reading achievement scores. Only the variable of time between pretest and posttest affected students' reading scores. The results from this study did not support the findings of other studies of the effectiveness of kinesthetic movements.
The Disney Influence on Kindergarten Girls' Body Image2014-02-01T18:14:03-06:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271773/

Media is now a part of the early childhood world. In many countries, including industrialized and developing countries, children spend more time consuming various kinds of media. The impact of media on children's perception of their body images has been and continues to be a concern of parents and early childhood professionals. This research examined the influence of Disney movies on Thai kindergarten girls' body images and self-esteem. Thai kindergarten girls completed three measures of body self-image: the Body Figure Preference Scale, the Body Esteem Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale. The girl participants were randomly assigned to two groups: focused on a female theme (FFT) and focused on a non-human theme (FNT). The experimental group viewed "female" Disney movie themes, while the control group viewed "animal" Disney movie themes. Girls in the experimental group expressed greater body image dissatisfaction scores after watching Disney movies, which was an expected finding. Results from the present study suggest that girls in both groups become concerned about their body esteem after video exposure. However, there was no significant difference in self-esteem between girls in FFT and FNT. In summary, the findings of this study support the belief that Disney movies influence young girls' perceptions of their body image, and they have an awareness of their body size. It can be concluded that Disney movies have an influence on Thai girls' body image dissatisfaction and body esteem. The results also indicated that Thai girls are not totally aware of the influence of Disney media on their self-esteem. Understanding how Disney movies, in particular, and other media, in general, influence young children, especially girls, can encourage parents and educators to identify risk factors associated with children's body image dissatisfaction and low self-esteem.
Accreditation Facilitation Projects: Supporting High Quality Early Childhood Education and Care2014-02-01T18:14:03-06:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271887/

High-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) are linked to positive developmental outcomes for children. Systems have been created to define, measure and promote high-quality ECEC. National accreditation status is deemed the gold standard of a high-quality program, yet many centers are unable to achieve this without assistance. With the help of Accreditation Facilitation Projects (AFPs), many low-income centers are able to achieve accreditation. Centers collaborating with an AFP reap many benefits including financial support, ongoing training and mentoring, and guidance through the accreditation process. AFPs invest greatly in the centers they collaborate with and the longer the center takes to achieve accreditation, the more resources an AFP must expend. The purposes of this study were to understand if the educational level of center director, the total enrollment of a center, or the percentage of children receiving government subsidies could predict the time it takes for a center to complete the accreditation process while receiving assistance from an AFP, and to determine if there are differences in attitudes about program accreditation between center directors and early learning specialists who serve as accreditation mentors to the directors. Findings revealed that a) the higher educational level of program directors is associated with a quicker time to program accreditation, b) both the total enrollment of the center and the percentage of children receiving government subsidies do not predict time to accreditation, c) the number of total staff in a center is associated with a quicker time to accreditation, and d) there is no significant difference between the directors' attitudes and early learning specialists' attitudes toward accreditation and accreditation facilitation projects. AFPs looking to streamline their accreditation process and provide accountability to their stakeholders regarding their investments over time can use these findings to choose to collaborate with centers that have directors who have at least a bachelor's degree in order to shorten the time to accreditation.
Home Literacy Practices in Diverse Families: Parental Involvement in Kindergarten Children's Literacy Development2014-02-01T18:14:03-06:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271820/

Although prior research has shown that parental involvement positively affects a child's literacy development, attention should also be directed to the factors that keep parents from being involved in their children's education. The study reported in this dissertation examined five factors: socioeconomic status, level of education, employment, culture, and language that may be influential in parental assistance of their children's literacy development in the home. The data sources for this investigation included interview responses and a demographic survey. Data from 17 parents, each from a different household, and each with a child in kindergarten were obtained and used for the study. For analyses of these data, content analysis was used to identify similar themes among the interview responses and the demographic survey. Results indicated the following: (1) the time parents spent assisting their child with literacy activities was affected by long work hours, (2) parents with a yearly income of $25,000 or less were unable to provide additional literacy materials for their children, (3) lack of multicultural literature caused culturally diverse parents to feel devalued, and (4) parents who did not speak English fluently lacked the strategies to assist their children in completing English literacy homework. The findings suggest there are significant factors in the home environment that impact the quality and amount of literacy activities that parents provide for their children. In order for teachers to support parents in providing for their children's literacy development, they need to be aware of these factors. In addition, teachers should be culturally sensitive by including multicultural literature in the curriculum.
Prek-6 Teachers' Beliefs About Inclusive Practices in the United States and South Korea: Cross Cultural Perspectives2014-02-01T18:14:03-06:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271836/

The educational practice known as inclusion, which is based on values of equal opportunity and diversity, enables students with disabilities to attend the same general education classes as typically developing peers. Inclusion is a legal requirement in the United States and South Korea, but factors facilitating inclusion likely differ across countries. The purpose of the study was to examine PreK-6 school teachers' beliefs about inclusive practices in the United States and South Korea and to present a more informed direction for the future of inclusive education in both countries. Seventy-four teachers from the US and 54 from South Korea participated via email for this study employing surveys. Teachers provided their beliefs about inclusion items on the My Thinking About Inclusion (MTAI) scale, a 28-question instrument, and also provided information about their own gender, years of experience, education level, and teaching practices. A statistically significant difference was found between the teachers of the two nations for the full survey scale. The teachers' training area (i.e., general education or special education) in the US was significantly associated with the belief toward inclusion, and special education teachers in both countries were more agreeable to inclusion than general education practitioners were as shown by the MTAI scale. A strong relationship between accommodation and preparedness for disabilities was found. Most of the barrier factors to practicing inclusive education were considered substantial obstacles, but more so for South Korea teachers than US teachers. University coursework was the least preferred method for improving inclusive practices according to teachers in both countries. Based on the outcomes of the two nations' teachers' beliefs about inclusion, the author suggests that supportive practices, including collaboration between educators, professional development, partnerships with parents and families, and peer supports, be implemented within the two countries for the upkeep of inclusive practices.
Mothers' and Fathers' Parenting Characteristics in Relation to Family Earner Status and Self-perceived Interpersonal Competence2013-08-13T14:47:25-05:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc177184/

With an increasing number of married mothers who participated in paid work roles, fathers with full-time employed spouses now are expected to assume the role of caregiver and have higher frequency of engagement in parenting practices. This study of 235 university students from dual-earner and single-earner families investigated their retrospective perceptions of both mothers' and fathers' frequency of engagement in overall and specific parenting behaviors. These perceptions were measured by the Parent Behavior Frequency Questionnaire-Revised Scale, which includes seven parenting characteristics and related behaviors. Paired samples t-tests suggested that married mothers, whether fully employed outside the home or not, engaged more frequently, than their full-time employed spouses, in parenting characteristics related to bonding, education, general welfare and protection, responsivity, and sensitivity. However, mothers' employment status had little influence upon the frequency at which either parent engaged in any of the seven parenting characteristics and related behaviors. University students who perceived that both parents were more frequently engaged in specific parenting behaviors related to education, responsivity and sensitivity rated themselves higher on interpersonal competence, as measured by the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire-Revised Scale. Students who perceived that both parents were less frequently engaged in negative parenting behaviors rated themselves higher on competence in conflict management. In addition, family earner status had no significant impact on university students' levels of interpersonal competence. Although there was no significant gender difference in the levels of total interpersonal competence, male students reported higher levels of interpersonal competence in the domains of asserting influence and conflict management than their female counterparts. These findings revealed that like parents from single-earner families, parents from dual-earner families also demonstrated a significant discrepancy in the frequency of engagement in parenting practices. Mothers still invested considerably more time with their children than do fathers. Therefore, there may be a need to develop parent education programs for fathers so that they have opportunities to shape paternal identity and parental self-efficacy. Also, it is necessary to develop friendly family- employment policies and enhance social support networks that enable both full-time employed mothers and fathers to achieve a satisfactory balance between family and work.
Kindergarten Teacher Competencies Ranked by Kindergarten Teachers and Kindergarten Teacher Trainers2013-06-04T22:29:06-05:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc164616/

This study is concerned with the problem of determining the competencies which inservice kindergarten teachers and kindergarten-teacher trainers consider most important for teaching kindergarten. There are four purposes of the study: to identify specific competencies needed to teach kindergarten, to determine the teacher competencies considered most important by kindergarten teachers, to determine teacher competencies considered most important by teacher trainers, and to compare the rankings of teacher competencies by kindergarten teachers and kindergarten-teacher trainers.
A Study of the Attitudes of Parents, Teachers and Principals Toward Parental Involvement in School Activities2013-06-04T22:29:06-05:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc164594/

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was that of surveying the attitudes of parents, teachers, and principals toward parental involvement in school activities. The study had a threefold purpose. The first was to determine the attitudes of parents toward involvement in school activities. The second was to determine the attitudes of teachers and principals toward parental involvement in schools. The third was to identify attitudes of parents, teachers, and principals toward various methods of involvement.
Early Literacy of Young Children in New Immigrant and Native Families in Taiwan: Educational and Socio-political Implications2012-11-06T15:03:04-06:00http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc115178/

Because of shifting demographics, the Taiwanese government opened the country to immigrants from Southeast Asia. Foreign-born brides of Taiwanese men have contributed significantly to this trend of new immigration, inspiring fears that their children, inadequately prepared for the literacy requirements of early education, might negatively impact the educational system and society. to better understand the socio-political implications of this cultural shift, the researcher gathered data from one hundred and twenty immigrant and native families with first graders in six major cities in Taiwan. Purposes of this research are to: (a) investigate to what extent, if any parenting style is impacted by differences in immigration status between native Taiwanese and Southeast Asian immigrant mothers, (b) examine to what extent, if any maternal parenting styles relate to children's early literacy, and (c) determine to what extent, if any maternal parenting styles along with the children's and familial characteristics associate with children's early literacy. the study found that (a) immigrant mothers are statistically lower on authoritative and higher on permissive parenting style than native mothers; (b) immigrant mothers' participation in integration programs does not relate to maternal parenting styles or children's literacy performances; (c) children from immigrant families are significantly lower than their peers from native families on receptive vocabulary and phonological awareness; (d) children from higher income families perform better on receptive vocabulary than their lower income peers; (e) children whose mothers are senior high school graduates achieve significantly better on literacy skills than others. Furthermore, children of mothers with higher education perform better on receptive vocabulary than those whose mothers have lower education levels; (f) there was little relationship between children's literacy development and the three maternal parenting styles; (g) age and gender are the most significant predictors of children's literacy development. the limited influence of parenting styles on childhood literacy may be attributed to cultural differences. Parenting styles theory and instrumentation emerged from Western research and parenting expectations. Translations, both linguistic and cultural, may be imperfect once grafted onto Taiwanese society. Further complications potentially arise when foreign-born women carry their own varied cultural expectations and start families in an unfamiliar society. This research would suggest that government-sponsored programs could address the demographic inequalities which characterize this segment of Taiwanese society.


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|contact us
Update from California Department of Education
State Schools Chief Jack O'connell, State Epidemiologist Discuss Staph Prevention in Schools
Contact: Ioannis Kazanis
For Immediate Release
Phone: 916-319-0818
November 5, 2007
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Sacramento - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell joined California Department of Public Health (CDPH) epidemiologist Dr. Gil Chavez to discuss the recent incidents of staph infections, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), that are being reported in schools and communities nationwide. O'Connell and Chavez also spoke at length on preventative measures that parents and school officials can take to keep children safe.
"We feel it is important to provide information, to dispel fears, answer questions and most importantly, let students, parents and school personnel know that there are simple precautions they can take to prevent an outbreak of MRSA," O'Connell said.
"Because of the real potential for a MRSA outbreak in schools, especially among athletes, we must remain vigilant to ensure our students stay healthy," said Chavez. "The best way to keep the bacteria from spreading is simply by washing your hands, avoiding sharing towels or other personal items, and keeping any infected wounds or sores covered at all times."
O'Connell and Chavez also recommended that students, parents, teachers, and school staff take time to examine two documents, available in both English and Spanish, supplied by the CDPH in an effort to educate and alleviate fears generated by these staph reports. One answers many of the questions that are being asked about staph. The other is a brochure written for parents.

subset: commoncrawl


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Beverly — Marion L. (Reich) Pearson, died on Monday, January 20, 2014.
She was the devoted mother of Gayle McElwain and her husband, Bruce, of Hamilton, Nancy Medina and her husband, Bert, of Georgia, Andrea Pearson and her late husband, Willy B. Ludd of Woburn, and John Pearson and his wife, Marlene, of Beverly; dear sister of Alfred Reich and his wife, Nancy, of Dudley, Mildred Hammond and her late husband, Andrew, of Florida, and Frieda LeClerc of Alabama; cherished grandmother of Vanessa, William, Tamara, Tamikia, Terrell, Jeremy, John, Julian, and Rachel; and great-grandmother of Devin, Lola, Luca, and Carter.
ARRANGEMENTS: Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a funeral service at the Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home, 263 Main St., Woburn, on Wednesday, January 22, at 1 p.m. Calling hours will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., prior to the service. Interment will be in Puritan Lawn Cemetery, Peabody. Remembrances may be made in Mrs. Pearson's memory to the Northeast Animal Shelter, 347 Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970.
For her obituary, directions and guest book, visit www.lynch-cantillon.com.


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I just saw this piece for the very first time. I know it shows it was posted way back in Jan of this year, but I don't recall ever seeing it. Finally we have a reason for why Barrett Robbins goes off his meds and on a bender and why we lost the SB all those years ago.
Now I have always said that if Robbins had not gone AWOL we would have played better and might have won. I have never said straight up that we would have won because it's an NFL game and, "On any given Sunday". we all know anything can happen. But I had always believed that we would have done better had Robbins been there and ready to play. And now we know why Robbins did what he did. Bill Callahan.
This piece of information from Tim Brown is the most fucked up and disgusting thing I have heard! I cannot believe how fucked up Callahan was to do this and treat our beloved Raiders like this! Now I generally don't go in for conspiracy theories but damn if this doesn't sound like he was paid off to fuck this team up! Makes you wonder doesn't it?


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Two 15-ounce cans garbanzos, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
2 cups Wheat Chex� cereal
1 cup dried pineapple chunks
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Preheat the oven to 350�F. Coat a baking sheet and a skillet with butter-flavored cooking spray.
Cook the garbanzos in the skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet, and spray with more cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Coat a roasting pan with cooking spray. Add the cereal, pineapple, raisins, and roasted garbanzos, mixing evenly.
In a bowl, combine the honey, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Pour over the garbanzo snack mix and toss gently. Spray again with cooking spray and bake 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
Calories: 154 cal
Total fat: <1g
Saturated fat: <1g
Monounsaturated fat: <1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 192mg
Potassium: 225mg
Carbohydrate: 36g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 3g
Calcium: 41mg


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Hollis' Seafood Buffet opened its doors in May of 1998 as the largest seafood buffet in North Louisiana and South Arkansas. Since that time, the name 'Hollis' has become synonymous with consistent quality, unbelievable variety, and homemade goodness that you can't find anywhere else unless you're in Grandma's kitchen!
Owners Calvin and Pat Hollis insist on the highest quality ingredients. You can be assured of the best-tasting seafood anywhere when you eat at Hollis' Seafood Buffet.
Hollis' Seafood is a family of relatives and friends working together to bring you the freshest and best seafood and more. If it's on the menu at Hollis', you can be assured that its "homemade & handmade" every time!
Spearsville, LA 318-778-0444


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One man's seemingly ordinary flight home from visiting his family over the holidays, will soon give Quincy Regional Airport a major financial boost to start improvement projects.
Scott Blois said he never expected that by boarding his flight Saturday on Cape Air he would be helping to improve the Quincy Regional Airport.
By being the 10,000th passenger in 2012, Blois helped the city receive $1 million dollars in federal funding.
Blois was in Quincy visiting family for the holidays and said the surprise was an honor.
"It's always fun to be recognized as special and to me it was a fun feeling and wonderful gifts and it just finishes the wonderful week in Quincy," said Blois.
Quincy Mayor John Spring and airport director Jeff Steinkamp were there to commemorate the occasion today. As it stood this year, the city only receives $150,000 a year in federal funding.
Spring said the boost in funding will allow the city to tackle big improvement projects.
"We have a list of projects. Many of them involve runways or roadways into the airport that will take a look at and try to make some decisions on what we can do in the future with the use of this money," said Quincy Mayor John Spring.
Spring said by making the improvements, it will bring the airport to the next level.
"It's an economic boom. We need to provide air transportation, commercial transpiration for our business community and our tourism community. We hope our partnership with Cape will even increase the possibilities here in the future to get back to Chicago, to get back into the Chicago market as well as the St. Louis market," said Spring.
Blois received a complimentary set of round trip tickets from Cape Air and gifts from the city for hitting the milestone.