Elementary School students' approaches to solving true-false number sentences. 'Métodos de alumnos de Educación Primaria para la resolución de sentencias numéricas verdaderas y falsas'.

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Prospective elementary school teachers' ways of making sense of mathematical problem posing. 'Modos en que futuros profesores de primaria dan sentido a la invención de problemas matemáticos'.

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Prospective Elementary School Teachers' Proportional Reasoning. 'Razonamiento proporcional de futuros maestros de educación primaria'.

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Parents??? conceptions of their homework involvement in elementary school

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The simple view of reading in elementary school : a systematic review

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Social training activities and resources for hearing impaired students in elementary school

This paper provides resources to help hearing impaired students in primary and elementary grades with personal and social competency training.

Mainstreaming, inclusion, and the elementary school age hearing impaired student

This paper presents materials for educators and students, grades K-6, about hearing and hearing impairment that will help prepare them for more successful mainstreaming and inclusion of hearing-impaired children.

Measuring students' emotions in the early years: the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School (AEQ-ES)

This article reports about the development and validation of a measurement instrument assessing elementary school students' achievement emotions (Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School, AEQ-ES). Specifically, the instrument assesses students' enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom pertaining to three types of academic settings (i.e., attending class, doing homework, and taking tests and exams). Scale construction was based on Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory of achievement emotions. The instrument was tested using samples from German and American elementary school classrooms. The results of Study 1 (German sample) corroborate the reliability and structural validity of the new emotion measure. Moreover, they show that students' achievement emotions were linked with their control and value appraisals as well as their academic performance, thus supporting the external validity of the measure as well as propositions of Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory of achievement emotions. Study 2 (American sample) corroborated the cross-cultural equivalence of the measure and the generalizability of findings across the German and American samples. Implications for research on achievement emotions and educational practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)(journal abstract)

En enkätundersökning om lärares syn på hur de arbetar med mål i grundskolan : A survey of teacher´s views on how they work with the goal in elementary school

Detta är en uppsats om lärares syn på målstyrningen vid två skolor samt hur de uppfattar att eleverna uppnår de uppsatta målen. Undersökningen utfördes som en kvalitativ enkätstudie. Resultatet visar att många lärare uppfattar att målen är otydliga vilket resulterar i att de tolkas olika. Angående hur man mäter att eleverna uppnår målen blev resultatet att det finns en mängd olika metoder att tillgå som till exempel loggbok och observation. En tydlig skillnad fanns i svaren bland dem som hade lång arbetslivserfarenhet gentemot den som hade minst arbetslivserfarenhet. Skillnaderna kan bland annat bottna i osäkerhet på sin yrkesroll samt bristande kunskaper i och med kort arbetslivserfarenhet.

English as a Second Language and Children’s literature : An empirical study on Swedish elementary school teachers’ methods and attitudes towards the use of children’s literature in the English classroom

Previous research has shown multiple benefits and challenges with the incorporation of children’s literature in the English as a Second language (ESL) classroom. In addition, the use of children’s literature in the lower elementary English classroom is recommended by the Swedish National Agency for Education. Consequently, the current study explores how teachers in Swedish elementary school teach ESL through children’s literature. This empirical study involves English teachers from seven schools in a small municipality in Sweden. The data has been collected through an Internet survey. The study also connects the results to previous international research, comparing Swedish and international research. The results suggest that even though there are many benefits of using children’s literature in the ESL classroom, the respondents seldom use these authentic texts, due to limited time and a narrow supply of literature, among other factors. However, despite these challenges, all of the teachers claim to use children’s literature by reading aloud in the classroom. Based on the results, further research exploring pupils’ thoughts in contrast to teachers would be beneficial. In addition, the majority of the participants expressed that they wanted more information on how to use children’s literature. Therefore, additional research relating to beneficial methods of teaching English through children’s literature, especially in Sweden, is recommended.

Body mass index and parent-reported self-estem in elementary school children: evidence for a causal relationship.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify relationships between body mass index (BMI) and self-esteem in young children at a population level. To assess whether low self-esteem precedes or follows development of overweight/obesity in children. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study in elementary schools throughout Victoria, Australia. Child BMI and self-esteem were measured in 1997 and 2000. SUBJECTS: Random sample of 1,157 children who were in the first 4 y of elementary school (aged 5-10 y) at baseline. MEASURES: BMI was calculated from measured height and weight, then transformed to z-scores. Children were classified as nonoverweight, overweight or obese based on international cut-points. Low child self-esteem was defined as a score below the 15th percentile on the self-esteem subscale of the parent-reported Child Health Questionnaire. RESULTS: Overweight/obese children had lower median self-esteem scores than nonoverweight children at both timepoints, especially at follow-up. After accounting for baseline self-esteem, higher baseline BMI z-score predicted poorer self-esteem at follow-up (P=0.008). After accounting for baseline BMI z-score, poorer baseline self-esteem did not predict higher BMI z-score at follow-up. While nonoverweight children with low baseline self-esteem were more likely to develop overweight/obesity (OR=2.1, 95% CI=1.2, 3.6), this accounted for only a small proportion of the incidence of overweight. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show an increasingly strong association between lower self-esteem and higher body mass across the elementary school years. Overweight/obesity precedes low self-esteem in many children, suggesting a causal relationship. This indicates that prevention and management strategies for childhood overweight/obesity need to begin early to minimise the impact on self-esteem.

Weight concerns among elementary school children : a review of prevention programs

There is increasing evidence that children display high levels of weight and muscle concerns, which include body dissatisfaction and problem eating. In order to address these issues, researchers have designed and implemented prevention programs for this age group. Thirteen published studies were located and reviewed, with children aged 8–12 years from elementary schools, or equivalent. Overall, the programs were shown to be effective in improving children's knowledge at post-test and at follow-up assessments. However, there is limited evidence to show that the programs reduced or prevented body image concerns and/or problem eating. Too few studies have examined muscle concerns so no conclusions can yet be drawn about this domain. Limitations of the studies and suggestions for future prevention efforts are discussed.

A cross-sectional study of the individual, social, and built environmental correlates of pedometer based physical activity among elementary school children

Background: Children who participate in regular physical activity obtain health benefits. Preliminary pedometerbased cut-points representing sufficient levels of physical activity among youth have been established; however limited evidence regarding correlates of achieving these cut-points exists. The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of pedometer-based cut-points among elementary school-aged children.
Method: A cross-section of children in grades 5-7 (10-12 years of age) were randomly selected from the most (n = 13) and least (n = 12) ‘walkable’ public elementary schools (Perth, Western Australia), stratified by socioeconomic status. Children (n = 1480; response rate = 56.6%) and parents (n = 1332; response rate = 88.8%) completed a survey, and steps were collected from children using pedometers. Pedometer data were categorized to reflect the sex-specific pedometer-based cut-points of ≥15000 steps/day for boys and ≥12000 steps/day for girls. Associations between socio-demographic characteristics, sedentary and active leisure-time behavior, independent mobility, active transportation and built environmental variables - collected from the child and parent surveys - and meeting pedometer-based cut-points were estimated (odds ratios: OR) using generalized estimating equations.
Results: Overall 927 children participated in all components of the study and provided complete data. On average, children took 11407 ± 3136 steps/day (boys: 12270 ± 3350 vs. girls: 10681 ± 2745 steps/day; p < 0.001) and 25.9% (boys: 19.1 vs. girls: 31.6%; p < 0.001) achieved the pedometer-based cut-points. After adjusting for all other variables and school clustering, meeting the pedometer-based cut-points was negatively associated (p < 0.05) with being male (OR = 0.42), parent self-reported number of different destinations in the neighborhood (OR 0.93), and a friend’s (OR 0.62) or relative’s (OR 0.44, boys only) house being at least a 10-minute walk from home. Achieving the pedometer-based cut-points was positively associated with participating in screen-time < 2 hours/day (OR 1.88), not being driven to school (OR 1.48), attending a school located in a high SES neighborhood (OR 1.33), the average number of steps among children within the respondent’s grade (for each 500 step/day increase: OR 1.29), and living further than a 10-minute walk from a relative’s house (OR 1.69, girls only).
Conclusions: Comprehensive multi-level interventions that reduce screen-time, encourage active travel to/from school and foster a physically active classroom culture might encourage more physical activity among children.

An observational assessment of physical activity levels and social behaviour during elementary school recess

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess children’s physical activity, social play behaviour, activity type and social interactions during elementary school recess using a pre-validated systematic observation system.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Two elementary schools located in Merseyside, England.

Method: Fifty-six elementary school children (27 boys, 29 girls) were systematically observed during recess over a three-month period using a standardized physical activity observation instrument.

Results: The results revealed the boys were engaged in significantly higher levels of physical activity during recess than girls. The boys were also involved in more sport-specific activities and participated in larger group sizes. Positive associations between physical activity and availability of equipment during recess were also reported.

Conclusion: This study has confirmed recess as a valuable opportunity for elementary school children to increase their levels of physical activity. However, further studies with larger sample sizes need to identify and explore the relationship between physical activity (PA) and availability of equipment.

Cost effectiveness of an elementary school active physical education policy

INTRODUCTION: Many American children do not meet recommendations for moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Although school-based physical education (PE) provides children with opportunities for MVPA, less than half of PE minutes are typically active. The purpose of this study is to estimate the cost effectiveness of a state "active PE" policy implemented nationally requiring that at least 50% of elementary school PE time is spent in MVPA. METHODS: A cohort model was used to simulate the impact of an active PE policy on physical activity, BMI, and healthcare costs over 10 years for a simulated cohort of the 2015 U.S. population aged 6-11 years. Data were analyzed in 2014. RESULTS: An elementary school active PE policy would increase MVPA per 30-minute PE class by 1.87 minutes (95% uncertainty interval [UI]=1.23, 2.51) and cost $70.7 million (95% UI=$51.1, $95.9 million) in the first year to implement nationally. Physical activity gains would cost $0.34 per MET-hour/day (95% UI=$0.15, $2.15), and BMI could be reduced after 2 years at a cost of $401 per BMI unit (95% UI=$148, $3,100). From 2015 to 2025, the policy would cost $235 million (95% UI=$170 million, $319 million) and reduce healthcare costs by $60.5 million (95% UI=$7.93 million, $153 million). CONCLUSIONS: Implementing an active PE policy at the elementary school level could have a small impact on physical activity levels in the population and potentially lead to reductions in BMI and obesity-related healthcare expenditures over 10 years.