O brincar e o bem-estar da criança abrigada: sua influência no combate à depressão e ao baixo rendimento escolar

Este estudo verifica a eficácia de intervenções lúdicas junto a crianças abrigadas com problemas de aprendizagem e quadros de depressão, analisando a influência do brincar em seu bem-estar e qualidade de vida. Realiza-se através de metodologia clínica-interventiva, junto a oito crianças de ambos os sexos, de 8 anos, de classe de baixa renda, abrigadas há dois anos, cursando a 1ª. série de escola pública, com queixa escolar. Após caracterização da instituição, avalia-se individualmente o nível cognitivo das crianças através das Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven, das Provas Piagetianas de conservação, classificação e seriação e verifica o material escolar. Aplica a seguir o Inventário de Depressão Infantil CDI, normatizado para o Brasil. Com base nesses dados, realiza oito sessões lúdicas grupais, semanais, de noventa minutos cada, através de estratégias sensório-motoras, simbólicas e sociais, com espaço para atividades espontâneas. Após as intervenções lúdicas, reavalia as crianças com os mesmos instrumentos da avaliação anterior. Os resultados indicam melhora no desempenho escolar e diminuição dos sintomas depressivos, com aumento da auto-estima e da segurança emocional, com reflexos em sua vida em geral, inclusive na escolar. As experiências vivenciadas nas situações lúdicas contribuíram para uma auto-avaliação subjetiva mais positiva pelas crianças, assim como para uma avaliação escolar melhor, em seus aspectos cognitivos e afetivo-emocionais integrados. Os dados apontam a importância da equipe técnica ao reconhecer precocemente os sintomas depressivos para realização de programas interventivos, utilizando o lúdico como facilitador para superação das dificuldades cognitivas e afetivas das crianças abrigadas

Understanding the cycle of violence: An examination of bully and victim social roles in early childhood

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of bullying and victimization in a metropolitan area. A cross-sectional study with kindergarten (n = 127) and first grade (n = 126) children was conducted in two Miami-Dade County Public Schools and three private schools in the same area. Bullying and victimization behavior and social acceptance were assessed through peer nomination and the mental health outcomes of depression and anxiety were assessed through children's self-report. Teachers and parents also completed a social behavior scale for each child. Three areas of analyses were conducted pertaining to membership classification of social roles and the social acceptance and mental health outcomes associated with those roles, reporter agreement within the social roles, and the psychometric properties of the Childhood Social Behavior Scale. Results showed an overall negative pattern of adjustment for children identified as a member of any of the negative social roles. Also, the results support a new analytic approach to the investigation of social roles. The implication of these findings for early identification, social policy, and effective prevention strategies are discussed. ^

The impact of a family home-learning program on levels of parental/caregiver efficacy

This study sought to determine if participation in a home education learning program would impact the perceived levels of parental self-efficacy of parents/caregivers who participate in the completion of home-learning assignments and increase their levels of home-learning involvement practices. Also, the study examined the relationship between the parental involvement practice of completing interactive home-learning assignments and the reading comprehension achievement of first grade students. A total of 146 students and their parents/caregivers representing a convenience sample of eight first grade classes participated in the study. Four classes (n=74) were selected as the experimental group and four classes (n=72) served as the control group. There were 72 girls in the sample and 74 boys and the median age was 6 years 6 months. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design utilizing eight existing first grade classes. It examined the effects of a home-learning support intervention program on the perceived efficacy levels of the participating parents/caregivers, as measured by the Parent Perceptions of Parent Efficacy Scale (Hoover-Dempsey, Bassler, & Brissie, 1992) administered on a pre/post basis. The amount and type of parent involvement in the completion of home assignments was determined by means of a locally developed instrument, the H.E.L.P. Parent Involvement Home-learning Scale, administered on a pre/post basis. Student achievement in reading comprehension was measured via the reading subtest of the Brigance, CIB-S pre and post. The elementary students and their parents/caregivers participated in an interactive home-learning intervention program for 12 weeks that required parent/caregiver assistance. Results revealed the experimental group of parents/caregivers had a significant increase in their levels of perceived self-efficacy, p<.001, from the pre to post, and also had significantly increased levels of parental involvement in seven home-learning activities, p<.001, than the control group parents/caregivers. The experimental group students demonstrated significantly higher reading levels than the control group students, p<.001. This study provided evidence that interactive home-learning activities improved the levels of parental self-efficacy and parental involvement in home-learning activities, and improved the reading comprehension of the experimental group in comparison to the control.

The relationship between prekindergarten social and emotional development and academic success among Hispanic children from low-income families

Social and emotional development has been considered an important factor in child development which has been placed at the end of the learning spectrum due to high stakes testing. Social and emotional development consists of the relationships an individual has with others, the level of self-control, and the motivation and perseverance a person has during an activity (Bandura, 1989). This study examined the relationship between Hispanic children’s prekindergarten social and emotional development and their academic success. Hispanic children from a large southeastern city whose parents were receiving subsidized child-care were followed from their prekindergarten year through third grade (N=1,978). Several hierarchical regressions were run to determine the relationship between children’s social and emotional development, during their prekindergarten year using the DECA (Devereaux Early Childhood Assessment), and the their academic success, as measured by kindergarten through third grade end of the year reading and mathematics academic grades, second grade SAT (Stanford Achievement Test) scores, and third grade FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) and NRT (Norm Referenced Test) scores. Hierarchical regressions were conducted for each grade and subject in order to control for demographics and prior achievement. The results of this study revealed that for Hispanic children from low-income families, the best predictor for academic success was the children’s prior academic achievement. Social and emotional development showed no significant predictive value for the third grade criterion variables as well as end of the year academic grades in second grade and kindergarten reading. Evidence did suggest that for first grade end of the year academic grades and kindergarten math, social and emotional development had a small predictive value. Further research must be conducted as to why social and emotional development, after controlling for demographics and previous academic achievement, bears such a small predictive value when it is clear that many professionals feel it is the most important factor for school readiness.

A longitudinal exploration of the relationship between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension achievement among a sample of diverse young learners

Exploring the relationship between early oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement among an ethnically and racially diverse sample of young learners from low-income families, attending elementary school within a large public school district in southeast Florida is the purpose of this longitudinal study. Although many studies have been conducted to address the relationship between oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement, most of the existing research failed either to disaggregate the data by demographic subgroups or secure a large enough sample of students to adequately represent the diverse subgroups. The research questions that guided this study were: (a) To what extent does early oral reading fluency ability measured in first, second, or third grade correlate with reading comprehension achievement in third grade? (b) To what extent does the relationship of early oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement vary by demographic subgroup membership (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status) among a diverse sample of students? A predictive research design using archived secondary data was employed in this nonexperimental quantitative methods study of 1,663 third grade students who attended a cohort of 25 Reading First funded schools. The data analyzed derived from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Oral Reading Fluency (DIBELS ORF) measure administered in first, second, and third grades and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test of the Sunshine State Standards (FCAT-SSS) Reading administered in third grade. Linear regression analyses between each of the oral reading fluency and reading comprehension measures produced significant positive correlations. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the predictive potential of all three oral reading fluency ability measures toward reading comprehension achievement, with the first grade oral reading fluency ability measure explaining the most significant variance in third grade reading comprehension achievement. Male students produced significant overall differences in variance when compared to female students as did the Other student subgroup (i.e., Asian, Multiracial, and Native American) when compared to Black, White, and Hispanic students. No significant differences in variance were produced between students from low and moderate socioeconomic families. These findings are vital toward adding to the literature of diverse young learners.

Differential outcomes of two -way and transitional programs on English language learners at different entry levels

This study investigated the effects of two types of bilingual education programs (two-way and transitional) on the academic performance, attitudes, and metacognitive awareness of 5th grade students who entered kindergarten or first grade with different levels of English proficiency. The multi-stage sample consisted of students who had participated in each program for a period of at least five years. A mixed model design allowed for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data that were analyzed accordingly and integrated. ^ The findings indicated no significant differences between the two groups on measures of academic achievement in English. Significant differences were found in the number of semesters required for the students to become proficient English speakers. An important conclusion, based on these findings, was that the students enrolled in the two-way bilingual education (TWBE) programs learned English faster. Moreover, they maintained a high level of proficiency in Spanish, scoring significantly higher than the transitional bilingual education group on measures of Spanish reading ability.^ Questionnaire and interview data indicated that the students in the two-way bilingual education programs tended to use more Spanish for recreational purposes and tended to rate themselves as more proficient Spanish speakers than their peers. Conversely, the students enrolled in the transitional bilingual education programs tended to rate themselves as more proficient in English than their peers. ^ The level of English language proficiency upon entering school (five years later) was found to make a difference in academic achievement, as measured by standardized tests. Five years of schooling did not fully eliminate the gap in academic performance between students with different ESOL entry levels at kindergarten. However, entry level did not have an effect on attitudes towards bilingualism. ^ It is concluded that, although there was no significant difference between the two groups on measures of academic achievement in English, TWBE and transitional programs have differential effects. Students in the TWBE programs acquired oral language at a faster rate, developed literacy skills in their native language, and acquired more positive attitudes towards bilingualism. Theoretical, methodological, and policy implications of the findings are discussed. ^

Understanding the cycle of violence: an examination of bully and victim social roles in early childhood

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of bullying and victimization in a metropolitan area. A cross-sectional study with kindergarten (n = 127) and first grade (n = 126) children was conducted in two Miami-Dade County Public Schools and three private schools in the same area. Bullying and victimization behavior and social acceptance were assessed through peer nomination and the mental health outcomes of depression and anxiety were assessed through children's self-report. Teachers and parents also completed a social behavior scale for each child. Three areas of analyses were conducted pertaining to membership classification of social roles and the social acceptance and mental health outcomes associated with those roles, reporter agreement within the social roles, and the psychometric properties of the Childhood Social Behavior Scale. Results showed an overall negative pattern of adjustment for children identified as a member of any of the negative social roles. Also, the results support a new analytic approach to the investigation of social roles. The implication of these findings for early identification, social policy, and effective prevention strategies are discussed.

Da educação infantil ao ensino fundamental: o que contam as crianças sobre essa travessia na cultura de escola

From inquiries concerning the child as an individual with rights, this work takes as its object of study the perception of 5-7 years old children on their journey from kindergarten to elementary school, in a school culture. The objective of the research is, therefore, to investigate what the children tell in narratives drawn into a conversation circle about their experiences of school life in kindergarten and the first grade of elementary school. The participants were 18 children from a public school in the city of Natal (RN). Five rounds of conversation were held in which the children told a little alien, who was unaware of the school culture, what they knew about school and what they did at it. The research is linked to the project "Children's Narratives. What the children tell about childhood schools?"(Passeggi et all, 2011) and adopts epistemological principles and research methods of (auto)biographical education, taking as a working hypothesis the child's ability to reflect on their experiences and understand from their point of view, what happens to them. Analyses were organized based on the concept of school culture (Barroso, 2012). In the narratives of children, the three dimensions of school culture: the functionalist (purpose and rules), structural (structure and pedagogical organization) and the interactional (relations with others, with the spaces and with knowledge) are considered intertwined in their school perceptions and signal experienced tensions in a process of "conversion" from child to student. Children seem to realize the uniqueness of each level of education. They recognize as a characteristic of early childhood education the recreational activities, and as injunctions of the first year of elementary school the "study", "learning to read and write" to "be smart" to "change." The schooling will thus, constitute, in their eyes, as a time and a place where the children's culture gives way to school culture, and in this journey they experience that the desire to play and the duty/want to study cross the three dimensions of school. At the end of the journey, the status of children as cultural beings with rights is confirmed, whose narratives about school and about their experiences of "conversion" in a student, reveal much about the power of reflection on themselves, the school and the society in which they live, legitimizing their place in educational research and in child care policies.

The Impact of a Family Home-learning Program on levels of Parental/Caregiver Efficacy

This study sought to determine if participation in a home education learning program would impact the perceived levels of parental self-efficacy of parents/caregivers who participate in the completion of home-learning assignments and increase their levels of home-learning involvement practices. Also, the study examined the relationship between the parental involvement practice of completing interactive home-learning assignments and the reading comprehension achievement of first grade students. A total of 146 students and their parents/caregivers representing a convenience sample of eight first grade classes participated in the study. Four classes (n=74) were selected as the experimental group and four classes (n=72) served as the control group. . There were 72 girls in the sample and 74 boys and the median age was 6 years 6 months. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design utilizing eight existing first grade classes. It examined the effects of a home-learning support intervention program on the perceived efficacy levels of the participating parents/care¬givers, as measured by the Parent Perceptions of Parent Efficacy Scale (Hoover-Dempsey, Bassler, & Brissie, 1992) administered on a pre/post basis. The amount and type of parent involvement in the completion of home assignments was determined by means of a locally developed instrument, the H.E.L.P. Parent Involvement Home-learning Scale, administered on a pre/post basis. Student achievement in reading comprehension was measured via the reading subtest of the Brigance, CIB-S pre and post. The elementary students and their parents/caregivers participated in an interactive home-learning intervention program for 12 weeks that required parent/caregiver assistance. Results revealed the experimental group of parents/caregivers had a significant increase in their levels of perceived self-efficacy, p<.001, from the pre to post, and also had significantly increased levels of parental involvement in seven home-learning activities, p<.001, than the control group parents/caregivers. The experimental group students demonstrated significantly higher reading levels than the control group students, p<.001. This study provided evidence that interactive home-learning activities improved the levels of parental self-efficacy and parental involvement in home-learning activities, and improved the reading comprehension of the experimental group in comparison to the control.

Reading comprehension of czech pupils at the beginning of primary school: comparison betweenanalytic-synthetic and genetic methods

In Czech schools two teaching methods of reading are used: the analytic-synthetic (conventional) and genetic (created in the 1990s). They differ in theoretical foundations and in methodology. The aim of this paper is to describe the above mentioned theoretical approaches and present the results of study that followed the differences in the development of initial reading skills between these methods. A total of 452 first grade children (age 6-8) were assessed by a battery of reading tests at the beginning and at the end of the first grade and at the beginning of the second grade. 350 pupils participated all three times. Based on data analysis the developmental dynamics of reading skills in both methods and the main differences in several aspects of reading abilities (e.g. the speed of reading, reading technique, error rate in reading) are described. The main focus is on the reading comprehension development. Results show that pupils instructed using genetic approach scored significantly better on used reading comprehension tests, especially in the first grade. Statistically significant differences occurred between classes independently of each method. Therefore, other factors such as teacher´s role and class composition are discussed.

'Day number': a promoter routine of flexibility and conceptual understanding

This paper is part of the Project “Adaptive thinking and flexible computation: Critical issues”. In this paper we discuss different perspectives of flexibility and adaptive thinking in literature. We also discuss the idea of proceptual thinking and how this idea is important in our perspective of adaptive thinking. The paper analyses a situation developed with a first grade classroom and its teacher named the day number. It is a daily activity at the beginning of the school day. It consists on to look for the date number and to think about different ways of writing it using the four arithmetic operations. The analyzed activity was developed on March 19, so the challenge was to write 19 in several ways. The data show the pupils’ enthusiasm and their efforts to find different ways of writing the number. Some used large numbers and division, which they were just starting to learn. The pupils presented symbolic expressions of 19, decomposing and recomposing it in a flexible manner.

Formação do pensamento científico durante o processo de alfabetização científica no ensino de teorias atômicas e elementos químicos

Acompanha: Sequências didáticas para o ensino de teorias atômicas e elementos químicos

Aprender numa relação dialógica sustentada pela ação

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Paula Frassinetti para obtenção de grau Mestre em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino 1º ciclo do Ensino Básico.

Objetos de ensino, suas potencialidades e dificuldades para aprendizagem de física no ensino médio

Acompanha: Procedimento para o uso do Tracker como objeto de ensino, suas potencialidades e dificuldades para aprendizagem de física no ensino médio

Ensinar todos os alunos, mesmo "aqueles"

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Paula Frassinetti para obtenção de grau de Mestre em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico