Construction and validation of an instrument to assess the reading comprehension of students from the third to the fifth grades of elementary school

Objetivo:Este estudo teve como objetivo construir e validar um instrumento de avaliação da compreensão de leitura a fim de caracterizar o perfil de leitura e detectar dificuldades de compreensão em escolares do terceiro ao quinto ano do Ensino Fundamental.Métodos:Participaram 378 escolares divididos em trés grupos para avaliação da compreensão de proposições literais e inferenciais de micro e macroestruturas de dois textos expositivos e dois textos narrativos por meio de questões de múltipla escolha.Resultados:Os dados analisados estatisticamente indicaram valores do teste alfa de Cronbach apresentando consisténcia interna nos quatros textos aplicados para os trés grupos.Conclusão:Foi possível constatar que os escolares apresentaram menor número de erros com o aumento da escolarização e que cada tipo de texto apresentou uma dificuldade específica para os escolares.

The perspective of the teaching of arts projected by H. Gardner and the National Syllabus Parameters - (arts) of elementary school

In a concise way, the article reports part of the Master of Arts dissertation in Music entitled The meaning of the teaching of Arts in H. Gardner's perspective, presented in the IAUNESP [Arts Institute-State of Sao Paulo University] in 2008. Some considerations on the Statutory Law n. 11.769/08 were added to the original text. The produced research had an exploratory nature and a theoretical mark. Some texts by Howard Gardner, by the psychologist Eliane Leao, as well as the text of the National Syllabus Parameters-Art, from the Department of Elementary Education, served as a foundation for this article. The intended aim was to demonstrate to what extent the pedagogical proposition of the Arts Education projected by H. Gardner is similar to the one proposed by the National Syllabus Parameters, and which would the benefits be in this age group of an artistic sensitizing work for the development of the individual's personality.

The Social Geography of Education: Neighborhood, Class Composition, and the Educational Achievement of Elementary School Students in Zurich, Switzerland

Despite an impressive amount of research and policy intervention no robust pattern of neighborhood effects on educational attainment has previously been identified. Adequate theoretical modeling and the sensitivity of the results to the method of the study are the major challenges in this area of research. This paper elaborates the social mechanisms of neighborhood effects and applies various methodological approaches to test them. Using data from Switzerland, the research reported here has detected heterogeneous effects of neighborhood on elementary school students’ educational achievement in Zurich. Although modest in comparison with the effects of classroom composition, these effects appear to be mediated primarily through social integration into a local peer network and are differentiated according to students’ gender and their social origin.

Characterization of diabetes risk factors of elementary school children in low income areas of San Antonio, Texas

The number of children developing type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing globally, especially in Western countries. Previous studies have indicated that low socioeconomic status (SES) is a contributing factor to diabetes. This study of children examined the relationship of socioeconomic status and two physiological measures that are risk factors for diabetes: the level of fasting capillary glucose (FCG) and hyperglycemia, in which there is an elevated amount of glucose in the blood. This study utilized data from the study entitled Bienester: A School-Based Diabetes Mellitus Prevention Program. The sample was 1,426 fourth grade students from 27 San Antonio Independent School District elementary schools. The dependent variable was FCG and the independent variable was the median family income associated with the student's zip code based on Census information. Other variables included body mass index, gender, and ethnicity. The statistical results showed no relationship between FCG, continuously defined, and income. In addition, there was no relationship between hyperglycemia and income. Furthermore, there was no relationship of FCG with BMI, gender, or ethnicity. Income measured at the zip code level is likely too aggregate and distal an influence to demonstrate an impact on FCG. Research should continue to examine risk factors associated with the onset of T2DM.^

The impact of a cooking and gardening summer camp experience on the fruit and vegetable consumption of elementary school-aged children

Childhood obesity is a significant public health problem. Over 15 percent of children in the United States are obese, and about 25 percent of children in Texas are overweight (CDC NHANES). Furthermore, about 30 percent of elementary school aged children in Harris County, Texas are overweight or obese (Children at Risk Institute 2010). In addition to actions such as increasing physical activity, decreasing television watching and video game time, decreasing snacking on low nutrient calorie dense foods and sugar sweetened beverages, children need to consume more fruits and vegetables. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2002, about 26 percent of U.S. children are meeting the recommendations for daily fruit intake and about 16 percent are meeting the recommendations for daily vegetable intake (CDC NHANES). In 2004, the average total intake of vegetables was 0.9 cups per day and 1.1 cups of fruit per day by children ages four to nine years old in the U.S. (CDC NHANES). Not only do children need effective nutrition education to learn about fruits and vegetables, they also need access and repeated exposure to fruits and vegetables (Anderson 2009, Briefel 2009). Nutrition education interventions that provide a structured, hands-on curriculum such as school gardens have produced significant changes in child fruit and vegetable intake (Blair 2009, McAleese 2007). To prevent childhood obesity from continuing into adolescence and adulthood, effective nutrition education interventions need to be implemented immediately and for the long-term. However, research has shown short-term nutrition education interventions such as summer camps to be effective for significant changes in child fruit and vegetable intake, preferences, and knowledge (Heim 2009). ^ A four week summer camp based on cooking and gardening was implemented at 6 Multi-Service centers in a large, urban city. The participants included children ranging in age from 7 to 14 years old (n=64). The purpose of the camp was to introduce children to their food from the seed to the plate through the utilization of gardening and culinary exercises. The summer camp activities were aimed at increasing the children's exposure, willingness to try, preferences, knowledge, and intake of fruits and vegetables. A survey was given on the first day of camp and again on the last day of camp that measured the pre- and post differences in knowledge, intake, willingness to try, and preferences of fruits and vegetables. The present study examined the short-term effectiveness of a cooking and garden-based nutrition education program on the knowledge, willingness, preferences, and intake among children aged 8 to 13 years old (n=40). The final sample of participants (n=40) was controlled for those who completed pre- and post-test surveys and who were in or above the third grade level. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the reported intake of vegetables and preferences for vegetables, specifically green beans, and fruits. There was also a significant increase in preferences for fruits among boys and participants ages 11 to 13 years. The results showed a change in the expected direction of willingness to try, preferences for vegetables, and intake of fruit, however these were not statistically significant. Interestingly, the results also showed a decrease in the intake of low nutrient calorie dense foods such as sweets and candy.^

What is a good play school? Recommended standards for the group care of children of elementary school age.

Mode of access: Internet.

Study of elementary school libraries--phase I : report on inquiry no. 1, April 1, 1959.

Includes bibliographical references.

Functional planning of elementary school buildings,

"Undertaken by the Office of education in cooperation with the National advisory council on school building problems."--Introd., p. vii.

A study of the relationship between parental self-efficacy and indicators of school involvement exhibited by Hispanic parents of elementary school children

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Hispanic parents' sense of self-efficacy at various degrees of acculturation to the United States and specific indicators of school involvement in their elementary school children's education. It assessed the effects of acculturation on the level of parental self-efficacy and their degree of school involvement. The theoretical framework guiding this investigation was Bandura's theory of self-efficacy which advocates that the amount of effort a person devotes to the accomplishment of a specific outcome is related to a person's beliefs in their capabilities regardless of actual competencies.^ The research method involved a correlational design measuring levels of parental self-efficacy, acculturation, degree of school involvement and related demographic characteristics. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the degree of relationships existing between the predictor variables of self-efficacy and level of acculturation, and level of school involvement. The data was subjected to a path analysis to test the validity of the causal model advanced in this study specifying a positive relationship between the constructs of acculturation, parental self-efficacy and level of school involvement.^ A total of 109 Hispanic parents of students enrolled in five elementary public schools in Dade County, Florida, were selected for participation in the study. Results revealed a significant positive correlation r =.23, p $<$.05 between level of parental self-efficacy and number of hours parents spent helping their children with homework. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between acculturation and level of self-efficacy r =.21, p $<$.05. Statistically significant positive correlations were also found between acculturation and such indicators of parental school involvement as participation in parent-teacher conferences r =.20, p $<$.05, volunteering at school, r =.22, p $<$.05, attendance at school sponsored sports activities r =.26, p $<$.01, and volunteering in field-trips r =.28, p $<$.01.^ The multiple regression analysis equation predicting level of homework assistance provided by parents and self-efficacy was statistically significant, F(2,106) = 3.59, p $<$.03. The beta weights revealed that self-efficacy contributed the most to the prediction of homework assistance by parents, B =.258, p $<$.009. In turn, the variable of acculturation was the most significant predictor of number of school based parent involvement activities, B =.281, p $<$.05 level. The path analysis confirmed the results obtained in the multiple regression analyses, establishing self-efficacy as having a direct effect on the level of homework assistance provided by parents. Conversely, the variable of acculturation had a direct effect on the number of school based parent involvement activities. ^

Investigação das dificuldades na memória de trabalho em alunos do 2º ano do Ensino Fundamental em Manaus: um estudo com a Working Memory Rating Scale

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Dificuldades de Aprendizagem Específicas)

Provinha Brasil de Matemática: um estudo sobre a aplicação piloto com ênfase no bloco de grandezas e medidas

Pós-graduação em Educação para a Ciência - FC

Alfabetização e letramento literário no 2° ano do ensino fundamental de nove anos: funções e usos da literatura infantil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O ensino de conceitos geométricos no 2º. ano do Ensino Fundamental usando a Webquest Viajando nas Obras de Arte

Pós-graduação em Educação - FCT

Compreensão leitora de palavras e frases: elaboração de procedimento avaliativo

This study aimed to develop procedures for assessing reading comprehension of words and phrases and characterize the performance of students of 2nd year of elementary school in this procedure. It was divided into two phases: 1) preparation of evaluation tests of reading comprehension, consisting of three events: comprehension of written word (CWW), sentences (CWS) and sentences through pictures (CSP) and 2) application of the elaborated evaluation in 120 students distributed in the following groups: GI, 60 students from a public (municipal) school and GII, 60 students from a private school. The CWW test obtained the highest average of score, followed by CSP and CWS for both groups, since the picture contributes to the comprehension of the meaning either of the word and sentences. The procedure was effective to assess initial skills of reading comprehension once it identified inherent difficulties related to the literacy process.

A concepção de linguagem de professoras alfabetizadoras e sua influência no ensino do ato de ler

This article aims to analyze literacy teachers’ conception of language from the classroom scenes that demonstrate the teaching of the act of reading. For the realization of the objective was carried out research in education like ethnography with two teachers in the 2nd year of elementary school a school of the Municipal located in the city of Sao Luis in Maranhão State, whose main instrument for data generation was participant observation. Also, I was guided by microgenetic analysis in order to focus our gaze to the particular aspect of the situation with attention to the “clues” to extract meaningful data. Authors such as Mikhail Bakhtin (1995, 2003) and scholars in the fi eld of reading, Josette Jolibert (1994), Elie Bajard (2007), among others, were considered core to grasp the meaning assigned by the subjects to teaching the act of reading. The fi ndings reveal that the design language of the teacher infl uences the direction of your practice, determining how to teach reading.