Research in ECE Master's Thesis: Young Children's Social-Emotional and Fine Motor Skills Development

Isabel Cespedes looked into the development of social-emotional and fine motor skills in Kindergarteners who had attended Prek before entering Kindergarten as compared to those who had not attended PreK before Kindergarten. Below is an outline and and visual representation of the study:


Starting Kindergarten is an important step in a child’s education. Many children enter Kindergarten with different levels of skills and experiences, especially depending on whether or not they attended Pre-K. This study looks at how attending Pre-K can affect a child’s social, emotional, and fine motor development. By interviewing kindergarten teachers and observing students in the classroom, I aimed to better understand how early education can help children succeed when they begin school.

For this study, I interviewed two kindergarten teachers from two different classrooms. I asked them if they knew which students had attended Pre-K and if they noticed any differences between the students who had and had not attended Pre-K at the beginning of the school year. The purpose of these questions was to learn if attending Pre-K helps children as they move into kindergarten.

Each teacher took part in one 45-minute interview. They shared their thoughts and experiences about how their students were doing, especially in areas like social skills and fine motor skills. After the interviews, I observed two students from each class, one who had attended Pre-K and one who had not. I observed each student for 10 minutes, twice a week. During these times, I looked at how the students interacted with others, managed their emotions, and used fine motor skills like writing or cutting.

Based on my data it seems that going to Pre-K can help children in many ways. Students who went to Pre-K often had an easier time getting used to school, talking to others, and doing classroom tasks. By interviewing the teachers and observing the students, I learned more about how Pre-K can help children get ready for kindergarten and support their growth.



Research in ECE Master's Thesis: Enhancing Family/Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Settings

Gladys Maza focused her inquiry on the dynamics of parent/family involvement in early childhood educational settings. An overview of the study along with a visual representation can be found below:


The focus of my research was on family involvement in an early childhood setting. My primary research question was, how can family involvement be enhanced in a pre-K classroom? Three sub-questions were: 

  1. What are parents' perceptions about family involvement?  

  2. What are the challenges parents encounter with family involvement? 

  3. How do teachers create a welcoming environment for parents to be involved in the classroom? 

The purpose of this study was to determine how to enhance family involvement in a Pre-K classroom. Based on my findings from interviews with three parents, it is clear that they want the best for their children and understand their roles as parents. The teachers also strive to make parents feel welcome in the classroom and do their best to encourage their involvement. My observations indicated that parents actively engage with them and tend to perform better in school. Two of the parents in the study were able to participate and be involved in school activities. However, the third parent, a single parent, found it challenging to be involved. The question remains: what will I do moving forward? I will continue to encourage family involvement and ensure that parents who are unable to come to school receive all the necessary information about what they missed. I will continue to send out information to keep parents well-informed about school via email, text, and Class Dojo. Additionally, I provide a calendar with all the key dates in advance, allowing parents to plan for important meetings, events, and shows that they are invited to attend. 

This study has provided me with valuable insights into the perspectives of parents. It has encouraged me to reflect on my own practices. In the future, when I host an event, meeting, or celebration, I will reach out to parents who may have missed important information and ensure they receive it. As teachers, we must recognize that there are various reasons why parents may be unable to participate in their child's education. It is our responsibility to find effective ways to communicate and collaborate with them, acknowledging that both teachers and parents play a crucial role in ensuring a child's success in school.



Research in ECE Masters Thesis: Examining children’s social emotional development in an early childhood mixed age classroom

Aigerim Konrat examined the advantages and challenges children and teachers experienced in a mixed-age early childhood classroom, focusing specifically on children's social-emotional development. Attached here is a brief outline and the visual representation that Aigerim created of her study:


This research study aimed to examine children’s social-emotional development in a mixed-age classroom in a private school. Theories and researchers have different views regarding mixed-age classrooms where some (Vygotsky, Montessori) support it, and others (Piaget) believe that children benefit more from same age peer interaction (Plotka, 2016). The present study focused on benefits and challenges children might have from being in a mixed-age classroom, and the role that older children played while mentoring younger children. This study was conducted in the mixed- age classroom of a private school.

Research in ECE Masters Thesis: Learning Outside - The Impact of Risk in Outdoor Play on Intellectual and Cognitive Development

Rohana Chase conducted an inquiry on the correlation between the risks that children took during their outdoor play and their intellectual and cognitive development. Here is a visual representation of her study along with a brief overview:



This research study analyzed the impact of unstructured, risky play outdoors on intellectual and cognitive development. I conducted observations at four different play sites that had varying "risky" environmental conditions and interviewed two experts on outdoor play and risk. My findings indicated a correlation between risky outdoor play and increased levels of independence, self-esteem, and confidence. This correlation also suggested that a sense of confidence and autonomy nurtured by frequent risky play supports intellectual and cognitive development that can be measured by academic performance.