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The Impacts of a Revised Handwriting Curriculum on Independent Letter Formation and Motivation in a Montessori 3-6 Classroom
Get PDFThe purpose of this action research project was to observe the impacts of a revised handwriting curriculum on motivation for handwriting and independent letter formation in a Montessori 3-6 classroom. Participants in the four-week study included eight students aged 3.6 to 5.9 in a private Montessori school located in a small New England college town. The revised curriculum utilized Orton-Gillingham sequencing, plus new handwriting materials and opportunities. Data sources included a daily tally sheet to track handwriting work, daily writing samples, student interviews, and lesson plan/reflection sheets. Data showed that the average daily participation rate for all optional handwriting work was 80% and that age impacted work choice. Handwriting samples showed improvement in independent letter formation. Further research could study the impact of the new letter presentation sequence on the areas of reading and spelling; and explore the use of cursive handwriting materials with this age group
Literacy Approaches in Montessori 3-6: An Action Research Project
Get PDFThe purpose of this research study was to examine connections between the early introduction of Montessori phonograms and increased student-led writing with the Movable Alphabet. This paper discusses the politics of literacy instruction and common literacy approaches used in Montessori early childhood settings, and examines best literacy practices for early childhood students. The study gathered data from Montessori early childhood educators and 19 students in a Montessori early childhood classroom. The classroom data was collected over four weeks, introducing phonograms alongside individual Sandpaper Letters. Children were then given the choice between using objects to guide their writing with the Movable Alphabet and writing their own words without object prompts. The findings indicate that when given the choice, children choose to write their own words. Based on the conclusions from this study, the Montessori education community could benefit from further study on literacy instruction and high-fidelity Montessori practice
Teaching Peace: The Effects of Concentrated Interaction with Anti-Racist/Anti-Bias Media on a Montessori Guide’s Practice
Get PDFThe purpose of this self-study was to examine the effects of concentrated interaction with anti-bias/anti-racist media on a Montessori guide’s practice. It was conducted over a total of six weeks. The intervention included a pre- and post- survey of understanding, nightly media interactions, daily reflection journaling, daily tallies of anti-bias/anti-racist thoughts during the school day, and a daily confidence scale to measure the participant’s confidence to integrate anti-bias/anti-racist concepts into her teaching practice. The study was completed at a private Montessori school in a medium-sized midwestern town, with an early childhood classroom of fifteen three- to five-year-old students of diverse backgrounds. The findings indicate a slight increase in confidence and efficacy for the participant in discussing anti-bias/anti-racist concepts with students, families and colleagues. The findings also point to the strong need for working with other educators and Montessorians for further integrating anti-bias/anti-racist concepts into classroom practice
Call and Response: Constructed Identity and Legible Experience in Danticat’s Young Adult Novels
Get PDFScience Fair was One of the Highlights of My Middle School Life: Using Science Fair to Develop NGSS Practices
No full textThis article illustrates how a seventh-grade life science unit connects to the Science and Engineering Practices and Nature of Science in the Next Generation Science Standards and used science fair projects as a context for students to solve problems and understand how authentic science is done. We outline how student interests drive the development and presentation of science fair projects and discuss each component of a science fair project to reflect the practices and nature of science and how we support students along the way. The article includes images of students and of their work for science fair projects
The Effects of Connecting Rituals on Verbal Conflicts in the Montessori Preschool Classroom
Get PDFThe purpose of this action research project was to see if a program through Conscious Discipline called Connecting Rituals would decrease the number of verbal conflicts in a Montessori preschool classroom. Conscious Discipline is a non-punitive, non-adversarial behavior program that is backed by current brain science. One aspect of the Conscious Discipline model is Connecting Rituals. Connecting Rituals are short games, nursery rhymes, and finger plays that adults and children do together in large or small groups. The Connecting Rituals would increase self-regulation and social skills in a Montessori preschool classroom. The study was conducted in a Montessori preschool classroom at a small Montessori school in the Midwestern United States with 23 preschool children, 2.5-6 years old children. Data was collected over a 4 week period using tally marks to record the number of conflicts, a large group discussion, a teacher daily journal and a post-connecting ritual form. Every day the researcher did a Connecting Ritual at the large group gathering with all the children before lunch and at least one Connecting Ritual with each child during the morning work time over a two week period. The study found that the Connecting Rituals did decrease the number of verbal conflicts, but the results were not significant. Further study is needed to understand the long term effects of using Connecting Rituals in the classroom
Towards an Integrative Model of Ethical Consumption: The Role of Moral Foundations and Identity
No full textEvaluating Interventions to Reduce Lead Poisoning among Vulnerable Population: Systematic Review
No full textBackground: Lead poisoning occurs when the health or bodily functions of an individual are adversely affected. Lead exposure can occur through ingestion, direct contact or inhalation. The population at high-risk for lead poisoning include primarily vulnerable populations, such as low-income minority groups, children, women who are pregnant, elderly, and the immunocompromised. Globally, in 2017, 1.06 million deaths were due to lead poisoning. Lead can spread to the brain, kidney, liver, and can accumulate over time in the bones and teeth. Objective: This systematic review seeks to determine effective interventions to reduce lead exposure and ultimately blood lead levels (BLLs) in the vulnerable population. Methods: Sources for this systematic review were retrieved from Medline, CINAHL, EBSCO. The keywords yielded the most relevant articles to our topic were “Lead AND Intervention study OR Randomized control study”. A total of 30 articles were generated. Eleven studies which met the inclusion criteria were articles published between the years of 2003-2019, written in English, with access to full text, peer-reviewed, and relevant to the topic. The 19 research articles that were excluded consists of topics that did not align with our research topic. Results: Various interventions such as lead screening, residential renovations, boil advisories, education, and medical treatment were implemented to reduce BLLs. The results showed that multiple forms of interventions were effective in reducing BLLs among the vulnerable population. Residential renovations were effective at reducing lead exposure through the home environment and boil advisories were effective in reducing lead exposure through water. Lead screening and supplementation were effective in reducing BLLs throughout vulnerable populations; whereas chelation therapy was ineffective. The effectiveness of education was dependent upon the population of interest, therefore results for this intervention were inconclusive. Conclusion: We suggest that a multicomponent intervention approach would be the most effective in reducing BLLs in the vulnerable population. Residential lead exposure reduction coupled with medical interventions such as screening and calcium carbonate supplementations will effectively lower BLLs. Implication: This review calls for the need to implement interventions which reduce lead exposure and elevated BLLs among the vulnerable populations
Sing to the Lord, All the Earth (and Minnesota): Immigrant Congregations Bring Diverse Worship to the Lutheran Midwest
No full textIn the United States, the two largest US Lutheran bodies are around 95 percent white, and the denomination is slowly in decline in the Global North. But Lutheran membership in the Global South is growing. As of 2016, the largest Lutheran bodies are found in Tanzanian and Ethiopia; they now rank ahead of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and the US. The revivalist spirit of Lutherans new to Minnesota from Africa, Asia, and Latin America is often expressed in a most Lutheran way - music. As Martin Luther himself once said, Music is next to theology. What can immigrants and refugees teach Americans about Christianity in the United States and globally? More locally, what does it feel like to be Lutheran and an immigrant or refugee in Minnesota? What does the music at these congregations reveal about the history of religious journeys