LSU Child Development Laboratory



	NAEYC Accreditation! Click here for more information! LSU CHILD DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY PRESCHOOL (LSU Lab Preschool) School of Human Ecology Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (225) 578-1707 (225) 578-2408 (Director's Office) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The LSU Child Development Laboratory Preschool is located in the School of Human Ecology on Tower Drive. The program serves 20 children ages three and four in the part-time preschool program, which operates Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The LSU Lab Preschool is not only a learning environment for young children, but it also serves as a laboratory for undergraduate and graduate students studying early childhood education and child development. PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY The LSU Lab Preschool follows the National Association for the Education of Young Children's guidelines for developmentally appropriate teaching practices and accreditation (www.naeyc.org). Teachers in the LSU Lab Preschool combine their understanding of how children develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically with what is known about each child's interests, abilities, needs, and background. A developmentally appropriate curriculum provides the foundation for the mental and social skills that are essential for children's later academic success. Specific goals include . increasing independence in meeting and solving problems . promoting self-esteem and confidence . promoting co-operation and other pro-social behaviors . fostering cognitive learning, concept formation, and self-understanding . fostering creativity and free self-expression in art, music, and dramatic play . stimulating and supporting curiosity Research has shown that young children learn best through sensory experiences and rich interactions with the physical and social environment. LSU's laboratory classroom is divided into the following learning centers: dramatic play, art, library, sciencediscoveries,toys and games, computer, writing, and blocks. These learning centers promote independence, foster decision-making, and encourage involvement. Teachers prepare materials in the centers in conjunction with a thematic unit,or project which is based on the interests of the children. Daily activities include center time, group time, snack, outdoor play, music, and story-time. Human Ecology Child Development Laboratory Preschool Research Program The Child Development Laboratory conducts research on teacher interventions focused on improving educational outcomes for young children who are typically developing, as well as young children with identified disabilities. All research is conducted by graduate students who work closely with their major professor on mutually agreed-upon research projects. The graduate student learns the skills necessary to identify a research topic, conduct a review of the literature, formulate an intervention, design a data collection system, implement the intervention, and summarize research results. Presentations and manuscript submissions are a required component of the graduate program. Please read below to learn more about past graduate student research in the Child Development Laboratory. Andrée Schellhaas, M.S. (2006) Thesis: “The Interest Center Choices of Preschool Children” Committee Members: Cynthia F. DiCarlo, Sarah Pierce, & Joan Benedict Abstract It is recommended practice for early childhood educators to provide children with extended periods of free play in which children are able to learn through hands-on experiences with the classroom environment (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997; Cryer, Harms, & Riley, 2003; Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 1998). Early childhood educators plan meaningful experiences for each interest center based on standards and objectives. Although some children choose to participate in all the provided activities, other children require additional assistance in choosing between the variety of experiences that are provided in the early childhood classroom environment. Children that avoid spending time in certain interest centers or spend time not engaged in any activity miss the opportunity to practice the skills associated with those centers. In this study, a choice board intervention was implemented to help children participate in identified low preference interest centers more often and spend less time not engaged in any activity. Results indicate that the choice board intervention increased the amount of time children spent in interest centers previously identified as low interest and also decreased the amount of time children spent not engaged with materials. Resulting Manuscripts: Schellhaas, A., DiCarlo, C., Pierce, S., & Benedict, J. (2006). Interest area choices of preschoolers. Article submitted to Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Schelhaas, A., DiCarlo, C., Pierce, S., & Benedict, J. (2006). Play and the Arrangement of the Classroom Environment in Inclusive Early Childhood Programs. Article submitted to Children & Families. Angela Wayne, M.S. (2006) Thesis: “Increasing the Literacy Behaviors of Preschool Children through Environmental Modification” Abstract Research on emergent literacy states that young children learn about reading and writing through experiences with oral and written language. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency that individual preschool children voluntarily engaged in literacy behaviors during free choice in the classroom. The sample consisted of nine preschool children from low-income families enrolled in three classrooms in an urban preschool program. The classroom environment was assessed using the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO - Smith & Dickinson, 2002), which provides infor- mation on how well the classroom environment supports early literacy development. Literacy behaviors were measured during center time, a period when children are allowed to choose their activities. Intervention consisted of (1) adding literacy props to centers based on the needs identified by the ELLCO and (2) a teacher mediation intervention. Results were consistent with previous studies in that the addition of literacy props paired with teacher mediation led to an increase in literacy behaviors among preschool children. Resulting manuscripts: Wayne, A., DiCarlo, C., Burts, D., & Benedict, J. (2007). Increasing the Literacy Behaviors of Preschool Children through Environmental Modification. The Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Wayne, A., DiCarlo, C., Burts, D., & Benedict, J. (2008). Supporting Emergent Literacy in the Early Childhood Classroom. Article submitted to Children & Families. Jamie Ourso, M.S. (December, 2007) Thesis: “Using Least-to-Most Assistive Prompt Hierarchy To Increase Child Compliance With Directives in an Inclusive Preschool Classroom” Committee Members: C.DiCarlo, S.Pierce, & J. Benedict Abstract Prompt strategies have been used in the literature to increase the compliance of preschool-aged children to teacher directives (Wilder & Atwell, 2006; Wolery & Gast, 1984). The purpose of this study was to train teachers to use guidance/prompt strategies to increase child compliance with teacher directives related to play and social skills. This study builds on the current literature base by using prompting, specifically the least-to-most assistive prompt hierarchy (LtM) (first described by Horner & Keilitz, 1975), with the additional requirement of teacher-child proximity and teacher-child eye level prior to beginning the prompt sequence. These two additional requirements are consistent with recommended practice in early childhood education (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). The participants consisted of 3 preschool teachers in an inclusive early childhood classroom. Teacher prompts and children’s completion of teacher directives were measured during free choice center time. Results were consistent with previous research (Wilder & Atwell, 2006; Wolery & Gast, 1984) in that compliance to teacher directives increased in preschool children with the implementation of the least-to-most assistive prompt hierarchy. Resulting manuscripts: Ourso, J., DiCarlo, C.F., Pierce, S., & Benedict, J. (2008). Using least-to-most assistive prompt hierarchy to increase child compliance with directives in an inclusive preschool classroom. Article submitted to the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education. Mauree Harris, projected graduation date M.S. (Spring, 2008) Thesis: “Recommended practice in preschool instruction: Increasing child task engagement during whole group” Committee Members: C.DiCarlo, K. Denny, & J. Benedict. Abstract In a teacher-directed activity, such as whole group, children can learn new skills by following the teacher’s directions and/or model the teacher’s behaviors. The National Association for the Education of Young Children Developmentally Appropriate Practices provides several recommended practices for creating a community of learners. When teachers follow these strategies they are providing multiple opportunities to engage children (Bredkamp & Copple, 1997). When used appropriately, whole group instruction can be very effective when teaching and can be used at various times of the day. Whole group instruction builds a sense of community among the classroom. The purpose of this study is two fold: 1) to establish normative data to determine typical levels of correspondence with recommended practice and typical levels of child task engagement during whole group instruction 2) to modify the whole group activity to determine if child task engagement is impacted. This identifies the levels of task engagement of children during whole group instruction, while concurrently describing the whole group instruction in terms of recommended practice for preschool. The purpose is to determine if the identified criteria for recommended practice in whole group instruction will impact child task engagement during this activity. The settings for the targeted classrooms were three preschool classrooms. Each of the three classrooms was selected based on their performance as compared to the normative data in Phase One. These three classrooms had the highest amount of children exhibiting low levels of task engagement and low number of recommended practice for whole group instruction. Results indicated that when each of the teachers increased their adherence to the recommended practice in whole group instruction, children’s task engagement was observed to increase. Susanna Melikyan, projected graduation date M.S. (Spring, 2008) Thesis: “Increasing the communicative behaviors of children with low levels of communicative initiations in an inclusive preschool classroom” Committee Members: C.DiCarlo, K. Denny, & J. Benedict Abstract The purpose of this study was to measure the current level of communicative initiation exhibited by children enrolled in the LSU preschool program. Child communication was categorized as either specific, unclear, or negative. These descriptors referred to peers ability to interpret the target child’s communication. Additionally, peer responses were recorded as either positive or negative based on their reaction to the target child’s communication. Children identified with either low levels of communicative initiation or unclear/negative communications were targeted for the intervention. Single-subject research methods were used to record each child’s communicative behaviors. A least-to-most assistive prompt hierarchy (LtM - Horner & Keilitz, 1975) intervention was applied as teacher mediation in the form of coaching. All three children demonstrated an increase in their specific communication toward peers when the LtM teacher prompting intervention was applied; additionally, increases in positive peer responses was also observed. TEACHING STAFF The director of the LSU Lab Preschool is a faculty member with a graduate degree in early childhood education and child development in the Child, and Family studies division of the School of Human Ecology. The master teacher plans and team-teaches with graduate assistants, and they become the children's primary teachers. During the fall semester, undergraduates studying to be certified in PK Kindergarten participate daily in interactions with the children. In the spring, several undergraduates have their student teaching experience supervised in the LSU Lab Preschool. Throughout both semesters, students beginning to study child development use the lab's observation booth to discover the ways that children grow and learn. Occasionally, students and professors from other departments on the University's campus also observe and interact with children and teachers in the Child Development laboratory preschool. CHILDREN The primary objective in selecting children for the LSU Child Development Laboratory Preschool is to provide university students an opportunity to observe, study, and participate with children from a variety of situations and backgrounds. Enrollment is composed of a balance in number of boys and girls and three- and four-year-olds. When possible, children are selected based on . different parental occupations and socioeconomic levels . different races, religions, nationalities, and ethnic groups . special needs . adoptions and multiple births Application forms may be printed off of the LSU Child Development Laboratory Preschool web site http://www.huec.lsu.edu/preschool/applications.htm or obtained from the School of Human Ecology office. Children learning about hurricanes using the "project approach" in the LSU preschool. http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v7n2/aghayan.html Those interested in becoming a Friend of the LSU Preschool can contact the School of Human Ecology Development Office at 578-2409.