early childhood | HKU SRT Science of Learning

Tag Archives: early childhood

March 18, 2014 Subtheme 1※Integrating Neural, Cognitive and Pedagogical Approaches to Learning Research and Educational Intervention, ◎SoL-SRT Symposium

Literacy development

[speaker]Dr. Wu-Ying Hsieh[/speaker]
[speaker]Ms Aditi Dubey-Jhaveri[/speaker]
[date]18^th March, 2014[/date]
[time]12:30 to 14:00[/time]
[venue]Room204, Rumme Shaw Building, HKU[/venue]

Literacy, generally defined as the ability to read and write, constitutes a set of skills that are essential for academic and life success. To support literacy learning is one of the primary objectives of school education. In recent decades of globalization, the development of literacy skills has been extended to language(s) other than one’s mother tongue. In this Symposium, two scholars will share their research on literacy development. With their different target languages (L1 vs L2), theoretical frameworks, research approaches and age ranges of learners, the two presentations will provide distinct yet complementary insights into literacy research, research methodology as well as teacher education.

[post slug="coaching-early-childhood-teachers-use-teaching-strategies-support-young-childrens-literacy-development" subtitle="Topic 1"]

[post slug="study-evaluative-strategies-student-produced-crime-news-texts" subtitle="Topic 2"]

March 18, 2014 Subtheme 3※Building Tools and Theory for Learning across Levels, ◎SoL-SRT Symposium (Part of)

Coaching Early Childhood Teachers to Use Teaching Strategies that Support Young Children’s Literacy Development

[date]18th March, 2014[/date]
[time]12:30 to 14:00[/time]
[venue]Room204, Rumme Shaw Building, HKU[/venue]
[speaker]Dr. Wu-Ying Hsieh, LDD, Faculty of Education, HKU[/speaker]
This presentation is part of SoL-SRT Symposium – Literacy development.

Abstract

Dr Hsieh will provide information derived from a research project with a focus on teaching strategies that support emergent literacy in preschoolers. These three “skill sets” of strategies include: (a) sharing books with children; (b) developing awareness of sounds and letters; and (c) developing an understanding of the relationship between ideas and the written word. Participants will learn a coaching model as an intervention to promote early childhood teachers’ use of literacy strategies. Examples of how early childhood teachers embedded these strategies within their ongoing schedules and activities will be shared.

About the speaker

Dr. Wu-Ying Hsieh is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. Before joining HKU, she was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she taught graduate-level courses in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) that aimed at preparing early childhood educators to teach all children in inclusive settings. Dr. Hsieh earned her doctorate degree in Special Education with an emphasis in ECSE from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research areas include ECSE teacher preparation, inclusive education, teacher beliefs, and early literacy. She has published refereed research articles and book chapters, as well as presented her work at international conferences on the topics related to her areas of expertise.

[post slug="sol-srt-symposium-literacy-development" subtitle="SoL-SRT Symposium"]

October 31, 2013 Subtheme 3※Building Tools and Theory for Learning across Levels, ◎Research Seminar

Learning to Learn in early childhood: Home and preschool influences in Chinese learners

Rao, N., Sun, J., & Zhang, L. (in press). Learning to Learn in early childhood: Home and preschool influences in Chinese learners. In C. Stringher, & R. Deakin (Eds.) Learning to learn for all: Theory, practice and international research. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

This chapter considers how the attitudes and skills related to Learning to Learn are facilitated among Chinese learners in the home and preschool during the early years. First, it reviews research on early cognitive socialization focusing on studies which have considered how children’s Learning to Learn skills including behavioral regulation and problem-solving skills are promoted in Chinese families. Next, the role of preschool curricula and teachers’ practices on the development of skills related to Learning to Learn are considered. The chapter then discusses the ways in which experiences at home and in early childhood programs work together to promote Learning to Learn and achievement among young Chinese children.

October 31, 2013 Subtheme 3※Building Tools and Theory for Learning across Levels, ◎Research Seminar

Is something better than nothing? An evaluation of early childhood programs in Cambodia

Rao, N., Sun, J., Pearson, V., Pearson, E., Liu, H., Constas, M.A., & Engle, P.L. (2012). Is something better than nothing? An evaluation of early childhood programs in Cambodia. Child Development. 83, 864-876.DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01746.x DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.07.001

Abstract:

This study evaluated the relative effectiveness of home-based, community-based, and state-run early childhood programs across Cambodia. A total of 880 five-year-olds (55% girls) from 6 rural provinces in Cambodia attending State Preschools, Community Preschools, Home-Based Programs, or no programs were assessed twice using the Cambodian Developmental Assessment Test. Controlling for baseline differences, children who participated in any early childhood programs performed significantly better in posttest than those of children who did not participate in any programs. Children in State Preschools scored significantly higher than those in either Community Preschools or Home-Based Programs; scores did not differ as a function of attending Community Preschools or Home-Based Programs. The results indicate that some preschool experience is better than none at all.