Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education (MAE)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Vicki Olson

Abstract

Kindergarten has changed drastically since it was introduced to the United States in the 1850s. Recent changes in curriculum and government involvement in educational policy such as the No Child Left Behind Act lead to increased rigor in Kindergarten classrooms. Among other curricular expectations, Kindergarteners are expected to be strong readers at the end of the year. In order to determine how teachers perceive these changes and how they affect their classrooms, 91 teachers were surveyed from across the state of Minnesota. Teachers were asked about the basic demographics and structure of their classroom as well as their familiarity with developmentally appropriate practice guidelines as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Results showed that teachers who were more familiar with developmentally appropriate practice guidelines gave their children more free play, did not feel that the amount of curriculurr was too much and their students were perceived to have better academic progress.

Identifier

SC 11.MAE.2014.Marshall.R

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