2018 CYFS Summit on Research in Early Childhood
2018 CYFS Summit on Research in Early Childhood

Research Presentations

Session I   |   Session II   |   Session III   |   Session IV   |   Download Presentation Takeaways

Session IV

Nutrition Practices & Barriers in Center- and Home-Based Childcare in Nebraska

USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) recommends nutrition-related best practices in childcare to prevent childhood obesity. In this study, childcare providers in Nebraska caring for 38,000 children completed a survey regarding their nutrition-related practices and barriers. Results varied by the childcare context (center-based vs. home-based). Developing this knowledge base will serve as a first step to delivering targeted nutrition interventions to Nebraska children to prevent childhood obesity.

DIPTI DEV

Assistant Professor
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Coaching Parents to Implement a Social-Communication Approach With Children With Autism

This presentation will provide participants with an overview of Project ImPACT, an evidence-based approach designed to teach young children with autism social-engagement, language, imitation and play skills within daily routines. Results from research that included training four parents to implement this approach with their children with autism will be discussed. Participants will learn strategies used to coach parents during play and naturally occurring routines. Data will be presented showing improvements in child imitation and parenting behaviors after implementation of the approach.

Johanna Taylor

Assistant Professor
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Black and White: Race in Teacher-Child Relationship Trajectories

The current study examined the effect of child demographics on teacher-child relationship quality. After controlling for SES, there was a synergistic race and gender effect on perceptions of conflict and closeness. Results indicated Black boys had the greatest risk for poor relationships in kindergarten, followed by White boys, with White girls having the lowest risk. Black boys also saw increases in conflict across first and second grades more than their White and female classmates.

KATHLEEN RUDASILL

Professor
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

COLIN MCGINNIS

Graduate Student
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

KENJI MADISON

Graduate Student
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

PAUL DIZONA

Graduate Student
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

KATE SIROTA

Graduate Student
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Cultivating Mindfulness of Early Childhood Educators in Nebraska

Observing the challenges and high stress early childhood educators experience, a team of UNL extension professionals implemented an innovative mindfulness-based reflection program to reduce teacher stress and burnout and enhance teacher mindfulness and reflective abilities in Nebraska. A pilot study was conducted that included self-report pre- and post-surveys, bi-weekly journal reflections and biomarkers of stress at both pre- and post-program participation. Although there were promising findings, there can be challenges in implementing and evaluating mindfulness-based interventions which will be presented.

HOLLY HATTON-BOWERS

Assistant Professor
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Be Well to Teach Well: Supporting Well-Being Among Early Childhood Professionals

To support positive child outcomes, early childhood practitioners need to be healthy. However, researchers have documented high levels of depression, obesity and workplace stress among early childhood professionals. This presentation will draw on data from studies in Nebraska and Pennsylvania, documenting the working conditions of early childhood professionals, and factors associated with well-being, such as mindfulness and compensation. Expanding on the research base, we will propose a framework for studying individual and systemic solutions for improving well-being for early childhood professionals.

KATHLEEN GALLAGHER

Director of Research and Evaluation
Buffett Early Childhood Institute
University of Nebraska

AMY ROBERTS

Research Assistant Professor
Buffett Early Childhood Institute
University of Nebraska
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Investigations of Emotion Regulation and Executive Function in Educare

This study presents data from investigations of teacher executive function as measured by the Minnesota Executive Function Scale and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire as they relate to one another and classroom quality observational scores from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Version 3 and the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised. Preliminary findings show relations between MEFS standard scores and the Interactions Subscale on the ECERS-3 and expected negative relations between the Emotion Suppression subscale of the ERQ and the Personal Caregiving subscale of the ECERS-3, among preschool teachers. Additional results will link classroom observation data as measured by CLASS to child executive function scores.

HELEN RAIKES

Willa Cather Professor
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

DAWN DAVIS

Project Manager
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

JOLENE JOHNSON

Assistant Professor/Associate Director of Education and Interdisciplinary Center of Program Evaluation
Department of Education and Interdisciplinary Center of Program Evaluation
University of Nebraska Medical Center
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The Simple View of Mathematics for Language-Minority Children

This study evaluates correlates of reading comprehension and word problem-solving skills among a sample of Spanish-speaking, language-minority children. Results indicated that children's decoding (i.e., word reading) and language skills were equally correlated with reading comprehension and word problem-solving outcomes. These findings have implications for the assessment of mathematics skills in young language-minority children.

MARC GOODRICH

Assistant Professor
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

JESSICA NAMKUNG

Assistant Professor
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Translanguaging for Biliteracy Development: Book Reading Practices in a Chinese Bilingual Family

This is a qualitative case study that explores interactions during book reading practices in a bilingual Chinese family. The study employs sociocultural lens, specifically Vygotsky's (1978) concept of mediation and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), to describe the characteristics of interactions; and Bakthin's (1981) heteroglossia, to discuss the significance of these interactions. We find that use of translingual reading practices maximizes meaning making of the texts between the participants.

LYDIAH KIRAMBA

Assistant Professor
Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

SHULING YANG

Doctoral Candidate
Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Digital Storytelling With English Learning Families

This study examines how two 10-week family literacy programs integrated the use of digital storytelling on mobile devices to enhance parents' and children's literacy engagement. To deepen our insight into literacy engagement with multilingual families, we explored the relationship between literacy and language opportunities, constructional practices, literacy interactions and socio-emotional quality of practices developed in an interactional model of multilingual child's literacy.

STEPHANIE WESSELS

Associate Professor
Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

BRANDY JUNKINS

Doctoral Student
Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

GUY TRAININ

Professor
Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Playing With Nature: Fostering Children's Creativity and Problem-Solving

This presentation will feature information gleaned from experience and research on creativity and nature. The natural outdoor classrooms studied included ample space and materials to uniquely support young children's creativity and joyful learning. Participants will learn strategies for implementing changes to boost creativity, ingenuity and problem-solving through selection of "loose parts" and tools for children's use. Examples of strategies for reflective teaching practices that involve children in co-creating their own learning experiences will also be shared.

CHRISTINE KIEWRA

Assistant Professor of Practice
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Children's Executive Functioning in a Natural Outdoor Setting vs. Indoors

This study compares 10 children's performance on tasks assessing attention, inhibitory control, spatial working memory and verbal working memory indoors, and in an outdoor, natural area. Results indicated that children performed better on the spatial working memory task outdoors compared to indoors. There were no differences in performance on measures of verbal working memory, inhibitory control or attention as a function of location. However, analysis of event-related potentials revealed significantly greater amplitude N100 and P300 indoors compared to outdoors, indicating that the task required more effort indoors to accomplish the same level of performance outdoors.

JULIA TORQUATI

Professor
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies
University of Nebraska — Lincoln

ANNE SCHUTTE

Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
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Associations Between Physiological Regulation and School Readiness in Young Children

This presentation discusses recent studies examining the associations between young children's physiological reactivity and their cognitive control. Particular emphasis will be placed on how physiological regulation may affect children's ability to manage attentional resources for learning.

CARrie CLARK

Assistant Professor
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Nebraska — Lincoln