Master of Education Research Theses
Date of Successful Defense
3-28-2012
Date Degree Awarded
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
School/Department
Education
Advisor
Eddie K. Baumann, Ph.D.
Keywords
school readiness, preschool
Abstract
Preschools ground their philosophies and mission statements in the developmental theories of Frobel, Montessori, Piaget and Vygotsky. These theories address the development of the whole child in an engaging, child-centered environment that stimulates each child’s natural sense of curiosity and inquiry through real world experiences. Despite the agreement on developmentally appropriate practices, in recent years a shift towards teacher-directed lecture has occurred. Possible reasons include a ripple effect from No Child Left Behind, a pushed down curriculum, and improper or inadequate teacher training. This case study takes a closer look at KinderCare child care centers through observations and examining their documentation. The National Association for the Education of Young Children accredits certain KinderCare facilities as developmentally appropriate. This study seeks to find if KinderCare follows developmentally appropriate practices and if not to identify the causes or reasons for doing so.
DOI
10.15385/tmed.2012.5
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
McCormack, Amy, "Preparing Preschoolers for Elementary School: A Case Study on KinderCare" (2012). Master of Education Research Theses. 40.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/education_theses/40
