Elementary Youth Research Articles

“Showing the Good and Bad Together”: A Participatory Exploration of Strengths and School-Based Trauma with Black Elementary Youth

Current conceptualizations of trauma-informed practice in urban education spaces fail to center the strengths of Black youth, nor do they interrogate the role of schools in causing trauma. In partnership with an elementary-aged participatory Student Advisory Board, this article explores the both/and of strengths and school-based trauma for these Black youth. Through narrative analysis coupled with student art and poetry, findings highlight the normative nature of Black brilliance (Gholson et al., 2012). Situating strengths and school-based trauma together promotes a more comprehensive view of trauma, especially as it relates to liberatory trauma-informed educational practice in urban contexts.

“Listen when I come to the table”: Reimagining education with and for Black elementary-aged youth and their mothers

Much of the literature regarding Black youth experiences in schools considers the effects of racism and takes up inquiry through deficit views. Yet, to understand how to shift the system of schooling to provide equitable, liberatory learning experiences, it is critical to center Black children’s voices and perspectives. In the current study, we partnered with eleven Black elementary youth and their mothers to explore their dreams for re-imagining schools. We identified four themes related to school improvement from a child-centered, abolitionist lens. Our findings highlight the need to increase opportunities for youth voice in scholarship and practice, and join existing conversations that see education as the practice of liberation and freedom.

Bus riding leitmotifs: making multimodal meaning with elementary youth on a public school bus

PurposeThis study explores student sensemaking based on the creation and interpretation of sound on a public school bus, operating as a result of a desegregation settlement. To understand these multimodal literacy practices, the authors examined students’ journeys, sonically as passengers in mobile and adult-constructed space.Design/methodology/approachAs a qualitative study, the authors used ethnographic methods for data collection. Additionally, the authors used a design-based research approach to work alongside students to capture and interpret sound levels on the bus.FindingsFindings from this study illustrate how students used sounds as a means to create community, engage in agentic choices and make meaning of their surroundings. Moreover, students used sound as a way around the pervasive drone of the bus itself.Research limitations/implicationsResearch implications from this study speak to the need for research approaches that extend beyond visual observation. Sonic interpretation can offer researchers greater understanding into student learning as they spend time in interstitial spaces.Practical implicationsThis manuscript illustrates possibilities that emerge if educators attune to the sounds that shape a learner’s day and the ways in which attention to sonic design can create more equitable spaces that are conducive to students’ learning and literacy needs.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates the use of sound as a means of sensemaking, calling attention to new ways of understanding student experiences in adult-governed spaces.

Accelerometry and Self-Report Are Congruent for Children’s Moderate-to-Vigorous and Higher Intensity Physical Activity

Purpose: This study used different analytic approaches to compare physical activity (PA) metrics from accelerometers (ACC) and a self-report questionnaire in upper elementary youth participating in the Fuel for Fun intervention.Methods: The PA questionnaire and ACC were assessed at baseline/preintervention (fall fourth grade), Follow-up 1/postintervention (spring fourth grade), and Follow-up 2 (fall fifth grade) of 564 fourth grade students from three elementary schools (50% females, 78% White, and 28% overweight or obese). Different analytic approaches identified similarities and differences between the two methods.Results: On average, self-report was higher than ACC for vigorous PA (range = 9–15 min/day), but lower than ACC for moderate PA (range = 24–30 min/day), light PA (range = 30–36 min/day), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; range = 9–21 min/day). Spearman’s correlations for vigorous PA (.30, .26, and .32); moderate PA (.12, .13, and .14); and MVPA (.25, .25, and .24) were significant at each time point (allps ≤ .01), whereas correlations for light PA were not significant (.06, .04, and .07; allps > .05). In repeated-measures analyses, ACC and questionnaire measures were significantly different from each other across the three time points; however, change difference of the two measures over time was only 5.5 MVPA min/day.Conclusions: The PA questionnaire and ACC validated each other and can be used to assess MVPA in upper elementary school children in a similar population to the current study. However, each assessment method captures unique information, especially for light-intensity PA. Multiple PA measurement methods are recommended to be used in research and application to provide a more comprehensive understanding of children’s activity.

Correlation and Wear-Time Compliance of the Wrist-Worn SQORD Activity Monitor Compared to the Actigraph 3TGX in Measuring Free-Living Physical Activity in Low SES Elementary Youth

Background and Purpose: Activity trackers have grown increasingly popular, yet research grade accelerometers, like Actigraph, are still very expensive and must be worn on the waist. This study correlated the low-cost wrist-worn SQORD band to the Actigraph accelerometer to assess physical activity (PA) in youth from a low-income area. Methods: Forty-one participants (22:19 male:female; mean age= 10.7 years) in an after-school program participated. Participants wore a waist-worn Actigraph accelerometer and a wrist-worn SQORD for seven days. Abdominal, upper and lower body strength and endurance, and aerobic capacity were assessed through FITNESSGRAM tests. Bivariate correlations were used to analyze the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) via the Actigraph and SQORD and to examine relationships between physical fitness and MVPA. Results: At 8- and 10-hour wear-time, compliance with wearing the devices was higher with the SQORD than the Actigraph. A correlation was found between MVPA via SQORD and Actigraph (r=0.651). Neither the SQORD or Actigraph was associated with any fitness measures (r = -0.061; – 0.817). Conclusion: The SQORD appears to be successful in tracking MVPA in youth and was worn more than the Actigraph. Wrist-worn, consumer-grade devices may be a cost-effective alternative to traditional accelerometers for physical education programs and research in low-income populations.

Elementary student and teacher perceptions of a mindfulness and yoga-based program in school: A qualitative evaluation

Research questionWhat are the qualitative insights and perspectives about the implementation of a mindfulness and yoga-based program from elementary youth and teachers? ContextA mindfulness and yoga-based curriculum was implemented in 15 schools. The curriculum was taught to students during a physical education or dance class by instructors who were within each school and received training on the curriculum. Sample selectionVolunteer focus group elementary students who participated for one year and teachers who did not implement the program were qualitatively interviewed, by three trained University researchers. Data collectionNine focus groups were completed within three different elementary schools. Six focus groups were completed with 3rd and 5th grade students. Three focus groups were conducted with teachers within each school which received the program, excluding instructors. AnalysisFocus group data were coded and a thematic analysis was completed among the 40 students and 23 teachers. Interpretation and main resultsTeachers had varying degrees of involvement with the program and communication emerged as a critical theme for buy-in as communication represents the underpinnings of creating and retaining stakeholders. Most students talked about perceived improvements in focus, emotional regulation, flexibility, breathing, and school work. A common theme to describe benefits of the program emerged with the idea of “increased focus”. Conceptually, it may be that increasing mindfulness increases “focus” thus increasing positive outcomes. More research is needed to understand if “focus” may serve as a mediating variable on emotional regulation, cognitive improvements, and other health outcomes.

The use of bicycle desks to increase physical activity in two special education classrooms

BackgroundAlthough the literature has predominantly focused on elementary youth, preliminary findings indicate that attentional benefits may arise from adolescent physical activity as well. Limited research has examined the impact of classroom-based physical activity for secondary students, and no research to date has explored bicycle workstations as a means to improve physical activity within the special education classroom.Participants and procedureTwo special education resource classrooms within a high school took part in the research study. Students were given the option of riding on the bike or sitting on chairs in each classroom. Heart rate, calories, miles, time, and on-task behavior data were collected. In addition, student acceptability of bikes was explored.ResultsThe results indicated that the overall mean heart rate during bike riding was significantly higher than the overall mean heart rate when seated on a traditional chair. Also a significant main effect was found for time on calories expended while riding. No significant results were found for miles or on-task behavior.ConclusionsOverall, students enjoyed the use of bicycles during class, found the bicycle workstations to be beneficial to their learning, and appeared to note as many benefits as limitations with the bicycle workstations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Designing Age Appropriate Engineering Outreach Activities

For over twenty years, the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering has been running outreach programming directed at elementary youth (ages 6 to 14) through its Engineering Science Quest (ESQ) summer camp program. All the activities are designed to be hands-on with the primary goal to increase participant’s interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The camp develops themes, such as ‘Outer Space’ to help motivate activity development and provide practical examples to participants.In 2010, the directors of ESQ modified the approach to develop camp outreach activities to ensure they were hands-on engaging activities related to science and engineering but also paid consideration to ensuring a secondary set of goals were met that considered the cognitive development of the children in the camp. The result was the development of hands-on outreach activities that engaged the participants in multiple ways.The motivation behind the development of outreach activities with these secondary objectives in mind were based on observation of past successes and working knowledge of the target audience.It is concluded that in order to make truly engaging and effective programming for elementary aged youth; activity developers should develop hands-on activities that incorporate both the interests of youth and their appropriate cognitive development stage. Using these methods in activity development will lead to an increase in success and a stronger impact of the programming.

Teaching Group Drumming to Mental Health Professionals

The author John Updike is quoted as saying “What art offers is space—a certain breathing room for the spirit.” Over the past 10 years, there has been a growing recognition of the healing and restorative power of the arts. Music, art, poetry, and movement therapy are commonly being introduced into healthcare settings. An organization, the Society for the Arts in Healthcare (www.sah.org), has been formed to demonstrate the valuable role that the arts can play in enhancing the healing process. The Society also provides resources and education to healthcare and arts professionals and encourages and supports research on the beneficial effects of the arts in healthcare. In the column this month, Ping Ho and her colleagues describe an innovative program at UCLA where drumming was taught to mental health professionals who, in turn, were encouraged to bring drumming to public school classrooms in underserved areas. The evidence described below suggests that the mental health professionals were receptive to education and roughly a third of those who went through the training, in turn, offered a program to clients in the school. — MJK There is strong evidence from the field of psychoneuroimmunology that stress reduction and social support improve health and resistance to disease. 1,2 Ping Ho and colleagues recently completed a study that focused on the use of drumming in a Los Angeles public school with low-income children. They reported that group drumming, integrated with activities from group counseling, led to significant improvements in a wide spectrum of social-emotional behaviors. 3 Significant reductions in the intervention group compared to controls were found in overall problem behavior and in behaviors reflective of specific problems, such as withdrawn/depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, attention deficit/hyperactivity, oppositionaldefiance,andsluggishcognitive tempo. In this study, a school counselor with no music experience was used to deliver the intervention that was designed to accommodate an entire classroom of children, including children with special needs and abilities. Curious as to whether it was possible to educate a group of health professionals on the use of the drumming program, the research team sought support from integrative health advocate Remo Belli (founder and CEO of Remo, Inc) that enabled them to offer free professional development training to an entire division of mental health professionals largely serving elementary youth in underperforming schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District—the second largest school district in the nation. The training took place over a period of two

Assessing a Garden-based Curriculum for Elementary Youth in Iowa: Parental Perceptions of Change

The interest and use of gardens as educational tools for youth has increased in recent decades. The positive connection found between children and horticulture has prompted the development of garden-based curricula for use in schools. Iowa State University Extension developed the Growing in the Garden (GITG) curriculum for use in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms. This study examined what impact the GITG curriculum had on the awareness and interest of first graders in the areas of science, nutrition, and environmental awareness. Impact was assessed by a parental survey asking for perceptions of their child's interest and awareness after experiencing three lessons from the GITG curriculum. The sample population consisted of 78 parents of first-grade students from four classrooms in Iowa. The response rate was 60.2%. Results indicate that a significant number of parents completing the survey noted an increased awareness and interest of their children in the areas of science and the environment. Factors such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and gender did not influence the outcomes.

Evaluating Content Validity and Test–Retest Reliability of the Children's Health Risk Behavior Scale

Describe the instrument development process and report the validity and reliability of the Children's Health Risk Behavior Scale (CHRBS), a scale designed to screen for health risk behaviors among youth aged 10-13 Years. Domain identification and item generation using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and testing relevance and test-retest reliability among a target audience sample of 77 fifth graders in their classrooms in two separate public school districts. Youth performed their tasks as expert item reviewers effectively. Twenty-one items comprise the CHRBS with a reading level determined to be at the third grade. We have developed a reliable and valid measure to assess late elementary youth's participation in health risk behavior.

Physical Activity Patterns in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of this study was to examine age-related physical activity patterns in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Thirty youth, aged 10-19 years, were divided into three groups: elementary (n=9), middle (n=9) and high (n=12) school. Participants wore an accelerometer and completed an activity questionnaire for seven consecutive days. The main findings were that (a) elementary youth are more active than the other groups, regardless type of day or time period, and (b) there are no consistent patterns in physical activity of youth with ASD according to day or time period. Findings emphasize that interventions for this population should address increasing extracurricular physical activity options during adolescence.

Impacts of After‐School Programs on Student Outcomes

This Campbell systematic review sought to answer the following questions with the available high quality experimental studies of programs that combined academic programming with other activities such as youth development or recreation: To what extent and in what ways does access to after‐school programs impact student context (i.e., student location, supervision, and safety), participation in enriching activities, behaviors, social and emotional development, and academic outcomes for youth? Do the effects of after‐school programs vary among subgroups of youth defined by their baseline characteristics? Among the program models and settings evaluated, do some seem more beneficial to youth than others? What are the distinguishing characteristics of those more and less successful programs? This review only included well‐implemented experimental design studies. An extensive search of the literature uncovered only five studies that met the inclusion criteria for this review. The five evaluated programs were fairly homogenous along many dimensions, including their target populations and settings–primarily elementary youth living in lower‐ income, urban settings. Notably, looking across the 97 impacts measured by the five studies included in this review reveals primarily null findings–84 percent showed no significant differences between the program and control youth. Also, not one of these studies reported impacts for parents. In this era of welfare reform, it might be important to understand how this type of intervention targeting low‐income youth may impact parents' job attendance and retention or parental levels of stress while balancing the demands of work and child care. Such parental outcomes could arguably mediate student social and emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes.

Teaching Responsibility to Rural Elementary Youth: Going beyond the Urban At-Risk Boundaries

(1995). Teaching Responsibility to Rural Elementary Youth: Going beyond the Urban At-Risk Boundaries. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 66, No. 6, pp. 58-63.

Memo to: Hopeful Elementary Youth—USA

<i>Memo to:</i> Hopeful Elementary Youth—USA