First Day Of School Research Articles

Reading Aloud and the Use of CAS-2 Battery to Assess Cognitive Skills Improvement

Background. Research has suggested that exposure to reading can act positively on vocabulary development and other cognitive skills required in the early-school years. This paper presents the results of a quasi-experimental study that analyses the relationship between exposure to reading aloud to children and the development of basic cognitive skills, which are essential from the first days of school for the acquisition of all subsequent learning. This research has two objectives: first, to highlight the benefits of reading aloud in the first years of schooling, with particular reference to cognitive skills; second, to propose the Cognitive Assessment System Second Edition (CAS-2) as an instrument able to monitor and quantify the cognitive effects of this practice. Methods. This research involved a sample of 152 children from primary schools in Italy. After thorough teacher training on the proposed method of reading aloud, the teachers undertook daily reading training for approximately 3 months. The children in the experimental and control groups underwent ex ante and ex post individual administration of the CAS-2 test. A mixed model with a 2 × 2 design was used to verify the effect of the training. Results. With regard to the first aim, this study confirmed the hypotheses by highlighting the benefits of reading aloud training. The results on the Full CAS-2 Scale show significant increases in the experimental group compared to the control group. Furthermore, the improvement of the experimental group is evident in all the sub-dimensions investigated (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive). Conclusions. These results confirm the effect of reading aloud on cognitive skills development and the sensitivity of the CAS-2 as an instrument to detect its effects. Future research could explore the use of the CAS-2 battery in student populations of higher school grades, as well as observe the stability of the benefits over time.

Transforming transitions to primary school: using children’s funds of knowledge and identity

ABSTRACT Transition to school experiences influence children’s wellbeing, development, and learning at the time of transition and future transitions. Effective transitions require schools to engage with children and families in ways that connect and empower them in the transition process. In this study children aged 3–6 years and their teachers used a Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and Funds of Identity (FoI) lens to reimagine transition practices for children and their families. Through a design-based thinking process, qualitative data was collected from four professional learning days, as well as individual coaching sessions, observations of the first days of school, and stakeholder interviews. Case studies were developed in collaboration with each participating school. Findings showed three design principles developed by the teacher participants positively impacted teachers’ and schools’ preparation for transitions. All stakeholders described the design-based process as useful in transforming transition practices and thinking about transitions from different perspectives.

Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo

Reviewed by: Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo Kara Forde Arnaldo, Monica Mr. S; written and illus. by Monica Arnaldo. Tegen/Harper Collins, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063003958 $19.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-8yrs On the first day of school, the kindergarteners in room 2B know that something is amiss when they see only a stack of papers, a steaming cup of coffee, and an “impressive looking” sandwich at the desk where a teacher would normally be. As the kids collectively realize they are unattended, half proclaim the lack of teacher means no rules, and the other half vehemently disagrees. A sudden sound of a ruler falling to the floor (for no apparent reason) alerts them to the large “Mr. S” written on the board, indicating that the sandwich—Mr. S—will be their instructor. Reassured about the presence of presumed teacher Mr. Sandwich, the kids confidently proceed through the day’s lessons (with a few quirky variations—cue “Mary Had a Little Ham” for the musical activity), but doubts about the viability of a sandwich teacher creep into class conversations until finally a grown-up bursts through the door. Dramatic tension builds as two concurrent storylines unfold in the illustrations: a parking lot scene is visible through the classroom windows, and an unidentified adult endures the comically tragic destruction of their car in a storm. A saturated, warm color palette, dynamic shifts in perspective, and highly exaggerated facial expressions combine to make Arnaldo’s art central to this story’s appeal. Faithful to the cheeky narrative tone of Are You a Cheeseburger? (BCCB 05/21), [End Page 319] this story gleefully leans into absurdity, with a dash of epistemological musings. Young skeptics will be surprised by the true identity of the teacher of room 2B in a twist that makes this a standout among first day of school titles. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment

Reviewed by: Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment Danica Ronquillo Pamment, Jason Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures; written and illus. by Jason Pamment. HarperAlley, 2023 [288p] Paper ed. ISBN 9780063065208 $15.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063065222 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 3-6 All Ember has ever wanted is to fit in, but that’s hard to do as a small boy living alone in a city of giants. He thinks his luck is changing when he meets a sea turtle named Lua, who takes him to a strange island with a school for little creatures, but even there he has troubles. The first day of school greets him with cruel classmates, and living conditions inside a broken ship are terrible. It also doesn’t help that an ominous sea creature lurks deep in the ocean, stealing Ember’s possessions and possibly threatening the island. In this early reader graphic novel, Pamment’s balance [End Page 334] of horizontal and vertical panels and perspectives fills up the negative space to create a huge, wondrous world of small creatures overcoming their own challenges. The blurred foregrounds with layers of clouds, mist, and rain allow the transparent lighting and lens flares to glimmer on the pages, contrasting with dark caves and brilliant electrifying blues when Ember journeys deep into the ocean. Readers will connect closely with Ember via the journal entries he creates to document and share his personal feelings, both about the strange island and the other characters who have their own obstacles to work through. Young readers will likely relate to Ember’s experience that the world can feel big and scary, but with friends from unexpected places, one can navigate through it all and discover who they want to be in. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Marker by Anna Kang

Reviewed by: Marker by Anna Kang Danica Ronquillo Kang, Anna Marker; illus. by Christopher Weyant. Two Lions, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781542039611 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781542039604 $4.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs Summer is coming to an end, and all the Teacher Supplies are relying on Marker to help prepare for the first day of school—that is, until new team member Pinking “Pink” Shears, a spectacular pair of pink scissors, takes the spotlight. Marker is asked to move out of the superpower mug to make room for Pink, and her lesson on the class rules is interrupted by Pink making amazing paper snowflakes. Preoccupied with comparing herself to Pink, Marker makes permanent mistakes on the classroom poster and soon begins to doubt herself, believing another school supply can finish the poster better. Even when everyone reaches out to help her and believes in her marker “magic” to take on a task only she can do, Marker is unwilling to give herself a second chance. This follow-up from Kang’s picture book Eraser offers the sweet message that sometimes one’s best efforts can be just as significant as one’s successes. Marker’s striving for perfection and her subsequent feelings of failure are made clear by her concerned eyes and frowns, the shaky line work, and effective use of onomatopoeia. The bright watercolor artwork and puns throughout the narrative make an uplifting atmosphere for the reader to empathize and root for Marker as she tries to make the best of things. This is a kind reminder that life gets messy, but teamwork built on individual strengths can create a picture-perfect moment. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

First Night of Howlergarten by Benson Shum

Reviewed by: First Night of Howlergarten by Benson Shum KH Shum, Benson First Night of Howlergarten; written and illus. by Benson Shum. Penguin Workshop, 2023 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593521274 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593660256 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 3-6 yrs For Sophie, the child of werewolves, the first day of school is also the day she may finally change from human to beast. As the day begins, Sophie becomes increasingly worried that her transition will never happen as she watches her Howlergarten classmates excel at their innate lupine abilities while Sophie struggles to get the hang of it; more than anything, she wants “to be a part of a pack.” Sophie’s unease is briefly quelled by the kindness of her classmates, who are inclusive and sharing. Once the class counts down the rise of the full moon, the magical catalyst for werewolf transition, Sophie happily welcomes the surprise of new sharp fangs and a furry tail. Unfortunately, another girl in the class stays human, but with fresh wisdom, Sophie assures her sweetly, “human or werewolf, we are always a pack, [End Page 336] and nothing will ever change that!” Shum’s watercolor and digital illustrations are richly colored with playfully inked outlines, giving them a comic book quality reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels, and the werewolves are of the gentle sort, with soft edges, squat legs, and plump cheeks. Small details, such as Sophie’s pink-eared headband and her chunky unicorn backpack, make for a relatable homage to the little humans that might be reading along. While this is not an especially new perspective on the complex experience of feeling accepted, it makes for an empathetic telling of first-day jitters with a diverse cast of young werewolves and reinforces the axiom to accept and celebrate differences. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Peculiar Woods: The Ancient Underwater City by Andrés J. Colmenares

Reviewed by: Peculiar Woods: The Ancient Underwater City by Andrés J. Colmenares Danica Ronquillo Colmenares, Andrés J. Peculiar Woods: The Ancient Underwater City; written and illus. by Andrés J. Colmenares. Andrews McMeel, 2023 [160p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781524884918 $21.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9781524879297 $12.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 Nine-year-old Iggie is anxious about making new friends and bonding with a mother he barely knows as he moves into a new town called Peculiar Woods. The place certainly lives up to its odd name, especially when Iggie is met with the strange surprise that he can now speak with inanimate objects. He finds unlikely companions in Boris, an enthusiastic yoga chair, and in a sentimental baby blue blanket named Faye. After a rough first day of school, Iggie accidentally interrupts a chess king's ritual, and the game piece demands Iggie join him to find an ancient underwater city in an abandoned flooded town, a journey that gives Iggie an opportunity to courageously help those in need. Cartoonish illustrations just this side of absurd and a balance of witty and meaningful dialogue clearly distinguish the inanimate objects' characteristics and personalities, while the breezy panels expertly pace the heroes' quest, which includes racing with horses, escaping beavers, and facing a washing machine, to get closer to solving the town's mysteries. Thoughtful conversations about confronting challenges outside of one's perceived ability are cleverly represented with text stretching across the page, and Iggie soon learns to communicate his thoughts better, strengthening his friendship with a classmate and his bond with his mother. A surprising twist toward the end of Iggie's journey will remind readers that "Maybe home is not a place. It's something you always carry with you. No matter how lost you feel." [End Page 287] Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Conceptions of Zero A Review of Amir D. Aczel’s Finding Zero: A Mathematician's Odyssey to Uncover the Origins of Numbers

In the 2003 Pixar animation Finding Nemo, a clownfish named Marlin is an overprotective father, and for good reason: he has recently gone through the trauma of losing both his wife and all their fertilized eggs save one. Nemo is his only remaining offspring, a son. On Nemo’s first day of school, he gets caught in a fishing net and is taken far away. Marlin spends the rest of the movie looking for Nemo. He gets to know a variety characters in his search, some providing comic relief, some providing leads. But in each interaction Marlin learns a more about himself, in particular, that he is too fearful and too protective. For some, Finding Nemo is about Nemo; for others, it is about Marlin. That is, instead of Marlin providing a subplot, he provides the central story. Finding Nemo is about Marlin’s personal journey of overcoming the trauma of losing his wife and almost-children. To give even more of a twist to a seemingly benign movie, there is a theory bouncing around on the Internet that Marlin imagines Nemo and everything that happens in the movie is only imagined. That is, he makes up Nemo to cope with his loss. This theory has some merit as Nemo means “nobody” in Latin. Amir D. Aczel is a professor of statistics. He has a doctorate

SOCIALIZATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL LITERACY ON VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN

Violence against children that occurs repeatedly over a long period will cause serious injury to children, leave scars both physically and psychologically, and can even cause death. To reduce acts of violence against children, parents and teachers can do it in form of direct education, identification, and trial and error. Qualitative descriptive service method, respondents in grade 2 SMPI Al-Fatih, Cirendeu. Research objective: to know acts of violence in children. Research results: acts of violence that occurred in this study in the form of physical, emotional, neglect, and exploitation, are still in the low category. Conclusion: to reduce acts of violence against children, the role of parents and teachers must still be increased through various activities, for example, socialization of acts of violence against children which can be carried out on the first day of school for grade 1 students.

Peningkatan Disiplin Kehadiran Mengajar Guru Di Kelas Melalui Keteladanan Kepala Sekolah Di SD Inpres Wolooja 3

This research is School Action Research which aims to determine the improvement of teacher discipline in teaching attendance in the classroom through the example of the Principal at SD Inpres Wolooja 3, Wolowaru District, Ende Regency. The subjects of this study were teachers of SD INPRES Wolooja 3, Wolowaru District, 8 people. This research was conducted in the odd semester of the 2019/2020 school year. The results showed that the Principal's Example can improve teacher discipline in teaching attendance in class, where in the implementation of pre-cycle learning at the first meeting all teachers were present on time, because it was the first day of school for the 2019/2020 school year. The implementation of learning in the first cycle there were 4 teachers who were late to teach in class, and after the implementation of learning in the second cycle the teacher's discipline in teaching attendance in class reached 87.5% based on the responses of respondents (teachers) regarding the example of the Principal, while based on observations 37.5% Teachers who are still less than 5 minutes late.
 
 

Dynamics of relationships between mentors and beginning teachers

This research investigates the relationships that are established between mentor teachers (PM) and beginning teachers (PD) in order to insert the beginning teachers into the school organization and how they are influenced by the institutional management. The specific objectives of the research were the following: (1) Identifying the perception of beginning teachers regarding the difficulties of adapting to the demands of the school environment; (2) Identifying the perception of mentor teachers who work with beginning teachers on the activities of a quality mentorship; (3) Making correlations between the opinions of mentors and novice teachers regarding their strengths and the ability to face adaptation difficulties; The qualitative design consisted of conducting two focus groups with PD and PM. The debut period is considered the most decisive stage in a teacher's professional life. From the first day of school, PD faces the teaching reality that often differs from the perceptions of the teaching profession developed during initial training. The research shows that the teachers in the sample experienced: establishing teacher authority and self-positioning as a teacher, time management, problems with discipline in a classroom, lack of skills to develop curriculum and lesson plans, difficulties in communicating with parents. The article includes critical analysis, opinions on the contradiction at the moment between the legislation and the reality at the school level on the didactic mentoring and the PD insertion.

The reproduction of inequality in Turkey: Power distribution in a primary class*

This paper aims to understand the nature of classrooms, “power containers” in Gidden’s words ( Giddens, 1986 , p.136), in terms of inequality and power share. Inequalities in education have been a by-passed subject in Turkey for a long time, and classroom practices remained “black boxes” ( Mehan, 1979 , p.4). Thus, after a brief summary of power issue in education, educational inequality discussions and their reflections in the Turkish context are discussed in the study. Then, the position teachers hold is discussed with references to history and society. Then, the 6-month observations and interviews conducted on the first grade are discussed both chronically and thematically. Beginning on the first day of school, the teacher held a higher position than the students and parents and distributed power share among students. Students were discriminated against according to their parents and cultural capital (language, strategies, communication style, and school materials). In accordance with the neoliberal policies, middle-class students and their parents were fronted in the classroom and they had more power than the others. However, lower-class students had little power and they were mostly criticized in the classroom. The strategies and advantages middle-class students had over lower-class ones are discussed in the study.

DARK SIDE CASE: Orange Shirt Day: Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples and Appropriation of Culture

At just six years old, in 1973, Phyllis Webstad was filled with excitement to go to the Mission School near Williams Lake, British Columbia. Living on Dog Creek Reserve — Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, her grandmother had intentionally saved up in order to gift her a shiny new orange shirt for her first day of school. It was never to be seen again. Since then, the colour orange has reminded Phyllis of that moment when her feelings did not matter, and her worth was nothing. Years later she reflects on how those initial feelings of worthlessness and significance affected her life. On September 30, 2013, Phyllis spoke about her experience at The Mission School, starting the Orange Shirt Day movement. The colour orange is associated with the stolen lives of Indigenous children who were forced into residential schools. However, for Indigenous communities it is a symbol of solidarity, healing, and allyship. September 30, 2021 was what we now call “Canada’s”, first National Truth and Reconciliation Day. Orange shirts were worn across the country, signifying emotions from sorrow to strength, unity, and defiance. The act of solidarity was jaded by the finding of that many Indigenous artists’ intellectual property was stolen and used without permission for commercial gain. As the importance of the day grows what can be done to prevent further exploitation?

Organization of Systematic Repetition in Russian Lessons in the Ossetian Schoo

The search for the most effective forms of the organization of the educational process in the lessons of the Russian language in the Ossetian school led to the methodology for identifying the organization of systematic repetition of educational material. The repetition of the material passed in the Russian language lessons in the National Audience today is very relevant in terms of improving the mental activity of students. Moreover, the material passed is the basis for which the explanation of the new material should be built. The main purpose of the study is to identify leading incentives for systematic repetition in the Russian language classes in the Ossetian school, formulating a repetition as an important didactic rule: the repetition periods must follow one after another, the skills acquired once not forgotten until the next time. The revealed generalizations, the basis of which the conceptual provisions and ideas of Yang Amos Komensesky and K. D. Ushinsky were based on analyzing the scientific circulation of many years of their own surveillance in school, where experienced teachers work on the repetition of the spelling of difficult sections of spelling and on spelling individual words. The advantage of the proposed repetition system is that, firstly, the repetition is systematically for a long period of time; Secondly, it is organically woven into a new material, and not something artificial; Thirdly, it does not violate the normal course of the pedagogical process and does not interfere with the timely study of new topics. The choice to repeat the partitions of grammar and spelling rules is determined in the article by their thematic interconnectedness of grammatical, spelling or punctuation. The author concluded that the repetition should begin with the first day of school at school and should be applied throughout the academic year.

Consumption of Visually Impaired Students Based on the Theory of Consumer Vulnerability and Resilience

This study analyzes the consumption of elementary-school educational service by visually impaired individuals based on the theory of consumer vulnerability and resilience of Baker and Mason (2012). To this end, an ethnographic investigation was performed on a non-governmental organization (NGO) involved in the education of visually impaired students and conducted in accordance with the procedure of Transformative Consumer Research described by Crockett, Downey, Firat et al. (2013). Data were collected through narrative interviews with 16 elementary-school students, six in-depth interviews with managers and teachers from the NGO Lar, and five in-depth interviews with the guardians of the students, in addition to seven months of participant observations. The data were analyzed using the data analysis spiral technique. The results indicate that pressures from the individual, family, school community, and macro forces caused the state of vulnerability. Impotence in the face of practices by school managers and teachers as well as dependence on friendly schools appeared in the form of shock caused by two triggers events: the attempt to enroll students and the first days of school. The resilience of the consumers, the school community, and the NGO contributed to reduce the vulnerability.

Unbroken: Acceleration is more effective than remediation

“I’m really worried about you. You’ve fallen behind. You’re nowhere close to where you need to be at this point.” How would you feel if, on the first day of school, you were on the receiving end of this assessment?

Fruit flies: together we can remember better

Do you remember your first day of school? Perhaps the smell of a new backpack reminds you of that day? But if you are like me, your long-term memory is fuzzy at best. Fortunately, a quick internet search reveals many ways to enhance memory: sleep better, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. But just being around a group of fruit flies can improve a fly's memory recollection, according to a study by Aurélie Muria and colleagues from the University of Toulouse, France, and the University of British Columbia, Canada.How is that possible? Fruit flies release a tiny quantity of carbon dioxide when they are stressed and as they breathe out. Muria and colleagues thought that fruit flies might improve their ability to recall information from their long-term memory after smelling the carbon dioxide released by other flies in the group, resulting in a form of socially facilitated memory, in addition to their existing individual memory.To understand whether carbon dioxide can help with the retrieval of fly memories, the researchers trained the insects to associate one smell with a mild electric shock and another smell with no electric shock. The flies form an unpleasant memory of the smell associated with the shock. One day after training, the researchers tested this memory in individual flies and in a group of flies in a maze with two compartments, checking whether the flies avoid the compartment with the smell that they associated with the unpleasant shock. The flies that had been shocked into disliking an odour experienced stress and released carbon dioxide while their recollection of the distressing memory was being tested in the maze. The researchers were thrilled to find that flies tested in a group recalled their shocking experience better than those tested individually by choosing the compartment with the scent that was not associated with an unpleasant surprise. The fly's ability to remember improved as the concentration of carbon dioxide in their surroundings increased.The researchers then wondered whether the carbon dioxide-evoked social memory and individual memory are processed differently within the insect brain. Carbon dioxide activates neurons called bilateral ventral projection neurons which connect to mushroom bodies, the memory center of the insect brain. The researchers blocked these neurons and found that group-tested flies, but not individually tested flies, had reduced recollection of the smell that was associated with an unpleasant jolt, indicating that bilateral ventral projection neurons are necessary for carbon dioxide-evoked memory. Mushroom bodies are composed of distinct types of neurons called Kenyon cells, so Muria and colleagues silenced the outputs of different types of Kenyon cells one by one to show that individual memory and carbon dioxide-evoked social memory involve distinct Kenyon cells in the mushroom body. So, individual memory and social memory engage different neural pathways within the fly brain and are processed independently.The presence of other flies can improve the retrieval of a fly's memories via carbon dioxide-mediated social memory. Carbon dioxide released during a stress event may enhance the fly's attention and enable the recollection of memories. This study highlights the unexpected role of carbon dioxide in insect intelligence. I wish carbon dioxide could improve my memory!

Building Resilience in New and Beginning Teachers: Contributions of School Librarians

Building beginning teachers’ resilience may contribute to increasing teacher retention in the early years, in turn improving student academic achievement. School librarians contribute to developing teaching skills by mentoring new teachers. This qualitative study of first to third year teachers and school librarians investigated the contributions that school librarians made in building resilience of beginning teachers through a focus group of new teachers and interviews of school librarians. Findings show that school librarians may contribute to early career teacher resilience, especially during the first days of school, by encouraging perseverance, providing nourishment and empathy, and offering the library as a resource, especially for research.

Stock markets and female participation in the labor force

This paper examines the relation between female participation in the labor force and stock market trading volume. We focus on the first teaching day of the year at kindergartens and primary schools, treating it as an event with characteristics that resemble an exogenous event, and verify this using a web-based survey. We find that the first day of school has lower trading volume than the average daily trading volume during the rest of the year. Moreover, we document that female workforce participation is negatively associated with the trading volume on this day and that, in societies that have legislated gender nondiscrimination laws that govern hiring, this negative effect is even more pronounced. Our main findings document a significant societal phenomenon with a profound effect on stock markets, and specifically on the quality of the information environment, and therefore merit further attention.

Kabbalat Shabbat Services for First-Graders: Recognition of Gender and Motherhood in Reform Jewish Ritual

The Shabbat service is one of the most popular practices in the Jewish liturgy, and over the years it has reflected various social and cultural changes. The service is not only textual prayer but also a performative act, including bodily gestures and using sacred objects and space. In this article, based on three years of ethnographic fieldwork in the Yuval Reform congregation located in Gedera, I analyze special Shabbat services for the first day of school. I argue that the ceremony is constructed by the women in the congregation as a gender performance advocating gender equality and motherhood experiences. Every year, they create a new prayer book, which includes prayers honoring the activities of teachers and mothers, and creatively perform physical rituals by using sacred symbols charged with new interpretations. Thus the congregants are not only undermining both Orthodox rules and the structure of Reform Shabbat services; they are also rejecting patriarchal norms and expressions in the religious space. Although the Reform congregation thereby positions itself as a gender-safe zone, the ethnographic analysis also exposes resistance and tensions – reflecting the difficulty of abolishing heteronormative gender norms and Jewish traditional perceptions in Israeli society.