Date of Award

5-3-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

Program

Early Childhood Education

Capstone Instructor

Dr. Kelly Sadlovsky

Second Reader

Dr. Tamara Nuttall

Keywords

disciplinary literacy, achievement gap, developmentally appropriate practice (DAP), school readiness, developmental domains, content areas, disciplinary habits of the mind (HoM)

Abstract

The research questioned the potential impact disciplinary literacy may have on academic growth in early childhood classrooms and considered how preschool teachers can implement developmentally appropriate practices focusing on disciplinary literacy to support academic readiness skills. Schools emphasize a need for early intervention in the math and literacy domains to combat the academic achievement gap, but Chapin (2006) recognized a need for early intervention in the science and social studies domains as well. With this knowledge in mind, specific developmentally appropriate methods for integrating science, social studies, music, and art instruction in preschool classrooms were highlighted. Systemic methods of implementing disciplinary literacy in preschool classrooms were explored, including integrated curriculums and teacher preparation programs. Though disciplinary literacy is traditionally a secondary practice, and there are questions about whether young children are developmentally ready for the advanced concepts disciplinary literacy involves, research showed its potential impact on young children (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2014). When children are taught to read, write, think, and talk like scientists, historians, mathematicians, musicians, artists, and authors, they gain invaluable skills that prepare them for later academics (Colwell et al., 2023; Mongillo, 2017).

Download

Share

COinS