Class Crossover Final

A Collection of Resources

In preparation for next semester, I've spent some time looking into the materials that already exist in relation to what I want to do for my senior thesis. Pinterest has been a valuable resource in this search.

Here is my collection so far.

This folder includes individual activities, links to both parents and teacher resources, possible books that I could read, and websites with more compilations of resources. It's pretty much a goldmine for information.

So far I have been in contact with the kindergarten faculty at Prairie Trail Elementary. This is the school my mother works at, in Texas. They're excited to answer my questions as I come up with them, as well as send me any resources that might be useful.

Moving forward, I will begin looking into other forms of education besides public schools.

Waldorf (Steiner) Education

Montessori Education

The Therapeutic Process of Play

A Thesis Proposal

School demands a lot from kids these days. And I don’t mean us. I mean, from the get-go, in early education, kids are expected to enter the system already having an understanding of their shapes, colors, letters, etc. Children who attend daycares tend to be more prepared in this area. But as for at-home involvement, there’s often a lack of exposure to the academics that they are now expected to already know.

Children and early childhood development are things that I am particularly passionate about. That being said, I would like to take my senior thesis project as an opportunity to address the issue at hand.

The age I would like to work with is 3-5 year olds (and of course their parents). At this age, they are beginning to develop essential skills like fine and gross motor skills, letters, sounds, colors, shapes, and social acclamation. Through interviews with teachers and perhaps day-care workers, I could like to collect, refine, and catalog the best activities to help children be prepared when they get to school. I have also started collecting from the vast, but incredibly cluttered and confusing, list of early childhood development resources that are on the web.

I imagine this can be applied to many things graphically, which is another reason to be excited. Web and electronic devices are something that children become familiar with at a VERY early age. Also, more tangible items such as branding, books perhaps some packaging (for activities or toys) could be artifacts that I tackle graphically. Very exciting!