Date of Award
1-1-1991
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Advisor
Dr. Roberta Schomburg
Keywords
After School Programs, After School Education, School Age Day Care, Enrichment Activities, Extracurricular Activities, Training, Training Methods, Paraprofessional School Personnel, Student Teachers, Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Curriculum, Curriculum Enrichment, Teacher Education.
Abstract
The aim for this practicum was to increase parent, child, and caregiver satisfaction with the site’s extended day care program through training of caregivers and development of appropriate activities. Two groups participated, one for preschoolers through first graders, the other for second through fifth graders. Three training sessions designed to improve the caregivers’ understanding of the school’s philosophy and goals, basic developmental characteristics of children in the various age groups, and a strategy for effective disciplinary action were implemented. Arts and crafts, cooking, organized sports, and opportunities for unstructured play were designed for each group and supervised by caregivers on a rotating basis. Questionnaires designed by the writer regarding general satisfaction for the program and preferred activities were administered to parents, children, and caregivers before and after implementation of the practicum. Outcomes of this practicum were positive. All of the objectives were reached successfully with positive feedback being given in other, unmeasured, areas. The data from this practicum indicated that: (a) training of workers regarding site specific expectations as well as general information regarding children increases the caregiver’s job satisfaction, and (b) parents, children, and caregivers prefer a program which offers a variety of age appropriate activities in which the children may participate.