Former Teacher of UC s Youngest Learners to March at Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

Former retired UC preschool teacher Sally Moomaw will receive her doctor of education degree in special education at the University of Cincinnati Doctoral Hooding and Master’s Recognition Ceremony at 1:30 p.m., Friday, June 13, in Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center (processional begins at 1 p.m.) Because of her achievement, Moomaw is teaching at UC again, with new appointments as an assistant professor in early childhood education and special education.

Moomaw, who lives in Williamsburg Township, first graduated from UC in 1971, when she earned her bachelor’s degree in music from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). She earned her master’s degree in child development from UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) in 1972, and in 1978, she started working at UC as an early childhood teacher education specialist – a teacher of the university’s youngest learners and a mentor for future teachers – at the Arlitt Child and Family Research and Education Center. The award-winning laboratory preschool on campus, which serves children aged three to five, is one of the oldest demonstration preschools in the United States.

Along that career path, she became an award-winning author, receiving a national human rights award for Lessons from Turtle Island – Native Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms – which broke down stereotypes about Native Americans. She has written or co-written 12 books on early childhood math, science, literacy and music curricula.

She retired from the Arlitt Center in 2005, but retirement obviously did not end her UC milestones. As she worked toward her EdD, she worked part-time as a CECH adjunct faculty member, teaching the future teachers of preschool-primary children.

Moomaw’s research dissertation examined an issue at the forefront of education, as emphasis grows on development in the science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. Moomaw’s research delved into how young children develop their understanding of numbers and number systems. She served as the Arlitt curriculum specialist for a Head Start grant’s research team that developed a battery of preschool math and literacy assessment tools. One documents early childhood math performance in a game played between the assessor and the child. For children at this young age, the game kept the “research subjects” engaged and entertained, allowing the examiner to successfully perform the evaluation.

For her dissertation, she modified the math measure and was able to confirm its validity as an assessment tool. Moomaw says, “In terms of assessment and preschoolers, we need to make sure we’re using a tool that’s age appropriate, because they’re not school-age children. If they’re not interested, they’re going to find something else to do. So, you have to be able to capture their attention in a test that’s play-based for them.

“I guess I never did retire,” she says, smiling. “I really wanted to learn how to go about actually doing a research study, and this has really been fun.”

Vicki Carr, Arlitt director and member of Moomaw’s doctoral committee, says, “Sally has an incredible sense of wonder and appreciation for children’s learning. Her research in mathematics for young children affirms her years of practice as an outstanding early childhood educator.”

Moomaw jokes of UC that she and her family “just can’t seem to get away from this place.” She met her husband, Charles Moomaw (who earned his PhD in music) as an undergrad at CCM. Both of them play in the UC student, staff and faculty symphony based at CCM. Sally’s primary instrument is the cello. Her son, Peter, who began his UC career as a preschooler at the Arlitt Center, is now a doctoral candidate in physics.

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