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The purpose of this qualitative study was to focus on the laughter-provoking events and situations that supported the teaching, learning, and relationships of 13 kindergarten children, one teacher, and one researcher in a public school classroom in Southwestern Virginia. This study drew on principles from portraiture, ethnography, and case studies, and primarily utilized observation, fieldnotes, informal interviews, and audiotape to document daily events and conversations. Discussion of the importance of laughter for these children, teacher, and researcher begins with three short case study portraits on different children, including how their varying personalities and interests prompted me to use laughter with them in varying ways. Next, the importance and meanings of laughter in the group is given focus, specifically the daily morning group where the entire class came together at once with the classroom teacher. Next, four themes that surfaced early in my research that were filled with laughter are portrayed, primarily how they demonstrated continuity throughout the semester. Then, the stimuli in the daily curriculum or discourse that were laughable are described, with specific focus on how laughter can be important to, or help facilitate learning. Last, I will summarize my findings to discuss the practical applications of laughter and humor for the teacher. Ph. D.

This thesis is a narrative inquiry of laughter in a University Lab School preschool classroom that describes the many situations in which children laugh as well as laughter's importance for the children, for me, and for all of us as a whole within the context of our classroom. To date, there is a paucity of research on children's laughter, especially in young children. The majority of research that has been conducted has been quantitative in nature, with few attempts to comprehensively describe the many situations in which laughter occurs. For my study, I felt it crucial to look at, document, and describe preschoolers' laughter, taking into consideration the many facets of their school day including free play, story time, playground time, and snack time. My sample included all of my 14 preschoolers, who ranged in age from 3 years to 4 years, 4 months at the outset of the study. I also deemed it important to look at what these laughter-producing situations meant to me and the children in my classroom, including what deeper worth laughter for all of us, how we used it in the classroom, and how it helped me to grow both personally and professionally through my research. Master of Science