Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
Access, participation and supports Issue 1 • Season 3: Inclusion2 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support Creator: Gail Joseph Managing Editor: Jessica Egbert Authors: Angela Notari- Syverson, May-Ling Joa Designer: Ceci Skolrud Circle Time Magazine Issue 1, 2019 For questions or comments contact CTmag@uw.edu This document was prepared with support from the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). For more great resources on this topic, and to watch the Circle Time Magazine professional development talk show series, check us out at: http://cultivatelearning. uw.edu/circle-time- magazine/ Notes to Educators Inclusion: Access, Participation and Supports: Highlights and Key Ideas What to Know • Definition of Early Childhood Inclusion • Important Terms Equity Matters • Inclusion as an Equity Move Talk About It • Books Partnering with Families • What is Inclusion Let’s Modify it! • Universal Design for Learning • Individualizing Instruction • Curriculum Modifications Try It Out • Infants • Toddlers • Preschoolers It’s All About You: Building Resiliency 3 4 5 6 9 12 13 16 Contents Nem. Nemquas dolupta turepra nos reium faccusam, samet aborporis que dolupient estotati iusa et, iligenis nam quiam excesequidus aut. Ta dolor resciis quidest et quae ped eossin ea dolupitatem fuga. Ut lam3 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support Welcome to the new season of Circle Time Magazine. This season the focus is on early childhood inclusion. I’m excited to take part in this important topic. I began my career as a preschool teacher in a classroom that included children with and without disabilities. Back then, we didn’t use the word inclusion. We sometimes talked about integrated classrooms or mainstreamed classrooms. The ideas were new. There weren’t many resources to figure out what to do. I clearly remember some of my early struggles to meet the needs of every child and to provide just the right amount of help. Through years of teaching, conducting research projects, and talking with and learning from other teachers, I have tried to organize and categorize teaching practices that work. I’ve tried to figure out processes for making good teaching decisions. I’ve been fortunate to work with many smart and inspiring colleagues. The ideas and practices you will hear and read about this season reflect decades of work from folks who are committed to inclusion - the right of every young child Notes to Educators regardless of ability to be part of a wide range of activities and to participate in all sorts of environments. For older students, we often automatically think of inclusion in terms of schools and classrooms. Inclusion is bigger than that. Young children – infants, toddlers, and preschoolers – spend their days in all sorts of places; only one of those places might be a school. Young children’s learning environments are their homes, the homes of other family and friends, organized early care and play settings, and just being out and about in the community. Even for those children who are enrolled in early care and education, the settings are widely diverse – preschool both public and private, Head Start, child care centers and child care homes, state or city-run pre-K, story time at the library, a music and movement group. The list goes on and on. Consequently, thinking about and planning for successful inclusion becomes more complicated. Knowing where to turn for more specialized knowledge and support may be confusing. Every child with a disability or developmental delay has the right to take part in all of these sorts of learning environments. Their right to enroll and participate is protected by law. More than that, every child has the right to high quality programs. We’ve learned more and more about the features of high quality programs – safe, interesting and engaging environments that are filled with frequent and responsive interactions with caring adults and other children. High quality programs and caring adults set the stage for learning for all young children. This season you will learn about the expected benefits for young children with and without disabilities. These are a sense of belonging, opportunities to make and maintain social relationships and make friends, and to develop and learn to their full potential. There are repeated demonstrations of successful inclusion in the research literature. There are probably successful inclusive programs in your neighborhood and in your town. But, it doesn’t just happen. Just enrolling and showing up is not enough. Successful and meaningful inclusion takes effort. It takes planning. This season we will concentrate on practical and feasible practices that provide just the right amount of support so that every child can learn and thrive. The good news is that you are already using some of these practices. Learn some new practices and learn to individualize by making simple modifications, by creating additional learning opportunities, and by using specially designed instruction when it’s needed. Families are important partners. They know their child’s interests and favorites. Every family has hopes and dreams for their young child. Having friends. Being happy. Trying hard. Learning new things. Caring for others. I hope you’ve already experienced the delights of successful inclusion like I have. I’ve watched children giggle together over a silly song, and seen children give a big hug to a classmate after vacation. Now, it’s your turn to dig in, learn some new tips and tactics, and work side-by-side with families so that every child makes a great start toward achieving these hopes and dreams. 4 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support Inclusive early learning environments Inclusive early learning environments are where children with and without disabilities and their families experience a sense of belonging, positive social relationships, and development and learning to reach their full potential. In inclusive environments, educators work together with families and specialists to provide children with access to a wide range of learning opportunities and individualized supports that allow all children to participate fully in play and learning activities. Inclusion: Highlights and Key Ideas Quality inclusive early learning social and physical environments Key aspects of quality inclusive learning environments include: • A safe and supportive physical environment • Inviting materials • A predictable schedule and consistent routines • Connecting and communicating with all children • Engaging interactions and meaningful learning experiences Educators arrange key aspects of social and physical environments to offer all children equitable opportunities to learn. Educators individualize instruction and make modifications to the learning environment and their interactions with children to increase children’s access to and participation in daily activities and routines.The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) together provided a shared definition of what inclusion means and looks like in early learning environments. Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society. The desired results of inclusive experiences for children with and without disabilities and their families include a sense of belonging and membership, positive social relationships and friendships, and development and learning to reach their full potential. The defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high quality early childhood programs and services are access, participation, and supports. (DEC/NAEYC, 2009). 5 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support What to know Definition of Early Childhood Inclusion Features of inclusive early learning environments Important Terms Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) An important thing to know about inclusion and children with disabilities is that including children in educational programs is actually the law. IDEA, or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the special education federal law that ensures that the educational needs of students with disabilities are met throughout the nation. IDEA Part B and Part C IDEA Part B are regulations related to the education of children with disabilities aged 3 and older. IDEA Part C are regulations related to early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Individualized Education Program (IEP) An IEP is a written legal document that describes individualized special education and related services a child qualifies for. It includes annual goals and objectives and specific accommodations and modifications. Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Every infant and toddler who is eligible for early intervention services has an IFSP. An IFSP is a written legal document that describes individualized early intervention services for infants, toddlers and their family. The plan includes specific outcomes and services for children and families. American with Disabilities Act (ADA). This federal law requires all child care and early learning programs to make reasonable efforts to serve children with disabilities. Access: Educators provide children with access to a wide range of learning opportunities, activities, settings, and environments. Participation: Educators provide children with individualized support that allow children to participate fully in play and learning activities with their peers. Supports: Educators are not alone! They partner closely with families and work together within a broader system of community supports and specialized services. IDEA is rooted in and intended to provide equal rights for children with disabilities. In education, equity means that each child receives the support and resources they need to be successful. In inclusive environments, educators value the full range of children’s abilities and minimize all barriers to children’s participation in play and learning activities with their peers. 6 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support Inclusion as an Equity Move Equity Move: Promote a positive identity for all children Make sure that all children in your learning environment take pride in their identity and are equally valued by their peers. Pay special attention to teaching children pride around their disability identity. Here are some ideas. Equity Matters Morning Circle: Invite children to share something unique about themselves. Work with children and their family ahead of time to identify a specific activity or skill they can share with or teach other children. For example, a phrase or song in a different language, an alternative way to communicate or a special tool to accomplish a task. Display children’s work: Post children artwork, science projects and other accomplishments. Invite each child to communicate about their work during large and/or small group times. Ask the child to share what they liked about their work and what they learned. Encourage children to communicate in multiple ways, in English and their home languages or using gestures, pictures and objects. 7 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support Books! Children love stories! And books are one great way to get the conversations going – colors, images, illustrations are all powerful conversation starters. Next time you read with the children in your care, get them to tell you a little more about what they see in the pictures. The idea is to soak their ears with words. In this edition, we highlight books about children with different types of abilities and diverse identities. Take a look, see what you think! We Can Do It! by Laura Dwight This book, available in English and in Spanish, shows photographs of five differently abled preschool children. We can all relate to these children as they engage in everyday activities in their natural environments with family and friends. Talk about the pictures together with a strength-based approach. What are the characters able to do? They play games, read books, ride bikes, make music, play with dolls and puppets and many more fun things with their peers at school. As children point to the images, label people, places or things. What else do our emergent readers notice? Be sure to check out the glossary at the back of the book for more novel words and information on each child and their abilities. Tips: How To Evaluate Books That Address Differently Abled Children • Check illustrations. Look for stereotypes. • Check the storyline. Children with disabilities play a positive and constructive role. • Look at lifestyles. The pictures and story portray authentic daily lives of children with disabilities. From: Nasatir, D., & Horn, E. (2003). Addressing disability as a part of diversity through classroom children’s literature. Young Exceptional Children, 6(4), 2-10. Comments Look, Gina is playing in the water! David is reading with his little brother. Emiliano has a cat. Open-ended Questions Gina has a wheelchair. Why do you think she uses it? Here’s Jewel playing with friends. What are they doing? Sarah uses her hands and fingers to feel things and tell where she is. What do you use your hands and fingers for? Novel Words Dollhouse Wheelchair Winner Greenhouse Walker Wrestle Strong Braille Trailing Dessert Talk About It 8 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support Partnering with Families Ways to connect with all families • Create a warm drop-off area that includes a place for sharing information about inclusion. – Use, for example, a cork board where you can post short readings on inclusion or suggest picture books for families to read with their child. • Host a Family Meet and Greet. Bring families together at the end of the day with the purpose of sharing information about their child and finding out more about how children grow and learn. Do you know a coach or specialist that could also join the conversation? Great! Make introductions, invite families to ask questions and share what they know about children’s development and learning. Families and educators can work together to create continuity across children’s learning environments and support children’s development in ways that are meaningful and relevant to the child and family’s cultural beliefs and practices. As we include children of all types of abilities to our group care, partnering with families becomes increasingly more important. Let’s start with having conversations with families about what inclusion means to them. Find a good time and quiet place to talk with families of children with disabilities in your care about what inclusion means to them. Like all families, they also have hopes and expectations for their children. How do your families envision their children’s education experience? How do they expect their child to develop? What skills are important for their child to learn? We also have a shared responsibility to educate families of typically developing children on what inclusion is and looks like. What is inclusion? • Invite families to share ideas for creating a truly inclusive early learning environment in your program. Think about daily routines and various ways to make all children feel they are welcome and belong. This is a great opportunity to create shared meaning on what inclusion is and how families imagine it to look like for children in your care. 9 Season 3: InclusionAccess, participation and support Universal Design for Learning (UDL) A UDL framework builds on a strengths-based view of children that recognizes that all children have the capacity to learn. Use a UDL framework to make sure your learning environment and your interactions with children offer all children equitable opportunities to learn. This means educators: Let’s Modify it! Use multiple modes of communication and representation Present information by communicating in more than one way— spoken language, pictures, gestures, three- dimensional objects, communication boards, Braille, written and other modes of communication. Encourage children to act and express ideas using multiple formats Allow children to demonstrate what they know and express their ideas, feelings and preferences through movement, gestures, pictures, electronic devices or any other format that works for them. Offer multiple ways to keep children motivated and engaged Offer activities that are meaningful to children and relevant to differing interests and learning goals. Provide choices, offer appropriate challenges and encourage children’s efforts.Next >