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Planning for Inclusion Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2 2 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for Inclusion Creator: Gail Joseph Managing Editor: Jessica Egbert Authors: Angela Notari- Syverson, May-Ling Joa Contributing Author: Susan Sandall Designer: Ceci Skolrud Circle Time Magazine Issue 2, 2020 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 resources on this topic, and to watch the Circle Time Magazine professional development talk show series, visit: http:// cultivatelearning. uw.edu/circle-time- magazine/ Notes to Educators Highlights and Key Ideas What to Know Equity Matters Talk About It Partnering with Families Let’s Modify It! Try It Out It’s All About You 3 4 5 8 10 11 13 16 Contents 3 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for Inclusion Welcome! In this issue learn about the importance of planning to help children take full advantage of the learning environment and activities. Also, learn about how to create more opportunities for children who need lots of practice. After decades of research in early childhood inclusion, we know that just putting children with disabilities in the same place as children without disabilities does not result in real inclusion. Diane Bricker, one of my early mentors, wrote about three aspects of inclusion – physical, social, and academic. It takes meaningful effort and planning to ensure that children fully participate in the interactions and activities in early childhood settings. Just being there is not enough. One part of planning is making sure children have many opportunities to learn and practice. Have you ever watched a toddler learn about containers? The child takes the lid off, looks inside, and tries to put the lid back on. Then, the child might turn the lid over to see how it fits, then, turn it back again. Maybe the child puts Notes to Educators something inside the container and dumps it out—and, puts the lid back on—and, takes it off. The child repeats these actions over and over. It makes me smile to think about a child’s exploration of the simplest things. However, some children don’t take advantage of these opportunities on their own. We can help children take advantage of learning by providing additional support. Sometimes that means the adult joins the child’s play or models what to do. Or, the teacher might rearrange the environment or change the sequence of turns. There are many strategies for providing support. The point is that successful inclusion is more than putting all the children in the same setting or providing access to the same experiences and activities. Sometimes we need to create more opportunities for learning. When I was a preschool teacher, I knew how important it was to provide lots of practice, so I made lists and notes to myself as I tried to figure out how to provide enough practice and individualization for children who struggled to learn something new. As part of my work with the Early Childhood Institute on Inclusion we hit on the idea of using an activity matrix. We knew of grids and matrices from the literature, but this wasn’t described for preschoolers. We also knew that young children do better with consistent, predictable routines that help them feel secure and confident in knowing what to do and what will happen next. Why not take advantage of this need for routine? The activity matrix is a grid that lists the schedule of routines and planned activities. By Susan R. Sandall Then, the teaching team makes a plan to use practices such as modifications and adaptations, and embedded teaching, using the schedule as the guide. This ensures each day individual children get the extra learning opportunities they need in the context of ongoing routines and activities. You’ll find an example of an activity matrix in this issue. The activity matrix is a great tool for organizing and planning learning experiences - try it out! “The point is that successful inclusion is more than putting all the children in the same setting or providing access to the same experiences and activities.”4 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for Inclusion Planning for Inclusion Teaching in Inclusive Early Learning Environments In quality inclusive environments, educators create learning opportunities throughout the day for all children, including children who have, or are at risk for, developmental delays or disabilities. This means educators intentionally provide modifications and individualized supports to promote each child’s access to, and participation in, learning experiences within the context of everyday activities and routines. Planning Successful and meaningful inclusion takes planning. To start, educators need to create a plan that addresses the what, when, and how of children’s learning goals throughout the day. The plan should include a child’s individualized learning goal, types and number of learning opportunities, and support strategies. Teach-Assess-Adjust When providing individualized support, educators constantly observe and assess how well a child is learning a new skill. They watch carefully for the child’s response and adjust their level or type of support as needed. Highlights and Key IdeasMaking inclusion happen means educators provide every child with learning opportunities throughout the day. With children who have or are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities, an educator may need to work more closely with specialists and family members to offer additional and specially designed supports. Here are some examples. Connecting with Nadia Since the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting last month, early childhood educator Alice, had been focusing on getting 6-month-old Nadia to respond to adult communication. Nadia’s parents had expressed concern that Nadia seemed to be avoiding their attempts at interaction. So far, Alice felt she hadn’t been very successful in her interactions with Nadia. When she approached Nadia, the infant would avert her gaze and turn her head away. If Alice insisted, Nadia would arch her back and squirm. Alice shared her frustration with Olivia, the early interventionist who came once to provide consultation at Alice’s family child care. Olivia suggested some ideas for how Alice could encourage Nadia’s responsiveness. They both walked over to the crib where Nadia had just woken up from her nap. Olivia guided Alice in gently holding Nadia’s hands together at midline. She showed Alice how to use a rolled towel for Nadia to brace her feet against and counseled Alice to quietly regard Nadia without talking. When Alice did this, Nadia glanced at her for a few short moments and made a brief soft sound. For the first time, Alice felt that Nadia was truly interacting with her. She couldn’t wait to share these simple new ideas with Nadia’s parents. Seiji Talks! Julie had good news to share with Seiji’s mother. Seiji had spontaneously used two different words today. He said, “Car,” to request to play with the new yellow dump truck and then said “Down!” as he pushed the button and saw the blocks fall off the back of the truck! Usually 21-month old Seiji used gestures and vocalizations to communicate, despite Julie’s modeling of words and inviting Seiji to use them. Recently, Seiji’s mother shared with Julie that Seiji had developed an interest in cars. This inspired Julie to focus on blocks and cars during dramatic play with Seiji. Martha, Seiji’s speech therapist, had suggested starting by withholding a car or placing it out of reach, so Seiji would be motivated to request his favorite toy. Their planning worked! Seiji’s IFSP goal is to use 10 different words to communicate needs, wants, and ideas. Julie and Martha broke the goal down into smaller steps, which helped them monitor Seiji’s progress. The first step was for Seiji to use two new words, then five, and finally up to ten different words. Now that Seiji had reached the first step, it was time for Julie and Martha to plan for when and how Julie would help Seiji expand his use of more words in various activities throughout the day. One Step at A Time Amina is getting ready to begin kindergarten next year but still has difficulties coordinating her fine and gross motor body movements. One of her Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals is to draw pictures to representing people. Ruth, Amina’s preschool teacher, started by having Amina draw simple shapes, such as a cross and a circle, and now Amina had progressed to drawing more complex shapes, such as rectangles and triangles. Another IEP goal for Amina is to kick a ball forward. She had made good progress over the past year and was now able to balance briefly on one leg and kick a ball with a straight leg. She was now ready for the final step of kicking a ball by bending her knee. Ruth was happy with Amina’s progress. What had been most helpful was talking with Keith, Amina’s physical therapist, who had helped Ruth identify each skill Amina needed to practice before being able to kick a ball forward with sufficient force. In these vignettes, we saw examples of how educators worked with specialists to support children’s learning goals by using everyday activities and routines. Planning on ways to embed teaching individual goals in natural environments and daily routines, provides the supports children need to more fully participate. Educators should make and follow a plan that ensures they can offer children enough opportunities to practice their learning goals throughout the day. The plan needs to include: • Specific skills to teach (what to teach), • Select activities and routines that provide the best opportunities for a child to practice the skill (when to teach) and; • Types of supports a child might need to learn the skill (how to teach). 5 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for Inclusion What to Know Inclusion Takes Collaboration and PlanningPlanning: What-When-How What When How What are you going to teach? When is the best time to teach? How will you teach? What strategies will you use? What What refers to a child’s individualized education plan or individualized family service plan (IEP/IFSP) goal. An IEP/IFSP contains the annual, individual goals for a specific child. It may or may not include smaller, intermediate objectives or steps that lead to the goal. The educator can break down an IEP/IFSP goal into smaller, clearly defined steps. This makes it easier for educators to focus teaching on a specific skill and to observe more in detail how a child is learning. Breaking Down Goals into Smaller Steps Specify smaller amounts of time, or fewer items Start with having a child practice a skill for a shorter duration or with a smaller quantity of items than specified in the annual goal. For example, for Seiji’s goal of using ten different words to communicate needs, wants, and ideas, the first step was to use two different words, then increase the number of words to five, and finally ten. Other examples might be to break down a goal such as, “Focuses attention on a task for 15 minutes,” into smaller steps requiring shorter durations of attention, or a goal of cooperating with a peer first during one daily activity, then two, and finally three. Provide just the right amount of help Sometimes children can reach annual goals by first performing a task with a great deal of help. Eventually they can perform the same task independently. For example, Alice provided physical supports to help Nadia regulate her attention. Nadia’s goal, “Responds to adult communication,” can be broken down by levels of support, first by providing support to both the infant’s hands and feet, then only to the infant’s feet and finally having the infant engage with the adult independently. Another example might be to help a child remember to put her backpack into her cubby by first providing her with a verbal and visual reminder, then visual only, then no visual. Break down a complicated task into its parts and teach Ruth broke down the skill of kicking a ball into separate components and began with teaching Amina the first, most simple step required for the skill, balancing on one foot, progressing to balancing on one foot and kicking a ball with a straight leg, and finally kicking with a bended knee. Goals that relate to daily routines, like washing hands, putting on a coat, and getting dressed, can easily be broken down into a sequence of multiple steps. An educator might start with teaching a child the first step and then add more steps, until the child can perform the entire task. Break down complex skills into logical teaching steps Some complex skills build on mastery of related skills that children acquire earlier. To help Amina reach a goal of drawing pictures that represent people, Ruth started by first having Amina draw simple shapes (e.g., circle, cross), and then go on to draw increasingly more complex shapes (rectangles, triangles, etc.). A final step will be for Amina to use these different shapes to draw a person. When When includes information on activities or times of the day that offer the best opportunities to teach a child’s individualized learning goal. For Nadia best times of day might be when Nadia is more likely to be rested and alert and during one-on-one routines in a quiet part of the room. For Seiji, the best opportunities were during activities in which he could engage with his favorite toys, such as free play and small group activities. For Amina, daily practice with a ball could happen easily during outdoor play. Using an Activity Matrix An activity matrix is a useful tool for educators to plan and organize learning opportunities for children who need extra support to access and participate in everyday activities and routines. Here’s an example of a plan Ruth made to organize the teaching of individual goals for Amina and two other children who needed additional support and practice. Plan 6 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for InclusionHow How identifies strategies and individualized support educators will provide to help a child learn a goal. There are a variety of strategies educators can use to support a child’s learning and increase a child’s participation in daily activities and routines. These strategies consist of making slight changes or modifications to interactions, activities, materials, and environments, including the examples below. Adult Support The adult provides direct support for a child’s participation and learning. Invisible Support The adult purposefully arranges sequences of events within an activity to facilitate a child’s participation and learning. Environmental Support The adult makes changes to the physical, social, and temporal environment to promote participation, engagement, and learning. Materials Modifications The adult modifies materials to make them easier for the child to use. Peer Support The adult arranges for a peer to support another child’s participation and learning. Teach-Assess-Adjust When providing individualized support, educators constantly observe and assess how well a child is learning a new skill. They watch carefully for the child’s response and adjust their level or type of support as needed. One term for this is teach-assess-adjust. Notice that this is a cyclical process—like a cycle of inquiry where you have an idea, test it in practice, and use the results to make the idea better or change it. • Teach: Provide support. • Assess: Observe how a child responds to your teaching. • Adjust: If the child is progressing, continue with your teaching plan. If a child is not progressing as expected, change your strategy. If a child has accomplished a learning goal, move on to a new goal. Adjust Teach Assess Plan 7 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for Inclusion Activity AminaFelixDiego Arrival Free Play Interact with other children Circle Time Attend to adult during group activities Snack Outdoor Play Balance on one leg and kick ball Interact with other children Lunch Rest Time Learning Centers Attend to adult during group activities Outdoor Play Balance on one leg and kick ball Interact with other children Snack Departure ExampleIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act (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. 8 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for Inclusion Inclusion as an Equity Move Equity Move: Respecting Diversity and Differences for All Children Embrace diversity and help children value all aspects of individual variations. Highlight what is unique about each child and show it as a strength. Encourage children to learn about their peers and respect individual differences. Here are some ideas. Equity Matters Morning Circle: What Do You See? Pass around a mirror. Have children look at themselves in the mirror and share one thing about their face, hair, or another aspect of their body they see in the mirror. Also, have them add a favorite thing or activity. Offer children multiple ways to respond using gestures and pictures. Encourage children to discuss how they are alike and how they are different, both physically and in the things they like to do. Talk about ways people can be different and still be friends. Consider creating short stories or plays. D isplay artwork that portrays diversity. Post artwork created by people from diverse cultural backgrounds and with different abilities. Have photographs of diverse families, including families that have non-standard structures or members who have a disability. 9 Season 3: Inclusion • Issue 2Planning for Inclusion Books! Reading books with children is one way to have meaningful conversations about diversity and differences. Look for children’s books that celebrate diversity and teach children that it’s OK to be different. Whoever You Are by Mem Fox A man in a blue hat flies around the world with a group of children. They catch glimpses of different children and families going about their daily lives. Use this book, available in English and in Spanish, to discuss diversity. As you talk about the pictures together, help children notice differences and similarities between the children portrayed in the book and their own lives. Emphasize how, despite some of our differences, we are all alike inside. With infants and toddlers, talk about familiar objects and actions in the pictures, such as children, animals, fruit, houses, flying, smiling, or crying. Tips: Setting The Stage For Conversations • Sit at the child’s level. • Make sure the child is calm, comfortable, and ready to interact. • Match your tone to the child’s affect. • Listen to what the child says. • Describe what you or the child is doing. • Take turns doing or saying. Comments These children live in a house, just like you. Look, the dog is licking the child’s face! The man and children are flying to different places around the world. Open-ended Questions What do you see? Why do you think the child is crying? What makes these children different? What makes them the same? Novel Words Whoever Wherever World Lands Heart Smile Laugh Hurt Cry Remember Talk About It Next >