in the Inclusive Classroom Welcome to CE430 – Unit 6 Learning Through Play in the Inclusive Classroom Class will start at the top of the hour! Please turn the volume up on your computer speakers to access the audio feature of this seminar. If you are unable to hear try logging out and re-entering and if this does not work call Tech Help at 1-866-522-7747.

Last week in CE430 we… Discussed the factor which influenced the recent increase in inclusive classrooms. Analyzed the benefits of education in an inclusive setting for children with special needs and for the typically developing children. Any questions?????????

Unit 6: Encouraging Play for the Child with Special Needs Unit 6 will focus on the inclusion of children with special needs in the classroom. You will review the characteristics of some of the more common special needs. You will also concentrate on techniques and adaptations that can be used in the classroom for children with special needs.

Unit 6 Outcomes After completing this unit, you should be able to: Describe some characteristics of children with special needs. Design a functional environment for children with special needs. Adapt classroom activities to meet the individual needs of children with special needs. Utilize several different teaching methods to promote play and learning in children with special needs.

What would you say to a teacher who says… “That child is so well behaved. He never says one word and plays by himself all of the time. He never argues with the other children. He is a teacher’s dream.”?

Characteristics of Common Types of Special Needs Speech and Hearing Problems Can be receptive or expressive language deficits May have a limited vocabulary May be difficult to understand May have a difficult time following directions Vision Deficits May hold items close to their eyes May have difficulty with eye-hand coordination May be sensitive to the light

Characteristics of Common Types of Special Needs cont. Attention Deficit Disorders May be easily distracted away from tasks May be easily overstimulated May have difficulty taking turns May be fidget or appear to be in constant motion May interrupt others May avoid difficult tasks or tasks that require concentration Children with Physical Delays May have difficulty moving from activity to activity May have difficulty interacting and playing during recess May have fine motor skills delays May get frustrated during motor planning activities

Characteristics of Common Types of Special Needs cont. Autism May seem socially distant Exhibit limited eye contact May demonstrate sensory impairments Often have limited language Show difficulty in transitioning between activities Have trouble adapting to change in routine May demonstrate repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping May repeat phrases in meaningless ways

Did you know that… Children who are intellectually gifted are considered to be part of the group of children who require exceptional student education needs? Why do you think that is so?

How Can We Adapt the Classroom Environment to Make it Inclusive for Children with Special Needs? Provide obvious boundaries between the different play or interest areas in the classroom. Do your best to limit the noise level in the classroom during playtimes (for example: background music may make it difficult for children to concentrate on tasks). Make sure the classroom is well lit. But, recognize that too much light may be difficult for children with sensory issues to tolerate. Keep play space free of obstructions so it is easily accessible. Make sure that all children, regardless of their needs, can access all of the play areas in the classroom.

How Can We Adapt the Classroom Environment to Make it Inclusive for Children with Special Needs? (cont.) Ensure that there are a variety of play materials which will encourage all levels of play to meet the needs of all of the children. Have higher level toys and lower level toys to meet different developmental needs. Include “real life” items in the different classroom areas. Keep the classroom materials organized with labels and toy bins on the shelves. Adapt toys as needed. (for example: glue corks on simple puzzles to make them easier for children with fine motor impairments to use)

Facilitating Play in the Child with Special Needs Have a good understanding of the child’s developmental level so you have appropriate expectations. Remember that a child may be high level in some areas of development and low levels in other areas. Give simple directions, often one at a time. Use hand over hand assistance with tasks when needed. Provide children with verbal or physical prompts when needed. Model appropriate social skills such as initiating play with other children or joining groups of children in play. Limit the amount of choices when a child seems overwhelmed. Give warnings beforehand and appropriate assistance during transitions between activities. Introduce new items in the classroom to the child. Encourage conversation between students and adults.

Facilitating Play in the Child with Special Needs (cont.) Use pictures as cues to help a child interact with others appropriately. Give children choices during play and whenever else it is appropriate. Give children an opportunity for a break when they appear overwhelmed. Demonstrate activities and give children new ideas of how to play. Pair children up with higher level children during play or other activities. Pair words with objects or pictures when appropriate. Give concrete rules. Keep a structured schedule and warn children before any changes are made. Ask simple questions during play. Speak about all of your actions during play to improve language skills. Keep the goals of a child’s IEP or IFSP in mind throughout the day.

It’s Movie Time… The teacher in this video is encouraging her student with special needs to “sign” his drawing with his name. Watch as she scaffolds (Vygotsky, remember?) to accomplish this literacy task. Find the My education lab video entitled: Scaffolding emergent literacy skills in a therapeutic preschool setting. It is located on the seminar page of the course platform. Myeducationlab.com- topics/teaching strategies/ applications and activities/ videos/ scaffolidng emergent literacy skills in a therapeutic preschool setting

To Do List Remember class runs from Wednesday to Tuesday! And unit assignments are due Tuesdays at midnight! This week you will: Complete the readings Participate in discussion Attend seminar Complete the Unit 6 project

Unit 6 Project Over the past six weeks you have learned about the impact that the classroom environment and teacher/student interactions can have on a child’s ability to learn during play. Your project this week will be based on a video of four children playing with blocks. You will then write a 2-3 page essay on your observations of this video. Make sure you reference any thought you may obtain from other sources. You must include at least one reference.

Unit 6 Project guidelines Your 2-3 page essay should answer the following questions. There were four students in this video. What different developmental levels of play did the children demonstrate? What other skills did they demonstrate in the cognitive, physical, language and social-emotional domains? How was the block area set up to encourage play? What changes could you make to the environment to encourage further play and learning opportunities? As a teacher in this classroom, what could you have done to help extend this child directed activity? How could you have intervened to help promote a higher level of play and other skills from each child?

Unit 6 Project Rubric Point Range Total: 185 points Project Grading Criteria 0-10 points Essay is 2-3 pages long and is based on the video observation 0-75 points Developmental Level Content:  ·         Student describes the developmental levels of play of the four children in the video ·         Student describes other developmental skills that are evident by each child in the video  Environment Adaptation Content: ·          Student discusses the block area environment ·         Student recommends changes to the block environment to help enhance play ·         Student discusses possible teacher roles in this child centered activity 0-15 points References:  At least one documented reference is used and is properly cited in APA format. Mechanics:  Grammar and spelling is correct and the essay is in APA format (including a title page, reference page, and double spacing)  

A Final Thought “To use early learning standards effectively, teachers must be intentional about what they teach, how they teach, and how they know if children are learning.” Catherine Scott-Little, Sharon Lynn Kagan, and Victoria Stebbins Frelow (2006, p. 32)

References Doctoroff, S. (2001). Adapting the Physical Environment to Meet the Needs of All Young Children for Play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29 (2), 105-109. Hendrick, J. & Weissman, P. (2010). The Whole Child – Developmental Education for the Early Years 9th ed. New Jersey: Merrill