Inclusive Placement Opportunities for Preschoolers: A Systems Approach to Preschool Inclusive Practices

1. Inclusive Placement Opportunities for Preschoolers: A Systems Approach to Preschool Inclusive Practices VDOE TTAC 2005

2. A project of the Virginia Department of Education and the Training and Technical Assistance Centers of Virginia VDOE TTAC 2005

3. Fostering social relationshipsA classwide approach VDOE TTAC 2005

4. Agenda • A few facts • Why it’s hard to teach social skills • What the research says • The teacher’s role • Teaching strategies VDOE TTAC 2005

5. What skills do children learn in school that are most likely to lead to successful adjustment in adult life? VDOE TTAC 2005

6. A few facts • People who develop and maintain positive relationships with others are generally happier than those who don’t • People who negotiate, problem solve, express their opinions, take another’s perspective, change their behavior and adapt succeed at work and move up in their professions VDOE TTAC 2005

7. Additional facts • Children who do not acquire social skills by grade 3 are extremely likely to drop out of school, commit crimes and eventually become incarcerated • If anti-social behavior is not changed by the end of grade 3, it should be treated as a chronic condition, much like diabetes. That is, it cannot be cured but managed with the appropriate supports and intervention (Walker, Colvin & Ramsey, 1995). VDOE TTAC 2005

8. Pro-social behavior • The ability to generate and coordinate flexible, adaptive responses to demands and generate and capitalize on opportunities in the environment (Waters and Sroufe, 1983) VDOE TTAC 2005

9. Why it’s so hard to teach social skills • You’re at a party and the only person you know just walked away. You…. • Someone you knew in high school, but haven’t seen since is in the same line with you. You... • You see someone you don’t want to talk to you. She waves and you’re not sure she knows you saw her. You… VDOE TTAC 2005

10. Ways we inadvertently teach anti-social behavior • Greet the parent but not the child • Talk to the parent or another teacher about the child in front of the child • Attribute needs to children • Label a child’s behavior • Refer to a child by a label VDOE TTAC 2005

11. Ways we inadvertently teach anti-social behavior (cont’d) • Nip it in the bud • Take one child’s side • Protect a child from emotional distress • Talk about other adults in front of children • Talk about other children in front of a child • Lose it in front of a child or with a child VDOE TTAC 2005

12. What are the “friendly” children doing? • Form groups of 3 • Assign a recorder • Think of a “friendly” child in your class • List the specific skills that child uses with friends VDOE TTAC 2005

13. What we know • Interaction is reciprocal • Interaction is ongoing • Children learn best when they are in control of their learning • Interaction is learned through interaction with others • Interactions between two children can be negative or positive. In either case, it becomes more so over time • Negative interaction changes when adults intervene VDOE TTAC 2005

14. What does the research say about friends? Emotional regulation + Social knowledge and understanding + Social skills Pro-social behavior VDOE TTAC 2005

15. Emotional regulation • Control impulses • Delay gratification • Manage distress VDOE TTAC 2005

16. Social knowledge and understanding • Language • Take other’s perspective • Reach common ground • Experience VDOE TTAC 2005

17. Social skills Enter ongoing play Imitate Ask for help Help others Compliment Show affection Organize Construct Negotiate Take turns Express self Persist Pretend Gather information Cooperate VDOE TTAC 2005

18. What’s the teacher’s role in guiding pro-social behavior? VDOE TTAC 2005

19. Setting the stage VDOE TTAC 2005

20. Setting the stage for social relationships • Structure the environment • Teach social skills • Encourage classmates to interact • Use child-specific strategies to foster social relationships VDOE TTAC 2005

21. Structure the environment • Thoughtful schedule • Planned environment • Physical inclusion • Pro-social class expectations • Positive statements VDOE TTAC 2005

22. Thoughtful schedule for pro-social behavior • Balanced (e.g., mainly child-initiated, some teacher-guided and few large group activities) • Predictable routine  • Visual schedule • Advance warning if changes occur  • Alternative activities • Thoughtful sequencing of activities • Short clean up with active child involvement VDOE TTAC 2005

23. Thoughtful schedule for pro-social behavior • Pre-correction • Planned transitions • Materials set up in advance • Quick starts for activities • Defined teacher roles VDOE TTAC 2005

24. Planned environments for pro-social behavior • Maze layout • Quiet and loud zones • Varied response mode • Quiet spot VDOE TTAC 2005

25. Planned environments • Ensure physical inclusion • Socio-dramatic materials in each center • Social toys • Plan groupings of children with and without disabilities • Plan teacher-structured activities VDOE TTAC 2005

26. Physical inclusion • Children should: • Have access to all toys and materials and all parts of the room • Be at the “same level” as other children (e.g., sitting, standing) • Participate in all activities (adapt materials) VDOE TTAC 2005

27. Strategy: social toys • With your teammates, list toys in your classroom that encourage social interaction VDOE TTAC 2005

28. Social vs. isolate toys Dress-up clothes Dramatic play materials Puppets Vehicles Sand/water toys Record player Blocks See saw Kiddie car Jungle gym Puzzles Pegboards and pegs Art materials Parquetry Shape templates Toy animals Blackboard Dolls Beads VDOE TTAC 2005

29. Strategy: planned groupings • Small groups include children with disabilities and typically developing children • Avoid “shadowing” VDOE TTAC 2005

30. Support children to develop friendships VDOE TTAC 2005

31. Teacher-structured activities • Modify songs and activities to include directions for displaying affection • Inclusive setting • Cooperative use of materials • Embed opportunities • Social interaction goals and objectives • Ethos of friendship VDOE TTAC 2005

32. Teacher-structured activities (cont’d) • Modeling principles • Modeling with video and puppets • Preparing peer partner • Buddy system • Priming • Suggesting play ideas • Direct modeling • Reinforcement VDOE TTAC 2005

33. Class expectations against and for pro-social behavior We keep our hands and feet to ourselves We listen to the teacher We ask the teacher for help We use our words (if taught to say prohibitive statements) We are gentle with each other We listen to each other We help each other We tell others what we want them to do Everyone gets to play VDOE TTAC 2005

34. Praise: It’s all in how you say it! • Highlight the child’s accomplishment • Specify the behavior • Show spontaneity  • Make children aware of their thinking and self-control  • Connect to prior accomplishments • Verbally reward effort • Orient the child to his feeling • Connect to internal rewards • Offer praise in private • Be genuine VDOE TTAC 2005

35. Teach social skills Identifying teachable moments VDOE TTAC 2005

36. Friendship skills • How to give suggestions (play organizers) • Sharing toys and other materials • Taking turns (reciprocity) • Being helpful • Giving compliments • Understanding how and when to give an apology VDOE TTAC 2005

37. Play organizers • Describe • Get friend’s attention • Give friend a toy • Give idea what to do with toy or what to play • Demonstrate • Right way • Wrong way • Practice • Promote VDOE TTAC 2005 CSEFEL

38. Sharing • Describe skill • Child has materials • Offers or responds to request from peer for materials • Demonstrate • Right way • Wrong way • Practice • Promote VDOE TTAC 2005 CSEFEL

39. Taking turns • Describe skill • Get friend’s attention by looking, tapping or calling • Hold out hand • Ask for toy • Demonstrate • Right way • Wrong way • Practice • Promote VDOE TTAC 2005 CSEFEL

40. Being helpful/teamwork • Describe skill • How to help at home • How to help at school • Demonstrate • Right way • Wrong way • Practice • Promote VDOE TTAC 2005 CSEFEL

41. Giving compliments • Describe • Verbal – Say things like: • “Good job _____!” • “Great _____!” • “You should be proud of how you_____! • Physical – Do things like: • Hug • Pat on the shoulder • High five • Demonstrate • Right way • Wrong way • Practice • Promote VDOE TTAC 2005

42. Knowing when and how to give apologies • Describe skill • “I’m sorry that ___” • “I didn’t mean to ___” • Demonstrate • Right way • Wrong way • Practice • Promote VDOE TTAC 2005

43. Encourage classmates to interact • Teach classmates to: • Share toys (if developmentally appropriate) • Offer assistance • Give compliments • Ask questions • Be persistent • Wait • Use alternative communication VDOE TTAC 2005

44. Use child-specific strategies • Incidental teaching • Geared toward what the child likes to do • Conducted in a natural setting • Child determines materials and activity; teacher determines goals • Brief, positive interactions focused on child-selected activities • Prompting and guiding VDOE TTAC 2005

45. Teaching 2- and 3-year-olds Be brief, use action language Model Alert children to others’ emotional states Connect others’ emotional states to the child’s Give alternative interpretations of events Label and validate emotions Teach peers to prompt children Prompt children Give two brief ideas to choose from Redirect children when they opt not to use social skills Reframe events VDOE TTAC 2005

46. Teaching 4- and 5-year-olds Observe Model Solicit children’s ideas: Describe the situation Ask open-ended questions Teach children to expect to try again Encourage children to describe their feelings to each other Teach peers to prompt children Prompt children Redirect children with a brief, straightforward explanation when nothing else works VDOE TTAC 2005

47. Put it all together… • Form groups of 3 • Assign a recorder • Read “What could you do?” • Identify the social behaviors not being used by the child(ren) • Identify how you would teach the behaviors VDOE TTAC 2005

48. What could you do? • A 2-year-old wants to dance with another 2-year-old. She grabs his hands and starts dancing. The other child pulls his hands away and screams. VDOE TTAC 2005

49. What could you do? • Two 2-year-olds are pulling on a cowboy hat and screaming, “It’s mine!” • Two 4-year-olds are pulling on a cowboy hat and screaming, “It’s mine!” VDOE TTAC 2005

50. What could you do? • During story time, you encourage children to offer their opinions about the books you read. Damon almost always makes off-topic comments. Usually he talks about his dog, Zea, or dinosaurs. You are currently avoiding asking him to contribute during story. VDOE TTAC 2005