STOP! COLLABORATE AND LISTEN!

Collaborating with your preschool teachers so that language groups are fun

and IEP goals are addressed!

Lori Skidmore MCD, CCC-SLPskidmorel@marshallk12.org

Jennie Baker MA, Collaborative ECSEbakerj@marshallk12.org

What does research say?Children with Disabilities:

• Can make significant developmental and learning progress in inclusive settings (Grisham-Brown, Pretti-Frontczak, Hawkins, & Winchell, 2009).

• Experience greater cognitive and communication development than children with disabilities in separate settings (Green, Terry, & Gallagher, 2014; Nahmias, Kase, & Mandell, 2014; Rafferty, Piscitelli, & Boettcher, 2003).

• Are more socially competent than peers in separate settings. They have more social interactions and a larger network of friends (Katz & Mirenda, 2002; Justice, Logan, Lin, & Kaderavek, 2014).

Children without disabilities:

• Can show positive developmental, social, and attitudinal outcomes in inclusive settings (Diamond & Huang, 2005).

• Are capable of demonstrating greater compassion and empathy, and develop a better understanding of human diversity (Odom, et al., 2004).

• Benefit from the learning and developmental supports provided by teachers skilled in meeting the needs of individual students (Odom, Buysse, & Soukakou, 2011)

But do we have to?

Our Indicator 6: Preschool LRE mandate from OSEP is the percentage (the State target is at least 53%) of special education students receiving the MAJORITY of their special education services in the regular early childhood environment. This Indicator is part of each LEA’s Performance Profile and plays a part in the LEA’s determination status (meets requirements, needs assistance, requires intervention), and ultimately can affect their money.

When OSEP says it, suck it up….There is also a January 9, 2017 OSEP Dear Colleague letter (https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/preschool-lre-dcl-1-10-17.pdf) that reaffirms & strengthens 2012 letter. It says its purpose is to “… reaffirm the position of the U.S. Department of Education that all young children with disabilities should have access to inclusive high-quality early childhood programs where they are provided with individualized and appropriate supports to enable them to meet high expectations.” There is a huge body of research that points to increased efficacy of special education services when they are provided in the classroom with typically developing peers. So many benefits! For students just beginning with artic., for example, resource may be appropriate, but when it comes to carryover and any language/DD type students should be seen in the classroom to the maximum extent appropriate for that individual child. The letter also speaks to this: “Under section 612(a)(5) of the IDEA, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, must be educated with children who are not disabled.” This includes preschool students.

My structure of language group

1. Good Morning Song

2. Greeting to each student with picture or printed name

3. Color of the week

4. Book

5. Shape of the week

6. Letter of the week

7. Book about concept

8. Song

(Adjust this as needed depending on your books and songs)

Incorporating music in language groups:

Music intelligence is as important as logical and emotional intelligence. This is because music has the ability to strengthen the connection between the body and brain to work together as a team. - Howard Gardner psychologist

1. Good morning song

It’s our time to sing together

It’s our time to sing together

It’s our time to sing together

Sing hello, hello.

It’s our time to pat together

It’s our time to pat together

It’s our time to pat together

Pat hello, hello

It’s our time to clap together

It’s our time to clap together

It’s our time to clap together

Clap hello, hello

*Start circle time with this every single day.

*Use sign language

*Switch up the patting and clapping once the children know the song. Cross midline.

*Keep the tempo the same

*Tell my students WHY we always start off this way: to get our MINDS and BODIES READY!

2. Greeting each student

Good Morning ______.

Good Morning ______.

Good Morning ______.

We’re so glad you’re here!

Do you know my friend’s name, my friend’s name, my friend’s name? Do you know my friend’s name? Yes his/her name is ________! (to the tune of “Do you know the muffin man?’’)

Is ______ here today? Is ______ here today? Jump up and Down and dance around if _______is here today! (“Farmer in the Dell”)

Velcro board

Pictures of each student

Put 3 on board

Pull a picture out of the bag and that is the way you sing. (ex. Cowboy, Elsa, Ninja Turtle,cat, etc)

Put pictures of yourself and teachers, paraprofessionals, etc.

Tell the kids it is important to call their friends and teachers by name!

Write names on notecards.

Use pictures or notecards.

3. Color of the week Have a box with different items and pictures of that color.

Ask what each item is.

Describe the item and see if they can guess.

Super fast round! Hide item, count to three and pull it out.

Sing color song and incorporate signs.

Use a super talker or choice board for your children who are nonverbal or limited.

4. Book related to colorRed: The Big Red Barn, Llama Llama Red Pajama

Orange: 5 Little Pumpkins

Yellow: I Feel Sunny

Green: Go Away Big Green Monster

Blue: Little Blue Truck

White: Pete the Cat and His Brand New White Shoes

Brown: Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you see?

Black: Pout Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark

*Black box: Hold 4 items in front and tell the child “Point to Gorilla.”

ALP.1.2.3 Point to and/or name requested picture from a group of 4.

*Sing “Spider on the floor” song. Say “Put your spider on your head, leg, etc.”

ALP.1.3.2 Attend and respond to simple commands.

LL.P.1.1.2 Follow a one-step direction.

LL.P.4.5.5 Attend to songs/rhymes/finger plays

*Book:What is this? This is a ___ What is he doing?

LL.P.3.1.1 Spontaneously name pictures, objects or actions.

LL.P.3.1.2 Imitatively….

LL.P.4.2. Responds to questions

LL.P.4.3 Engage in conversation

LL.4.6.2 Fill in missing words in stories based on predictions. (ex. He was scared and alone in the dark. What do you think he is going to do?)

LLP.1.2.2 Listen to and look at entire book being read

5. Shape of the week

Frog Street Press Song

Shape box by Lakeshore

Google images of things that are that shape.

Song: Wave your color shape in the air. Repeat 3 times.

Put your color shape on your body part. Repeat 3 times.

To the tune of: “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

6. Letter of the weekLetter boxes from Lakeshore

Letter Big Book

Show them where they make the sound and get them to repeat it.

Song related to sound if possible. (ex. Conversation Station, Drills On Wheels)

Song related to letter if possible. (Bringing home a baby bumblebee, Tiny Tony, etc)

*If you are losing the interest of your students, sing the book to the tune of “100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” *I ask my PK teachers to go in order of how the sounds are developed. Start off with /w, p, b, m, h, n, t, d/...

A few of my favorites: If You Give a Cat a Cupcake If you Give a Dog a Donut If you Give a Mouse a Muffin If you Give a Pig a Pancake

7. ConceptsAsk your teachers if they have specific concepts they are working on that week. If not, some good ones to address in PK are:

seasons, holidays, how to treat our friends, feelings, community helpers,

jungle animals, ocean animals, insects, farm animals, etc.

8. SONG/closing

End with a song or activity that is fun!

Ask them what they can tell their mommy/daddy/Grandma/aunt that they

learned in circle time today.

Paraprofessional/teachers DO’s and DON’TS during language group?

DO….Most to least prompting with students

Quietly, provide positive reinforcement

for appropriate behaviors

Support and assist with communication devices, pictures etc.

Redirect students attention with a gesture or visual cue

Support students with physical needs

DON’T…..

Talk or socialize

Have a “side conversation” with your student

Reprimand a student who is not sitting immediately next to you

Answer out loud for student you are assisting

Weekly Concepts AugustWeek 1 Theme: Back to School Color: Blue Shape: Circle Letter: Bb

Week 2 Theme: Choices Color: Red Shape: Square Letter: Pp

Week 3 Theme: Choices Color: Green Shape: Triangle Letter: Ff

SeptemberWeek 1 Theme: Family & Friends Color: Yellow Shape:StarLetter: Ss

Week 2 Theme: Family & Friends Color: White Shape: Rectangle Letter: Ww

Week 3 Theme: Family & Friends Color: Brown Shape: Oval Letter: Oo

Weekly Concepts OctoberWeek 1 Theme: Community Helpers (Firemen) Color: Black Shape Diamond Letter: Cc

Week 2 Theme: Community Helpers (Policemen) Color: Orange Shape: Triangle Letter: Hh

Week 3 Theme: Community Helpers (Garbage men, Doctors & Nurses) Colors: Orange & Black Shapes: Diamond & Triangle Letters: Cc & Hh

NovemberWeek 1 Theme: Fruits & Vegetables Color: Yellow Shape: Circle Letter: Vv

Week 2 Theme: Fruits & Vegetables Thanksgiving Color: brown Shape: Triangle Letter:Tt

Week 3 Theme: Fruits & Vegetables Color: Red Shape: Rectangle Letter: Rr

Weekly Concepts

DecemberWeek 1 Theme: All Things Christmas Color: Green Shape: Oval Letter: Ee

Week 2 Theme: All Things Christmas Colors: Red & Green Shapes: Oval & Triangle Letters: Rr

JanuaryWeek 1Theme: Winter & New Year’s Colors: Blue & White Shape: Circle Letter: Ii

Week 2 Theme: Winter Color: Gray Shape: Diamond Letter: Ww

Weekly Concepts

FebruaryWeek 1 Theme:Winter & Valentine’s Color: Purple Shape: Oval Letter: Gg

Week 2 Theme:Winter & Valentine’s Colors: Red & Pink Shape: Heart Letter: Hh

Week 3 Theme: Winter Colors:BrownShapes: All Shapes Letter: Mm

MarchWeek 1 Theme: Jungle Animals Colors: Yellow & Green Shapes: All Shapes Letter: Yy

Week 2 Theme: Spring Color: Yellow Shapes: All Shapes Letter: Ss

Week 3 Theme: InsectsColor: Green Shapes: All Shapes Letter: Jj

Week 4 Theme: Spring Color: Orange Shape: Diamond Letter: Kk

Weekly ConceptsAprilWeek 1

Theme: Weather & Farm Animals

Color: Gray

Shape: Triangle

Letter: Aa

Week 2

Theme: Ocean Animals

Color: Blue

Shape: Oval

Letter: Uu

Week 3

Theme: Zoo Animals

Colors: Black & White

Letter: Zz

Week 4

Theme: Fairytales

Color: Purple

Shape: Diamond

Letter Qq

MayWeek 1

Theme: All About Numbers

Color: Red

Shape: All Shapes

Letter: Nn

Week 2

Theme: Flowers & Insects

Color: Green

Shape: All Shapes

Letter: Ii

Week 3

Theme: Review All

Favorite MusicThe Leap frogs (colors)

Stephen Fite (sing and read shape big books)

Raffi (singable songs for the very young,)

Kids express train (Drills on Wheels, Rocking and Talking)

The Laurie Berkner Band

Rachel Arntson (Conversation Station)

Shawn Brown (Super Fun Transitions)

Bianca Merkley (You Tube) Turkey Dance Song

Favorite Authors Deborah Diesen:

The Pout Pout Fish Goes to School

The Pout Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark

James Dean:

Pete the Cat I love my white shoes

Pete the Cat and his 4 Groovy Buttons

Pete the Cat Trick or Pete

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas

Pete the Cat: Rocking In my School Shoes

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses

Jennifer Ward:

Somewhere in the Ocean

Olive A. Wadsworth:

Over in the Meadow

Lucille Colandro:

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Shells

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey

Favorite Authors (Continued)Anna Dewdney:

Llama Llama Mad at Mama

Llama Llama and the Bully Goat

Llama Llama Time to Share

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Llama Llama Holiday Drama

Llama Easter Egg

Deborah Guarino and Steven Kellogg:

Is Your Mama a Llama?

Bernette Ford and Sam Williams:

No More Biting for Billy Goat

Lauren Numeroff and Felicia Bond:

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

If You Give a Mouse a Brownie

If You Give a Pig a Pancake

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

If You Give a Dog a Donut

If You Give a Pig a Party

Janan Cain:

The Way I Feel

Taro Gomi:

My Friends

Favorite Authors (Continued)Jane Yolen and Mark Teague:

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday?

How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?

Gillian Shields and Georgie Birkett:

Sometimes I feel… Sunny

David Elliott and Holly Meade:

On the Farm

Karen Katz:

No Biting

Will Grace and Scott McBee:

Caterpillar Dance

Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore:

I Love You, Stinky Face