vdoe ttac 2005 inclusive placement opportunities for preschoolers: a systems approach to preschool...

VDOE TTAC 2005VDOE TTAC 2005

Inclusive Placement Opportunities Inclusive Placement Opportunities for Preschoolers: for Preschoolers:

A Systems Approach to Preschool A Systems Approach to Preschool Inclusive PracticesInclusive Practices


A project of the A project of the

Virginia Department of Education Virginia Department of Education

and theand the

Training and Technical Assistance Training and Technical Assistance Centers of VirginiaCenters of Virginia


Fostering social relationshipsFostering social relationships

A classwide approachA classwide approach


AgendaAgenda

• A few facts

• Why it’s hard to teach social skills

• What the research says

• The teacher’s role

• Teaching strategies


What skills do children learn What skills do children learn in school that are most in school that are most

likely to lead to successful likely to lead to successful adjustment in adult life?adjustment in adult life?


A few factsA 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


Additional factsAdditional 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).


Pro-social behaviorPro-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)


Why it’s so hard Why it’s so hard to teach social skillsto 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…


Ways we inadvertently teach Ways we inadvertently teach anti-social behavioranti-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


Ways we inadvertently teach Ways we inadvertently teach anti-social behavior (cont’d)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


What are the What are the “friendly” children doing?“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


What we knowWhat 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


What does the research What does the research say about friends?say about friends?

Emotional regulation

+ Social knowledge and understanding

+ Social skills

Pro-social behavior


Emotional regulationEmotional regulation

• Control impulses

• Delay gratification

• Manage distress


Social knowledge Social knowledge and understandingand understanding

• Language

• Take other’s perspective

• Reach common ground

• Experience


Social skillsSocial 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


What’s the teacher’s role What’s the teacher’s role in guiding pro-social behavior?in guiding pro-social behavior?


Setting the stageSetting the stage


Setting the stage Setting the stage for social relationshipsfor social relationships

• Structure the environment

• Teach social skills

• Encourage classmates to interact

• Use child-specific strategies to foster social

relationships


Structure the environmentStructure the environment

• Thoughtful schedule

• Planned environment

• Physical inclusion

• Pro-social class expectations

• Positive statements


Thoughtful schedule Thoughtful schedule for pro-social behaviorfor 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


Thoughtful schedule Thoughtful schedule for pro-social behaviorfor pro-social behavior

• Pre-correction

• Planned transitions

• Materials set up in advance

• Quick starts for activities

• Defined teacher roles


Planned environments Planned environments for pro-social behaviorfor pro-social behavior

• Maze layout

• Quiet and loud zones

• Varied response mode

• Quiet spot


Planned environmentsPlanned environments

• Ensure physical inclusion

• Socio-dramatic materials in each center

o Social toys

• Plan groupings of children with and without disabilities

• Plan teacher-structured activities


Physical inclusionPhysical inclusion

• Children should:

o Have access to all toys and materials and all parts of the room

o Be at the “same level” as other children (e.g., sitting, standing)

o Participate in all activities (adapt materials)


Strategy: social toysStrategy: social toys

• With your teammates, list toys in your classroom that encourage social interaction


Social vs. isolate toysSocial 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


Strategy: planned groupingsStrategy: planned groupings

• Small groups include children with disabilities and typically developing children

• Avoid “shadowing”


Support children Support children to develop friendshipsto develop friendships


Teacher-structured activitiesTeacher-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


Teacher-structured activities Teacher-structured activities (cont’d)(cont’d)

• Modeling principles

• Modeling with video and puppets

• Preparing peer partner

• Buddy system

• Priming

• Suggesting play ideas

• Direct modeling

• Reinforcement


Class expectations against Class expectations against and for pro-social behaviorand 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


Praise: It’s all in how you say it!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


Teach social skillsTeach social skills

Identifying teachable moments


Friendship skillsFriendship 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


Play organizersPlay organizers

• Describeo Get friend’s attentiono Give friend a toyo Give idea what to do with toy or what to play

• Demonstrateo Right wayo Wrong way

• Practice

• Promote

CSEFEL


SharingSharing • Describe skill

o Child has materialso Offers or responds to request from peer for

materials


• Practice

• Promote

CSEFEL


Taking turnsTaking turns

• Describe skillo Get friend’s attention by looking, tapping or

callingo Hold out hando Ask for toy


• Practice• Promote

CSEFEL


Being helpful/teamworkBeing helpful/teamwork

• Describe skill

o How to help at home

o How to help at school

• Demonstrate

o Right way

o Wrong way

• Practice

• Promote

CSEFEL


Giving complimentsGiving compliments• Describe

o Verbal – Say things like: “Good job _____!” “Great _____!” “You should be proud of how you_____!

o Physical – Do things like: Hug Pat on the shoulder High five




Knowing when and how Knowing when and how to give apologiesto give apologies

• Describe skillo “I’m sorry that ___”o “I didn’t mean to ___”




Encourage classmates to interact Encourage classmates to interact

• Teach classmates to:

o Share toys (if developmentally appropriate)

o Offer assistance

o Give compliments

o Ask questions

o Be persistent

o Wait

o Use alternative communication


Use child-specific strategiesUse child-specific strategies

• Incidental teaching

o Geared toward what the child likes to do

o Conducted in a natural setting

o Child determines materials and activity; teacher determines goals

o Brief, positive interactions focused on child-selected activities

• Prompting and guiding


Teaching 2- and 3-year-oldsTeaching 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


Teaching 4- and 5-year-oldsTeaching 4- and 5-year-olds

• Observe • Model• Solicit children’s ideas:

o Describe the situation

o Ask open-ended questions

o Teach children to expect to try again

o 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


Put it all together…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


What could you do?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.



• 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!”



• 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.



• Three-year-old Anna is painting a picture. Four-year-old Sadie trips and falls into the easel and knocks Anna’s paints onto her picture. Anna clinches her fists and looks like she is going to hit Sadie.



• Two-year-old Truman is watching two other children pretending to be at a pet store. One child is the pet store owner and the other is a customer. The customer is looking at stuffed animals in boxes as she tries to decide which one to buy.



• You and a mother are talking while she holds her child in her arms. The mother’s 2-year-old tries to talk to her. The mother keeps talking to you. The child gets louder and turns the mother’s face toward him.


Why are these Why are these ineffectiveineffective ways to teach pro-social behavior?ways to teach pro-social behavior?

• Telling a child to say he is sorry

• Telling a child she is rude for interrupting two people talking

• Telling a child who is hanging on tightly to his father that he is “feeling shy”

• Asking a child, “Why did you hit?”

• Asking a child to sit for two minutes to calm down


Thoughts/Thoughts/Questions/Questions/

Comments? Comments?

vdoe ttac 2005 inclusive placement opportunities for preschoolers: a systems approach to preschool...

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