Starting With Their Strengths:

Using Children's Interests to Promote Concept & Skill Development : Using the Project Approach in Inclusive Classrooms

Deborah C. Lickey M.Ed. and Denise J. Powers M.Ed.

What Today Will Hold…Why Give the Children a Voice in

Creating Projects? Best Practices Validate the Project

Approach in Early Childhood Tiered Approach to learning: Using

Universal DesignEmbedding Concept and Skill

Development as well as Individual Objectives

Break Out Groups- A Sample Project Allowing

Opportunities to Go through the Project Approach Process

The Process of Becoming…The Reggio Experience

Asking ourselves: How does that translate to working with children w/ disabilities?

Translating that Experience to Working in an Inclusive Environment in the Public School

We consider children’s ‘Strengths’ to be a combination of multiple factors which make each child unique :

Children’s Temperaments

Children’s Learning Styles

Children’s Skill Sets

*Children’s Unique Interests

Meet ’Chaytor’

Chaytor started with year with an assessment that indicated:

Social Emotional Development delays: Interacting with

adults or peers appropriately

Showing in interest in peers

Initiating preferred activities

Following through on activities

Cognitive Development delays Carrying out simple

directionsProblem solvingUsing imaginary

objects in playCategorizing itemsUnderstanding

function of objects etc. etc.

And Multiple Communication Delays such as:

Communicate his needs to othersEstablish and maintain eye

contactAnswer yes/no questionsUse multiple word sentences

However…where he was starting…Not making eye contactScreaming rather than attempting to

make needs or wants knownBecoming very agitated at changes in

routine and transition timesRunning from one area to anotherBecoming somewhat aggressive with

the other children “Perseverating “with lights and ceiling

fans

Using Observation tools as the next step of Data Collection: Areas of Interest, Levels of play, etc.

Child’s Name 1st Interval 2nd Interval 3rd Interval 4th Interval         

         

         

         

Appendix DTime Sampling: Areas of Interest Observation of area played in at ____ minute intervalsCenters or Areas: Date______B= Block Area D= Dramatic Play A= Art Area P= PuzzlesM= Manipulatives L= Literacy (letters, books, stories, etc.)(List area of interest and a short explanation of child’s activity)

After Purposeful Observation of Chaytor we came to realize:

Sensory issues were present that needed to be addressed

Chaytor needed a lot of visual support and a very specific schedule of the day

Chaytor wanted to interact with peers but did not know how

Chaytor’s screaming increased in proportion to the attention was brought to that behavior

So…he was provided with those supports while continuing to observe him for his interests and strengths

Visual strategies

Social supports

Sensory supports

And we soon found…Chaytor was very drawn to and

good at numbersChaytor had great rote memory

skillsChaytor wanted to interact with

others but did not know howChaytor had a great sense of

humor that was often surprisingChaytor tended to ‘perseverate’

on ceiling fans and lights

Reframing the idea of perseverating on ceiling fans to:

An intense interest in ceiling fans and lights

“Kids with autism often get fixated on one thing, and it is important to expand their fixations. If the child loves race cars, then race cars can be used as subject matter for reading and math. If the child only draws pictures of NASCAR race cars, a teacher could start expanding the fixation by having him draw an Indianapolis-type car or draw sports cars that regular people can buy at car dealerships. The next step of expansion is to draw pictures of places where race tracks are located”

“I was appalled to learn that some schools are very rigid about forcing a child to only study materials that are designed for his/her grade level. “- Temple Grandinhttp://www.takepart.com/article/2012/08/15/temple-grandin-reveals-advice-educating-autistic-kids

Temple Grandin

Chaytor is provided with ‘safe’ activities that compliment his interests in light..

Interest in Ceiling FansHow do we

expand on Chaytor’s interest in ceiling fans?

How about bridging that interest to encourage social skills and follow through?

Moving from the block area to interacting with peers and a new medium...

Which led to work in the art area: The beginning of symbolic representation….and following two-step directions.

Which led to…Making a fan for the doll house

The Definition of Engagement …

Chaytor identifies the little boy in the doll house as himself

Chaytor begins playing in the doll house…1st with teacher scaffolding and then with peers.

Click icon to add picture

And… practicing the function of objects and positional concepts , etc.

Which led to…

Increase in:◦Initiative◦Follow

Through◦Engagement◦Interaction

with peers and adults

◦Using language in a functional manner

Year Two: Symbolic Thinking

Chaytor begins to initiate the representation of his interests

Chaytor’s new interest in

‘Na-na’s garden…naming his picture:

“Elephant Ears& Caladium”

•HOW MIGHT THIS INTEREST LEAD TO A PROJECT?

Pick an interest…

What is a Child-Negotiated Project?

Children communicate An InterestAn Intent for Following that

InterestTeachers: Gather Provocations and Embed

Learning ObjectivesTeachers and Children Negotiate:Which, When, Where, and How

the Interests Will be Followed

Why give the children a voice in creating the learning process?

Emotional investment in learningEngagement= LearningCommunicators of their IdeasCreative ThinkersPlannersProblem-solversHooked into Attending to and

Following Through with the Learning Processes

The desired results of inclusive experiences for children with and without disabilities and their families include •a sense of belonging and membership,• positive social relationships and friendships, and• development and learning to reach their full potential.

The defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high quality early childhood programs and services are access, participation, and supports.

Highlights from:A Joint Position Statement on inclusion of the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC )

Learning Projects: Reaching Multiple Objectives at Multiple Levels

Deciding what might be a whole-class project?

Observing PlayTaking anecdotal

notes on children’s conversations

Noticing the level of interest among the children as a whole

Systems for Supporting Project Work

Planned ObservationsProviding ProvocationsThe Environment as the Third

TeacherStaffing Planning for an Emerging

CurriculumEmbedding LearningDocumentation as Observation-

Data Collection

Observation Tools:Levels of PlayGreenspan’s Levels of

Social/Emotional Multiple IntelligencesA Time Sampling of

Areas of InterestAnecdotal Records

Observations/Provocations Lead to Engaged Learning for All

When deciding what might be a project?

Observe PlayTake anecdotal

notes on children’s conversations

Notice the level of interest among the children as a whole

Matrix for ObservationsChild Strengths Intelligences Shared with:

LizVocabulary, Stories, , Discussions Verbal- Linguistic Kristen & Hannah

Kristen Vocabulary, Stories, ,Discussions, Nature Verbal- Linguistic, Natural

Liz & Hannah, Nyna, Laura,

HannahVocabulary, Stories, Discussions, Drawings, Designs, Patterns, & Color, Nature

Verbal- Linguistic/Visual- Spatial

Kristen & Liz, Laura, Nyna, Tess, & Charlie

Nyna Movement, painting, nature Kinesthetic,

Visual/Spatial, Natural

Hannah, Laura, Tess,

Kristen & Charlie

LauraDrawings, Designs,Patterns,& Color, Nature

Visual-Spatial, Natural Tess, Hannah, Kristen & Charlie

TessDrawings, Designs,Patterns,& Color

Visual-

Spatial

Laura, Hannah, Nyna & Charlie

CharlieDrawings, Designs,Patterns,& Color

Visual-

Spatial

Tess, Hannah, Nyna & Laura

Provocations& The

Environment

Staffing Project Work

Tiered Learning:Engaging All Learners

RegulationSensory needs metCommunication needs metAdditional adult support

Pre-teaching of positional concepts Peer ModelingChild-directed representation according to developmental levelsProvided children with concrete materials

Accessed children’s prior experiences Followed children’s interest to promoteParticipation and engagementPurposeful enquiry and planningUsed children’s choices and interest to teach the concept of Colors

Project Planning: Being a Reflective Teacher

Lesson Plan Template with Objectives Date__________ Goals Addressed: Date:

Notes Schedule Monday Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

-Care of personal belongings: ES, DH RG,NG -Self-help skills, personal responsibility: hanging up backpack and coat with decreasing verbal/ visual prompts :JM, BH,ES,DH, R,GE -Greeting Peers: JM ,

Arrival

9:00-9:15

Arrival

Arrival

Arrival

Arrival

Arrival

- Play & conversational skills w peer ,take turns in conversations, sharing items AC/ES/ BH/JM - Personal space, rights of others BH, ES,, DH -Personal info name/ age/gender -Answer questions about self DH -Imitate facial gestures JM, ES - Follow 2 step direction: ES/BH/DH, RG, NG

AM Planning Circle

9:15-9:30

Personal space/ rights of others, personal info BM/ ES Take turns, t /t in conversations BH/ES/AC/JM Ask for help when needed JM -Use utensils NG/ES -Drink from un-lidded cup NG -Ask for food or drink w/ words /gestures: JM, ES

Snack 9:30- 9:50

- Personal space/ rights of others, personal info BM -What to do in situations/ use of objects BH/ES/JM - Respond to one & one more JM - Take turns, t /t in conversations /sharing items BH/ES/AC/JM - Initiate play, plan w peers/ imaginative play BH/ES/AC/ -Taking turns games w/ peers JM,ES,BH,

Centers / Movement and Music activities, etc.

9:50- 10:50

Weekly planning is carried out around children’s interests, skill sets, concept development & objectives

Think about your play idea projectHow could you embed learning into

that play?How would you plan to meet the

learning objectives during the play? How many developmental domains could be reached?

How would you use the staff and the environment to promote the learning?

How might learning be tiered during the play?

Data Collection in an Activity-Based Curriculum:

Post-it NotesStaff DiscussionClipboardsChecklists…More?

Using PortfoliosCassidy

2008-2009A record of the process of a child's learning and development:What the child has learned and how the child has gone about learning

Work Samples, anecdotal records, photographs, videos, conversations of children are just a sampling of what goes into a portfolio.