Embedding Instruction Opportunities for Young Children with Special Needs SST Region 11 - Columbus,...

Embedding Instruction Opportunities for Young Children with Special Needs

SST Region 11 - Columbus, OH

November 20, 2009

Laurie Dinnebeil / William McInerney

University of Toledo

EMBEDDED INTERVENTION

Weaving Teaching and Intervention into Routine Activities

Material taken from Project Open House,Drs Dinnebeil and McInerney

Recipe for Embedding Instruction for Children with Special Needs

Functional learning goals and objectives Opportunities for children to learn and

practice functional skills or behaviors across the curriculum and across daily activities

Developmentally appropriate routines and activities


A Routines-Based Approach

What’s the best way to address children’s learning goals and

objectives? Most experts in early childhood and early

childhood special education will agree that a “routines-based approach” works best (Bricker, Pretti-Frontzcak, & McComas, 1998;

Sandall & Schwartz, 2002).

What are Routines?

Activities that are predictable (may occur at the same time of the day or in same sequence every day)

Examples of Routines

Family / Home Wake up Eat meals Church on Sunday Laundry on Mon. &

Weds

Classroom Snack Outside Play Circle Time Centers


A “Routines-Based” or “Activity-Based” Model for Intervention: Embedded Instruction

- Focuses on a child’s daily routines or activities like snack, playtime, circle time, dramatic play as a context for learning and OPPORTUNITY for EMBEDDING

- Teachers give children opportunities to practice targeted IEP or IFSP goals or activities during these daily routines or activities instead of creating special instructional time.


Daily Routines and Activities Provide Opportunities for Learning for Young Children

Play time! Blocks, dramatic play, outside play, manipulatives, art materials

Reading! Reading alone or being read to individually or in groups

Singing songs! Participating in group songs or fingerplays

Eating! Breakfast, snack, lunch or dinner

Resting! Napping, sleeping, spending quiet time alone

Taking care of oneself! Bathroom, washing, getting dressed

Transitioning! Coming to school and going home, changing activities during the day

Others?? Are there other routines or daily activities that occupy the time of children you know?


Why does a “routines-based” approach help young children learn?

1. Children learn best when they’re interested and motivated.

2. Children learn best when opportunities to learn and practice skills occur throughout the day, instead of just during one period of time.

3. It’s difficult for busy early childhood teachers to take time out of the classroom schedule to provide special instruction to meet children’s learning needs.


How do I use a “Routines-Based” approach?

Find good times to help children learn about and practice new skills or behaviors. Good times are times when children usually use certain skills. For example,

Taking turns during a board game Using names of objects when playing

in the housekeeping area Requesting things during a meal


Using a “routines-based” approach:

Know what children are interested in, what gets their attention or what motivates them

Favorite activities…going down the slide, being read to, playing with blocks

Favorite foods…apple juice, graham crackers, pizza

Favorite people…Ms. Susan, friend Tommy, next door neighbor Mr. Gray.


Finding Time to Help Children Practice

Once teachers have identified some times that children naturally use skills, they can devise learning opportunities embedded within the routine or activity.

. . . Some examples?


Let’s help Justin practice following directions…..

Justin is 5 and has trouble following 2-part directions (like “Put away the truck and come sit down.”)

It’s important that Justin learns how to follow directions because he’s going to kindergarten next year.


Tom’s Plan

Tom is Justin’s teacher and knows that Justin really likes to look at books after lunch.

He decides to use clean-up after lunch (and before books) as a time to help Justin practice following directions.


More About Tom’s Plan…

Once Justin is through with lunch, Tom gives him a chance to practice following directions by saying… “Justin, when you’re done with lunch,

throw your cup away and push in your chair.”

He helps Justin follow the direction if Justin needs help.


Planning for Ashley

Ashley is 4 and has a language delay and problems in communication that often cause her to have difficulty interacting with other children. Her IEP includes the following objectives:

Engage in conversations with other children

Use words to describe common objects

Take turns playing with toys and materials


How would you help Ashley?

Using Ashley’s matrix, identify ways that her teacher can give her help with her IEP objectives during the activities or routines marked with an “X”.


Ashley’s Activity Matrix

IEP Objectives Free Play Snack Outside Bathroom Circle

Engage in conversations with other children

x x

Use words to describe common objects

x x x

Take turns playing with toys and materials

x x


Robert Will Walk Unassisted for10 Feet Set up furnishings in the classroom so that it’s easy

to mark 10 feet—from the snack table to the bookcase.

During daily classroom activities, Robert’s teacher can easily keep track of how far he walked (e.g., halfway from the snack table to the book case—about 5 feet).

Remember that Robert’s teacher has to make sure that he has opportunities to walk unassisted and a good reason to go from one place to another.


What about kids like Todd?

Finding interesting activities and other children’s favorites during the day isn’t a problem for most children. However, for children like Todd, finding interesting opportunities to practice skills can be challenging.


Do you know kids like Todd?

Todd is 3 and is in Maria’s preschool classroom. He doesn’t seem to be interested in anything. He spends most of his day wandering around the room, rarely playing with toys or engaging in activities. How can Maria help Todd practice skills during daily routines if Todd’s not interested?


Setting Up Opportunities to Get Children Interested

Here are some ways that Todd’s teacher can get Todd interested in the activities around him…

Provide interesting or novel materials in the classroom. Consider cycling toys or materials that children are tired of and adding novel toys / mateials that can spark Todd’s interest.


Setting Up Opportunities to Get Children Interested

Place a desired toy or object within Todd’s view but out of his reach. Todd might become motivated to ask for help so he can get the toy or the object.

Provide “just a little” bit of a preferred material or activity so Todd has a chance to ask for more. For example, Todd’s teacher might just give the children one cracker so they’ll have a chance to ask for more.


More tricks to get children interested…

Todd’s teacher might provide Todd and others a chance to make choices between activities or materials. For example, providing different drinks during snack (milk or juice) requires him to make a choice and tell the teacher what he wants.


More tricks to get children interested…

“Sabotage” an activity by “forgetting” to provide all of the materials that Todd wants or needs. For example, “forgetful” teachers can give children paintbrushes and paper, but no paint! Children love to remind the teacher what they’ve forgotten!


More tricks to get children interested… Set up an absurd or silly situation that

violates a child’s expectations. For example, Todd’s teacher might decide to serve the children blocks and plastic animals for snack and wait to see their reactions!

CAUTION: When using these “tricks of the trade” remember not to single a child out. Todd would feel badly if he was the only one in the class who always had to ask for “more”.


What about Ashley?

Ashley needs help naming common objects…how could her teacher use one or more of the “creating interest” strategies to create an interesting learning opportunity for Ashley?


How about these?

Add novel materials to the room that are objects that Ashley is familiar with—for example, new dolls, a new kind of toy animal, ball, etc.

Sabotage a situation by leaving out an essential item (that’s a common object) that Ashley needs to complete a task.

“Violate expectations” by giving Ashley and some others an inappropriate substitute for an item (e.g., blocks for snack).

Let Ashley choose between two types of a common object (e.g., red cups or blue cups for snack).

Embedding Instruction Opportunities for Young Children with Special Needs SST Region 11 - Columbus,...

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