Standard Area November April

Positive Social Relationships

FL 1 preferred interaction with adults initially. She demonstrated attachment with adults by making pictures/writing notes to them; she also displayed appropriate hesitancy when interacting with new adults. FL 1 demonstrated interested in written language and was able to correctly write her first name, demonstrating positive self-awareness and esteem. While she displayed a narrow range of emotions and indicated the lack of understanding of social expectations for transitions/field trips/peer interaction, she observed the actions of others and once comfortable, she would verbalize her wants, needs, or choices. All of these behaviors are typical of a child learning English immersed in the culture and language.

FL 1 interacts with several friends on a regular basis. She communicates in age-appropriate sentences with peers related to play concepts, materials, places, and routines. Her vocabulary related to animals, places, food, and academic concepts is exceptional and used correctly in context. She follows social rules and expectations including transitioning upon request, following the rules of a game, and waits in line for her turn. She “writes” about peers in class and includes them in her drawings, including labeling them with help to spell names correctly. She is attached to several peers and teachers, but she accepts new teachers easily and calls them by name. She met a new friend who speaks the same primary language and she immediately became animated and expressive while speaking with the friend in their home language. This association is a positive connection to her culture at the center.

Knowledge and Skills

FL 1 demonstrated a beginning understanding of alphabetic awareness by labeling/writing letters, and spelling orally/writing her name. She wrote non-words to express her ideas and messages to adults. FL 1 demonstrated early numeracy by: writing numerals in her home language; creating/copying AB patterns; labeling concepts of size; practicing measurement of size, quantity, and weight; counting objects 1:1; and writing numerals, and demonstrating an awareness of time/clocks.

The literacy and numeracy skills that FL 1 displayed in November have become more fluent and she has even begun to “joke” with letters and rearranges letters in friends’ names to make new make-believe words. She enjoys decorating the letters in her name. She takes learning risks and “plays” with sounds to write words in English. She is often very focused and detailed in her work, and will indicate in very complete and grammatically correct sentences that she is not playing but working. This occurs when completing detailed drawings and trying to communicate ideas in words.

Action to Meet Needs

FL 1 displayed gross motor skills typical of her age, engaging in running, jumping, and spinning during large group time. She demonstrated a mature grasp of writing instruments and could make representational drawings of complex objects. FL 1 preferred fine motor and creative activities and frequently engaged in cutting, drawing, and marker play. Her cutting skills include correct hand position on the scissors, but she often has sharp rather than smooth edges on her cut-out pictures. She used eating utensils appropriately but took a long time to get her outdoor clothing, socks and shoes on for transitions. She preferred to be barefoot and needed lots of encouragement to put her shoes on.

FL 1 still prefers fine motor tasks but is active when outside. She is able to climb snowy hillsides, climb up and over obstacles with coordination and balance. She dresses at the same pace of her peers and displays more sophisticated curiosity and risk when engaging in imaginative play with objects and peers. She expresses herself creatively with art supplies, substitutes common materials for other objects well, and uses a variety of scissors to create her work. Her cutting is becoming more smooth and she is cutting out smaller objects than in the past.

Abstract

Purpose Discussion

Marissa Kinjerski and Cathy Thorsen Special Education University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireMarissa Kinjerski and Cathy Thorsen Special Education University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

The primary activity of the study was to document individual changes in children’s development through creating developmental portfolios based on classroom observations and results from classroom assessment. Developmental portfolios allow parents and teachers to see the progress an individual child has made throughout the year and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction. The investigators participated in the classroom each week to document children’s activities and interactions, and collected artifacts of child work. The investigators are in the process of observing children’s learning through the use of the Creative Curriculum, which uses specific units of study to deepen children’s knowledge on a particular topic. The investigators are using the observations to create developmental portfolios that contain each child’s progress in a confidential and cumulative binder. The investigators will write a summary of growth for families following an analysis of change according to the portfolio. The summary and portfolios will be given to the parents upon completion so that an overall picture of the child’s developmental progress is provided for them. The project is still in process, but the investigators expect to report that all of the children in the Creative Curriculum classroom have made significant developmental gains through the year.

Model effective inclusive strategies Document individual learning toward Wisconsin

Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) Analyze student developmental progress

Causation may not be attributed to project-based learning or any aspect of this study

Relationship between project-based learning and the childcare setting was not established

Both FL’s exhibited growth in all 3 domains of learning in the WMELS

Prior to the study, both FL’s were identified as possessing at-risk characteristics that were interfering with their development, making them immediately observable as different from their peers

At the end of the year, both FL’s showed social interaction typical of their age

Candidate growth in observation and informal assessment skills, and in ability to identify appropriate WMELS based on images or notes

Limitations: frequent turnover of center staff, investigator control of environment

Documenting Evidence of Developmental Changes in Preschool-Age Children with Special Needs Engaged in Project-Based LearningDocumenting Evidence of Developmental Changes in Preschool-Age Children with Special Needs Engaged in Project-Based Learning

Context For Learning Community-based childcare Accredited by National Association for the Education

of the Young Child (NAEYC) Serves infants through age 6, and an Institution of

Higher Education student and employee population 16 morning students, 23 afternoon students in

classes for this research project Community partner in universal 4-year-old

kindergarten program of the school district Uses The Creative Curriculum Positive behavioral guidance process Employees consist of licensed teachers that must

have a Bachelor’s Degree and 2 student workers in each classroom

Results

Focus Learner 2 (FL 2)

Implications for Early Childhood Special Education Teachers Creation of developmental portfolios to align

observable behaviors with WMELS Documentation of behaviors that are not age

appropriate to analyze change Connection between assessment criteria and

student behavior Strong emphasis on organization of data

collection Using components of project-based learning

such as strengths-based learning and engaged learning about topics of interest to children

We thank the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for supporting this research, and Learning & Technology Services for printing this poster.

Acknowledgements

Standard Area November April

Positive Social Relationships

FL 2 displayed some hesitation with regards to demonstration of rules and social expectations. He often followed multiple-step directions but did so with some refusal and hesitation. FL 2 was very self-aware and often showed pride in himself through vocal means or gestural expression. FL 2 demonstrated social conflict skills when the activity was enjoyable to him, but exhibited some defiance when he was being asked to do an activity he disliked.

FL 2 consistently uses strategies to help him regulate his own behavior, such as putting a “bubble” in his mouth in the hallway to keep himself from talking, without being told to do so. He displays social conflict skills with a variety of friends and even reminds friends to follow the rules. He more often follows directions that are asked of him without defiance or reminders. When a teacher reminds him to use a positive social conflict resolution strategy, FL 2 generally does so immediately. He often displays turn-taking skills. He engages in more cooperative play and demonstrates a desire to play with peers instead of dictating play.

Knowledge and Skills

FL 2 displayed some mathematical thinking such as sorting beads by color. Though he was very verbal and detailed in conversation, sometimes the topic of his conversations were not appropriate for school. He showed a general appreciation for books but did not often partake in literacy activities by choice. Most of his play skills were imaginative, and less scientific.

FL 2 displays many literacy skills such as recognizing friends’ names in print and writing their names with a model. He continues to display mathematical knowledge by counting during games and adding people at the snack table. In addition, his conversation has become more school-appropriate when talking to friends. He now exhibits more scientific thinking such as forming hypotheses and explanations for why certain events happen.

Action to Meet Needs

FL 2 had gross motor skills typical of his age, though had a slightly atypical gait. He moved with purpose and coordination, exhibited balancing skills, and some fine motor skills through play with Legos, but rarely through writing or drawing by choice. He often used a mature grasp, but sometimes used discrete motor movements that resulted in specific start and stop points rather than smooth transitions. His creativity was shown through play with Legos and story-telling.

FL 2 continues to move with purpose and coordination. His gross motor movements have become more coordinated and integrated and resemble that of his same-aged peers. He has improved in writing skills, as his writings and drawings are legible and smoother. He is able to write many letters. He exhibits strong hand-eye coordination through tracing templates and cutting out magazine pictures. His creativity is typically displayed through play and conversation, such as drawing a treasure map and looking for the treasure with friends. He continues to be active and explorative of his environment.

Focus learner 1 (FL 1) is a 5 year old female student who attends a community-based child care center for 45 hours per week. English is not her primary language, however her parent speaks and reads both the primary language and English fluently and was teaching English to the FL prior to moving to the United States. The FL began attending the child care center in mid-August where all care, behavioral guidance, and instruction occurs in English. Although old enough for 4-year-old kindergarten, the parent and center director determined that a single learning environment would be best for the child.Focus learner 2 (FL 2) is a male who is 5 years and 5 months old. He attends four-year-old kindergarten in the mornings Monday through Thursday at a community childcare for 11 hours. He attends childcare in a different room at the same facility in the afternoon Monday through Thursday, and all day Friday for a total of 34 hours.

Focus Learner 1 (FL 1)

Participants