Islands of Possibility - Pre

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Islands of Possibility

Program Overview

Shooting for the stars...

Islands of Possibility is MORE than a great learning environment

It is a culmination of “best practices”

Each successive teacher in our Pre-K IND (Intellectual Disabilities) program has added new ideas and strengths

Standardization across classrooms

MAXIMIZE instructional time

More cohesive program

Consistent IEPs

Highest quality across the board

Description of program to parents

Learning Environment

The core of the Islands of Possibility program is a classroom environment that promotes safe sensory exploration, that emphasizes a coordinated system of positioning, and that builds connections between students, adults and materials.

Learning Environment Philosophy

**Positioning is integrated into classroom design

All materials to be used are available and accessible at all times

Emphasis is placed on colorful, comfortable and developmentally appropriate pieces

Carpets and therapy mats make the rooms bright and soften floors to encourage crawling and exploring

Classroom spaces are efficient and organized

Learning materials are presented in specific ways

Classroom design evolves with students’ needs

Providing Valuable Connections

Learning Environment: Providing Valuable Connections

Classroom is engineered for communication (beginning AAC)

Children have better access to materials through unique mounting and stabilizing techniques

Learning Environment

The Gathering Place

Island

Spa

Other areas

Learning Environment:

The Gathering Place

Semi-enclosed space

Students sitting in wheelchairs, wedges, rifton chairs and feeder seats

Teacher conducts Greeting/Closing Circle using switch toys, voice output devices and other materials mounted/displayed throughout

FOSTERS: social interaction awareness

Learning Environment: Island

Interactive Soft Play Land

Learning Environment: Island

Enclosed (or semi-enclosed) space

Colorful softplay structure, mats, padded edges

Switch toys and other materials mounted/displayed throughout

FOSTERS: gross motor development, independent exploration, social interaction

Learning Environment: Spa

“Sense”sational Play Area

Learning Environment: Spa

Positioning equipment and sensory materials woven into area design

Materials for visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation/exploration (switch driven)

FOSTERS: Development of cause/effect, response to sensory stimulation, proper body alignment and positioning

Learning Environment: Other Areas

Computer

Ball Bath

Swing

Bathroom/Diapering area

Table for meals/snacks

Daily Routine

The daily routine reflects a variety of teacher planned activities as well as time for children to play independently in the areas of the room. Lessons are planned around a particular activity or material so that a wide range of skills can be addressed. Above all, instructional time is maximized through customized organization of the daily routine and smooth transitions.

What are the parts of the daily routine?

Greeting Time

Small Group Time

Large Group Time

Work Time

Outside Time

Story Time

What are the other activities/adult responsibilities?

Arrival

Dismissal

Transitions

Positioning

Child observation

Anecdotal notes

Daily team planning

Daily Routine: Greeting Time

Adults lead group activity

Students positioned together in same area

Adults are at children’s level

Adults/children greet one another, sing, say rhymes and other oral language activities

Adults interact with children using mirrors, props, and other materials

Children participate by looking, listening, touching, vocalizing, making choices, using voice output

Content of activity is at a developmentally appropriate level (sense of self and familiar adults rather then calendar activities or pre-academics)

The Gathering Place lends itself well to a group on the floor as positioning seats are already set up there

Other large open area with access to song boards, props, voice output and symbols, etc.

Daily Routine: Greeting Time

Develops sense of time (beginning of day/ transition from home)

Time for adults to make one to one contact with each student

Builds oral language

Builds social skills

Simple classic children’s songs, rhymes, finger plays, etc. (especially ones that have simple words/vocalizations, repeated lines, props, simple movements)

Key Experiences

FROM EACH OTHER

Daily Routine: Small Group Time

Each adult works with small group of children

Adults are at children’s level

Therapists can be encouraged to join groups when activity is relevant to therapy goals

Materials are set out and ready from previous day’s planning

Each adult introduces activity/materials, then assists and interacts with children (each in turn if needed)

Activity focuses on PROCESS, not PRODUCT

Materials are adapted to match each child’s goals and/or abilities

Children make choices throughout

Children build cause/effect understanding and purposeful use of voice output with activity specific messages

Often at a table

Any other part of the room that makes sense to the activity (water table for pouring, floor mat for stacking and knocking down blocks)

Outside

Allows for smaller teacher:student ratio, more individualized attention

Allows for greater student participation

Allows for direct instruction on IEP goals in a functional, developmentally appropriate context

Allows for informal observation/measurement of skills

Daily Routine: Small Group Time

Children’s interests/ anecdotal notes

Key Experiences

Messy sensory materials

Emergent skills

Informal assessment (“What will ____ do with the rice if I present it?”)

New materials (teaching play skills)

IEP goals

FROM EACH OTHER

Daily Routine: Large Group Time

Adults lead group activity

Therapists can be encouraged to join group when activity is relevant to therapy goals

Activities focus on music and/or movement

Children can be positioned but independent or assisted movement is goal

Focus is on PROCESS, so music/action/directions are paced for student response time

Materials are used to encourage movement: bubbles, scarves, parachute, blanket, gait trainer, ball bath, etc.

Children participate by vocalizing, moving holding props and turning music on and off with switch

Children build cause/effect understanding and purposeful use of voice output with activity specific messages

Inside classroom in large open area (Island area lends itself well to this type of activity)

Outside

Develops large and small motor skills

Motivating for children who need a lot of stimulation to respond

Play and Learn Book

Children’s interests/ anecdotal notes

Key Experiences

FROM EACH OTHER

Daily Routine: Work Time

One or both/all adults (depending how this block of time is structured) position and interact with students

Therapists can be encouraged to stay in the classroom to work with individual students during this time

Children move about or are positioned to explore materials in the areas of the room:

Island, Spa, computer, ball bath, swing, etc.

Adult(s) position or reposition students, supervise room for safety, interact with one student or small group of students

Adults are at children’s level

In any areas of the room: The Gathering Place,Island, Spa, computer, ball bath, swing, etc.

Allows children time for independent, less structured time for exploration

Builds cause/effect and other play skills

Allows adults to observe children’s play, make adaptations

Allows for important positioning that might be difficult during other times of the routine

Children’s interests/ anecdotal notes (add or rotate materials)

Key Experiences

Play and Learn Book

FROM EACH OTHER

Daily Routine: Outside Time

All adults and children

Large group activity

Small group activities

Unstructured activity

Could overlap with other parts of routine

OK, this one is pretty obvious… 

!

Different set of environmental stimuli (breeze, sounds, sun/shade)

Easy clean up of messy materials

Open ended for teacher planning

Chance to be with non-disabled peers or other Pre-K ESE classes

Children’s interests/ anecdotal notes

Key Experiences

Take materials used inside

outside

FROM EACH OTHER

Daily Routine: Story Time

Each adult shares a story/rhyme/finger play/oral language activity with a small group of children

Adults hold or sit close to children and speak in soft, inviting voices

Adults are at children’s level

Children may be positioned but emphasis is on comfort and intimacy

Props, objects, books with simple pictures or photos of children and familiar adults

(including family) are used

Oral language activities that use simple vocalizations, repeated lines, rhythm and rhyme are chosen

Children participate by listening, making simple choices, pointing to pictures, joining in using voice output

In quiet, comfortable space

Develops oral language

Great opportunity for student participation and functional choice making and use of voice output

Time to develop social closeness

Children’s books

Key Experiences

FROM EACH OTHER

Daily Routine

Consolidate parts of routine: read story outside or while preparing dismissal alternate large group and outside time do small group and work time concurrently greeting time

large group

Smooth transitions: when half of the students are transitioned, one adult begins activity some equipment MUST be stationed permanently where it will be used use positioning charts

Adult schedule: decide in advance who does what and when post it include it in lesson plans alternate starting activity vs. repositioning

Creative diapering: check/change first half of the childrens’ diapers upon arrival 

other half after greeting check/change diapers during work time check/change diapers upon laying down or waking up from rest time stagger each diaper change throughout the day

Assessment/Curriculum

Formal assessment tools – BDI, Carolina, Early LAP, etc.

Child observation and Key notes

High/Scope for Infants and Toddlers

Key Experiences

Making Connections

Play and Learn

Child observation

Shapes our interactions with children and plans for classroom activities

Helps us shape the physical environment

Gives us qualitative information on student progress

Helps us communicate that information to parents in a meaningful way

Key notes include:

Context: date, time of day/part of routine, and where action occurred

Actions and sounds: exactly what child did and said/vocalized

Facts: objective details rather than general or subjective statements or assumptions

Key notes

Meaningful – objective and important in regard to student progress

Subjective – uses vague language or assumptions on the part of the observer

Need more information – objective but needs clarification or context to become meaningful.

High/Scope Key Experiences for Infants and Toddlers

Organized under 9 broad areas of infant-toddler learning

Provide a framework for understanding our observations

High/Scope Key Experiences

Sense of Self

Social Relations

Creative Representation

Movement and Music

Communication and Language

Exploring Objects

Early Quantity and Number Concepts

Space

Time

Key Experiences: Sense of Self

Expressing initiative – turns toward or away from adult or object, initiates or avoids physical contact, selects or rejects toy/object, moves with persistence to get to person or object, says or indicates “no”, expresses choice or intention

Distinguishing “me” from others – explores own body parts, explores mirror image, claims something as “mine”, identifies self in photo or mirror

Solving problems encountered in exploration and play – moves eyes/head/hand toward a desired object, repeats action to make something happen again, moves to find someone or something that has disappeared from sight, makes attempts to solve a simple problem

Key Experiences: Social Relations

Forming attachment to a primary caregiver – snuggles/cuddles/gazes at/smiles to/vocalizes to adult; engages in playful give-and-take

Building relationships with other adults – responds to sounds/gestures of another adult, plays peek-a-boo or simple games with adult, initiates contact with adult, brings toy to adult

Building relationships with peers – watches another child, exchanges sounds/gestures with peer, physically seeks company of peer, pats/hugs or brings toy to peer, vocalizes to peer

Expressing emotions – cries, smiles, frowns, wiggles with pleasure, stiffens or turns away, laughs, hugs, shows pleasure or frustration

Showing empathy toward the feeling and needs of others – smiles when adult smiles, cries when hearing another child cry

Developing social play – watches another child play, plays or enjoys peek-a-boo or other simple interaction games

Key Experiences: Creative Representation

Imitating – watches and listens to another, imitates sounds/gestures/ facial expressions of others, repeats sounds or actions of another, uses one object to stand for something else

Exploring building and art materials – explores own hands, reaches for and explores blocks/clay/dough/ paper, makes marks/scribbles, stacks blocks, squeezes clay or dough

Responding to and identifying pictures and photographs – babbles to/gestures/points to familiar picture or photo

Key Experiences: Movement and Music

Moving parts of the body – turns head, waves arms, reaches, grasps, kicks legs, holds object, passes from one hand to another, rolls/throws ball, uses small objects with coordination

Moving the whole body – rolls over, sits up, creeps, crawls, scoots, pulls up to kneeling/standing, cruises, balances, walks, runs, climbs

Moving with objects – kicks/bats/shakes/ bangs/drops object, pushes or pulls object while moving, propels self on a wheel toy

Moving, listening, and responding to music, experiencing steady beat, and exploring sounds, pitches and beginning to sing – turns head toward music, sways/bounces in response to music, imitates sounds, stands and moves body to music, joins in singing a simple song

Key Experiences: Communication and Language

Listening and responding – turns toward voice, establishes eye contact, smiles in response to voice, imitates a vocal sound or gesture, turns to name, acts on a request or statement

Communicating nonverbally – initiates physical contact with or points to person or object

Participating in communication give-and-take – coos/smiles/looks at faces, takes turns exchanging sounds/gestures with another, babbles in conversation like manner

Communicating verbally – coos, babbles, uses a word/phrase

Exploring picture books – gazes at pictures in books, touches/grasps/mouths a book, turns pages, points to pictures in a book

Enjoying stories, rhymes, and songs – becomes still/brightens/vocalizes/bounces/sways upon hearing a story, rhyme or song, participates in pat-a-cake or similar word game/finger play, joins in on story, song or rhyme

Key Experiences: Exploring Objects

Exploring objects with the hands, feet, mouth, eyes, ears, and nose – looks, listens, reaches for, grasps, bats at, kicks at mouths, tastes, pats, waves, turns, drops, and carries objects; uses two objects together, uses a tool to complete a task

Discovering object permanence – turns toward familiar object/person, visually tracks object as it moves away, searches for hidden object, initiates peek-a-boo

Exploring how things are the same or different – shows preference for high vs. low sounds, slow vs. fast music, one object rather than another, selects like things from a group of toys/materials to mouth or explore

Key Experiences: Early Quantity and Number

Experiencing “more” – selects one object to mouth, then another and another; asks for

“more” of something, gathers a quantity of something

Experiencing one-to-one correspondence – puts thumb in mouth, holds one object in each hand, attempts to put on a hat, puts toy person in each toy car/bed

Exploring the number of things

Key Experiences: Space

Exploring and noticing location of objects – watches moving objects, moves closer to objects, moves one object to gain access to another, locates a desired object, retrieves an object out of sight

Observing people and things from various perspectives – observes from adult’s arms, from floor, from lying position, from sitting, from chair/stander, from under something, from on top of something, while swinging, etc.

Filling and emptying, putting in and taking out – drinks from cup, knocks over a container filled with something, takes toys off a shelf, dumps toys out of a container, puts toys into a container, fills/empties a cup with water/sand

Taking things apart and fitting them together – grasps/pulls on objects, waves/shakes/bangs objects, opens books/doors, takes the tops off containers, takes off clothing, fits shapes into sorters, large pegs into pegboards, simple puzzles

Key Experiences: Time

Anticipating familiar events – quiets/brightens/turns to familiar voice/sound, performs particular action at sight of particular person/object, sees familiar sight and anticipates what will happen next, puts self into position for next event, indicates intention of what he/she will do next (points to sink to wash hands)

Noticing the beginning/ending of a time interval – turns away at the end of feeding, stops an action to an interesting sound/sensation, uses word/gesture to indicate end (“all finished”)

Experiencing fast and slow – rolls/bounces/rocks/bangs/shakes things at various speeds, crawls/cruises/walks/climbs at various speeds

Repeating an action to make something happen again, experiencing cause and effect – watches an object after accidentally setting it in motion, repeats a simple action to make it happen again, repeats a simple sequence of actions to make something happen again

Communication

The philosophy behind the Islands of Possibility program is that communication opportunities are built into each and every moment of the daily routine. Interventions are based on the Communication and Language key experiences and on the use of beginning augmentative/ alternative communication strategies as outlined in Making Connections .

The End

(Whew!)

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