Foster opportunities for partners to promote learning and interaction
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Indicators of Effectiveness: Promoting learning & interaction |
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Early intervention, preschool special education and related service providers use their knowledge and experience to assist their early childhood partners in expanding opportunities for learning and interaction within a child’s familiar physical and social contexts.
- Physical context: includes a child’s home, a program’s building, or a classrooms layout. It also includes specific areas within each location e.g., child’s bedroom, backyard, library reading corner, outside play area, or dress-up center.
- Social context: centers on the family members, early care/education staff and peers e.g., siblings, cousins, classmates and friends, a child interacts with on a regular basis. McWilliam & Casey, 2008; Snell & Janey, 2005
Resources
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Embedding intervention in early childhood programs
• The Project CONNECT Module on Embedded Intervention is a treasure trove of early childhood inclusion resources including audio and video clips, learning activities, handouts and research summaries. Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center.
• Specialized interventions for preschool children with disabilities.
Embedded intervention during peer play
Jack watches and imitates a classmate’s motions during a song. Observe how the physical and social environment structured by teachers in this inclusive preschool classroom provides spontaneous learning and interaction opportunities for Jack.
- Project Connect, Frank Porter Child Development Center
Knowledge about a child's history, development, abilities, and likes and dislikes, are available from written records as well as direct communication with family members and other team members. All partners should seek out, and build on the experiences and preferences of children and families, including:
- the important people in a child's life;
- the cultural values of each family, and what language they speak at home;
- a child’s interests and favorite activities.
It is also helpful to observe a child in familiar settings (i.e., a previous program or at home) prior to joining a new setting. Young children are comforted by familiar objects and activities, and can begin to associate new cues with old routines and attach new meanings to familiar actions. They eventually learn, for example, that the blue mat means it is naptime and that a certain song means clean up.
