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Individualizing

Learn about individualizing—one of the key elements of the HSCI framework for effective practice—to support individual learning outcomes and goals for children with disabilities.

Below you'll find a suite of materials to assist with individualizing in the classroom. There’s Adapting the Curriculum: Supervisors Tool, a guide for observations in the classroom; the Classroom Quality Indicators Checklist—a checklist to help supervisors determine that foundational elements of a quality classroom are in place; and Supervisor’s Guide: More About the Quality Indicators.

You’ll find practical strategies for educators and other caregivers in the Classroom Quality Indicators Checklist; Individualizing Within a Group Activity; and the Planned Instruction Form—to use when planning for an individual child in your program. The Arts & Crafts signs can be posted throughout the learning spaces to give staff ideas about what to work on while engaging with children.

Presentation

Presentation Slides (PDF)

Helpful Resources (PDF)

Learning Center (PDF)

Learning Center – Spanish (PDF)

Supervisor's Tool – Adapting the Curriculum (PDF)

Supervisor's Guide – Classroom Quality Indicators Checklist (PDF)

Supervisor's Guide – More About the Quality Indicators (PDF)

Teacher's Guide – Classroom Quality Indicators Checklist (PDF)

Tips for Teachers – Group Activity (PDF)

Tips for Teachers – Individual Instruction (PDF)

Videos

This set of short videos demonstrates the process that two teachers went through when planning for specific children who need more individualized instruction on some of their learning objectives. These vignettes will show clips of their planning meeting as well as what it looks like in the classroom when these plans are implemented.

Head Start Center for Inclusion would like to thank Teachers Jordan Taitingfong and Valerie Li at the Haring Center in Seattle Washington for allowing us to film their planning session as well as their teaching sessions during their busy classroom day.

In the Classroom: Amir Name Writing

This clip shows Amir at the writing center during free play time. Jordan has chosen to work with him at the writing center because it is a natural place to help him get some practice writing his name. At first Amir resists writing his name, but then he agrees to practice with some teacher support.

In the Classroom: Dominic's Free Choice Schedule

This video shows Jordan working with Dominic to create an easy, written “Play Schedule.” She knows that his preferred activity is the computer, but she wants him to experience more areas of the classroom besides just the computer area, so she asks him which two activities he wants to do before he starts the computer for the day. She then writes his choices, Airplane and Coloring, down in his journal to show Dominic that, after he engages with those, he will get to use the computer.

Note: You can also view the video that shows the planning conference for this in-class teaching session below. It’s entitled Planning Sessions: Using Planning Form.

In the Classroom: Dominic’s Transition – Breakfast, Clean Up, and Line up to Go Outside

This clip, taped in the classroom, demonstrates what some planned transition teaching will look like with Dominic. After Jordan directs the group to clean up (not heard in the video), Valerie then shows Dominic a set of two pictures designed to teach him where he is and where he will be going next. She first shows him the picture for Clean Up and then shows him the picture for Line Up.

In the Classroom: Leah Asking a Friend to Play

Now we see Leah in the classroom, with Jordan giving her some extra help at asking a friend to play. Jordon uses encouragement, choice making, and positive verbal praise. She knows that Leah would prefer to play alone, but gives her the choice of who she can ask to play with her. Leah then chooses Myree and they begin building a Castle together.

In the Classroom: Mark – Concept Instruction

At circle time, Jordan leads a song about bean bags in which the children follow the song’s directions as to where on their body they should put their bean bag. She then adds in more concept work for the entire group, giving specific instructions to Mark during the activity.

Planning Session: Amir Name Writing

Jordan and Valarie are planning for a child named Amir. He has been working for a long time at writing his name and has become resistant to even wanting to practice with a teacher. Watch and listen as Jordan and Valerie decide where and when they will give him individualized practice.

Planning Session: Dominic's Transitions

This video shows Jordan talking through the process of filling out a planning form, and how she will use it with a child named Dominic during the transition from breakfast to outside. They have decided on using pictures to help Dominic learn the transition.

Planning Session: Leah Asking a Friend to Play

This video clip shows Jordan and Valerie talking about how they want to give more individualized teaching to a child named Leah on asking a friend to play with her. She is a child who tends to play alone and one of her objectives is to play with friends, sharing materials and sharing her play ideas.

Planning Session: Mark - Concept Instruction

This planning session shows Jordan and Valerie planning for a child named Mark. Mark needs individualized teaching on learning certain concepts such as “on top” and “under”. They decide to embed this learning objective into a fun group activity during circle time.

Planning Session: Using Planning Form

This video shows Jordan talking through the process of filling out a planning form, and how she will use it with a child named Dominic.

Set Up Time

Jordan and Valerie begin their weekly planning meeting by reviewing how the week is going. Next, they turn to deciding which children they want to focus on for providing more individualized teaching on learning goals and objectives.

Wrap Up

This is the end of the planning session and Jordan and Valerie are recapping the meeting. Valerie has decided that she will pull all the materials needed in the morning and Jordan will post the planning forms on the wall in a visible spot for everyone to see.

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This website was developed with funds from Grant #90HC0012 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, and the Office of Child Care by the National Center for Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning. This resource may be duplicated for noncommercial uses without permission.