This publication was developed by Education Development Center, Inc.
(EDC), under Contract
No. HHS-100-91-0035 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Final editing
and document design was performed under Contract No. 105-93-1571 of
the Head Start Bureau,
Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Health
and Human Services, by
Research Assessment Management, Inc., 1300 Spring Street, Suite 210,
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
INTRODUCTION
What Does the Research Say?
Training Approach and Objectives
SESSION I: CHILD IN THE VIEWFINDER
Handout 1: Child In the Viewfinder - Summary Log
SESSION II: PRACTICES IN THE VIEWFINDER
Handout 2: Practices In the Viewfinder
SESSION III: STRATEGIES FOR THE
CLASSROOM
Handout 3-1: Video Viewing
Handout 3-2: Adapting a Physical World for Children
SESSION IV: CREATING A NURTURING
ENVIRONMENT
Handout 4: Developing A Plan
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, teachers in Head Start programs have reported an increasing number of children who display challenging behaviors and learning problems. These behaviors include:
- Short attention span
- Extreme distractibility
- Difficulty coping with changes
- Speech and language delays and disorders, including poor articulation, limited vocabulary, and limited expressive language skills
- Aggressive and disruptive behavior
- Lack of social competence
- Difficulty forming healthy relationships with peers and teachers
What Does the Research Say?
While there is still a good deal we do not know, current research offers new in sights into the biological, family, and community factors that contribute to these problems. The research makes clear that after children are born, complex family and community factors affect their development. Children who live in families that abuse alcohol and other drugs may be exposed to inadequate care giving - even to the point of neglect - as well as abuse. Children in communities affected by drug trafficking may be exposed regularly to violence in their hallways and their streets, even if they never experience violence in their families.
Teachers probably will not know which children in their classrooms may have been exposed prenatally to alcohol or other drugs. A history of prenatal exposure alone says very little that is conclusive about a child's long-term development. Children who were prenatally exposed to drugs present a wide range of behaviors, dispositions, and learning styles.
However, research does identify specific strategies that can assist the development of children who need extra support. As education teams plan for meeting the needs of all Head Start children, they can benefit from training in the adaptation and use of these classroom practices:
- Creating a nurturing classroom environment
- Encouraging cooperative play
- Minimizing distractions and facilitating transitions
- Helping children manage their behavior
- Conducting ongoing classroom assessment
- Building strong links with families
Training Approach and Objectives
This guide is designed for Head Start managers and trainers to use with education teams; it will help build staff capacity to plan for and work with children at risk. The guide is intended to be used with the video Teaching Preschool Children Affected by Substance Abuse.
This guide can also be used in-conjunction with the training curriculum developed by the Head Start Bureau "Responding to Children Under Stress," especially chapters 4-7. The content of these chapters can be related directly to the classroom strategies depicted in the video.
The four-session-training presented here will enable education teams to:
- Focus on an individual child at risk in the classroom
- Analyze that child's strengths and needs
- Access, through video, the most current research on practices that sup port children at risk
- Adapt these practices to meet local needs
Materials and Equipment
- Flip chart, markers, and tape
- Handout 1: Child in the Viewfinder - Summary Log
I. Overview of the Session (10 minutes)
Introduce the session by discussing the following points:
- Purpose: To focus on ways that classroom teams can individualize the curriculum to help each child experience success.
- Approach: To focus attention on one child at risk, by identifying and taking into account both the needs and the strengths of that child.
- Rationale: To strengthen education teams by: (1) developing a formal system for storing information about specific children; and (2) focusing the team's attention on both the relevant information they already have and additional information they will need.
A. Introduce the Activity: Focus on One Child in the Viewfinder
(15 minutes)
Explain that you will ask each classroom team to select one child in theirB. Break the group into classroom teams
classroom on whom to focus for this session. Explain that they should select
a child about whom they are concerned and who is distractable, impulsive,
has difficulty coping with changes, and may also have a language delay,
but whose cognitive and physical abilities seem at age-level.
(e.g., teacher assistant, volunteer, family service advocate) (30 minutes)
Using Handout 1, ask each team to:
- Discuss possible children and select one
- Discuss staff experiences with the child and draw on these experiences to fill in Handout 1-1
- Identify what additional information is needed and discuss ways to obtain that information during the week (e.g., through observation; interviews with other teachers, staff, and caregivers; and samples of the child's work)
- Determine which team members will be responsible for collecting specific information, on what days, and how to record it, so that it can be discussed at the next session
Ask each team to make a brief presentation on the child they selected, to describe what information they already have, and to specify how they will collect additional information.III. Assignment (10 minutes)
Provide multiple copies of Handout 1 for each team member to use two to three times during the week to record information on the child in the team's Viewfinder. Leave ample time for questions from participants.
(Note to session leader: You may want to use this assignment as a draft or beginning for you and your staff to develop a fool for your program. Collect ideas from the teams over the course of the workshops and create a summary log for their use with other children when the training is completed. Follow up with reminders when they are discussing children who present a challenge to the teaching team- "Have you completeda summary log on (name)?," "What did you learn?," or "That might be helpful. ")
IV. Closing (5 minutes)
Summarize the key points of the session and affirm that effective teachers are keen observers.
Child's Choice of Activities/Materials
Favorite activities and materials:
How long she/he stays with it:
What she/he does with it:
Changes noticed in child's interactions with this activity/material:
Which activities or materials she/he avoids:
Other:
Playing
Solitary-alone:
Parallel-beside another child:
Cooperative-small group:
Transitions-Changes Throughout the Daily Routine
Ease with arriving and departing:
Changes from one activity to another:
Moving from indoors/outdoors, outdoors/indoors:
Other:
Signs of Autonomy
Dressing:
Using the bathroom:
Eating:
Serving food:
Choosing activities:
Putting materials away:
Separating from family members:
Other:
Relating to Adults
Using words to express ideas:
Responding to suggestions:
Asking for help:
Responding to help:
Other:
Relating to Other Children
Using words to express ideas:
Sharing materials:
Initiating cooperative activities:
Asking for help:
Other:
Child' Use of Language (give examples)
Behaviors That Puzzle You
Withdrawn:
Disruptive:
Anxious:
Overly dependant on adults:
Unfocused:
Other:
Which behaviors are parents and caregivers concerned about?
Strategies You Have Tried With The Child
(describe)
Management strategies:
Teaching strategies:
Recorded by:__________________
Date/time:_____________________
- SESSION II: PRACTICES IN THE
VIEWFINDER
(2 hours)
- Flip chart, markers, and tape
- VCR, monitor, and video Teaching Preschool Children Affected by Sub stance Abuse
- Handout 2: Practices in the Viewfinder
I. Overview of the Session (5 minutes)
Explain how this session:
- Continues to focus on one child
- Uses the collective thoughts of the group to analyze the results of observation findings
- Begins to examine promising practices suggested by current research and presented in the companion video Teaching Preschool Children Affected by Substance Abuse
A. Large Group Activity (25 minutes)
Lead a large-group discussion about the summary log, using the following questions:
- What did you observe and record?
- What did you learn from your observations?
- What important information is still missing, if any, and how can you obtain it?
Since this is the first viewing, allow participants to watch it without specific questions or prompts.
C. Break the group into smaller groups (e.g., by classroom teams) (30 minutes)
Distribute Handout 2 as a guide for small group discussion.
D. Reconvene the large group for reporting (15 minutes)
Ask each team to report the main points of its discussion. Solicit the group's reactions to the practices illustrated and ideas about how these might apply to their focal child. Record the group's feedback on the flip chart.
III. Assignment (10 minutes)
Ask participants to use Handout 1 again (modified as needed) in the classroom during the next week. Add any behaviors that went unnoticed before. Specify where the child is when specific, challenging behaviors occur (e.g., where the child physically is in the classroom, the day of the week the behavior occurs, and so forth).
IV. Closing (5 minutes)
Sum up the key points of the session.
What similarities and/or differences did you notice between the child
your team is focusing on and any of the children in the
video?
What are come of the techniques illustrated in the video that you might
apply to supporting your child? Why?
When and how might you adapt the techniques shown for your own classroom?
What new possibilities does the video suggest?
- Flip chart, markers, and tape
- VCR, monitor, and video Teaching Preschool Children Affected by Sub stance Abuse
- Handout 3-1: Video Viewing
- Handout 3-2: Adapting A Physical World for Children
I. Overview of the Session (10 minutes)
Explain how this session:
- Helps team members sharpen their child-observation skills
- Looks at classroom practices illustrated by the video that teams can adapt
- or use
- Identifies specific ways to adapt and use practices in Head Start classrooms
A. Large Group Discussion: Refining Observations (15 minutes)
Use the following questions to promote discussion on Session II's homework assignment:
- What new observations did teaching teams make and record as a result of seeing the video?
- What did participants learn about the relationship between the timing of the activity and children's behavior?
Show the video a second time, asking participants to make notes as needed.
C. Small Group Discussion: How Can We Be Doing More to Support the
Development of Children At Risk?
(30 minutes)
Break the groups into teams and distribute Handout 3-1. Ask teams to use the handout to log any strategies they currently are using and to note strategies they could try in the future with their focal child.
Conclude this discussion by asking teams to identify their top priority.
One way to do this is to tally the priorities: name each strategy and ask
for a show of hands by teams. Another technique is to list all six practices
on
a piece of flip chart paper. Give each team a sticker and have a team
representative place it next to the practice with the highest priority.
(Note to session leader Be sure to save this tally for Session IV) Give a five-minute break.
D. Large Group Discussion: Using Space Effectively (15 minutes)
Reconvene the large group. Remind participants that the video illustrates a variety of ways in which the organization of space and materials plays a significant role in communicating our expectations of children. This is a critical aspect of creating a nurturing classroom environment. It certainly plays a major role in reducing distractions and helping children manage their own behavior.
Take a few minutes to brainstorm ways in which space and the use of space can be a factor in children's behavior. (If needed, use the following to start the brainstorming: location of interest centers, textures, and so forth.) Record participants' suggestions on the flip chart. Distribute Handout 3-2, pointing out those ideas not covered in the discussion.
III. Assignment (10 minutes)
Ask teams to work together over the next week to sketch out a possible revised floor plan. The new floor plan should take into account suggestions gained from the discussions, the video, and Handout 3-2.
IV. Closing (5 minutes)
Summarize the key points of the session.
Creating a Nurturing Classroom Environment
Encouraging Cooperative Play
Facilitating Transitions and Minimizing Distractions
Helping Children Manage Their Behavior
Conducting Ongoing Classroom Assessment
Building Strong Links with Families
Safe:
- Barriers that prevent a long room from becoming a long running track
- Barriers, such as bookcases or shelving, that are stable and let teachers visually scan the entire room
- Classroom equipment and furniture that has rounded edges, no points
- A safe, fenced-in area outside that has impace-absorbing materials under climbers, slides, and swings
- Playgrounds that are checked each day for debris and broken glass or broken equipment
- Gross motor activities that use up children's energy
- Interest areas that permit different activities and encourage choice on the part of the children
- Materials, toys, and supplies that are on shelves or in cubbies, within children's reach, which adds to the children's sense of independence on making their own choices and getting the supplies they need
- A variety of toys with plenty of each kind available, so that children just starting to share have many of one item to play with (i.e., sharing is less frustrating when you have many of a few different kinds of toys, rather than only on or two of many different kinds)
- Walls and floors that are painted in quiet colors
- Some walls that are bare; other walls and windows that are not overly decorated
- Barriers between areas that minimize distractions
- Carpeting in some areas to absorb sound; in play areas, carpeting that is short enough so that blocks may be stacked without falling over and adding to children's frustration
- Sitting areas that include soft cushions
- Record player that has earphones, carefully regulated to avoid damage to hearing; noisy areas (woodworking, blocks) that are situated away from quiet areas (reading)
- A quiet corner, nook, cranny, or alcove; an empty refrigerator box; or a little built-in loft that provides a place within the classroom not associated with punishment, where a child can retreat for a while with a stuffed animal or book
- Classrooms that have their own bathroom, or at least their own sink, where children may engage in calming water play
- "Creating" with finger paints are fun, messy activities that allow children to let off steam
- Flip chart, markers, and tape
- VCR, monitor, and video Teaching Preschool Children Affected by Sub stance Abuse
- Recycled coffee cans: one per participant, labeled "I Can Can," and including participant's name
- Handout 4: Developing a Plan
- Prepare four pieces of flip chart paper, each with one of the following headings: Child-Child Relationships, Teacher-Child Relationships, Parent-Teacher Relationships, Ways to Encourage Children's Self-Expression (e.g., fears, concerns, accomplishments)
I. Overview of the Session (5 minutes)
Explain how this session:
- Provides opportunities for classroom teams to continue the planning process, focusing on the child they have selected
- Begins the process of cross-team sharing, so that teachers can build broader networks for support
A. Large Group Discussion: Feedback on Floor Plans (20 minutes)
Begin with a discussion about the homework assignment from Session III. Ask teams to share their thinking about room arrangement: What did they plan to change? Why? List participants' ideas on the flip chart. Be sure to allow ample time for classroom team to receive feedback and suggestions from other participants.
Conclude the discussion by suggesting that teams review their floor plans at their next staff meeting, revise them according to feedback received, and decide when or how to implement the new plans.
B. Large Group Discussion and Activity: Building a Supportive Emotional Climate (30 minutes)
Begin the discussion by noting that physical/room arrangement is only one factor in creating a nurturing classroom environment. The predictability of routines and the quality of teacher-child and child-child interactions all contribute to children's growing independence, comfort, and success.
Remind participants about the content of the "Creating a Nurturing. Classroom Environment" video segment.
Tape the four pieces of prepared flip chart paper to the wall, spaced around the room.
Tell participants that you would like them to think about the techniques they have used effectively to encourage child-to-child relationships, teacher-to-child relationships, and teacher-to-parent relationships. In addition, ask them to think about the ways in which children are encouraged to express their fears, anxieties, concerns, and accomplishments. Give examples from your own experience or from the video to get the process going. Ask participants to take turns recording an idea or technique that they would like to share on each piece of posted flip chart paper. Ask participants to put their initials or names after their suggestions.
Conclude this activity by reviewing the ideas and strategies recorded on flip chart paper.
C. Small Group Activity (20 minutes)
Divide participants into classroom teams and distribute Handout 4. Ask teams to:
- Think about the child they've chosen as an example
- Select some technique already presented that they feel would be effective for their child
- Record their decisions on Handout 4 under "Creating a Nurturing Class room Environment"
Next, remind participants about their decision in Session II, when they selected a top priority practice for their focal child. Ask them to turn to the appropriate page of Handout 4-l and record a strategy that they decided to implement as a result of their second viewing of the video.
Give a five-minute break.
D. Team Sharing (30 minutes)
Ask classroom teams with the same top priority to form groups and brainstorm ways in which they can adapt the strategies illustrated in the video to meet the needs and capitalize on the strengths of their focal children. (Limit the group size to no more than three classroom teams.)
Suggest the following format for organizing the cross-team sharing:
- Present a brief overview of the focal child's strengths and concerns
- Discuss strategies tried or considered
- Discuss obstacles or problems encountered or anticipated
- Gather feedback from colleagues
Have the video, VCR, and monitor available to view sections of the video again, if needed.
III. Closing (10 minutes)
Use the following points to guide your remarks in closing the session and series:
- Summarize the last activity by sharing some common themes that emerged from groups, acknowledging that effective problem-solving occurred.
- Remind classroom teams that they are an invaluable resource to one another. Every professional encounters problems from time to time, and making use of the talents and skills of one another is essential for solving such problems. Sharing can reduce the frustration and isolation, as well as creating a more effective practice.
- Like children, teachers need support to feel that "I can." Provide each participant with an "I Can Can." Explain that the concept originated for children and can be used, with additional cans, for each child in the classroom. This "I Can Can" is for participants to record the opportunities they see and can use in the coming weeks to strengthen classroom practices.
Creating a Nurturing Classroom Environment
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |