Early Childhood Education Diverse Learners Project

Early Childhood Diverse Learners Project
Introduction
ECE (early childhood education) programs include all sorts of academic programs used to educate children in pre-school years. The early educational system in America experienced significant growth during the latter half of the 20th century. This particular trend allowed most of the children in America to at least have access to some sort of ECE. There are different kinds of ECE programs, and they go by a variety of names such as pre-kindergarten and pre-school. (Advameg, 2020).
Section 1
Name of Public School Selected for the Project: Chicago Public Schools – Bennett Elementary
Your Name:
Date:
Section 2
Demographic overview of the early childhood setting
The school is meant for pre-school kids (aged between 3 to 5 years). The school’s physical surrounding is specially designed to meet the needs of all children, and it has two pre-school classrooms. One classroom has 18 students (aged 4 to 5 years old), and the other one has 16 students (aged 3to 4 years old). The classes are very colorful and eye-catching. Also, the classrooms were furnished with age-appropriate furniture. Other things that were also taken care of include the easy access to books for varying reading levels, positioning learning materials within reach on the shelves, and leaving enough space around the classroom to facilitate the easy movement of kids on wheelchairs. The students are of African-American ethnicity, and 95.6 percent of the students are from low-income families. When it comes to diversity, Bennett Elementary has 10.2 percent, diverse learners.
Section 3
Early childhood programs
The local school districts are the ones responsible for the provision of pre-school special education programs and services, including thorough assessments. In this particular school, kids between the ages of 3 to 5 are normally scheduled for an assessment by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals, which takes place at the school. The assessment team includes psychologists, therapists, and teachers who all take part in the comprehensive evaluation (Slentz, 2010). The school provides a free, full-day pre-school initiative. Every child, despite their demographic or income, are allowed to access high-quality learning encounters. Both regular, as well as blended full-day pre-school initiatives, included breakfast, interest areas, morning meetings, small group teaching, quiet time, lunch, gross motor sessions, and small and large group read-louds. The Creative Curriculum that is founded in scientific studies and grounded on comprehensive child development values, is also used in educating the children.
Related services
Special needs services offered in the school include physical therapy and language/speech pathology. Students who have ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) might have speech-language challenges. These challenges include trouble talking (varying from, for instance, stammering to the incapacity to produce any sound), challenges processing, or understanding language, as well as a hard time comprehending non-verbal communication. Therapy is conveyed wither in individual or group sessions but has to be provided by an individual with emergency certification or an SLP. SLPs can also offer consultation services to pupils that do not necessarily qualify for the language-speech services. When it comes to special education, Bennett Elementary has a counselor, case manager, and speech therapist.
Bennett presently has two full-day classes. One of the classes is for children aged four while the other one is for those aged 3. The pupils must have turned either 3 or 4 years by 1st September of the present year. Children aged four are given priority, and the spots left are given to children aged 3. In a classroom whereby most of the students are aged 4, the teacher-child ratio is 10:1, and a classroom can only have a maximum of 20 students. Maximum group sizes and teacher-child ratios get determined mainly by the needs of students present and the predominant age of the students. Proper ratios should be maintained all through the school day.
Student eligibility criteria
Bennett preschoolers get screened using the ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire) and ESI-R (Early Screening Inventory-Revised) social, emotional, and developmental screenings. Even though ESI-R should be done within the first 45 schooling days, it is advisable to assess once the children have settled into routines and schedules. ASQ for returning as well as new pupils are also carried out within 45 days of the student’s admission date.
Section 4
Resources
Bennett recognizes the importance of facilitating suitable resources like professional personnel, ample space, as well as the provision of materials. Professionals that offer special services have to be licensed. The school also ensures that the physical surroundings, both outdoors and indoors, create a safe, responsive, and comfortable environment for the students’ learning. Also, learning materials like toys are up-to-date.
Section 5
Teaching and learning
Standards use
Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (2013) are an updated version of the Illinois Early Learning Standards that was published back in 2002. Bennett Elementary ensures that teaching practices, implementation of curriculum, and evaluations are all founded on the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. The curriculum is developed based on developmental skills as well as the age of the children. The management of the school concentrates on offering support for qualified personnel. These standards (Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards) act as a great resource for the provision and implementation of policies, as well as a resource for keeping track of each student’s development (Illinois Early Learning Project, 2020).
Curriculum and instructional practices
This standard-based learning curriculum comprises:
· Special activities that are not taught by the pre-school instructor but instead by music, art, physical education, or library instructor
· Specific activities like song time, calendar time, craft time, and storytime
· Sessions involving special guests that offer more details regarding a lesson, for instance, dentist to talk about oral hygiene
· Field trips that are intended to enhance the understanding of a lesson, for instance, a visit to the grocery shop to learn about healthy foods
The teaching practices that are currently being used in this early childhood program include the utilization of technology, dialogic reading methods, and scaffolding. Scaffolding is utilized in extending the child’s competence in all areas. Dialogic reading methods are utilized when reading books with a few children and are done for a couple of days. Technology, specifical computers are increasingly becoming a part of the lives of preschoolers. Physically and emotionally disabled students can also get to use computers, thanks to the increased software and hardware options (National Research Council, 2001).
Student assessment
The following assessment tools were used in collecting information:
· Teaching Strategies GOLD®: This is an observational assessment system that is used to help instructors record and assess student’s learning and development continuously. With time, instructors utilize that information and data to inform teaching and share the findings with the student’s families as well as other stakeholders. Instructors enter subjective observations, videos, pictures, and student work into the system and utilize the information in placing the children along with developmental range for all the 38 goals.
· The REACH performance undertaking is designed to evaluate numeracy and literacy among Age Cycle 4 learners (students aged 4 in the EOY or BOY). This particular assessment tool needs face-to-face administration, and it might take more than 24 hours to complete. It identifies numeracy and literacy skills.
· ESI: This is a developmental screening tool used for students between the ages of 3 to 5. It screens whether or not the student is developing according to schedule. It evaluates if the child is capable of responding as well as performing various age-appropriate activities.
· The ASQ identifies kids that are at great risk of emotional and social difficulties. It measures how children deal with certain settings and situations.
TSG information and data is fed in either daily or weekly. The presentation of data is done during the grade level meetings where students’ information is discussed. This is performed thrice per year to make sure that instructors are utilizing the information to inspire teaching. The above assessment tools determine what should be taught; they drive teaching.
Section 6
Parental involvement
All parents are advised to learn as much as they can regarding their kid’s education. They get involved by allowing them to volunteer for school projects, field trips, fundraisers, picking of report cards, in-class activities, and sporting events. This involvement is a great way of growing the relationship between parents and their children’s schoolwork.
Section 7
Role of the principal
Principals play a vital role when it comes to supporting student learning and teaching quality. They serve as instructional leaders through carrying out teaching assessments and also as operational leaders through working to develop a prolific school culture that supports the maintenance of high-quality personnel. The ECE program principal closely monitors curriculum development and ensures that it is founded on the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. The role of the principal is to be conversant with the EC regulations. The principal has to understand the administration process, teacher-student ratio, curriculum, budgeting needs, as well as the pre-kindergarten addendum. The principal splits these roles with the assistant principal.
Section 8
Reflection
This particular project allowed me to learn about new concepts and also increased my understanding of instructional methodologies and teaching aids. While driving this project, I learned that kids’ learning takes place through a developmental series. Properly-designed curricula are this founded on activities that are developmentally sequenced, and high-quality teaching practices require teachers that are well conversant with these sequences. Learning curves can assist teachers of young students in understanding and be responsive to the students’ developmental constraints and processes as well as their capacity to ponder about and comprehend content. The learning curves construct arranges, links, and operationalizes both pedagogical and content knowledge, for instructing particular subject-matter. Also, it brings an important knowledge aspect acquired from educational and psychological research regarding how kids learn and think. Comprehending and utilizing learning and teaching developmental sequences requires instructors to properly understand the elements of different learning curves in all subject-matter.
With regards to the role of school principals, they are aware that classroom teaching can be most efficiently enhanced via the process of joint discussion and inquiry, instead of instructors working alone. One of the most important roles of principals is to assist instructors in developing a proper understanding of the role of evaluations in early learning. Efficient principals are aware that the final goal of evaluations is to enhance both student learning and the teacher’s way of teaching. Principals need to know that early childhood evaluation are different from those given to students in higher classes. The former needs to cover several areas and should be conducted within the framework of day-to-day activities and over the duration of time.
References
Avdameg. (2020). Early childhood education. Retrieved from http://www.healthofchildren.com/E-F/Early-Childhood-Education.html
Illinois Early Learning Project. (2020). 2013 Illinois early learning and development standards. Retrieved from https://illinoisearlylearning.org/ields/
Rock, A. (2020). What your child will learn in pre-school. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily.com/all-about-preschool-curriculum-2764977