Product Overview
Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms are special settings that may be a child’s first introduction to formal schooling. They are designed to help children learn about learning, with playing, moving, and creating all integral parts of daily lessons. Teachers are charged with designing experiences that build classroom community, allow choice and freedom, and keep students engaged.
Student diversity demands careful and targeted differentiation of curriculum, instruction, learning objectives, and environment. Most pre-K and kindergarten classrooms are inclusive of children who have already been identified as having disabilities as well as those whose may have needs that are not yet diagnosed. Language differences are also common in today’s classroom; many teachers will have one or more multilingual learners on their class lists. Finally, some children have specific enrichment needs and these may require thought, planning, and possibly even accommodations.
To ensure that each student is appropriately supported, teachers must create inclusive environments that are carefully designed and thoughtfully orchestrated. This guide provides recommendations for creating these environments, from setting up and managing the classroom to providing sensory and positive behavior supports, making learning active, engaging families, collaborating with colleagues, working with paraprofessionals, and more
Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, author, advocate, and independent scholar who works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. Paula is a former special educator who has served as a classroom teacher and inclusion facilitator. Her professional interests include differentiating instruction and inclusive schooling. She is the author or co-author of more than 15 books and products and the director of a documentary film titled “We Thought You’d Never Ask”: Voices of People with Autism.
Jaclyn Beljung has many years of experience as an elementary educator working with primary-aged learners in inclusive classroom settings, specializing in creating individualized classroom accommodation tools and other resources that allow all children to succeed in general education environments. She is confident in the capacity of all children to learn when the proper tools and resources are made available to them. Jaclyn believes in the impact of purposeful and authentic learning opportunities and strives to inspire children to be caring and compassionate individuals.
