California MAP* to Inclusion and Belonging Newsletter *Making Access Possible | Fall 2018
Five Sets of Tools and Resources to Support Learning for All Children
On September 18, 2018 the California Department of Education, Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD), formerly the Early Education and Support Division, announced its new name and the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan (PDF) . The new name captures their role in supporting a mixed-delivery system that incorporates multiple funding streams and supports children birth through age 12. The ELCD’s mission is to “Lead an innovative, inclusive, and high-performing early learning and care system by advancing equitable opportunities that optimize thriving children, families, and communities.”
The MAP* to Inclusion and Belonging Project… Making Access Possible, funded by the ELCD, is proud to be a part of that mission as we provide information, resources and training to support the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities or at risk for developmental delays in child care, after school and community settings. This newsletter alerts you to newly identified resources and practices that support optimal development and well-being in high-quality environments where children with and without disabilities can thrive together.
In this issue you’ll find an entertaining video that will make you think about your views of Down Syndrome and five sets of tools and resources that support learning for all children.
Kid Interviews a Woman with Down Syndrome
In this video a young girl interviews an adult with Down Syndrome (Video). The questions and answers may surprise you! We all need more opportunities to get to know people with disabilities.
Find this video and more on the Video Collection page of MAP under Inspiration.
Developmental Milestones: Tools for Families in English and Spanish
Does My Child Have Physical Developmental Delays? The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its Physical Development Delay Online Interactive Tool to assist caregivers and families of children ages 5 and under to address concerns about their child's physical development. The tool provides information about milestones in physical development, such as rolling over, sitting up, or walking, and the tool is now available in Spanish.
The Center for Disease Control offers a free Milestone Tracker App. You can enter personalized information about your child or multiple children then use the Milestone Tracker to track your child’s developmental progress by looking for important milestones using an interactive, illustrated checklist. The Milestone Photos and Videos show what each milestone looks like so that you can better identify them in your own child. The Milestone App is also available in Spanish.
Find both of these tools and more on the Early Identification of MAP.
Visual Supports for Early Education Providers and Families
Visual supports including pictures, photographs and graphics are learning tools that can provide cues and guidance for schedules, routines, transitions, and behavior. Using visual supports is an easy way to enrich a learning environment for children of all abilities and all languages. There are other benefits too! See the infographic, 9 Reasons to use Visual Supports, by North Star Paths along with other free downloadable infographics.
Are you interested in expanding your knowledge of visuals supports? The Center for Inclusive Child Care has created a set of resources including tip sheets, a self-study module, instructive podcasts and an 11 page bulletin about use of visual supports with infants and toddlers. A library of free visual supports for teachers to use with children in the classroom is available on the Head Start ECLKC website. A Visual Supports Checklist (PDF) to help preschool classrooms maximize the use of visual supports is available from the Center of Community Inclusion and Disability Studies.
Sesame Street offers a FREE tool for families that includes a narrated slide show and downloadable Routine Cards to help children learn the different steps involved in everyday activities such as teeth-brushing, going the dentist, getting a haircut, and many more activities.
Play! Play! Play!
In an August 2018 policy statement the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that pediatricians prescribe play to manage toxic stress and to promote the social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and a prosocial brain. Furthermore, the AAP says that play supports the formation of the safe, stable, and nurturing relationships with all caregivers that children need to thrive. Inspired by the AAP recommendations, the MAP Team has gathered some new and old resources that argue for the value and joy of play for all children as well as give some great ideas for play! Some of these resources are featured below.
The 2018 Imagine Magazine, a resource for early childhood music therapy, is devoted entirely to play and is available for free in interactive viewing mode. This magazine is a treasure of ideas and inspiration for music and play. Check out the article, Outdoor Play: Making the Playground Accessible for Children with Multiple Disabilities on page 36 or take a look at the series of infographics starting on page 69 that give you tips on how to use music to play with infants, promote early literacy, or play with someone who uses an Alternative and Augmentative Communication System. Camille Catlett of UNC, FPG, a guest contributor, suggests a variety of play resources for children with disabilities.
Also highlighted is The Genius of Play, a website that illustrates the value of play in short videos and gives child care providers and families great ideas and for play for various age groups.
These two videos from MAP’s video collection demonstrate the value of play for children with disabilities and their peers. In the first video you see a girl with Down Syndrome and her friend playing, problem solving and showing their support for one another. Watch until the end to hear them describe their friendship.
In this second video you’ll see how facilitated interaction among peers and children with autism support playing a game and social interactions.
Find more under the Play!, Play!, Play! section on the MAP Inclusive Practice page.
Great Ideas for Teaching Language and Literacy to Very Young Children
Families and child care providers will love this free 54 page book, From Babbles to Books (PDF), available from the Brookes Publishing Inclusion Lab, that gives helpful hints, tips, and activities on how to play, talk, and read with young children from birth to age 5. You’ll get fun and easy ideas that help close the word gap, boost early language and literacy skills, and get the children you care for off to a great start in life. It includes a chapter on “Special Needs and Supports” that enhances an already valuable resource!
Story Blocks is a project of Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy. It is a collection of 30-60 second videos designed to model to parents, caregivers, and library staff some songs, rhymes, and fingerplays appropriate for early childhood. Each video clip includes helpful early literacy tips to increase caregivers’ understanding of child development and pre-literacy needs. Songs that use movement or fingerplay, like The Itsy-Bitsy Spider, can be a great way to draw very young children to interact and follow a sequence. This site has videos of native speakers demonstrating interactive songs in English, French, Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, American Sign Language, Italian, Russian, and Vietnamese.
In Case You Missed It: Preventing Suspension and Expulsion
Do you have questions or concerns about a child in your care? The CA CSEFEL Leadership Team (California Collaborative on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning) has gathered tools and resources to support you! Your role in supporting the child behind the behavior is vital to the long-term outcomes and well-being of that child. MAP’s Summer News Brief introduces the new website and the nine sets of actionable resources that it holds.
Direct questions or comments about this newsletter to map@wested.org