Effective teachers in inclusive early childhood programs have several key characteristics. They are knowledgeable about child development in general and understand that all children have individual needs. They work collaboratively with other professionals as part of an interdisciplinary team to meet the needs of all children. They implement developmentally and individually appropriate teaching practices and create inclusive environments where families are valued partners.

1. Characteristics of Effective
Teachers in Inclusive Programs
The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education; Allen, K.
Eileen and Cowdery, Glynnis E.; 2015
Chapter 11

2. Teachers
• “most significant element in early childhood classrooms” (Allen &
Cowdery, 2012)
• Quality
• Attitudes about children
• Philosophy of education for children
• Provide DAP
• Understand child development in general
• Understand that all children have individual needs and developmental
patterns
• Respectful of diversity and cultural family characteristics

3. Teacher as Team Member
• Must work with other professionals to meet needs of children
• Interdisciplinary teams
• Each professional brings expertise
• Team members support one another
• Knowledge of team members used for decision making
• Support and information is provided - accommodations and adaptations
need to be made
• Teachers are the experts in providing developmentally appropriate
environments

4. Philosophy of High Quality Inclusive Programs
• Early childhood is a unique phase in a child’s development
• Families are very important in a child’s early education
• Teaching practices need to be developmentally and individually
appropriate
• Inclusive settings are the preferred service delivery model
• Professionals must be culturally responsive
• A collaborative interdisciplinary model is important for high quality
delivery

5. **Developmentally Appropriate
Practice **
•Teacher knows child development
•Teacher knows what is individually
appropriate
•Teacher is culturally responsive
• DAP Overview from NAEYC Position Statement

6. Teachers’ Concerns
• Worried about their abilities to provide for children with special
needs
• Worried about having adequate support
• Related services
• Instructional assistance from a special educator
• Additional classroom assistance
• Worried about having needed knowledge of special need and the
unique challenges involved

7. Finding Help
• Your own research and pursuit of information
• On-the-job experience
• Knowledge and support from interdisciplinary team members
• Parents of the child – they are the ultimate experts on their child

8. Information for Your Key Assessment!
• Look on p. 286 in the section “Teacher and Program Self-evaluation”
• When you complete your research and your observations, you are
going to consider these issues. When you prepare your inclusive
environment, you are planning in these areas as they relate to the
type disability you researched.
• What accommodations must be made to meet the child’s needs?
• What barriers need to be removed that might keep the child from
participating fully in the classroom?
• What changes need to be made in the physical environment? In the
scheduling, curriculum, materials, communications, etc.?

9. What Else Do We Need to Remember When
Working in an Inclusive Classroom?
• A child is a child first and foremost
• Problems should be thought of as developmental issues, not disability
issues.
• Teachers must be experts about typical growth and development
• Teachers must remember that development occurs in sequential
patterns; that is more important than expecting development at
particular ages.
• Developmental domains are interrelated; delays in one area may
cause delays in other areas.

10. More to Remember
• Development is irregular; developmental inconsistency means that
new skills may come and go until they finally become part of the
child’s behaviors; unsettled periods following rapid development are
known as developmental disequilibrium.
• Children interact with their environment that facilitates new learnings
in transactional learning
• Teachers’ responsibilities include: provide appropriate activities,
facilitate learning in a positive climate, and allow children to explore
and experiment.

11. Case Studies
• Look at the scenarios on p. 288 in your text
• What changes would you suggest his teachers make in their
responses to James? Remember EDU 146? The negative
transactional learning and responses from his teachers are actually
encouraging his “flitting about”
• How would you interact with the infant who is visually impaired to
maximize her attachment and increase her social skills?
• What contingent stimulation would you recommend to her parents?

12. More Terms
• Readiness to learn – a term used for beginning school with the
prerequisite skills for beginning formal academics; it is an ironic term
considering children come into the world ready to learn
• Multiple influences impact a child’s readiness to learn
• Teachable moments – naturally occurring opportunities to learn
something new
• Milieu teaching or incidental teaching – child initiated teaching
opportunity

13. Who’s the Best?
• Has a thorough knowledge of child development
• Has many teaching skills and strategies
• Knows how to adapt curriculum, activities, and materials so that all
children can participate
• Develop positive relationships with the children and their families
• Use developmentally appropriate strategies
• Use individually appropriate strategies

14. What Else?
• Enthusiastic
• Sense of humor
• Patient
• Consistent Be sure to know examples for
• Flexible all of these
• Trustworthy
• Sets and enforces limits
• Facilitates experiences
• Scaffolds