- the classroom lay out (the way we accommodate the physical environment, where we place the furniture)
- the attitudes of those who spend time in the classroom.
- the materials we select so children can play with them.
Remember when I said how a parent went through one of the classrooms I used to supervise on her wheel chair? By doing that we insured we had the adequate placement of furniture in the classroom to allow the parent to freely participate in the program.
Now, when speaking about the attitudes of those who spend time in the classroom, I am referring to all of the individuals that come and stay even for a little while: parent volunteers, community volunteers, teaching staff, administrators, special education staff, and occasional visitors. What makes attitudes to be perceived as inclusive? Children with special needs are treated with respect, with joy, with the same care and affection as any other child. Also, children with special needs are allowed opportunities to be independent on all the things they can do on their own.
When speaking about selected materials to be used in the classroom, I think images work a thousand words. Take a look…
If three year old children with fine motor delays were to assemble a puzzle, which of these puzzles will work best for them?
All the materials we select and place in a classroom environment must have a purpose. We must have an inclusive approach when selecting materials for children with different abilities/needs and differentiated instruction. Examples include:
- scissors for left handed and right handed children,
- markers and writing materials with different thickness for easier grasping.
- different paper textures for children (non slippery versus slippery)
- different sizes of beads for practicing fine motor.
- Tricycles with pedals and tricycles without pedals
and the list of materials may keep growing!
