Building Blocks for Teaching Preschoolers With Special Needs

In an inclusive early childhood classroom, the everyday challenges teachers face can seem overwhelming - especially if they have little experience working with children who have disabilities. This easy-to-use guidebook throws them a lifeline, offering strategies for teaching children with special needs, tailoring activities to individual needs, and working on a child's IEP goals. At the heart of the book is the authors' Building Blocks model, three practical methods teachers can use to include young children with disabilities in the classroom: curriculum modifications that allow all children to participate, embedded learning opportunities that are used within typical classroom activities, and child-focused instructional strategies that help students achieve individual learning objectives. To help them use this model, this guide gives teachers detailed chapters for each building block, including instructions on when to use each method, everyday examples of each, and pr

Dr. Susan Sandall is Assistant Professor of Special Education and Dr. Ilene Schwartz is Professor of Special Education in the College of Education, Experimental Education Unit, at the University of Washington