Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community:
Individualizing: A Plan for Success
Introduction
| Contents
| Preface
| Module 1
| Module 2
| Module 3
| Module 4 | |
Overview
PurposeThis technical guide is for enhancing the skills of education staff in working with Head Start families to plan and implement the program's curriculum through an individualized child development and education approach.
Individualizing: A Plan for Success examines the ongoing cycle of individualizing: screening, evaluation, planning, and ongoing assessment. The guide encourages staff to use a variety of strategies to get to know and plan for children, build partnerships with families, and assess children's progress.
In Head Start, staff and families use the program's written curriculum framework as a guide as they plan and implement an individualized child development and education approach. Staff and families respond to each child's unique characteristics and encourage all areas of development--cognitive, physical, social, and emotional. They create environments filled with interesting materials that reflect children's cultures and home languages and items that can be used in different ways. They plan activities that offer children choices and allow them to participate according to their individual interests and skill levels. Their interactions with children are tailored to match each child's need for support and guidance. They use routines to build relationships with individual children and as opportunities for children to develop and learn.
Individualizing is most successful when staff and families build strong partnerships and communicate frequently to share information about a child. Each partner brings a unique perspective to the relationship on the child's experiences, interests, culture, skills, strengths, abilities, and needs. By combining the information gained through the two perspectives, families and staff can use the curriculum to plan and implement an individualized child development and education approach.
Individualizing is an ongoing process that continues throughout a child and family's participation in Head Start. Staff and families document a child's activities and accomplishments and periodically formally review the child's progress. New goals are set and new strategies are developed so that the child benefits from an individualized approach at home and in Head Start settings.
Outcomes
After completing this guide, participants will be able to:
- Use multiple sources of information including parent reports, ongoing observations, and results of standardized (valid and reliable) screening and evaluation instruments to learn about each child's strengths, needs, interests, abilities, culture, home language, and life experiences, and to set individual goals and develop plans for meeting the goals
- Develop a partnership with each family to share information about a child's culture, life experiences, skills, needs, interests, and abilities, and plan how to encourage growth and development at home and in Head Start settings
- Plan ways to address individual needs through all aspects of the curriculum--the environment, materials and equipment, schedule, activities, routines, and interactions
- Document children's progress using a variety of strategies, including observation, parent reports, and examples of children's work
- Collaborate with families to review children's progress, set new goals, and develop new plans that respond to children's progress and continue to promote development and learning
This is a technical guide for education staff in center, home, and combination settings, including classroom teams (teachers, assistants, and volunteers) and home visitors. It is also appropriate for family child care (FCC) providers.
Performance Standards
This guide supports the following child development and education concepts, which are based on the Head Start Program Performance Standards:
- Head Start staff/FCC providers, in conjunction with parents, use ongoing strategies such as periodic observations and recordings of children's developmental progress and emotional and behavioral patterns to identify new or recurring concerns so they can quickly make appropriate referrals.
- Head Start staff/FCC providers consult with parents when child health or developmental problems are suspected or identified and actively involve parents in developing and implementing follow-up plans.
- The child development and education approach for all children is developmentally and linguistically appropriate and responds to each child's individual rate of development, interests, temperaments, languages, cultural backgrounds, and learning styles.
- The child development and education approach supports inclusion of children with disabilities, as described on their Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP).
- The child development and education approach supports and respects gender, culture, language, ethnicity, and family composition.
- The child development and education approach provides a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities, and individual and small group activities.
- The child development and education approach involves parents in curriculum development, ongoing observations of children, staff/parent conferences, and home visits.
- The curriculum is consistent with the Head Start Program Performance Standards, is based on sound child development principles about how children grow and learn, and supports each child's social and emotional development, cognitive and language skills, and physical development.
This technical guide, Individualizing: A Plan for Success, is designed to further develop the skills of the education staff and FCC providers in carrying out the four interrelated steps in The Individualizing Cycle:
(1) Screening--developmental, sensory, and behavioral (Refer to the Head Start Program Performance Standards for an in-depth discussion of screening.)
(2) Evaluation (diagnostic testing and/or examination for observable, known, or suspected health, developmental, sensory, and/or behavioral problems):
2-A: Multidisciplinary team meeting
2-B: Individualized program/plan
(3) Planning for Individual Children
(4) Ongoing Assessment
This guide focuses on how education staff/FCC providers can collaborate with families to carry out Steps 1, 3, and 4 for all children and describes how education staff, FCC providers, and families can participate in Step 2 for children with suspected and/or diagnosed disabilities.
By completing the activities in this guide, participants will achieve the following guide outcomes:
- Be knowledgeable of and participate in, as appropriate, conducting. screenings for all children using multiple sources of information
- Plan and use individualized strategies for communicating and building partnerships with families to share information, set goals, and plan ways to encourage a child's development and learning
- Create indoor and outdoor environments and offer materials and equipment that reflect children's cultures, home languages, skills, needs, interests, and abilities, and that encourage development and learning of all children, including those with disabilities
- Plan and implement activities that can be enjoyed by children at different skill levels and encourage children to make choices and participate in these activities in their own unique ways
- Tailor interactions with children to meet their needs for guidance, support, and encouragement
- Plan and implement routines appropriate to the skills and needs of individual children
- Implement an individualized ongoing assessment system to document each child's progress and changing characteristics and to share this information with families
- Module 1: Learning about Each Child--The First Step in Individualizing
This module provides an overview of the four steps in The Individualizing Cycle and enhances each participant's ability to use multiple sources of information to conduct a screening for each child
- Module 2: Creating Essential Partnerships--Families and Staff Working Together
This module allows participants to establish partnerships with families so they can share information about each child. They learn to use communication strategies tailored to meet a family's unique characteristics and circumstances.
- Module 3: Individualizing Every Day--An Ongoing Dynamic Process
This module encourages participants to respond to each child's unique characteristics by individualizing all aspects of the curriculum--indoor and outdoor environments, materials and equipment, routines and transitions, schedule, and activities.
- Module 4: Responding to Children's Progress--The Ongoing Process Continues
This module builds each participant's ability to conduct ongoing assessment, Step 4 in The Individualizing Cycle. Participants learn how to create, maintain, and use individual portfolios to document children's progress and changing characteristics. They also focus on how to plan, hold, and document conferences with families to discuss a child's progress, assess program effectiveness, set new goals, and plan strategies for achieving these goals.
Each module includes a Key Concepts section, which summarizes the main ideas addressed in the workshop and coaching activities. The Background Information section of each module provides a more detailed discussion of the key concepts. Trainers and coaches can use this information to review the content covered in the module, present minilectures, or use the information as a resource for participants.
Each module closes with Next Steps, suggested activities for building on the skills developed through this guide. Some of the activities can be documented in a participant's professional portfolio, an ongoing collection of items that demonstrate an individual's professional growth and achievement.
Continuing Professional Development, a section that appears after the modules, includes suggested activities participants can undertake to sustain and enhance the skills they develop through this guide.
A Resources section at the end of the guide describes books, journal articles, and audiovisual materials that offer in-depth information on the topics covered in this guide.
Trainers and coaches can review the entire series of Head Start staff training guides to determine which of the guides may be used in conjunction with this one. Individualizing: A Plan for Success focuses on a child's health as well as a wide range of other characteristics that make each child a unique individual. You can also use several of the modules and activities in Curriculum: A Blueprint for Action, Observing and Recording: Tools for Decision Making, Engaging Parents, Setting the Stage: Including Children with Disabilities in Head Start, Translating the IEP into Classroom Practice, and Promoting Mental Health to help you prepare for or deliver training to others on the topics addressed in this guide. See the Resources section for information on ordering these Head Start publications.
Definition of Icons
| Coaching |  |
A training strategy that fosters the development of skills through tailored instruction, demonstrations, practice, and feedback. The activities are written for a coach working closely with one to three participants. |
| Workshop |  |
A facilitated group training strategy that fosters the development of skills through group interaction. These activities are written for up to 25 participants working in small or large groups with one or two trainers. |
| Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice |
 |
Activities assigned by the trainer immediately following the completion of the module to help participants review key information, practice skills, and examine their progress toward expected outcomes of the module. A portfolio is a living document of one's professional growth and achievement. The material that is developed and added to the individual's collection is an important tool for self-evaluation and demonstrates to others one's professional growth. The Next Steps sections of this guide will suggest activities that contribute to this unique staff development tool. |
| Continuing Professional Development |
 |
Follow-up activities supporting continued staff development in the skills addressed in a particular training guide including:
|
| Modules | Activity | Time* | Materials |
| Module 1: Learning About Each Child--The First Step in Individualizing |
Activity 1-1: Understanding Collaboration (W) | 90 minutes | Handout 1: The What? My? How? and What's Next? of Individualizing Handout 2: The Individualizing Cycle Appendix A: The What? Why? and What's Next? of Individualizing Appendix B: Ensuring Culturally Competent Practices Chart paper, markers, tape Index cards or Post-Its (optional) |
| Activity 1-2: Why Do You Do What You Do? (C) | 90 minutes | Handout 2: The Individualizing Cycle Handout 3: Why Do We Do What We Do? Appendix A: The What? Why? and What's Next? of Individualizing Appendix B: Ensuring Culturally Competent Practices Chart paper, markers, tape Index cards or Post-Its (optional) |
|
| Activity 1-3: Learning about Each Unique Individual (W) | 120 minutes | Handout 2: The Individualizing Cycle Handout 4: Using Multiple Sources of Information Handout 5: Introducing a Unique Head Start Child and Family Handout 6: Filling in the Blanks Appendix C: Selecting a Developmental Screening Instrument Chart paper, markers, tape |
|
| Activity 1-4: Getting to Know All About You (C) | 120 minutes | Handout 7: Introducing ... Appendix C: Selecting a Developmental Screening Instrument Chart paper, markers, tape |
|
| Module 2: Creating Essential Partnerships Families and Staff Working Together |
Activity 2-1: Building on Each Family's Strengths (W) | 150 minutes | Handout 8: No Heads Are Always Better Than One Handout 9: Building on a Family's Strengths Handout 10: Action Plan Chart paper, markers, tape |
| Activity 2-2: Building Strong Partnerships (C) | 150 minutes | Handout 11: Building a Strong
Partnership Appendix D: Characteristics of Strong Partnerships Chart paper, markers, tape |
|
| Activity 2-3: Looking and Learning from Both Sides (W) | 150 minutes | Handout 12: Sharing Information about Each Child Handout 13: Using Shared Information Chart paper, markers, tape |
|
| Activity 2-4: Keeping Up-to-Date (C) | 120 minutes | Handout 14: Putting Information to Use Handout 15: Reaching Out to Share Information Chart paper, markers, tape |
|
| Module 3: Individualizing Every Day--An Ongoing Dynamic Process |
Activity 3-1: Individualizing Every Day, in Every Way (W) | 90 minutes | Chart paper, markers, tape
Option A:
Option B: |
| Activity 3-2: Daily Approaches to Individualizing (C) | 90 minutes | Chart paper, markers, tape
Option A: Handout 17: Strategies for Individualizing Options A and B: Handout 18: Individualizing Journal |
|
| Activity 3-3: Something for Everyone (W) | 120 minutes | Handout 19: Individualizing for Bernard Assortment of art materials Chart paper, markers, tape |
|
| Activity 3-4: Can You Make It Fit? (C) | 120 minutes | Handout 20: Is This Individualizing? Handout 21: Is This Individualizing?-- Possible Responses Handout 22: Two Unique Individuals Handout 23: Making the Environment Fit |
|
| Module 4: Responding to Children's Progress--The Ongoing Process Continues |
Activity 4-1: Every Portfolio Tells a Story (W) | 150 minutes | Handout 24: Creating a Portfolio Appendix E: Ongoing Assessment in Head Start A child's portfolio Chart paper, markers, tape |
| Activity 4-2: Putting the Pieces Together (C) | 150 minutes | Handout 25: Getting to Know All about You Appendix E. Ongoing Assessment in Head Start A child's portfolio Chart paper, markers, tape |
|
| Activity 4-3: Making Conferences Work for Everyone (W) | 90 minutes | Handout 26: What's Right? What's Wrong? Handout 27: Conference Checklist |
|
| Activity 4-4: Using Conferences to Support Individualizing (C) | 150 minutes | Handout 27: Conference Checklist | |
(C) Coaching Activities (W) Workshop Activities
Copyright © 1998 Head Start Publications Management Center. All rights reserved.
Last Modified: 02/19/99 08:49:05