Professional Books

The best early childhood inclusive classrooms are all about creating opportunities for learning through play. Much of that play happens in traditional play areas and times such as home living and dramatic play, art center, sensory table, music time, and outdoor playtime. Achieving Learning Goals Through Play offers suggestions and tips for teachers that can help them become more intentional in their planning for these learning experiences for all children in the inclusive classroom.

This resource offers a more holistic approach to planning for the early childhood classroom. Why plan some experiences for the typically developing children and then have to make changes for the children with special needs? Authors Grisham-Brown, Hemmeter, and Pretti-Frontczak suggest that the most effective planning blends the best of special and general education strategies into one approach that meets the needs of everyone in the classroom.

Those new to inclusion will find this book very informative. It not only answers questions about inclusive practices; it also provides great examples of classroom experiences that are structured to meet the learning needs of children with low need as well as those who need much more instructional support. The Early Childhood Quality Network (ECQnet) that Ohio teachers rely upon for early childhood professional development modules uses Building Blocks for their modules that introduce inclusive practices and special education topics such as curriculum modifications and instructional strategies that help children with individual learning objectives.

If you are working to improve your classroom or your teaching practice by making it more accessible and inclusive, this text offers a wealth of information in a succinct and clear manner. After a general introduction that answers questions about why inclusion is important and why it is beneficial to blend inclusive practices into the general classroom, the book provides information about specific disabilities and how to make changes in the classroom and teaching practices that will provide your young people more access to what's going on in the classroom. There is also a glossary of important terms after each chapter, as well as extensive lists of specific strategies, children's books, and professional resources that will be helpful for that issue or disability.

Have you ever walked into a classroom where children were so focused on learning that they didn't even turn around to see who was entering their space? Most of us don't have that level of success, but this text can help teachers work toward that end. Here you will find field-tested strategies for intentional learning, routine, and transition times that can heighten children's engagement and success.

This text explains the model used by teachers at the Little School who are not trained special education teachers and who, when they first began their journey into inclusion, felt "ill-equipped and nervous" about the idea of adopting an inclusion model for their preschool. Now, however, they feel empowered by their success to offer a "practitioner-based approach" for the inclusive classroom teacher. If you are looking for a print-based explanation of inclusion, the first chapter of the book is the place to go. Also very interesting is the chapter on working with families and the practical appendix that captures the language of inclusion in a variety of situations.

Teachers are looking for practical and appropriate ways to make their teaching more engaging and meaningful for all the children in the classroom. The strategies in Ms. Moore's book are divided into multiple categories and are specific enough to be very helpful and not so burdened down with jargon that they are difficult to understand or put into practice. This updated edition includes current information about IDEA and organizations that support children with special needs and teachers in inclusive classrooms.

This book offers just what it says, examples and suggestions for teachers who serve children with a range of abilities and disabilities. The experience descriptions are organized to correspond with common learning centers, transitions, and routines. What makes this activity book different from most books teachers use as they plan is that each experience listed includes information about ways to meet the needs of children with special needs.

These little books have been written with the needs of parents of young children with disabilities in mind. Each one discusses one area which has been found to be important to children who have special needs and attend preschool with typically developing children. The titles are Introducing Me; My Community, My Family; My New Friends; Look What I Can Do Now; On My Best Behavior; and It's Time for Preschool.

It may be that directors, supervisors, and teachers who have begun the journey toward providing an inclusive classroom will need to explain ADA to others (or at least better understand it themselves). The ABCs of the ADA outlines and answers questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act by providing clear information that can be used to ensure that the an inclusive program is in compliance with the law.

Have you read the latest information on what can be done to help children fully participate in the classroom? Here is a text that first became available in October of 2010 that offers practical ideas that teachers can adopt easily. Some of the supports are simple and low cost. Some of the suggestions utilize more advanced technology, but they certainly are worth a look.

Every teacher, whether serving in an inclusive classroom or not, must deal with the behavior of the children in the classroom. Bilmes's book outlines some basic issues that impact children's behavior (which can include disabilities) and important life skills which all children need to develop (attachment, affiliation, self-regulation, problem solving, initiative, and respect). She then goes on to discuss ways to help children develop these skills and traits.

The new Ladders to Literacy book still blends theory and practicality into one volume in a way that can help teachers effectively address the multi-level literacy and language needs of the children in the classroom. Each experience is described in detail, of course, but perhaps the Adult-Child Interactive Behaviors section of each lesson would provide the most practical help to the inclusive classroom teacher. In this section specific strategies are listed that address how to support children who have different levels of need (whether high, medium, or low).

Have you found that the attitudes and perceptions we educators develop can skew the interactions, we have with our students and families and in turn the depth of some children's learning? Author Christopher Kliewer suggests that developing a new vision will benefit all children in the classroom, especially the children with disabilities. He asserts that if we broaden our view of literacy, enrich our literacy strategies, foster collaboration between children with disabilities and their more typically developing peers, and build on children's interest, we can have a major impact on the literacy skills children develop.

Do you need a practical guide to help you understand and meet the needs of a child with sensory integration issues? Do you want to structure your classroom environment and routine to support the sensory development of all the children who come into the classroom? This paperback text has some answers. In addition, an extensive section both outlines some simple projects that can be created for the classroom to coordinate with your efforts and explains why they are effective when used with children. Don't miss the glossary and "red-flag" appendix—both offer essential information for the general classroom teacher.