ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

Children between the ages of three and five years old, who qualify for special education services through diagnostic evaluations need educational modifications and interventions to meet the requirements of language development within any preschool curriculum. Piaget and a number of early childhood educational developmental theorists would concur children develop language in a progressive manner. Likewise, Standard 1 of the North Dakota Content Standards, K-4; Students gather and organize information, (basic concept development) verifies the need to instruct and prepare children for the kindergarten expanded language concept demands. Therefore this analysis of instructional need is appropriate for children enrolled in the ECSE classroom regarding their progress on their IEP objectives in the area of language development.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: Students will understand basic concept language and will use it appropriately in successful communication. Students will develop receptive and expressive basic language concepts in order to function in their daily living and within school settings (ie. following directions, cognitive / language / organizational skill development). Therefore, it is important for children to communicate and identify the location of real world items, the speed differences between items, the beginning and ending of a task, and apply these skills to the world of technology. More specifically students need to identify size differences (big / little) between items, and correct positioning of items (in / out, over / under, in front / behind, beside / between) to other items. Students need to identify the speed of items, and demonstrate a total performance of a task while identifying begining and ending of an assignment. These basic language concepts will be applied to technology (i.e. CD’s and internet sites). Questions for enduring understanding: What do the students need to identify size (big / little) differences between items? What do the students need to identify correct placement of items (in / out) relating to other item(s)? What do the students need to identify correct placement of items (over / under) relating to another item? What do the students need to exhibit correct placement of items (in front / behind) relating to another item? What do the students need to identify correct placement of items (beside / between) other items? What do the students need to demonstrate correct sorting of objects relating to speed (fast / slow)? What do the students need to demonstrate a total performance of a task (identifying the task’s beginning and ending)? What do the students need to complete an assigned task related to basic language concepts? Goal(s): Students will point to picture representations of basic language concepts. Students will position items upon request. Students will identify basic language concepts upon request. Students will verbally and physically complete assigned tasks. Students will complete CD and internet assignments relating to basic language concept development.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: Some of the “lack luster” is necessary as children with language delays need familiar words and limited words to respond appropriately to questions.** What are some ways balls are different from one another? (big / little). Where can we hide and find these blocks in our room? (behind / in front, beside / between, over / under). How fast can you run to the end of the room and back? How slow can you run to the end of the room and back? (fast / slow). Will you help me build a house? (emphasis the beginning as the foundation / ending building project by painting the house) Will you show me where items are found on the screen of this computer? (using selected CD programs). Will you help me find items on this computer screen? (teacher has selected internet sites which allow the child to manipulate items using basic language concept understanding. Objectives: Students will categorize basic concepts of big and little using a variety of different sized toys with 90% accuracy. Students will position a variety of school and home real life items using basic concepts of in/out, over/under, in front/behind, beside/between with 90% accuracy. Students will identify basic concepts by using a variety of home and school items with 90% accuracy. Students will identify the beginning and ending of various hands on assignments with 95% accuracy. Students will transfer basic concept skills to CD assignments with 85% accuracy. Students will transfer basic concept skills to internet assignment sites with 85% accuracy.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? Using checklists, summary documentation, IEP progress reports, pointing to or verbal responses as charting methods for acquisition and evaluation of skills provide the students with multiple trials to perform the basic concept skills (concrete items and technology) within his or her daily environments (school / community / at home / day care). What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? Using demonstrations, prompting (physical and / or verbal), redirection and gesturing, aide the student during basic language concept tasks, encourage students to continue the tasks and to be successful in their responses while gaining basic concept skills via concrete and technology lessons creates successful learning opportunities within all environments enabling the student to transfer basic concept skills across all environments. What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? Use of dramatic play and story telling (recreating or creating with imagination their own experiences or future experiences) realistically incorporates basic concepts assignments within the student’s every day living routines at home / school / community settings. In addition, to utilize a variety of CD and internet sites to elicit a higher level cognitive (less concrete) learning process relating to concept skills development. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? Ongoing assessment / evaluation methods of student daily progress (i.e., collecting progress data, use of checklist, graphing progress, formal / informal ongoing observation) will provide evidence of student’s understanding of basic language concepts. In addition, informal and formal meeting discussions between the school staff and parents regarding the student’s understanding and progress in basic concept development as identified in the current IEP will verify evidence of student understanding.

Instructional Strategies

The students will encounter all three strategies at varying degrees through the learning strategies identified below relating to each objective: Obj. 1. Students will categorize basic concepts of big and little using concrete objects with 90% accuracy. Students will engage in the following strategies for this objective: Inquiry based strategy will be incorporated through the use of concrete objects (at home, at school, at day care) to categorize big and little items they routinely use throughout their day to day tasks. Problem-based strategy will be used to set up realistic choices for them to use either a big or little items in order to solve tasks through out their daily routines and with other students, at home, and at daycare. Project - based strategy will be used through games and daily routines to encourage cooperation to complete an assignment together using big and little items. Obj. 2. Students will position concrete items using basic concepts of in/out, over/under, in front/behind, beside/between with 90% accuracy. Students will engage in the following strategies for this objective: Inquiry - based strategy will be used to respond to parents, teachers, and day care staff asking children to position items throughout their day to day routines. Problem - based strategy will be used to guide children to find items or each other during daily routines and games (such as hide-n-seek). Project - based strategy will be incorporated using pictures and concrete items through out their daily routines to help them be successful and more cooperative with other children. Obj. 3. Students will identify basic concepts by using concrete items with 90% accuracy. Students will engage in the following strategies for this objective: Problem - based strategy will be incorporated as students are given concrete items to complete daily tasks at home / school / daycare with other children. Project - based strategy will be used as students will cooperate with each other assisting or teaching one another how to create an assigned project using concrete items (ex. board games, drama, hide-n-seek, not-it, tag, household chores at school and daycare helper jobs). Obj. 4. Students will identify the beginning and ending of various hands on assignments with 95% accuracy. Students will engage in the following strategies for this objective: Problem - based strategy will be incorporated th