Differentiating between a developmental delay and a learning preference is an important investigational skill early childhood teachers need to have in their toolboxes. Professionally communicating this information to families is an integral part of the process. It can be difficult to communicate sensitive information with families, so it is best to be prepared prior to a meeting.
Imagine you are the teacher in a four-year-old preschool classroom, and you have three students whose behaviors concern you:
Student 1: Billy
Billy is four years and eight months old. He is the youngest of three at home and loves cars. You are noticing linguistically that Billy is still using one-word sentences. For example, when you asked him the other day which learning center he would like to go to, he responded enthusiastically, “Block!” You probed for more information by asking why and he responded, “Fun!” You noticed these are typical responses for him.
Student 2: Rasha
Rasha is four years old and the youngest four-year-old in the class. She loves art and dancing. You wrote in your notes the other day that she goes to the art center every day and has not visited the outdoor center once. You also saw her trip on the playground when she was playing hopscotch.
Student 3: Jordan
Jordan is four years and six months old, and he is capable of reading at an emergent reader level. You noticed that he does not like the block center and refuses to go to the paint center. During group work, he does not work well with the other students, sometimes yelling at them and refusing to share.
You are preparing for a meeting with the family of Billy, Rasha, or Jordan. Select one student and develop an action plan for the family in which you will discuss your observations and strategies that would help the student’s development.
For this assignment, compose a 500-750 word action plan that includes the following:
Identification of the specific academic or behavioral concern for Billy, Rasha, or Jordan.
Explanation whether you think the academic or behavioral concern is a delay in a milestone or a learning preference and justify your thought process with evidence. Note: Teachers cannot diagnose a disability.
Description of two instructional strategies to address the identified concern and support the student in the classroom.
Explanation of how you could collaborate with other professionals, including specialized experts, to support the student’s learning outcomes.
Description of two activities families can engage in with their child at home that would support the child’s development.
Description of how and when you will be communicating the student’s progress with the family.
Support your action plan with 2-3 scholarly resources.
While APA Style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
