Preschool special education curriculum?

Question

Many preschool special needs teachers do not have a district curriculum or state standards to follow as the students are not of school age yet and have individual goals.

In your opinion, what would be the advantages (if any) or disadvantages (if any) of a set curriculum for preschool classes in public school education?

Answer 1

I believe that, at a minimum, there are federal guidelines. for special education at all levels.  Part of those guidelines entail states having to develop their own guidelines for those particular type of classes.  To be sure, check with your local school district.

As a parent, you also have many rights regarding being involved in any special education services that might be given to your child.

The obvious advantage to a set curriculum is that your can see what services are available for a child.  You can also motivate a school district or even a state department of education to expand those types of services in order to enable to prepare any special needs child for the world he/she will have to go out into in order to "make it!"

The best thing you can do for your child is "speak up" and get the services that are available for that child.  And, make sure that you also give your support to not only the child but to the program that is trying to help your child.

Answer 2

Wow this sounds like a homework assignment that requires some origional thinking.  Why don't you use your own opinion?

Answer 3

In the early childhood education curriculum debate:

Schweinhart (1997) states that an approach that is primarily teacher-directed is likely to discourage children's social and emotional development, intellectual dispositions, and creativity,

while an approach based exclusively on child-initiated activities may not sufficiently support children's academic development.

The academic learning mandates specified in Goals 2000 for K-12 education have filtered down to the preschool level and provide a backdrop for current arguments in the preschool curriculum debate.

A curriculum is a harness. And when it is in place almost impossible to remove or even change.

Research on this topic found:

children in direct instruction programs intellectually outperformed children in child-initiated activities programs during and up to a year after the preschool program, but not thereafter.

children exhibit more stress in didactic environments than in child-initiated environments

From my experience as a teacher trainer I came to the conclusion, that it is not one or the other approach that really counts in the first place. It is the quality of the teaching staff AND the parents AND the stimulation from the environment(s) of the child, that benefits or limit a child's development more than everything else.

Therefor I prefer a curriculum framework, that guides teachers and special need teachers AND parents to work out a plan, if possible with the help of specialist, for every child individually. This is the only way I see to make use of the benefits of both a teacher-directed approach and  a child-initiated activities approach, where the support group  involved for that particular child have the possibility to maximize the education of any child.

And then I hear "But that cost way too much".  And I always answer. That are NOT cost, that are investments, that pay off in a very short time.

Answer 4

I'll be glad to help you with your homework.  :)

Disadvantage - No creativity is usually built in and the obvious removal of holidays aside from Mother's Day.

Advantage - Kindergarten teachers usually help develop the curriculum & new teachers are fully supported.

Note - No federal curriculum exists for any special ed. program.  Curriculum is a right of the states, not the federal government.  There are organizations - independent of the government -  that are organized at the federal level that have recommendations for the states.  Google science, math or the arts and I think you will find them easily.  :)

Answer 5

Annie has the right idea!

Answer 6

Preschools within the public schools do have state set curriculum and special ed support..this is how the state provides services for kids identified in their Child Find programs.  If the district does not have programs, it partners with private schools but these schools must meet the curriculum and support requirements of the public schools.  Students in these programs are on IEP's, with goals, behavioral guidelines and are taught by qualified teachers.  Slots in these programs are extremely limited though and to get one you must go through a school sponsered evaluation.  Private schools, pre-school and otherwise, do not have to follow state mandated curriculums (although they do have to meet certain testing goals and curriculum guidelines to get state recognized diplomas) or provide special education.  Private schools do not have to recognize IEP's when students move into the school from a public school (although that can vary if the school accepts any sort of government funding to support it's programs).  Most preschools are privately owned..the largest exception being Head Start programs which are state and federally funded...so they do not have to follow IEP's, provide testing, support services or have qualified special ed teachers.  In some states, preschools are not even regulated as schools but as daycares, which can have very different guidelines and regulations.  

Preschools have traditionally focused more on social development than educational, so a set educational curriculum is not generally needed.  Preschool is for learning to share, to follow class structure and to pick up a few basics.  School district programs have a set curriculum that is used in all the programs within the district.  Of course it will vary from room to room, depending on the teacher, the make up of the class and the goals being worked on.  Preschool tends to be the most fluid of class structures..constantly adapting and changing within the set framework, even when special ed is not involved..simply because the children are so varied and the time is often so limited.  While a establishing parameters as far as structure, overall goals and scheduling would be helpful, a fully formed curriculum such as you see in a traditional primary class would only cause more of the issues already seen in those groups...teachers being forced to follow the schools schedule, while ignoring the learning pace and styles of the individuals in the class...teaching to the median and having the kids who are slower or more advanced feeling frustrated.

Answer 7

I think it's always best to have a guide, and that's what a curriculum can do.  You might find some curriculum ideas at www.alternativeeducationbible.com that you may find helpful in developing a curriculum.