Welcome to the last part of our three part series on UDL in Early Childhood Education (ECE). In part one, we shared the importance of inclusion and introduced our topic with essential questions we must ask as we begin to understand UDL in ECE. Part two of the series\u00a0discussed the history and evolution of UDL. In the final part of the series, we examine how UDL intertwines with early childhood environments.<\/p>\n
Using\u00a0Universal Design for Learning (UDL)\u00a0in the Early Childhood Classroom<\/p>\n
By using UDL,\u00a0educators no longer design or use a pre-developed curriculum with a need to modify or make accommodations for learners with disabilities later on, instead they use a UDL framework to provide students with numerous ways to access and process information (Spooner, Baker, Harris, Ahlgrim-Delzell, and Browder, 2007). In this way, UDL promotes inclusion by setting all students up for success with various avenues of learning and assessment. This can be seen at all grades levels, including early childhood classrooms.<\/p>\n
It is not uncommon for an early educator, such as a preschool teacher,\u00a0to work with a group of young children from ages three to five years old.\u00a0UDL often\u00a0comes easily to early childhood educators because of the large developmental age range they instruct. The educators’ ability to skillfully move back and forth between expectations for each child teaches them to be flexible with their students. An early educator\u00a0will work with a\u00a0four year old to understand one to one correspondence of up to five objects, and then turn to work with a five year old, supporting him to understand one to one correspondence of up to ten objects. As each age presents new developmental skills, which\u00a0demands\u00a0various ways to approach these skills, early\u00a0educators\u00a0are inclined to provide learners with various ways of acquiring knowledge. Additionally,\u00a0teachers of young children\u00a0know to provide\u00a0multiple means of engagement\u00a0as they present\u00a0new challenges, and numerous ways for students to demonstrate what they know.\u00a0It is these foundational skills that early educators possess that make them strong candidates to understand and utilize UDL principles.<\/p>\n
Conn-Powers and colleagues express:<\/p>\n
Universal design principles and early education practices and principles compliment each other in the following ways;<\/p>\n
(1) Recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach to education simply will not work;<\/p>\n
(2) Understanding the need to design curricula to meet the needs of diverse classroom populations;<\/p>\n
(3) Declaring that all children who attend early education programs will be successful in their development and learning.<\/p>\n
Universal Design for Learning framework parallels what early educators plan for from the start in thinking\u00a0about the physical, social-emotional, health, and teaching dimensions of their environments to assure that every child: Feels\u00a0welcomed as a full and equal member; accesses and engages in all learning opportunities; learns\u00a0according to his or her individual strengths and interests; and demonstrates his or her learning in ways\u00a0that reflect the individual\u2019s strengths (Conn-Powers, M., Cross, A. F., Traub, E. K., & Hutter-Pishgahi, L., 2006,\u00a0p. 5).<\/p>\n
UDL in the early childhood environment provides a way to include all children,\u00a0regardless of\u00a0age,\u00a0or perceived ability. UDL provides a framework to plan for all learners to engage in materials\/lessons and demonstrate their knowledge.\u00a0Early educators are naturally inclined to\u00a0do this type of work. We should provide\u00a0early childhood teachers the opportunity to\u00a0learn about\u00a0UDL and further\u00a0grow their breadth of knowledge in the field.<\/p>\n
References<\/p>\n
Conn-Powers, M., Cross, A. F., Traub, E. K., & Hutter-Pishgahi, L. (2006, September). The universal design of early education: Moving forward for all children. Beyond the Journal Young Children , 1-9. Retrieved from http:\/\/journal.naeyc.org\/btj\/200609\/ConnPowersBTJ.pdf<\/p>\n
Spooner, F., Baker, J. N., Harris, A. A., Ahlgrim-Delzell, L., & Browder, D. M. (2007). Effects of training in universal design for learning on lesson plan development. Remedial and Special Education, 28(2), 108-116.<\/p>\n
This concludes part three of this three-part series on DSE\/ECE\/UDL.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Part Three of Three: Focus on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Early Childhood Education (ECE)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1839,"featured_media":236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n