RtI and Early Childhood Education - How Do They Fit Together?

RtI and Early Childhood Education - How Do They Fit Together?

Lots of hype, but does it make sense?

With all the attention that Response to Intervention has bought about in educational circles, it is small wonder that it has found its way into the Early Childhood Education setting, but exactly how do the two fit together?

Much attention has been given to that question and I recently read a great article about it that was jointly authored by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC), the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAECY) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA).  The article provides guidance on how to conceptualize RtI within early childhood and defines the context in which it should be considered.

A recent paper suggest the following features be considered in the framework for RtI in Early Childhood Education:

• A multi-tiered aspect - where high-quality instruction is delivered across tiers to support the diverse learning needs and levels of support needed for the young children served in Early Childhood programs.
• Use of high-quality curriculum for all children.  Curriculum for young children is defined primarily as one that is developmentally appropriate, guided by team/family decisions and uses research-based instructional strategies.
• A systematic way to screen, assess, and monitor progress based upon outcomes.
• Opportunity for collaborative problem-solving to help guide decisions about what an individual child need to support learning and development.

The paper goes on to discuss some of the most common misunderstandings and misconceptions with regards to RtI and Early Childhood Education.  It is definitely worth a read.  (Click here to read the complete article regarding misconceptions on RtI and ECSE)

View an interview with Dr. Barbara Willer

Another interesting resource that was recently shared is a new video interview with Dr. Barbara Willer, Deputy Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In the interview, Dr. Willer discusses how early childhood education is changing, the benefits of incorporating technology into early childhood lesson plans, and what to expect from the future of this field.  (click here to view Dr. Willer's video interview)

Kathy Steffens is a Special Educator with 20+ years experience.  She is available for questions regarding district RTI implementation and staff development training.  You can reach her at RightResponsetoRTI@gmail.com

Early Childhood Development and Technology

With the emergence of the iPad, and an “app” for almost anything we can dream of, one needs to take a step back and consider the relationship between the available technology and the critical physical, socio-emotional, language and cognitive development taking place in a child’s early years.   What, how, and how much children learn in school depends a great deal on competence developed in those developmental stages early in life.  While new and interactive technologies, like the iPad, can make it easier for students to learn by doing and help them to build background knowledge and visualize difficult concepts, we need to be careful not to lose sight of the need to find a balance, knowing how to align the elements of healthy childhood with the unique capabilities offered by technology (Van Scoter, Ellis, and Railsback, 2001).

The following chart can help to both outline some of the components of child development and aligning the possible role technology can play for a neuro-typically developing child.

Developmental Area	Definition	Technology Alignment
Social/Emotional	The development of emotions, relationships with others, self-concept and personality, which is a stable way of thinking, feeling and behaving.	While technology does not replace human interaction it can serve as a catalyst for social interactions and conversations related to a child’s interest or school work.
Language	The process by which children come to acquire, understand and communicate language by learning it as it is spoken and by mimicry.	Interacting with technology (computers, iPads, etc) can elicite more social interaction than traditional activities (such as puzzles or block building).  Studies show that computers encourage longer, more complex speech and the development of fluency, as well as, high levels of spoken communication and cooperation (such as turn taking and collaboration).
Physical/Motor	The development of physical skills include: ·       Gross (or large) motor skills involving the larger muscles including the arms and legs (walking, running, balance and coordination). ·       Fine (or small) motor skills involving the smaller muscles in the fingers, toes, eyes and other areas (drawing, writing, grasping objects, throwing, waving and catching).	While word processing allows for composition and revision without being distracted by the fine motor aspects of letter formation, it should be used sparingly.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screen time (computers, TV, video games) by limited to one or two hours per day for young children.  Computers should not replace outdoor activities and play.
Cognitive/General Knowledge	The development of intelligence, conscious thought, and problem solving ability.	Research indicates that computer experience promotes greater gains in both verbal and nonverbal skills, problem solving, and abstraction and conceptual skills.

Perhaps the best thing to keep in mind is that technology is a tool that, when used appropriately, can introduce positive elements for exploration and experimenting; it needs to be connect to what children already know and build upon that.  It should provide opportunities to discover, make choices and foster creativity.  Ask – is it developmentally appropriate with how and what a child needs at the current stage of development and will it be beneficial to their learning in the future. 

Resources:

Van Scoter, J.D. Ellis, and J. Railsback (2001). Technology in Early Childhood Education: finding the balance.  Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, Oregon

Young, Mary Eming, Frontline. Technology and Early Child Development. Available at www.techknowlogia.org/TKL_Articles/PDF/314.pdf

NAEYC position statement on Technology and Young Children – Ages 3 through 8. 1996 (updated 1998). Washington DC NAEYC  www.neayc.org/resources/position_statements/psteach98.htm

Kathy Steffens is a Special Educator with 20+ years experience.  She is available for questions regarding district RTI implementation and staff development training.  You can reach her at RightResponsetoRTI@gmail.com