Learning Materials For Children of All Abilities: Begin with Universal Design

What's In This Kit?
This training kit encourages teachers to consider features that make learning materials more appealing to and usable by all children, with or without disabilities. It invites teachers to evaluate learning materials with the criteria for universal design in mind, and to think about ways to adapt learning materials so they are more usable by children with disabilities. It contains:

• Expected training outcomes
• Preparation instructions
• Training strategies and tips
• Implementation steps
• Follow-up activities for teachers
• Follow-up activities for administrators/directors
• A learning assessment
• A training evaluation/further needs assessment
• A resource list
• The article "Learning Materials for Children of All Abilities: Begin With Universal Design" by Kirsten Haugen and the accompanying chart "Steps for Adapting Materials for Use by All Children"
• A training certificate to award to teachers for attendance and participation
• A certificate for the trainer and other presenters

Who's the Target Audience?
The target audience for this kit is beginning, intermediate, and advanced teachers working with children from ages birth to 8. Teachers will evaluate learning materials to discover universal design principles and opportunities to adapt materials for children with disabilities.

Teacher Skill Level

beginning intermediate advanced

Children's Age Level

infants toddlers preschoolers school-agers birth to 8

Kit Timeline:
Preparation time for this kit is 2.5 to 3 hours. Implementation time is estimated at 2 hours.

Training Outcomes:

1. Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of universal design and how it applies to early childhood learning materials.
2. Teachers will identify different ways to adapt learning materials so they are more usable by children with or without disabilities.
3. Teachers will evaluate learning materials based on criteria for universal design and use by children with disabilities.

These training outcomes address the following professional standards:

• B-3b, B-5a-f, and G-4 of the Accreditation Criteria and Procedures of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 1998).
• 1, 4b, and 4d of NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation, Initial Licensure Level (NAEYC, 2003).
• 1304.53(b)(1)(i-vi) and 1304.20(f)(1) of Head Start Performance Standards (Federal Register, Nov. 5, 1996, Volume 61, Number 215).

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