Inclusion at Botany Downs Kindergarten Centre of Innovation 2006-2008

Chapter 3 Pre-inclusion – Preparation phase of inclusion

The three phases of inclusion developed by Lyons and Kelly (2008) move from prior to attendance through to departure from the setting. Rather than being distinctively separate, the phases overlap, and each is dependent upon the previous stage for success. In this chapter the processes and practices that comprise the pre-inclusion phase of inclusion at BDK will be discussed.

Research methods

The data in the pre-inclusion/ preparation phase was collected through:

Pre-inclusion-preparation phase of inclusion

Lyons and Kelly (2008) define the pre-inclusion / preparation phase as the period before entry into the new setting. At BDK the pre-inclusion phase begins with the first contact with the child and her or his family and continues until the child and family transition into the kindergarten. Children can be placed on the waiting list from two years of age; however they enrol for starting in the kindergarten session in order of age at just over three years of age. Thus, for the child and family the pre-inclusion stage can begin at age two years.

Looking back to move forward

The first step in the first cycle of our research project was to establish common definitions for terms in our research questions. We needed to define what an inclusive setting looked like if we were to explore how an inclusive environment enhances children’s learning. The teacher researchers began constructing their definition of inclusion by recording individual reflections at a teacher focus group and in the teacher questionnaires. Some of the comments included:

As well, at the outset of the COI research, brainstorming was used to develop the chart below to describe inclusion.

Figure 3: WHAT DOES AN INCLUSIVE SETTING LOOK LIKE?

 

Three definitions emerged from our analyses of the chart, the teacher focus group interview data, and teacher survey data. We found there was an alignment of these with the literature.

1. Inclusion means inclusion for all – children, families, teachers, the wider community, (Casey, 2006, Fraser, 2006). We also included education support workers, administrative support workers, students, pets, local ECE centres (childcare and kindergarten), and schools.
2. Visual communication tools for enhancing inclusion encompasses everything from visuals in the physical environment, to photos and hand-made sequence books, to the children’s portfolios (Geel, 2007; Jones, 2005; Soan, 2004).
3. Social competence results from individuals’ social, emotional, cognitive and behavioural development that allows them to function well in a variety of settings (Bandura, 1997; Kaiser & Sklar Rasminsky, 2007; Katz, 2008).

We decided that a visual communication tool is not only a ‘thing’ (equipment) but also the ‘product’. For instance, a camera is a tool yet so are the photographs and video produced from the camera. It is the way that the camera and the products are used that made them into tools. For instance, a Learning Story (Carr, 2001) is a visual communication tool as it is used to “tell a story for the child, tell a story to the adults, inform the families about our practice and encourage the child to revisit, retell and relive the story”  (Teacher research notes, May 2006).

A philosophy of inclusion

Our pre-inclusion actions begin amongst the teaching team. We develop or revise our philosophy statement as a new teaching team comes together, and this philosophy evolves over time. The Auckland Kindergarten Association requires each kindergarten to have a philosophy statement of teaching practice. Our philosophy begins:

It continues:

Botany Downs Kindergarten enrolment pack contains a copy of this philosophy and a copy is also placed in the front of each child’s portfolio.

Documenting inclusion

In the first year of the COI research we documented all that we do to enhance a sense of inclusion at each stage of contact with a child and their family. We identified and recorded all the little things we do. The collated data showed that there were many diverse components to inclusive practice and that our inclusive actions were continually expanding. Kerry noted, “I have never thought about what we do in such depth. It is just what we do. Looking at each detail has made me more aware that it is the little things that count”  (Research meeting notes, April 2006). The figures below list the many components.

Figure 4 depicts the actions taken when the parents and kindergarten are ready to enrol the child.

Figure 4: SETTING THE SCENE FOR INCLUSION AT BDK First person to see person meets and greets Give information form with times, hours, parent help, committee, fees, including philosophy Invite questions Invite them to stay and have a look around Invite them to come back and visit Ensure that teachers have spoken to the child Use child’s name Use adult’s name Take child’s photo if they are near to starting Check that they’re OK as they fill out the waiting list form Ask if they know other families at this kindergarten Offer “year” books to them to look at Is this the kindergarten they want to go to? Ask are they aware of other kindergartens/ centres in the area?

Figure 5: INCLUSIVE ACTIONS ON ENROLMENT DAY AT BDK Phone/email/write to invite child and their family to start Give a date for them to reply If no contact, write a letter Ask parent to bring in immunization, birth certificate, family photo to copy Engage in discussion Invite parent in to fill out further forms in our enrolment folders (will take 15 mins) These are split into 4 sections for convenience of filling out Give out information pack Enrolment forms to go on file ‘Getting to know you’ sheets go in child’s portfolio Centre of Innovation information pack and consent form Find the parent a free space to sit in, give them a pen They can take the forms home to fill out Sit with them or check on them from time to time, engage in discussion Encourage questions When the forms are complete, go through all the forms with the parent Check all parts of the form are complete Take a tour of the kindergarten - toilets, water fountain, communication pockets, donation box, lockers, painting box and kindergarten environment Take child’s photo for our photo library Give a start date for the child Invite family to stay for the session if they wish Invite child and family to visit again before starting Process photo to go on everything the child will have

Figure 6: PREPARATION FOR THE CHILD’S FIRST DAY AT BDK: From the photos taken on the day they visited make an A4 profile photo Create a portfolio with their name on spine. Place inside the portfolio - an outline of the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum,Te Whāriki, an outline of assessment procedures, our four statements of teaching practice – philosophy, learning and teaching, social competence and Treaty of Waitangi Put the information the family filled out into the child’s portfolio Put family photo into the child’s portfolio Make magnetic name tag for the child (no photo) Make a name tag with photo Make communication pocket with child’s name and photo Make a painting slot with child’s name and a photo Put child’s enrolment into Infocare Put child’s name on roll sheet Organise a locker for the child Put child’s name in the birthday book Put contact details into the children’s address book Put onto the enrolment list and assessment list on the computer If coming straight to mornings, give out ‘Welcome to mornings’ handout and ensure the child has a transition to school photo.

Notes from our research meetings revealed several conversations centred upon whether our practice was in line with our espoused philosophy. Over the period of the research we recorded a number of additional processes to encourage children’s sense of belonging. For instance, we now email the child at home to tell them how we are looking forward to their starting and telling them what their locker will be (identified by a picture). This addition has been well received. We have had many comments on the initiative. Georgia’s mother was very enthusiastic. She said, ‘Georgia was so excited to get an email addressed to her. She told everyone about it and told everyone that she had an orange flower locker.’

Another addition was asking for a family photo to put in the child’s portfolio. The photograph gives a starting point to engage in conversations with the child about their family and is particularly helpful in the settling process. For example, Liam liked to visit this photograph over and over again. Each time he would say, ‘That’s my brother, that’s my father and that’s my mother and that’s me.’ Most family photos are put in the child’s portfolio prior to them starting. In return, all families receive a photograph of the teachers with the teachers’ names.

During the COI project parents had the opportunity to comment on their feelings of inclusion through entry/ exit surveys. In a question relating to their feeling of inclusion when they started kindergarten parent responses were mainly about the friendliness of teachers, the teachers taking time to talk with them, and parents feeling free to ask questions. One respondent also talked about appreciating being greeted personally by a committee member. A typical response in the entry survey was:

A common theme we found during the first cycle of research was how much attention we paid to detail—in our interactions, actions and the environment.

After the documenting phase, the COI team turned to our research question about visual communication tools in order to gain a more detailed understanding of their use and impact.

Research question: How do visual communication tools invite and extend engagement with children and their families during the pre-inclusion–preparation phase of inclusion?

Over the three years of the COI research project we noted a marked increase in the visual communication tools we had at kindergarten, and also in the ICT tools parents were using at home. At the start of our research 67% of our parents had a computer in their home while at the end of the research that figure had increased to 94%. Accordingly, we thought of possible new tools using computers to inform parents about their children in a visual manner. Two notable additions were our website and Blog. Many families now enrol having some knowledge of BDK kindergarten through looking at the BDK website and blog.

For a term, we researched and kept a note of the questions new parents asked when they telephoned and emailed. Their questions included:

• Starting age
• Length of waiting list
• What age do children come to mornings
• Cost
• How many children are there
• What is the adult child ratio
• Philosophy
• Locality
• Nearest primary school?

We acted promptly on this information and added a section called ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ (FAQs) and a BDK locality map to our website. These additions extend people’s knowledge as they consider which early childhood education service will best suit them and their child.

Research question: How do teachers support the development of social competence and self efficacy in children during the pre-inclusion–preparation phase of inclusion?

Support for children to develop social competence and self-efficacy at the pre-inclusion-preparation phase includes sharing our statement of teaching practice relating to social competence with parents and engaging in discussion about it. Discussions with parents about our philosophy and practice are the norm for all families starting at BDK. The material from Kevin’s case story (below) illustrated how possibility thinking is evident when the child has additional needs.

The pre-inclusion of Kevin

Kevin was enrolled onto our waiting list as a two year old. As the time approached for Kevin to enrol in the kindergarten session the pre-inclusion phase began. Kevin, a young boy with developmental delay on the autistic spectrum, became one of our ‘case story’ children. In our documentation of the pre-inclusion phase we noted that initial contact was made with Kevin’s mother, Louise by phone (Teacher journal, October 2007). Kevin was offered a place and Louise was invited to visit the kindergarten with him.

Louise describes her initial contact with us in this way:

Both Kevin’s mother and the teachers took the opportunity during the pre-visits to photograph Kevin in the kindergarten surroundings. These were made into a book for him to read over the term break to increase his sense of familiarity, in order to make the transition into the kindergarten a less stressful time for Kevin. Louise recalled Kevin’s pre-inclusion like this:

These excerpts from Kevin’s case story illustrate two of the ways we use possibility thinking. First, we created options for hours of attendance to suit Kevin and his family. Second, we agreed and collaborated in making a visual book so that Kevin could recall and become more familiar with the kindergarten in the weeks before he started. We will follow Kevin’s progress in later chapters.

Reflections on the pre-inclusion phase of inclusion

The pre-inclusion phase is a time to begin the process of getting to know the child and their family. Observations and staff meeting records indicated that children frequently held on to their family member during initial pre-entry visits to kindergarten. Those who ventured into the environment frequently checked with their family member. ‘Checking in’ was a way to help develop a sense of security. Franklin, the turtle was a great asset, capturing the attention of nearly all the children enrolling at BDK. We explored ways to develop the relationship with Franklin further as we progressed through the research project.

Raelene’s journal illustrates how we came to view the pre-inclusion phase. “The pre-inclusion phase is vital to creating an inclusive environment. It is the backbone. It is a time when teachers debate philosophies and values and a plan for his or her inclusion is formulated” (August 2008).

Through our ongoing processes of self review, the pre-inclusion–preparation phase of inclusion has been continually reflected upon and refined at BDK. Our descriptive data indicate that inclusion goes beyond a policy and tools. It is underpinned by the teachers’ values and by how teachers treat people with respect, attend to details and open their minds to possibilities.

During the pre-inclusion–preparation phase of inclusion the main inclusive actions were:

• introducing families to the kindergarten
• establishing reciprocal and responsive relationships with families
• building and using information resources
• laying the foundations for successful transition into the kindergarten for the children and their family.