The Power of Play in an Early Childhood RtI Model Lori Zito & Kristy Feden Papillion La Vista Schools Lisa Kelly-Vance & Brigette Ryalls University of.

The Power of Play in an Early Childhood RtI ModelLori Zito & Kristy Feden

Papillion La Vista SchoolsLisa Kelly-Vance & Brigette Ryalls

University of Nebraska Omaha

04/10/23 Free template from www.brainybetty.com 2

Session Goals

• Provide general information about play assessment and intervention

• Discuss applications of play assessment and intervention

• Present data and future applications

• Invite participation

Who are we?

• Collaboration among…– District school psychologists– District administrators– University researchers/trainers

• School psychology • Developmental psychology

– Graduate students– Head Start– Early childhood teachers– Families


Purpose of Collaboration

• Provide appropriate assessments and interventions

• Collect data on programs• Use data to make decisions at various

levels: child, classroom, program• Ultimate goal is to provide the best

services to children and their families


Description of Classrooms

• Head Start– 18-19 children per classroom– 2 adults– Children must meet eligibility criteria

(low SES)– 10% of Head Start children have a

verified disability in accordance with NDE criteria


Description of Classrooms, cont.

• School District Classrooms– Preschool classrooms in several

elementary schools– Average 12 children per classroom– 3 adults in classroom– Children either have a verified disability in

accordance with NDE verification criteria or they meet “at risk” criteria (e.g. premature birth, low SES, English as a second language, medical)


Linking Research to Current Initiatives

• Several initiatives in field of early childhood are relevant to work we are doing with play/RtI Essential Elements

• Primary initiative stems from IDEA 2007 – Required Monitoring System


Early Childhood Outcomes

• Early Childhood Outcomes Center (ECO) was funded in 2003 by OSEP:

– positive social-emotional skills– acquisition and use of knowledge

and skills– use of appropriate behaviors to meet

their needs.


Connecting OSEP Requirements

with Current Research• Early Childhood programs across

the country have a wealth of data at their fingertips

• Emphasis is on progress monitoring—practice that is embedded in RtI

• Play—the perfect context within which to monitor progress of young children


Structuring Environments

• Elemental factor for meeting the needs of students is effective “core instruction”

• Current school district uses peer-mediated social skills curriculum to create an environment conducive to learning


Peer Mediated Social Skills Curriculum and

Strategies• Direct Teaching of 5 Main Social

Skills to All Students– Practice Generalize those Skills

• Increase # of Appropriate Social Interactions per Day

• Teach Peers to Prompt Classmates


5 Main Skills Taught:

1. Getting Friend’s Attention

2. Sharing Toys

3. Sharing Request (ask),

4. Give play Idea

5. Give Compliment


Play Assessment & Intervention Procedures• Phase I

– Observation of play– Screen for children’s needs

• Phase II– Individual or Small group

interventions– Regular progress monitoring

• Phase III– Individual interventions– Long term– Frequent progress monitoring


Why Play Works

• It is appealing and fun for adults and children.

• Teachers and parents understand play.• It is conducted in children’s natural

context.• It elicits children’s optimal expression

of skills.• It leads directly to interventions.• It can be used to monitor progress.


Play Assessment Phase I,I&III

• An observation of child’s skills in the context of play

• Can be used to screen and monitor progress

• An alternative to standardized tests• A system that results in a description of

child’s competencies and areas of need


Play in Early Childhood Scale (PIECES)

• Core subdomains– Exploratory play– Simple Pretend play– Complex Pretend play

• Supplemental subdomains– Problem-solving and planning skills– Discrimination/Classification skills– Drawing skills– Quantification skills– Sequencing abilities

• Social, behavior, communication


Play Assessment Procedures

Observer watches the child play for approximately 30 minutes and documents what the child does

Child’s play is compared to the coding guidelines (PIECES)

During the observation, teachers are allowed to praise the child and imitate the child’s behavior but are not allowed to initiate or suggest play


Results of Play Assessment

• Competencies

– Student observed an age appropriate skill in the play subdomain.

• Reported skills – Teacher reported an age appropriate skill in the

play subdomain but the skills wasn’t observed• Emerging skills

– Skill was observed rarely or only with facilitation• Areas of need

– Skill was not observed or reported


Baseline/ScreeningDistrict Data

• Phase I– Mean AEPS by domain– Mean PIECES

• Will follow-up with identified students in Phase II and Phase III


Intervention Strategies

– Directly teach play skills• Model• Add on• Practice• Praise and encourage

– Teach social skills through play– Utilize social stories


Interventions

• 6 weeks or fewer of intervention• Types of interventions

– Directly taught play skills• Model• Add on• Practice• Praise and encourage

– Taught social skills through play– Social stories

• Results– 2/3 of students showed progress– 1/3 varied between staying the same and improving


Preliminary Findings

• PIECES-students are ranked as expected by verification (DD, SLI, MH, AU, OHI)

• “A-ha” Moments– Program/Classroom Evaluation

• Providing opportunities to expand play• Accommodations

– Continue progress monitoring using a “sensitive” tool


Future Applications

• Program evaluation of peer mediated classrooms

• Child Find in the community

• PIECES as a tool in eligibility determination


Interested in Learning more?

• Visit us at: http://www.unomaha.edu/schoolpsych/playresources.php


http://www.unomaha.edu/schoolpsych/playresources.php

http://www.unomaha.edu/schoolpsych/playresources.php

The Power of Play in an Early Childhood RtI Model Lori Zito & Kristy Feden Papillion La Vista Schools Lisa Kelly-Vance & Brigette Ryalls University of.

Documents

free template

child play

childs play

context of play

play idea

play subdomain

power of play

play assessment phase