Individualization

The education services will be individualized to meet each child’s unique characteristics, strengths, pattern of development, and learning based on classroom observations, ongoing developmental assessment, and/or in consultation with the family.

1. Staff will gather information about each child’s preferences and interests, developmental level, special needs, language, cultural background, learning style, and temperament.
   1. Information will be gathered through conversation with families, use of the Getting to Know You and Your Child (Funds of Knowledge) form, screening, ongoing assessment using TS Gold, and in coordination with family service, mental health, health, nutrition, disabilities services, and enrollment staff.
   2. This information will be documented in in the child’s electronic record.
      1. The child’s Getting to Know You and Your Child (Funds of Knowledge) form will be either scanned into education attachments in Child Plus or entered into the Getting to Know you Education Event.
   3. This information will be reviewed as needed during Parent Teacher contact and in Integrated Service Meetings.
2. Information gathered about individual children will be used to create a learning environment appropriate for each child, and to plan daily activities that build on each child’s interests to promote individual growth.
   1. Daily activities and changes to the environment will be documented on the Curriculum Planning form and/or in the child’s electronic file.
3. Staff will modify classroom instruction based on the individual needs of each child. Modifications may include providing environmental support, modifying materials, modifying activity, providing peer support, and/or providing adult support.
   1. Modifications will be documented in the child’s electronic file and/or in notes on the curriculum plan.
4. Individualized instruction will be embedded throughout the day during child initiated, planned, and routine activities.
   1. Based on each child’s current assessment information, educational staff will document how they will promote specific opportunities for children to practice goals and objectives on the Teaching Strategies Curriculum plan in an Individual child plan or by selecting specific children within an activity on the weekly plan..
      1. Educational staff will document individualized instruction based on assessment a minimum of once per week for each child in four or five day a week classroom models and once every two weeks in the EHS combo model. 
5. Staff will further individualize and modify instruction to meet the needs of children with identified special needs.
   1. Teachers will meet quarterly with each child’s Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) service coordinator.
      1. The teacher or ECEC and IFSP service coordinator will schedule a regular consultation day and time to discuss the following:
         1. review progress on IFSP goals
         2. strategies for embedding goals
         3. updating assessment progress
      2. Staff will document individualization for children with identified special needs on the Teaching Strategies Curriculum plan in an Individual child plan or by selecting specific children within an activity on the weekly plan.

The policy complies with Performance Standard 1302.31

Policy Council approved on August 12, 2003, August 30, 2006. August 2013

Updated January 15, 2004. June 2008. June 2009. August 2011. August 2013. August 2014. August 2017. January 2022

REVIEWED: January 2022

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