**7.1 Individual teacher model**

In the individual teacher model, one teacher has a classroom including children both with and without IEPs. The teacher needs to be licensed and endorsed in either ECSE and EC for three and four-year-olds (add-on endorsement), early/primary education, PreK-3. The teacher is skilled in meeting the needs of both groups of children. Careful consideration is given to the class size/caseload, and the number of children with IEPs, including the level of support required [27, 28].

#### **7.2 Reverse inclusion**

In reverse inclusion, typically developing children are placed in ECSE classrooms so that both typically developing children and the ones with special needs can learn together in an inclusive environment. This option provides a way for children with disabilities to learn alongside their typically developing peers as role models when quality regular EC settings are not available. To qualify as a regular EC classroom, at least 50% of the children must be typically developing to provide peer models to enhance engagement among all children, provide peer interaction, and develop friendships. Providing only a few typically developing children may not give the same opportunity for learning, friendship, and growth and development. Further, the typically developing peer models must regularly attend the program to keep the class dynamic, consistency and frequency. However, it should be noted that implementation of this model is subject to the local education agency (LEA) rules and regulations [27, 28].

#### **7.3 Co-teaching**

In the co-teaching model, a general EC teacher and an ECSE teacher combine their knowledge, skills, and expertise and meet all children's needs in the classroom. Both EC or ECSE teachers may be in the classroom for all or some of the school day. Both teachers' goal is to share responsibility in the implementation of children with special needs' IEPs. Co-teaching includes several options for managing teaching time that includes:

**Team teaching**. Team teaching happens when both teachers (general EC and ECSE) deliver the same instruction simultaneously, with both teachers being responsible for the planning and implementing the instruction through separate lessons throughout the day. Team teaching helps clearly define each teacher's responsibilities and thus prevent misunderstandings and confusion in sharing responsibilities.

**Parallel teaching**. Parallel teaching includes both teachers delivering the same instruction at the same time with different groups of children. Creating instructional groups facilitates more individual participation and more direct teacher supervision.

**Alternative teaching***.* In alternative teaching, one (either EC general teacher or ECSE teacher) takes responsibility for a large group of children. Simultaneously, the other teacher works with a smaller group who may need specialized attention and or instruction.

**Station teaching**. When using station teaching, co-teachers divide both the content and class. Each educator teaches the same content to one group first, and the second group receives the instruction later. Station teaching allows teachers to offer individualized instruction to smaller groups of children who need more individualized attention.

**321**

*Quality Inclusion of Young Children with Disabilities: Taking a Stance to Support Early…*

**One teach-one observe**. With this model, one teacher delivers the instruction, while the other educator completes student observation. The co-educators agree on the behaviors they will be observing and the method they will use to record their observations. Once the observation is conducted, they analyze the findings and

**One teach-one drift**. In this approach, one teacher takes the primary responsibility for delivering the instruction, while the other teacher circulates among the

In an itinerant model, an ECSE endorsed teacher travels between classrooms or programs to consult with EC general teachers and/or to provide direct services to individual children as needed. Consultation is an essential element of an itinerant service delivery model and can be used to address children's physical access within settings, support for children's social inclusion, support for children's active engagement in activities, identification of and implementation of children's Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP) outcomes/Individual Education Program (IEP) goals,

No matter what specific model of instruction delivery is chosen, based on the feasibility of the existing situation, EC leaders need to monitor to make sure as a

• Choose the best model to deliver the instruction and implement the model

• Identify what will be evaluated in terms of children's learning and development, how will it be evaluated, who will do the evaluation and what criteria

• Seek families' perceptions about the effectiveness of the implemented

**8. Pre-service preparation and in-service professional development**

EC workforce needs several experiences that promote their education, training, and development opportunities (Frantz et al., 2020). Professional development (PD) refers to how professionals move from awareness (knowledge) to action (practice) and the adoption of particular dispositions in their professional repertoires [29]. In general, professional development efforts have traditionally taken five forms: (a) formal education; (b) credentialing; (c) specialized, on-the-job in-service training; (d) coaching and/or consultative interactions; and (e) communities of practice (CoPs) or collegial study groups [30]. The preparation programs for preservice EC and ECSE

• Plan and outline their instructional and organizational decisions and routines, know what the program's instructional content will consist of, how it will be delivered, by whom, and discuss what expectations they have for the children

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96511*

plan or modify their instruction accordingly.

**7.4 Itinerant model of collaboration**

and modifications of supports [27, 28].

with disabilities' learning and development.

• Agree on how and when instructional planning will be done.

• Assist teachers in set-up the space for inclusive classrooms.

will guide their interpretation of the results, and

program, they:

with fidelity.

approaches.

children providing targeted assistance where necessary [27, 28].

*Quality Inclusion of Young Children with Disabilities: Taking a Stance to Support Early… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96511*

**One teach-one observe**. With this model, one teacher delivers the instruction, while the other educator completes student observation. The co-educators agree on the behaviors they will be observing and the method they will use to record their observations. Once the observation is conducted, they analyze the findings and plan or modify their instruction accordingly.

**One teach-one drift**. In this approach, one teacher takes the primary responsibility for delivering the instruction, while the other teacher circulates among the children providing targeted assistance where necessary [27, 28].

### **7.4 Itinerant model of collaboration**

In an itinerant model, an ECSE endorsed teacher travels between classrooms or programs to consult with EC general teachers and/or to provide direct services to individual children as needed. Consultation is an essential element of an itinerant service delivery model and can be used to address children's physical access within settings, support for children's social inclusion, support for children's active engagement in activities, identification of and implementation of children's Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP) outcomes/Individual Education Program (IEP) goals, and modifications of supports [27, 28].

No matter what specific model of instruction delivery is chosen, based on the feasibility of the existing situation, EC leaders need to monitor to make sure as a program, they:


#### **8. Pre-service preparation and in-service professional development**

EC workforce needs several experiences that promote their education, training, and development opportunities (Frantz et al., 2020). Professional development (PD) refers to how professionals move from awareness (knowledge) to action (practice) and the adoption of particular dispositions in their professional repertoires [29]. In general, professional development efforts have traditionally taken five forms: (a) formal education; (b) credentialing; (c) specialized, on-the-job in-service training; (d) coaching and/or consultative interactions; and (e) communities of practice (CoPs) or collegial study groups [30]. The preparation programs for preservice EC and ECSE professionals provide knowledge and skills related to EC education within multiple coursework to prepare preservice educators in fields that involve education and development of young children (e.g., child care, developmental psychology, special education, or early childhood education). The in-service preparation or professional development programs for EC and ECSE professionals are provided while the educators are working in their career at EC/ECSE settings to support their professional practice and services for children and their families [31]. EC leaders must do their best to make sure that as a program, they:

