Guide to Evidence-based Practices

Observation Guide

Professional Development Tool

Rock Your

Classroom

Focus on

Lesson

Planning

TATS is funded by the State of Florida, Department

of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and

Student Services (BEESS), through federal

assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA), Part B, Section 619.

Focus on Lesson Planning:

Instruction is meaningful, purposeful, and addresses FL standards.

Teachers know and can describe instructional objectives and purpose of activities.

Plans and activities consider and accommodate for individual needs, including IEP goals.

Teachers use ongoing progress monitoring to inform group and individual plans.

Activities match information in plan book and/or posted daily schedule.

1. Evidence of lesson planning

1a. Instruction is meaningful, purposeful, and addresses FL standards.

Quality indicators:

 Activities are developmentally appropriate for the

child’s age and skill level.

 Children are working toward an intended goal, such as

building a tower or expression through art activities.

 State standards and IEP goals are considered for both

adult-initiated and child-initiated activities.

 Teachers prepare for lessons in advance with materials

ready when children arrive.

Questions to ask:

 What are children learning?

 How are activities developmentally appropriate?

 How are IEP goals and State Standards (VPK) embedded

into this activity?

Link to Florida Early Learning and

Developmental Standards

Supports, Accommodations, Adaptations

Links for Additional Information

Right click to open in new window

Universal Supports

 Teachers and staff should be familiar with Florida Early

Learning and Developmental Standards and be aware of

the sequences of development described in each

domain of the document.

 Plans should allow for extension activities related to

themes and skills.

 Plans should allow for and encourage child-directed and

social play activities.

Resources for Universal Design for Learning

Teacher Toolkit for VPK and FELDS

Targeted/Specialized Supports

 Lessons and themes should relate to “real-life” and

objects and visuals that represent the information

should be provided.

 Pre-requisite skills and pre-requisite vocabulary should

be directly taught

 Lessons should provide for additional and extended

practice of skills with re-teaching as needed.

 IEP information (learning goals, present levels, learning

styles and needs for support) is considered when

planning and referenced in the lesson plans.

Individualizing Instruction in Preschool

Sample Lesson Plan (editable)

Intensive Interventions

 Prompting strategies should be pre-planned, taught to

staff, and used consistently.

 Manipulative and real-life objects should be provided.

 Consult with family, service providers, and classroom

staff to be sure that activities are accessible to children

with intensive needs.

 IEP information (learning goals, present levels,

adaptations, learning styles and needs for support) is

considered when planning lessons and activities.

Standards-based Instruction for Children with

Intellectual Disabilities

Evidence of Lesson Planning

1b. Teachers know and can describe instructional objectives and purpose of activities.

Quality indicators:

 Teachers can explain what children are learning

throughout the day for all indoor and outdoor activities.

 Teachers can explain how activities relate to State

Standards or IEP goals.

 Teachers are aware of IEP goals, accommodations

and/or modifications for diverse learners.

Questions to ask:

 Do the children understand what they are learning? How

do you know this?

 How are IEP goals and State Standards embedded into

this activity?

Supports, Accommodations, Adaptations

Links for Additional Information

Right click to open in new window

Universal Supports

 Plans should be based on and correlated to the

standards.

 Teachers and staff should be aware of how the lesson

and the activities related to the standards, IEP’s (as

applicable), and progress monitoring (both formal and

classroom-based) tools

Teacher Toolkit for VPK and FELDS

Resources for Universal Design for Learning

Targeted/Specialized Supports

 Display visuals stating and showing learning goals for

lessons, activities, and specific needs

 Cue children to learning goals and show corresponding

visuals before lessons and before introducing key

details.

 Inform children verbally and visually how they are

doing and remind them of what they have learned

 Teach skills directly and provide additional guided

practice.

Guide for Individualizing Instruction from Head

Start Inclusion

Fl VPK Assessment to Guide Quality Instruction

Sample Matrix: Know the Goal

Planning Matrix from Head Start

Intensive Interventions

 State the goals for children with significant needs with

simple and clear words and visuals, followed by

prompting and guided practice.

 Collaborate with families and service providers to

determine IEP goals and how they will be addressed.

Ideas to Engage Students with Significant Multiple

Disabilities

Planning Matrix from Head Start

Evidence of Lesson Planning

1c. Plans and activities consider and accommodate for individual needs, including IEP goals.

Quality Indicators:

 Teachers’ plans indicate use of adapted materials and

activities when needed.

 Teachers’ plans indicate multiple modes of presentation

of lessons and activities and allow for repetition and

practice.

 Teachers plan for and allow multiple modes or

responses from children.

 IEP goals are addressed on lesson plans.

Questions to ask

 Are needed adapted materials readily available to

children?

 Are activities planned to allow for multiple modes of

learning and responding?

 Are IEP goals noted on lesson plans and evident in

instructional strategies?

Supports, Accommodations, Adaptations

Links for Additional Information

Right click to open in new window

Universal Supports

 Teachers and staff should become familiar with

strategies for children who have been identified to have

needs for support.

 Plan for accommodations and specialized materials as

appropriate. Consult with service providers and family

members regarding meeting the needs.

 Monitor progress as well as success of supports in order

to share information with family

Teacher Toolkit for VPK and FELDS

Resources for Universal Design for Learning

Targeted/Specialized Supports

 Plan and implement a systematic process of prompting

 Provide photos, visuals, and objects related to themes

and lesson information.

 Plan for using specialized and adapted materials for

motor, vision, and cognitive needs. Plans should include

information related to each child’s access to activities.

 Allow for extended practice, re-teaching, and strategies

such as decreased time at one task, sensory breaks, and

hands-on practice.

Individualizing Instruction in Preschool

Guide for Individualizing Instruction from Head

Start Inclusion

FL VPK Resource - Language Scaffolding

Example Lesson Plan with Standards and

Accommodations (editable)

Intensive Interventions

 Consult and collaborate with family and service

providers to support goals and be certain that adapted

materials are provided.

 Include skills that are related to real-life and provide

examples during lessons that allow children to use the

information.

 Include adaptive and self-care skills in the daily

schedule and provide sufficient support and practice for

children to learn the skills.

 Implement specific plans to address behaviors,

communication, AAC use, as needed.

Adapting Materials and Activities

Children with Multiple Disabilities - Tips for

Teachers

Standards-based Instruction for Children with

Intellectual Disabilities

Example Lesson Plan with Standards and

Accommodations (editable)

Evidence of Lesson Planning

1d. Teachers use ongoing progress monitoring to inform group and individual plans.

Quality indicators

 A system for collecting information about children’s

performances throughout the day is in use by

teachers/staff (examples: clip boards, sticky notes, data

collection sheets, targeted goals and skills).

 Teachers/staff use a system for recording and

monitoring progress (example: teacher-made progress

monitoring tool, curriculum-based document,

purchased progress monitoring tool).

 Progress monitoring is evident for skills across domains

and at varying developmental levels.

 Information from progress monitoring is used to guide

and inform instruction and planning.

Questions to ask:

 Does the teacher/staff use a progress monitoring tool

that has specific skills listed?

 Does progress monitoring include a variety of skills

across domains and at varying developmental levels?

Supports, Accommodations, Adaptations

Links for Additional Information

Right click to open in new window

Universal Supports

 Refer to FL Standards and to developmental checklists

in order to determine appropriate ranges of skill

development in each domain.

Resources related to Progress Monitoring

Early Childhood Building Blocks for Inclusion

(University of Ohio)

Targeted/Specialized Supports

 Provide visuals that support children in understanding

goals for specific lessons and activities.

 Provide visual expectations and a marking system such

as checks or stickers to help children self-monitor.

 Support children in rating and determining “How I am

Doing” related to the steps of learning a skill.

 Collect data that is related to specific steps of activities

and record the needs for supports. Consult and

collaborate with family members and service providers

to help determine “next steps” for children.

Guide for Individualizing Instruction from Head

Start Inclusion

Sample Group Matrix

Example: Activty Matrix (Individual)

Checklist based on Routines

Flow Chart for Using Data

Opportunities for Observation and Data Collection

Intensive Interventions

 Collect data that is detailed for each activity to describe

the level of prompting and support needed, as well as

the rate of progress. Data such as this is important for

reviewing and revising learning goals.

 When collecting data related to behavior supports,

include information that can be used in determining

antecedent behavior as well as reinforcers.

 When collecting data related to communication, note

the child’s modes of communication as well as reasons

for communicating.

Accommodations and Modifications at a Glance

Example: Activty Matrix (Individual)

Flow Chart for Using Data

Opportunities for Observation and Data Collection

Evidence of Lesson Planning

1e. Activities match information in plan book and/or posted daily schedule.

Quality indicators:

 Teachers keep to the posted schedule in order to

maintain consistency and predictability in the

classroom.

 Teacher explains the routine and expectations

throughout the year and children are able to learn

routine.

 The schedule is flexible enough to address teachable

moments or unexpected events that may arise.

Questions to ask:

 What happens if the children are particularly interested

in an activity but the time for the activity is exhausted?

 Under what circumstances do you change or modify the

daily schedule/routine?

Supports, Accommodations, Adaptations

Links for Additional Information

Right click to open in new window

Universal Supports

 Visual supports for schedules and routines are

displayed and referenced throughout the day.

 Visuals include a variety of representations in order to

meet unique needs.

Resources for Universal Design for Learning

Targeted/Specialized Supports

 Children are provided assistance and support in

learning the meanings of classroom visuals and are

provided guided practice during routines and activities.

 Provide schedules that accommodate for needs for

visual, cognitive, behavioral, and communication

support, example: high contrast printing, object, tactile,

photo schedule.

 Provide for and indicate in the posted schedule times

for groups of various sizes as well as for individualized

instruction as needed

Grouping Children to Promote Growth

The How and Why of Using Small Groups in

Preschool

Intensive Interventions

 Provide strategies within routines to assist with

transitions, example: first/then cards, timers to show

when activities end or begin.

 Provide schedules that accommodate for needs for

visual, cognitive, behavioral, and communication

support, example: high contrast printing, object, tactile,

photo schedule.

 Provide individualized assistance, prompting, and

guided practice

 Provide for and indicate in the posted schedule times

for groups of various sizes as well as for individualized

instruction as needed

Ideas to Engage Students with Significant Multiple

Disabilities

Opportunities for Observation and Data Collection

Checklist based on Routines