Unit of Study

ECE 319
Fall 2018
By: Mackenzie R. Jeffery
 This Photo by Unknown Author

Table of Contents
Rationale……………………………………………….4-5

Class Demographics……………………………………6

Focus Child…………………………………………….7-8

Strategies……………………………………………….9-10

Planning Template…………………………………….11-14

Group Activity Plan……………………………………15-27

Reflection/Task Analysis……………………………….28-29

Newsletter……………………………………………….30
Bibliography…………………………………………….31-32
 Rationale
The theme for my Unit of Study is Mickey Mouse because my focus child, Caston enjoys

cartoons, especially Mickey Mouse. According to the article Interest and Its Contribution as a

Mental Resource for Learning, people learn information more in-depth when they are interested

in the topic presented. When the information presented is of high-interest, the student will gain

more information than the student would have if the information was not of high-interest.

(Suzanne Hidi). Caston is diagnosed with hearing loss and primarily communicates with his

peers without using verbal communication. Rather, he uses minimal expressive verbal

communication and supplements with signing and occasional use of an assistive technology

communication device when the teacher is able to monitor the use. This theme helps Caston to

connect with his peers with a common interest. The use of Mickey Mouse as the theme for this

unit also will help Caston to better process the information presented due to the high interest

materials.

The Ohio Early Learning Standards, serving students from Birth to Kindergarten, “The

standards promote the understanding of early learning and development, provide a

comprehensive and coherent set of early childhood educational expectations for children’s

development and learning, and guide the design and implementation of curriculum, assessment

and instructional practices with young children.” (Ohio Department of Education, 2017) The

theme of Mickey Mouse will help promote the understanding of material for Caston, and with

the set of expectations from the Early Learning Standards it will ensure that the material Caston

is presented with is Developmentally Appropriate. For the Unit of Study, I will be focusing on

Communication skills and Adaptive skills for Caston. “Young children’s language competencies

pertain to their growing abilities to communicate effectively with adults and peers, to express
themselves through language, and to use growing vocabularies and increasingly sophisticated

language structures.” (Ohio Early Learning Standards, 2017). By helping Caston to express

himself and communicate with adults and peers, he will increase in his understanding of

language as well. “These Standards also describe the development of health practices that

become part of children’s daily routines and healthy habits such as nutrition and self-help. These

skills and behaviors play an important role in children’s physical well-being and set children on a

path leading toward a healthy lifestyle.” (Ohio Early Learning Standards, 2017). Through using

the Ohio Early Learning Standards, I will help Caston to develop his adaptive skills and establish

daily routines and healthy habits.

 Class Demographics
Ms. Ava’s classroom is part of the Jackson SCIP program, which is an inclusive preschool

program with eight typically developing students and eight children on IEPs in each classroom.

The school day for Caston’s morning pre-school is from 9:00am to 11:45am. There is a total of

sixteen children in the class; Caston has fifteen classmates. In Caston’s classroom, there are eight

typically developing students and eight atypically developing students. Caston is among the

students who have IEPs. The majority of the classroom is male; there are ten male students and

six female students. One child is five years old, the other 15 children are four years old. Two

students, including Caston, are of Asian descent. One student is of multiracial descent, and the

other thirteen students are Caucasian.

Ms. Ava’s classroom is a large classroom. Ms. Ava has her classroom organized by centers;

there is a block center, a kitchen imaginative play area, a rug area for “Family Meeting” with a

whiteboard and SMART board projector behind it, a coloring station, a safe space, and some

tables in the middle for snack and activities. Ava’s classroom also has big open windows

decorated with student work. Ava also has Brain Science posters by Conscious Discipline around

her classroom. In the safe space for students, Ava has Feeling Buddies, Emoji pillows, and a

comfortable chair for students to use as they are calming down. There is a reading area in the

middle with alternative seating and a bookshelf, which includes scrapbooks with pictures of the

children with their families.

Focus Child Information
My focus child, Caston is a three-year old student of Chinese descent. Caston was adopted at

seventeen months old by his parents. Caston has four older siblings, three of which are his

adoptive parents’ biological children, and one sibling who was also adopted from China. Caston

was tested and diagnosed with hearing loss after he was adopted, and he wears two hearing aids

whenever he is not in the bathtub or sleeping.

Caston’s social and emotional domain is impacted by his inability to communicate in the

same way as his peers, by expressively communicating verbally. However, Caston is a positive

and motivated student. Through my observation in Ava’s classroom, Caston plays independently

more often than he plays with peers. I did not observe Caston initiate play with his peers, but he

positively participated in play with his peers when someone else initiated it. For example, Caston

was content to play in a sensory bin with rice through parallel play with a peer until his mother,

who was visiting in the class, invited him to play with a group of peers using stuffed animal toys.

His peers used the toys to throw an imaginative play birthday party. While his peers sung “happy

birthday” at a stuffed animal toy, Caston smiled at the toy while sitting among his peers. He was

not able to sing with his peers, though he happily participated in the activity. Caston’s Adaptive

Skills are impacted by his communication difficulties due to his hearing loss. Caston’s Physical

(fine and gross motor) are developing typically; however, he is physically impacted by his

hearing loss. It has not been definitively determined whether Caston’s cognitive domain is

typically developing due to his communication barrier.

 While I was observing and interacting in Miss Ava’s classroom, I had the opportunity to

speak with Caston’s mother about Caston’s life at home and goals they have for him at home and

in school. Caston’s mother shared with me that they do not use Caston’s communication device

at home other than to teach him how to use it; one of the goals that Caston’s mother had for him

is that he uses the communication device at school to interact with his peers. Another goal

Caston’s mother has for him is to communicate with his teacher and his peers.
 Evidence-Based

Strategies
While designing my unit, I focused on Caston’s interests, particularly Mickey Mouse and

Disney themed activities for the classroom. The article Interest and Its Contribution as a Mental

Resource for Learning by Suzanne Hidi, the learning goals are met in greater depth when the

students’ interests are integrated in the lesson rather than if the lesson has a neutral theme. I

integrated Caston’s interests and related it to the overarching theme of Disney to integrate the

interests of other students as well, to help Caston build that social bond through common

interests with his peers. Additionally, I observed Ms. Ava using the play-based strategy for her

classroom. The article (Re)affirming identities: Implementing a play-based approach to learning

in the early years of schooling by Andrea Nolan and Louise Paatsch found that when children are

engaged in play-based learning their language and social emotional skills improve. Caston’s

goals are primarily expressive language and social emotionally based, and play-based instruction

gives him opportunity for choice in activity as well as opportunities to interact with his peers

using communication skills. In the article To engage students, give them meaningful choices in

the classroom (Parker, Novak, & Bartell 2017) the researchers found that choice in school is

beneficial to student learning, as long as the choice is presented to the students in a way that
makes them feel competent. In the article, they stated two scenarios: one, the teacher gave

student choice during a work period and the students were able to choose an activity and work

productively. In the second scenario, the teacher leveled the choices, and the students all chose

the easiest levels out and became bored and unproductive. Because the teacher leveled the

choices, the students were not able to be the most productive. Miss Ava presents choice in a

productive way because it gives the students power and allows them to choose between a variety

of centers all full of opportunities for language and social emotional growth. The strategy of

choice is connected to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that emphasizes built-in

differentiation in the classroom so that each lesson automatically meets the needs of different

types of learners. By giving the students productive choice, they are able to choose activities that

best fit their needs.

 Planning Template
Lesso Lesson #2 Lesson #3 Lesson Lesson
n #1 #4 #5
Goal(s) Namin Expressing needs Parallel play with peers Respondi Engaging
g with peers ng to in play
objects adults with peers
/people when
prompted
Standar Stran Strand: Strand: Initiative Strand Strand:
d d: Listening and Topic: Initiative and : Self Relationsh
Alignm Listeni Speaking curiosity Topic: ips
ent ng and Topic: Standard Self- Topic:
Speaki Expressive Statement: Seek regulatio Peer
ng language New and varied n interaction
Topi Standard experiences and Standa s and
c: Statement: challenges (take risks) rd relationshi
Expres Use language to ps
Statem
sive communicate in a Standar
ent:
Langua variety of ways d
With
ge with others to modeling Stateme
Stan share and nt:
dard observations, support, Demonstra
State ideas and te socially
show
experiences; awarenes competent
ment
problem-solve, s of the behavior
: Speak reason, predict
conseque with peers
audibly and seek new
and nces for
information. his/her
express
thought actions.
 s,
feeling
s and
ideas
clearly.
(Articu
lation)
Setting Miss Miss Ava’s Miss Ava’s Miss Miss
Ava’s classroom classroom Ava’s Ava’s
classro classroo classroom
om m
Objectiv Upon Upon completion Upon completion of the Upon Upon
e comple of the Mickey Mickey Mouse themed completi completion
tion of Mouse Trail Mix building activities, the on of the of the
the making activity, preschool students will safety Mickey
Mickey the preschool seek new and varied first Mouse
Mouse students will use experiences and lesson, Color
drawin language to challenges (taking risks) the Matching
g communicate with 4 out of 5 on a preschool game, the
activity with others to teacher-made checklist. students preschool
, the problem solve by will students
presch correctly show will
ool following a awarenes demonstrat
student recipe with 6/6 s of the e socially
s will items correct. conseque competent
speak nces for behavior
audibly his/her with 4 out
and actions of 5
express with checks on
thought modeling a teacher-
s, and made
feeling support checklist.
s and with 3
ideas out of 4
clearly as
with 3 evidence
out of d by the
3 teacher-
checks made
on a assessme
teacher nt.
-made
verbal
questio
nnaire.
Literacy Book: Recipe by Trips Song: Mickey Mouse Book: Book:
compon Walt with Tykes Blog: Clubhouse Building Safety Mickey
ent Disney Donald’s Clubhouse First by Mouse
 ’s https://tripswithty https://www.youtube.com Florence Club
Mickey kes.com/mickey- /watch?v=062OTi0Kq40 S. House
Mouse’ mouse-trail-mix/ Wrigley Colors All
s Around by
Picnic Sheila
by Jane Sweeney
Werner
Watson

Strategi Integra Integrating Integrating student Integratin Play-based

es ting student interests, interest, student choice, g student learning
student verbal prompting play-based learning interest, environme
interest student nt, student
s, choice, chooses
student play- card
choice based (choice),
learning and
teacher
facilitated
learning.
Behavio Provid Read the recipe Provide and read building Provide Model the
r/socia e to the students plans for Legos to the verbal game for
l support and explain the students. Modeling the cues students
for purpose of a number building on the during once.
support student recipe. Introduce mats. Provide verbal cues the Physically
s while materials and for peer interaction. discussio set up
they model adding n of safe matching
choose recipe items vs. cards at
their together, unsafe, the
materia assisting the read beginning
ls, students in book of the
verball measuring recipe aloud to game.
y items and students. Provide
prompt dumping items verbal
student into bowl. cues such
s to as
articula “Caston, it
te the is your
names turn!” and
of the “What
charact color did
ers
 they you pick
read in up?”
the
book
and are
creatin
g in
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s.
Task Task Analysis for
analysi this lesson with
s (for 1 Reflection
lesson
concept
)
 Lesson 1
GROUP ACTIVITY PLAN

CLASS: Miss Ava’s morning class

MATERIALS:
• “Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse’s picnic” book by Jane Werner Watson

ENVIRONMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS: The lesson will begin in whole group when I

read the book at the Family Meeting carpet. The students will then be able to choose centers to
go to. The center which will have the activity will be facilitated by me.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY

INTRODUCTION: I will introduce the lesson by reading the book in whole group,
and then allowing the students to pick a center to play. Caston and one or two students
who chose my center first will begin the activity

SEQUENCE:

- I will provide the students with different colored paper, some with outlines of
Mickey Mouse characters and some blank paper, crayons, colored pencils, and oil
pastels. The students can begin the station by choosing the materials they would
like to use to create a picture of the characters from the book.
- I will explain to the students that they will be using these materials to create a
picture of the characters from the book. I will use this setting to facilitate a
discussion about the book setting and characters, and give the students
opportunities to articulate their answers verbally
 - While the students are creating their pictures, I will ask them three questions to
assess their ability to articulate names of concepts/objects/characters. I will detail
my questions to Caston to give him context for the questions.
Questions: 1) What is his name (point at the picture of Mickey Mouse on
the book)? 2) What did Mickey Mouse do with his friends in this book?
(Supportive detail for Caston: Where did they eat in the book?) 3) What is the
name of one of Mickey’s friends at the picnic? (point to a picture of another
character in the book)
- While the students answer the questions, I will record the answers on an index
card using a ICP chart to use for informational data.
- After the students are done creating their pictures, I will assist them in labeling
their picture using the name of the character they created.

CLOSING:
To close the lesson, I will gather the students at the Family Meeting carpet and ask them
what the name of their favorite character from the book is. I will tell them my favorite
character, and I will ask them if they would like to share anything about their picture that
they made.

OPPORTUNITIES TO EMBED GOALS:

The embedded goals are naming objects/people and speak audibly and express thoughts,
feelings and ideas clearly. (Articulation). The students had opportunity to articulate the
names of concepts/objects/characters during the drawing activity and during the closing
family meeting discussion.

PLANNED VARIATIONS:

- I will provide Caston with additional detail while questioning him during the activity
- I will assist the students with labeling their picture after it is over
- I will provide differing levels of difficulty for the coloring activity by providing coloring
pages and blank paper, as well as different writing materials.

VOCABULARY (ACADEMIC LANGUAGE): Characters, picnic, name, picture

PEER INTERACTION STRATEGIES:

Play- based learning, opportunities to expressive language, integrating student interests

Lesson 2
GROUP ACTIVITY PLAN
CLASS: Miss Ava’s morning class

MATERIALS:

- Printed recipe
- Bowl
- Measuring cups
- Mini-pretzels
- Mini-marshmallows
- Honey-nut Chex cereal
- Peanuts (optional due to allergy)
- Raisins
- Red and yellow M&Ms
- Bowls to eat trail mix
- SMART Board for episode
- Wipes to clean station after assembling the trail mix

ENVIRONMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS: Miss Ava’s classroom at a kidney table in the

classroom, with me guiding the activity.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY

INTRODUCTION: For this activity, I will have 3-4 students at the table for one
station. The first round of centers I will have Caston and 2-3 additional students come to
the kidney table in the classroom and I will read the recipe. After I read the recipe, I will
explain what food items will go into the trail mix and what measuring cups we will be
using. I will model by measuring a ½ cup of raisins and dumping it into the bowl.

SEQUENCE:

- I will pass the measuring cups to Caston and prompt him to ask for the correct one
(the 1 cup measuring cup or the ½ cup measuring cup) “Caston, you need to
measure one cup of marshmallows. Which measuring cup do you need? Use your
words.” Then I will help him measure his marshmallows and add it to the bowl,
and then pass the bowl to his peer next to him.
 - I will repeat the process with the next student and the next item on the recipe.
- When it is Caston’s turn to measure again, I will prompt him saying “Caston say,
“I need (food item, example: pretzels)” and ask a peer to give Caston the material
after he has said the word.
- After the items have all been added, I will wrap up the activity by having the
students help me seal the bags with unused food, wipe out the measuring cups,
and putting away materials.
- While they are cleaning, I will prompt them to help one another. Example:
“Caston, ask ______ for a wipe to clean the measuring cup. Say “I need a wipe.””

CLOSING: To close this lesson, I will serve each student trail mix and put on an
episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for the students to watch while they eat the trail
mix snack.
Episode found: https://disneynow.go.com/shows/mickey-mouse-clubhouse/season-1

OPPORTUNITIES TO EMBED GOALS:

The goals embedded are using language to communicate with others to solve problems
and express needs to peers. There was an opportunity to communicate to problem solve
and express needs to peers while assembling the trail mix and cleaning up after the
activity.

PLANNED VARIATIONS:
- I will assist students while measuring by giving them the measuring cup rather than allow
them to choose themselves
- I will measure items for the students and allow them to dump the items in the bowl
- I will model how to ask a peer for an item, “Say, “I need (food item), please pass it to
me.”

VOCABULARY (ACADEMIC LANGUAGE): Trail mix, measuring, recipe

PEER INTERACTION STRATEGIES:

Integrating student interests, turn-taking, verbal prompting for peer assistance

Lesson 3
GROUP ACTIVITY PLAN
CLASS: Miss Ava’s morning class

MATERIALS:
- Mickey Mouse Legos – Lego Duplo
- Sample Lego “Building Plans”
- Black, yellow and red play dough
- Laminated mats with numbers 1-10 on them
- SMART Board to listen to song

ENVIRONMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS: Miss Ava’s classroom. To open the lesson, we

will begin in full-group and watch a short video featuring a song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
about building a clubhouse for Donald Duck. The children will then be dismissed to choose a
center, and there will be two centers with two different building activities at the tables in the
center of the room with Miss Ava and I walking around to assist the students in the activities.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY

INTRODUCTION: To introduce the lesson, we will begin at the Family Meeting

carpet and play a short video featuring a song about building from Mickey Mouse
Clubhouse. I will then explain that the list featured in the video is a building plan, and
that there will be a few building plans at the Lego station. The students can use the
building plans if they would like, or they can build something on their own. I will then
dismiss the students to play at the centers.

SEQUENCE:
- At the Lego center, there will be Mickey Mouse Legos and building plans for
students to explore and challenge themselves with. While Caston is at this center,
I will encourage him to play alongside his peers and share a building plan or
Legos with his peers.
- At the Number Building Center, there will be playdough (black, yellow, red) and
mats that have been laminated. The mats will have numbers 1-10 on them. The
students will be encouraged to share the playdough while they use it to form the
numbers on the mats. While Caston is at the center, I will model for him how to
use the playdough to make a number. (playdough mats:
 http://tickledpinkinprimary.com/2014/08/learning-how-to-write.html )

CLOSING: I will close the activity by bringing the students to the Family Meeting
carpet and asking them about their various building experiences. I will ask questions such
as “Did you follow a building plan at the Legos?” “Can you tell me about what you built
with the Legos?” I will ask questions while holding up the mats such as “What number is
this?” to wrap up the lesson.

OPPORTUNITIES TO EMBED GOALS:

The embedded goals are parallel play between Caston and his peers as well as seeking
new and varied experiences and challenges (take risks). Caston had opportunities at both
of his centers to parallel play with his peers and to challenge himself by building with
Legos and having varied experiences using the different manipulatives found in each
station.

PLANNED VARIATIONS:
I will ask varied questions with different levels of difficulty, so that Caston can answer verbally
to his full capacity. Visual supports in the building plans at the Lego station.

VOCABULARY (ACADEMIC LANGUAGE): Building plan, mats, molding

PEER INTERACTION STRATEGIES:

Parallel play, discussion at whole group.

Lesson 4
GROUP ACTIVITY PLAN

CLASS: Miss Ava’s morning class

MATERIALS:
 - Safety First book by Florence S. Wrigley
- Dry erase marker
- Dry erase board
- “Stop” sign print-off
- Black, red, yellow, and green construction paper
- Markers
- Glue sticks

ENVIRONMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS: Miss Ava’s classroom

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY

INTRODUCTION: I will introduce the lesson in whole group by reading the Safety
First book by Florence S. Wrigley. I will begin by reminding the students that their job at
school is to keep the classroom safe and Miss Ava’s job (as well as my job) is to keep them
safe.

SEQUENCE:
-I will start by making a chart on the board with Safe vs. Unsafe issues: crossing the street,
lining up outside, watching Ms. Ava for directions, and how to read a traffic light.
- I will facilitate a discussion of consequences for safe and unsafe behavior by asking
questions such as, “Can anybody tell me how to cross the road safely?” and “When we line
up outside, should we be talking and looking around? Or should we have our hands by our
side, listening to the teacher?” After having these discussions, I will write the students
answers under “Safe” or “Unsafe,” using visual symbols for Caston to participate more in
the discussion.
- Next, I will model for the students how to cross the road safely. I will model looking both
ways and holding hands with a partner to cross the road. Then, I will ask Caston and
another student to model crossing the road; I will be checking that they looked both ways
and stuck together (walking side by side so that no one is left behind.)
-Next, I will model how to cross the road unsafely, by not looking both ways. In this
instance, I will ask the students, “If the road is for cars and other vehicles, then if I do not
look before crossing it could be very dangerous.”
- Then I will talk about traffic lights, using dry erase markers to add visual representations
of a stop sign and traffic lights. I will talk about how green means go, yellow means slow
down, and red means stop.
 - Then I will dismiss the students to their centers.
- At one center, I will have a printable of a blank stop sign and red markers for the students
to color with Ms. Ava.
- Another station, I will have students using red, yellow, and red construction paper on
black construction paper to create a traffic light. I will assist in cutting the circles for the
traffic light paper and gluing the circles onto the black piece of construction paper.
- After the students have each been to all of the centers, we will go back to the Family
meeting carpet.

CLOSING:
I will close the lesson by teaching the students the game “Red Light, Green Light” and
using the visual we made with the traffic light paper, I will point to the color when I state
what color. In this game, using the visual, the students can practice the rules of traffic lights.

OPPORTUNITIES TO EMBED GOALS:

The goals embedded for Caston and his peers are responding to adults when prompted and
with modeling and support, show awareness of the consequences for his/her actions. Caston
has the opportunity to respond to adults during the discussion of consequences and during
the “Red Light, Green Light” game. Caston and his peers had opportunities to show
awareness of the consequences of his actions with modeling and support through the
discussion of consequences and during the game of “Red Light, Green Light.

PLANNED VARIATIONS:
I plan to provide the students with varying amounts of support during the Traffic Light Making
Center. I plan to provide visual cues and verbal prompts for students throughout the activity.

VOCABULARY (ACADEMIC LANGUAGE): Traffic light, Stop sign, Traffic, Safety

PEER INTERACTION STRATEGIES:

Peer modeling, interactive play, group discussion, parallel play during centers.

Red Light, Green Light Game Rules:

“How To Play:
• Start with everyone along the starting line,
• When you say ‘Green Light’ everyone will move towards the finish line,
• When you say ‘Red Light’ everyone must immediately stop.
o If players are still moving when you call ‘Red Light’, they must go back to the
starting line.
 • Start a new round when everyone gets across the finish line or when most players make it
across the finish line.” – Playworks.org, www.playworks.org/resource/game-of-the-
week-red-light-green-light/

Lesson 5
GROUP ACTIVITY PLAN

CLASS: Miss Ava’s morning class

MATERIALS:
• “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Colors All Around Us” book by Sheila Sweeney
• Mickey Mouse Color Matching Game
• Mickey Mouse Club House Theme Song video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMEwzzyBP7w )
• SMART Board
ENVIRONMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS: The activity will be held in Miss Ava’s
classroom. I will read the book at the Family Meeting carpet, and then Caston will play the game
with one or two more peers at a center with me.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY

INTRODUCTION: I will introduce the activity by asking the students what their
favorite color is. I will ask Caston what his favorite color is, and sign two options for him
to choose from such as “blue and red” or “yellow and purple.”

SEQUENCE:
- In whole group, I will read the book “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Colors All
Around Us” by Sheila Sweeney
- After the book is read, I will allow the students to pick a center. Caston will play
the game at a table in the middle of the room first, along with two or three peers
who choose the game.
- I will set the memory game up by placing the cards on the table colors facing
down. I will model for the students by picking up a card, saying the name of the
color, choosing another card, and if it is the same color as my first card I will set
them aside as a match. If it is not the same color as my first card, I will place both
cards back down on the table facing down.
- I will then ask a student to go next. If they seem to struggle with the concept I will
model again.
- When it is Caston’s turn, I will prompt him by saying “Caston, it is your turn!”
and when he picks up his first card, I will ask “What color is that?” I will guide
him to choosing his next card and proceeding through the game process.
- We will repeat until all cards have been matched

CLOSING:
At the conclusion of the lesson, the students will return to the Family Meeting Carpet and
use the SMART board to listen to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme Song to end our
lesson.
OPPORTUNITIES TO EMBED GOALS:
The embedded goals are to engage in play with peers and to demonstrate competent
social interactions. The students will have opportunities to engage with one another
during the matching game and singing the theme song at the end, and they will have
opportunities to demonstrate competent social interaction by answering questions such as
“What is your favorite color?” taking turns talking, and taking turns matching cards
during the game.
PLANNED VARIATIONS:

• I will verbally prompt Caston throughout the game

• I will sign colors to Caston during the activity when asking him a question to provide
clarity

VOCABULARY (ACADEMIC LANGUAGE): Colors, Mickey Mouse, Matching

PEER INTERACTION STRATEGIES:

The strategy I will use to emphasize peer interaction is play-based learning through the game and
prompting for turn-taking.

Reflection
While I was completing field for this Unit of Study in Miss Ava’s classroom, I was able to see

how Miss Ava uses strategies to help all students learn, such as: giving choices, adaptive seating,

integrating student interests, and many other strategies. For this Unit of Study, I focused on

Caston’s interaction with peers using receptive and expressive language. I valued the opportunity

to visit Miss Ava’s classroom during the time that Caston’s mother was there, because I was able

to integrate parent goals in my Unit of Study. While designing the goals for the lessons, I

integrated my knowledge from Miss Ava, Caston’s mother, and my own observations.

Integrating all of the knowledge together was beneficial because I was able to get a more

comprehensive look on Caston’s needs. Additionally, I was able to use Miss Ava as a resource to

fill any gaps I had on Caston’s needs and abilities. By involving Miss Ava and Caston’s mother,

he will more easily generalize the progress he makes on his language skills because both his

mother and his teacher, Miss Ava, will be working on the same skills. One recommendation for

modifications based on self-assessment is to use more visual cues with Caston and other
classmates to help Caston communicate using his most reliable receptivity skills to improve his

expressive skills that he struggles with. For example, integrate some sign-language in tandem

with verbal words while talking to Caston so that he is confident in the question he is being

asked; as a result, he may answer verbally with more understanding.

Task Analysis:
Behavior: When Caston is playing in the classroom, he will play independently. If a student
approaches him, he will ignore his peer or walk away to play by himself.
1. Read recipe for Trail Mix. Discuss how there are many steps, and we need to take turns
using materials
2. When it is Caston’s turn, model asking peers for materials and give him opportunity to
interact during the activity
3. Proceed through the activity with Caston taking turns with his peers, watching his peers
to wait for his turn.
4. Have Caston ask a peer for a wipe to clean measuring cup when the recipe has been
completed. Prompt Caston to say “thank you” to classmate who gave him the wipe.
 Family Letter
Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week our theme will be Mickey Mouse and his

friends. Throughout the week, we will learn important

skills such as collaboration, speaking and listening skills,

and interacting with peers in the classroom. Our lessons

will include many books, songs, and clips from Mickey

Mouse Clubhouse to enhance our classroom experience.

The activities we will complete include working together

to make a snack, drawing, and expressing thoughts, and

working alongside our peers. We will also feature a

special lesson about the safety rules in the classroom.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under

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