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Early Childhood Program

Early Childhood Program

This program and tailored it to run specifically in Prep rooms and Childcare Centres and won the Premier’s Award for Disability Action Week. The Program uses a mix of music, games and activities to discover and explore the themes of disability and diversity. All activities are run and developed with a specific focus on early childhood.

This program is designed to allow young students to experience and explore a wide range of disabilities. Instead of just talking about issues like hearing impairment and vision loss, and expecting children to understand and empathise, children can participate in activities that simulate what it is like to live with these disabilities. For example, children will experience physical disabilities through the use of a wheelchair to negotiate an obstacle course in their Centre.

After these disabilities are experienced and explored in the simulated form, the students then have small group discussions with the teachers who facilitate questioning and exploration on a personal level for the students.

Target audience

Children between 3-6 years

Objectives

  • The key objective is to break down barriers of disability and create awareness for diversity.
  • To further centres inclusive education policy of education for all.
  • To create a process that responds to the uniqueness of individuals, increasing Presence, Access, Awareness, Participation, Opportunity and Achievement of all individuals in a learning society.
  • To welcome, accept, involve and support all individuals, as full members of a learning society in all education communities.

Staffing

A full time registered teacher staffs the program and one part time early childhood assistant. Her broad experience and diverse backgrounds bring a depth to the program.

  • Dr Sharon Boyce

Children per session

We allow a maximum of twenty four children per session, but it does work best with twenty children. We do request two teachers from the centre participate with the group as well.
Session length

There are two choices , either a one hour session or a ninety minute session

How to book

Choose three dates that suit your centre and email me at boyces@usq.edu.au

Length of session, size of session and day and time are all flexible and negotiable.

 

Early Childhood Pictures Created After My Visit To Centres

These pictures represent the learning from the disability learning program. Some of the learning that is represented is quite amazing.