Inclusion in Education, By Includ.ed

If a child cannot learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.
-Ignacio Estrada

No child should be left behind academically, socially and emotionally due to having different needs to their peers. It is an educator’s duty to refigure their teaching so that every student can feel valued, cared for and intellectually stimulated in the classroom. This can mean adapting your classroom, curriculum and teaching strategies to include and effectively teach students with additional or different learning needs. Teaching inclusion to all students is also important to create an inclusive society where diversity is understood and celebrated.

Examples of strategies that can be used to meet the needs of all students:

• Changing the layout of your learning area for students with mobility challenges to effectively move independently throughout the space.
• Creating a quiet area to help students with sensory challenges stay regulated.
• Having a sensory box that includes objects to stimulate or calm the 5 senses.
• Displaying visuals throughout your learning space to provide more communication tools for students to use to communicate their needs, wants and feelings.
• Adapting your work program to benefit the learning of your students, such as using concrete materials, simplified instructions and following the interests of the students will enhance the knowledge and engagement of the learner.

The conversation around inclusion in the classroom is an important one to have as it helps teachers, educators and parents better understand students with diverse needs and provides them with strategies to ensure they are supported and included. It is also important for parents, teachers and educators to teach students about the diversity of people in the community and to celebrate their difference.

Examples of celebrating and teaching diversity in your classroom, centre or home:

• Incorporate resources that feature people that have medical conditions or disabilities, such as dolls, and characters in books and songs.
• Integrate literature, toys and other resources that feature people from different social, cultural and religious backgrounds.
• Facilitate discussions with the students about diversity and inclusion and what it means.
• Celebrate key calendar event days that raise awareness and celebrate different disability communities.
• Demonstrate how to effectively communicate and include students in the class who have additional needs.
• It is important for us as parents, teachers and other educators to continuously learn and develop our strategies of how to create an inclusive environment for our students, and how to also reflect diversity in our learning environments through inclusive resources, literature and toys.

For more ideas on how to create an inclusive learning environment, please visit the INCLUD.ED Instagram at: www.instagram.com/includ.ed