2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

SUPPORTING SCHOOL READINESS: SYSTEMS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS FOR ALL M E L I S S A M E L I S TO R M O N T

OVERVIEW • How is school readiness defined? • Is that reflective of what children look like in Kindergarten? • Who fails when children aren’t ready? • Social ecological approach can frame the complex needs of increasing readiness • Specific teachable skills associated with school readiness from screener (Stormont)

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

RESEARCH LINE • Developed a screener the K-ABRs • Determining teachable skills • Work to support children at risk through use of evidencebased practices • Continue to support teachers use of evidence based practices • Continuing to research barriers to implementation

RESEARCH AREA-SCHOOL READINESS

Specific demographics

Children Vulnerable for Failure in Kindergarten

Limited or inappropriate social emotional skills

Limited academic preskills

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

MY RESEARCH AREA

Preparedness -Education

Knowledge of Risk, Teaching Practices that Support

Teachers Vulnerable for Failure

Stress

Support

WHY DO CHILDREN HAVE READINESS PROBLEMS? • First, they don’t want to have these problems • Second, it is not their fault • Third, we have to focus on teachers doing what they do best-TEACH • Assess where they are • Teach • Monitor growth and responsiveness

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

IMPORTANCE Teachers have to be prepared for the classroom they have today. Preservice programs need to prepare teachers for characteristics of children. Inservice with ongoing coaching is also effective in preparing teachers. Even for common sense interventions, we have to be more scientific and planful.

NEED BETTER SYSTEMS TO SCREEN AND SUPPORT CHILDREN

Determine

Select

Baseline

Monitor

Strategies

Progress

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

RESEARCH FOCUS-RISK SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL MODEL

Child Teachers Families

What problems do children who aren’t ready have?     

Coming to attention Focus, focus, focus Sustaining attention Being pulled off task easily (distractible) Trouble selectively attending to the main points (forest through the trees)  Being literal  Planning an approach to a task  Organizing objects

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

WHY DO CHILDREN HAVE THESE PROBLEMS?  Basic needs not being met-poverty and homelessness-hunger, worried, tired  Underlying brain differences-attention (ADHD, LD, cognitive delays)  Language differences (ELL)  Lack of prior knowledge or experience  Lack of instruction and models

GOOD GUIDING PREMISES • In the absence of instruction and support, we can’t assume children have the knowledge to be successful (making a choice to do poorly). • Through better screening and support we can link children, teachers, families early in the window of primary prevention. • Supports should be used for teachers and families as well.

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

GOOD SYSTEM PRACTICES • • • • • •

Strong evidence based screener Linkage to data based system to teach Plan for monitoring Plan for ongoing support for teachers Plan for ongoing support for children Focus on highlighting examples across system

ASSESS AND TEACH THESE SKILLS • Screen for social behavior using evidence based social emotional screener • Make sure the target behaviors are a problem and are going to impact readiness and other outcomes • Determine current behavior picture • Teach • Support • Monitor

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE MOST EFFECTIVE • Meet children where they are • Where are they across multiple domains? • What teachable skills are present? • Need foundation of strong relationships and strong universals • Effective classroom management includes strong universal supports

GOOD TEACHABLE SKILLS FROM RECENT RESEARCH • Following directions • Play alone • Play with others • Persistence • Problem solving

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

STRATEGIES FOR THESE     

Coaching Building skills Practice and feedback Data collection and supports Determine other deficits

LESSON EXAMPLES

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

SUPPORTS  TOOTLE paired with specific praise

SUPPORTS Ways to Individualize  Mood Monitoring  Highlighter of information (verbal coaching)

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2016 Kansas MTSS Symposium

SUPPORTS Premack Principle  If you do [] this then []

SUPPORTS Precorrection, prompts

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