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Inclusion Planning Form

“Don’t We Already Do Inclusion?” Planning Tool

Don't We Already Do Inclusion? by Paula Kluth

I have been having so much fun working virtually with book clubs this summer—it has helped me to connect with so many of you in a personal way. To keep the fun moving forward and to provide inclusion energy and support for your inclusive activities, I wanted to share a handout that I’ve been using with study groups, book clubs, and steering committees who are using Don’t We Already Do Inclusion?: 100 Ideas for Improving Inclusive Schools as a planning tool.

If you are using Don’t We Already Do Inclusion? with your group, you can use this template to choose which pieces of your model you want to target for improvement. A hundred is a lot of ideas to consider all at once, so I suggest picking a few ideas from each section of the book, working on those ideas as goals and then choosing new ideas once you have met those goals.

Download Inclusion Planning Form

And don’t worry if you are interested in learning more about the process or the book, but don’t have a group—you can go to my Facebook page and find my bookclub videos (four part series).

31 Ways to Enjoy an Inclusive Summer

Summer is finally here, and I am looking forward to having time to share content through my site. As an easy way to get started, here is a list I created to help families generate ideas for activities that children with a wide range of needs, interests, and abilities will find accessible and enjoyable. Feel free to add you own and keep this list growing!

  1. Tell stories around the fire. Use AAC device for catch phrase/sound effect/punch line. Let everyone try!
  2. Rain? Try a big family puzzle. Turn taking, talking and eye-contact are not necessary, and everyone works at their own pace.
  3. Head to a drive-in. No need to use quiet voices and those needing to move around during the film can do so.
  4. Remember headphones during fireworks or watch from a distance to make the night comfortable for all.
  5. Play audiobooks on road trips; those who cannot access books independently get to read & the family gets to share a story.
  6. Take pics of a fun day and assemble into a book. Kids can take snaps, write captions, etc. Read and repeat to build fluency.
  7. Try a kayak, paddle boat, or bicycle built for two. It’s more fun than a solo trip and a buddy provides support.Summer kayak trip
  8. Create a ritual that everyone can look forward to and participate in: an after-dinner stroll, a weekly visit to the park, etc.
  9. Invite friends over for non-competitive games like scavenger hunts, charades, and sidewalk chalk exhibitions.
  10. Let everyone in the family suggest one NEW summer activity—one that is accessible and fun for all.
  11. Get a museum pass and cut visits short when it is too crowded/overwhelming. Make several short visits vs. one long one.
  12. Create collaborative art. Make a mural on a sheet, create photo collages, or paint an old chair.Collaborative painting
  13. Dive in! For many, the pool/lake/ocean is the ultimate “accessible environment” and enjoying the water is THE quintessential summer experience.
  14. Make gluten-free s’mores.
  15. Play board games that build literacy skills such as Scrabble, Boggle, Story Cubes, etc.
  16. Play board games that build math skills such as Pay Day, Yahtzee, Candyland, Monopoly, Sorry, Connect 4, Tangrams, Rummikub, etc.Family-friendly games
  17. Connect w/ pen pals. Learn about the world and build lang/literacy skills. Writing to a pal is also a great excuse to try new assistive tech.
  18. Have some sensory fun. Dig in the sand, play in the mud, or make water balloons!
  19. Suggest skits, backyard performances, and improv games. These are lots of fun and they are helpful in developing communication, social, and literacy skills.
  20. Cook or bake something new and let everyone take part. Use a switch to mix/blend if needed.
  21. Dive into your child’s fascinations. Learn about Minecraft, read vampire books, listen to Taylor Swift, etc.
  22. Find a summer activity (e.g., jump rope, kick-the-can, tag). Develop as many possible adaptations/versions as possible.
  23. Ride around your city on your child’s favorite type of transportation—bus, train, subway, or pedicab. See the sights and relax.
  24. Camp in the backyard. Save money and don’t worry about forgetting meds, special foods, or adaptive equipment.
  25. Take a day trip and build background knowledge. A trip to a pond to learn ecosystems? To the state capitol to learn about government?
  26. Give kids odd jobs to earn spending money. Find chores that teach new skills, if possible (e.g., organizing, counting, cooking).
  27. Learn a new card game. Use pool noodles as card holders for little hands or for those needing support.
  28. Play some mini golf and give different roles to different players (e.g., putting expert, cheerleader, scorer).Mini golf
  29. Look into inclusive summer camp experiences like those promoted by the National Inclusion Project.
  30. Shoot silly videos. This is an easy way to let everyone be expressive and create in their own ways. The video serves as a keepsake too.
  31. Volunteer (e.g., bring treats to an animal shelter). Kids who get a lot of support often love the chance to provide it.

Do you have a co-teaching vision?

Have you been using 30 Days to the Co-Taught Classroom to learn about co-teaching or to teach your staff about co-teaching? If so, you may have used the tools on Day 2 to create vision statements/pictures. This section of the book is designed to give teams an opportunity to envision their ideal environment, classroom “feeling”, teaching practices, and co-teaching relationship.

I have used this tool with several teams, but ...

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Pedro's Whale by Paula Kluth

A plan for Pedro

One of the most exciting parts of writing a book for children is seeing all of the ways it is used by students, families, and teachers. I got one email from a parent telling me that she used Pedro’s Whale to teach her children about their brother with autism. At one of my workshops, a principal told me that he used Pedro to teach his staff about supporting individual differences.

A few teachers have told me that they used the book to give their paraprofessionals ideas for providing appropriate supports in inclusive classrooms. I love all of these stories and feel especially satisfied when people tell me that they were able to use the teaching ideas in Pedro’s Whale to create these lessons as we had always hoped the book would be used as a tool for learning.

How to use Pedro's Whale
So far, those brief back-of-the-book ideas have been the only thing I could offer teachers looking for lesson ideas for Pedro’s Whale, so I was so thrilled to get an email from Lynne Dudas, letting me know about her graduate school project involving our book. Lynne created materials to help students in elementary grades learn about characteristics of classmates with autism using The Common Core Standards in literacy, Pedro’s Whale, and other books. You can get her plans over on the Teachers Pay Teachers website (a great virtual store that allows educators to sell curriculum materials to other educators)

Have you used Pedro’s Whale to teach children about individual differences? Have you ever used it to teach other audiences? Other topics? I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions!

Coach K

Thanks for the motivation, coach

Some of you may have heard me talk about Kellen Ehrenhardt in the last few years. He is the son of a dear friend and amazing advocate, Teri Ehrenhardt. Kellen has always been a person who has had a vision. He had a full high school career of academics, sports, volunteering, and church activities and he has not slowed down in his young adult years. He still has a lot going on in all arenas of his life, but one of the most powerful ...

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