Universal Design for

Learning in the Early

Childhood Classroom
Universal Design for Learning in the Early Childhood
Classroom focuses on proactively designing PreK through
Grade 3 classroom environments, instruction, and assess-
ments that are flexible enough to ensure that teachers can
accommodate the needs of all the students in their class-
rooms. Typically developing students, gifted students,
students who are impacted by poverty, children who
speak multiple languages or have a home language that
is different than the classroom language, and students
with identified or potential developmental or learning
disabilities are all covered within this highly practical,
easy-to-use guide to UDL in the early years.

Pamela Brillante, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor in

the Department of Special Education and Professional
Counseling at The William Paterson University of New
Jersey with specialties in early childhood inclusive prac-
tices and disability studies.

Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. is an author, speaker, and con-

sultant with expertise in first and second language
development who founded Language Castle LLC.
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 Universal Design
for Learning in the
Early Childhood
Classroom
Teaching Children of all
Languages, Cultures, and
Abilities, Birth – 8 Years

Pamela Brillante and Karen Nemeth

First published 2018
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Taylor & Francis
The right of Pamela Brillante and Karen Nemeth to be identified as
authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested

ISBN: 978-1-138-65512-6 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-138-65513-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-62273-6 (ebk)

Typeset in Palatino
by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK
 Contents

Meet the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

1 Welcome to This Book and How to Use It. . . . . . . . . 1

2 Using UDL as a Framework: Providing

Multiple Means of Representation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3 Using UDL as a Framework: Providing

Multiple Means of Action and Expression . . . . . . . 33

4 Using UDL as a Framework: Providing

Multiple Means of Engagement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

5 Where We Are Now and Where We

Need to Go. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

6 Professional Development Resources:

Using the UDL Framework Across the
DECAL—Elements to Support Change in
Professional Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

7 What Administrators Need to Know:

Using the UDL Framework Across the
DECAL—Elements to Improve Outcomes
for Teachers and Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Appendix A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Appendix B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
 Meet the Authors
Pamela Brillante, Ed.D. joined many of the women in her
family in public school teaching, finding her true passion
in an early childhood special education classroom. Her
career has taken her into the higher education classroom
preparing the next generation of teachers at the William
Paterson University of New Jersey. In addition to her
work at the university, she continues to work as a con-
sultant in public school classrooms, helping schools and
teachers develop high quality inclusive programs and
practices. Pam is an active member of NAEYC, serving as
a consulting editor, and is the author of numerous jour-
nal articles and the book The Essentials: Supporting Young
Children with Disabilities in the Classroom.

Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. started her consulting practice

and her resources website, www.languagecastle.com, in
2009. Her mission has been to create resources, consult
with programs, and provide professional development
to improve early education experiences for young chil-
dren from diverse backgrounds. She has written more
than ten books, including Young Dual Language Learners:
A Guide for PreK–3 Leaders, as well as many articles. She
has worked to build connections across the disciplines
that are involved in the education of young dual lan-
guage learners and has served as consulting editor and
Affiliate Advisory Council member of NAEYC, Steering
Committee Representative for TESOL’s Elementary
Education Interest Section, and co-chair of NABE’s Early
Childhood Special Interest Group. She has worked with
schools, organizations, and government agencies to
viii  ◆ Meet the Authors

develop guidance and supports to elevate practices for

DLLs and their families in early care and education. In
2017, she was honored with the President’s Award for
leadership in the field by New Jersey’s NJTESOL/NJBE
organization.
 1
Welcome to This Book and
How to Use It

Schools Are Changing—What Does That Mean to a

Teacher?
The field of early childhood education is changing in
extraordinary ways. Expectations of teachers are expand-
ing. Academic practices that were part of first grade
are now appearing in kindergarten or even preschool.
Parents are more engaged. Outcomes and accountabil-
ity are top priorities for district administrators and state
governments.
Student populations are becoming more diverse and
programs are becoming more inclusive. General educa-
tion teachers have become responsible for the educational
progress of all children in the classroom, including
children who may not speak the same language as the
teacher and the other students in the class, and children
who have identified disabilities or may have learning
disabilities that the teacher uncovers.
2  ◆  Welcome to This Book and How to Use It

Learning is a complex concept, and all children learn at

different paces and in different ways. This makes how we
provide instruction and how we assess what students know
and can do a complicated undertaking. Focusing on devel-
opmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and remaining
both flexible and observant is key. According to the posi-
tion statement on DAP by the National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2009), the underly-
ing element of DAP is intentionality. Teachers proactively
and intentionally make decisions about environments,
materials, and instruction that are flexible enough to be
both challenging and achievable for every student.
Successful early childhood teachers approach their
work with openness and flexibility. They realize that a
“one size fits all” mindset won’t help them work effec-
tively with the diverse students they encounter. Every
child needs access to a developmentally appropriate early
childhood education that meets their individual needs
and helps them to participate and make progress toward
the standards (Brillante, 2017). This is a high expectation,
and now both teachers and administrators have to know
more and do more to support and integrate programs
from preK to third grade and beyond. State educa-
tion departments, such as Maryland and New Jersey,
are reflecting this high expectation by recommending
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in their regulations.
The purpose of this book is to help readers find
the most effective and most achievable path to suc-
cess in early childhood education in the face of all this
change. You will learn about the overarching concepts
of Universal Design and how to use the framework of
Universal Design for Learning within the DAP approach,
towards the goal of meeting the needs of all young
children in the early childhood classroom.
 Welcome to This Book and How to Use It  ◆ 3

The advantage of the universally designed approach

is that it shifts the focus away from reacting to problems
by making adaptations. It focuses more on proactively
designing the classroom to make sure all students
will be able to get what they need right from the start.
Universally designed strategies do not interfere with
typical children in any way. So, for example, an older
school may be built so the only way to get into the front
of the building is stairs. A child who uses a wheelchair
needs a ramp to be able to get into the building-but, if
we stop to think about it, every child can use a ramp
to get into the building! In fact, a recent review of
research found that “Implementing UDL in education
is a promising solution to minimise learning barriers”
(Al-Azawei, Serenelli, & Lundqvist, 2016, p. 51). With
UDL strategies, educators can make it possible for each
and every child to be the best he can be.

1. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a

framework that helps all teachers in all
classrooms adapt to meet the needs of each
individual child. While the Center for Applied
Special Technology (CAST) has started a great
movement to use this approach for children with
disabilities, we are expanding the framework to
work with young children with varying needs.
2. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is an
approach that focuses on supporting the learning
of each individual young child according to
his or her interests and level of development.
Materials from the NAEYC list the three key
considerations of DAP as knowing about child
development and learning, knowing what is
individually appropriate, and knowing what
4  ◆  Welcome to This Book and How to Use It

is culturally appropriate. In collaboration with

the Council for Exceptional Children Division
for Early Childhood, NAEYC made this key
recommendation regarding early childhood
curriculum: “To benefit all children, including
those with disabilities and developmental delays,
it is important to implement an integrated,
developmentally appropriate, universally
designed curriculum framework that is flexible,
comprehensive, and linked to assessment and
program evaluation activities” (Division for Early
Childhood [DEC], 2007, p. 3).
3. DECAL is a guide for preparing all teachers
to meet the needs of children with Different
Experiences, Cultures, Abilities, and Languages
as a way to focus professional learning and
preparation (Nemeth, Brillante, & Mullen, 2017):
◆ Experiences (family income, home literacy
practices, stress and trauma, safe environments,
health and physical development supports,
early care and education, etc.)
◆◆ Culture (family, community, home country,
traditions)
◆◆ Abilities (gifted, individual learning
strengths/abilities/potentials, identified or
potential disabilities, mental health issues)
◆◆ Languages (frequently occurring or rare
languages, multiple languages).

Together, these three components fit perfectly to create

the most advanced approach to early childhood educa-
tion for the diverse, inclusive classrooms of today. We
know teachers face many challenges in this complex
world, so our goal is to weave together the elements of
 Welcome to This Book and How to Use It  ◆ 5

ntally Appropriate Practi

lopme ce
Deve
Know
Know each Know
development child the culture

DECAL:
Children with
Different . . .

Experiences

Cultures
UDL UDL
Communicate Engage
Abilities

Languages

UDL
Teach/Assess

UDL

Figure 1.1  Component Crosswalk for Universal Design for

Learning in Early Childhood Education

that complexity and provide simple, practical strategies

that can be used in any program, with any curriculum, to
achieve success for all young children. We will be break-
ing down the boundaries between different specialties.
Teachers don’t need to be experts in all categories of edu-
cation, but they can be very effective if they know how
to combine the best strategies from each category. That is
what you will find in this book.
6  ◆  Welcome to This Book and How to Use It

What Teachers Need to Know and Be Able to Do in

Schools of the Future
The chapters of this book will help readers to provide
the kind of flexible, responsive, and rigorous educational
experience that every child needs to succeed. To create
your learning goals for reading this book, check off the
items that you want to learn more about. To succeed in
diverse early childhood education, every teacher will
need to know

◆◆ how first and second languages develop

◆◆ how the brain of a young child learns, processes
information, and manages emotions and
behavior
◆◆ evidence of what works to facilitate
communication across potential barriers
◆◆ best practices for scaffolding early learning
◆◆ principles of developmentally, linguistically, and
culturally appropriate assessments
◆◆ how culture impacts learning
◆◆ how to teach young children with varying needs,
including:
{{ Children with disabilities or children with
individual abilities (not “special needs”)
{{ Children who are dual language learners or
DLLs (instead of English language learners,
ELLs)
{{ Children from low income, high stress, or
unstable housing experiences (rather than
“poor children” or “high-risk children”)
{{ Children with individual cultural
backgrounds (rather than Asians or
Hispanics).
 Welcome to This Book and How to Use It  ◆ 7

And teachers will need to be able to

◆◆ conduct and record accurate, objective

observations
◆◆ conduct and interpret appropriate assessments
◆◆ adapt communication strategies
◆◆ adapt lesson plans
◆◆ adapt teaching practices to respond to each
child’s needs
◆◆ design classroom space to make learning
accessible to all
◆◆ build relationships with diverse families
◆◆ find, create, and modify classroom materials to
meet the needs of all students
◆◆ use technology in appropriate ways to make
learning accessible and relatable for students of
all languages, cultures and abilities.

Can one teacher do all of these things? Yes! The UDL

framework will help. The UDL framework has three key
principles: supporting multiple means of representation,
employing multiple means of action and expression to
teach, and connecting children and families using multi-
ple means of engagement. When you read a professional
development article or book, your first question may be,
“What does this mean to me as a teacher?” Each chapter
of this book will begin with an answer to that question
according to those UDL principles.

Special Features in This Book

a. “What it means to a teacher”—You will start with
the answer and then find details to support that
answer as you read through the chapter;
8  ◆  Welcome to This Book and How to Use It

b. Questions in each chapter to support a book

study group or professional learning community
discussion;
c. Illustrations, photos, diagrams, tables, and
planning charts to enhance learning;
d. Teacher self-assessment checklists to help the
reader actively engage with content by checking
where they are and looking for what they need in
the chapter;
e. A section at the end of the book with guidance
for administrators and professional development
providers;
f. Index;
g. References;
h. Resources.

Now, we invite you to join us on a journey toward a

brighter future for all children and for all early childhood
educators!
 2
Using UDL as a Framework
Providing Multiple Means of Representation

What Does This Mean to a Teacher?

Children perceive and understand information in many differ-
ent ways, and the way that information is presented to them
matters. Learning happens when the information is presented
in ways that children can understand and connect to previ-
ous learning and experiences. When children have different
languages or cultural interaction styles or language abilities,
teachers must be more effective in using a variety of com-
munication tools and update their classroom environment to
focus on easy, authentic communication that can work for all
children.

Guided Questions
◆◆ How do you routinely present information to
the students in your classroom? Is it always with
visuals? Do you always talk about the topic? How
many ways do you present the same information?
10  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

◆◆ When do you find it most challenging to

communicate with the children in your group?
◆◆ What kind of technology are you most
comfortable using that could help you establish
multiple means of representation in your
classroom?
◆◆ Take a closer look at the items on display in your
classroom. How are you presenting information
that you want your children to know? Which
items are really used to facilitate communication?
Which are rarely or never discussed?

Multiple Means of Representation—Classroom

Design
The makeup of the learning environment is a key aspect
to any early childhood classroom. Young children learn
through play, and thinking about changes we can make to
the design of play centers and play materials is essential
when we think about Universal Design in the early child-
hood classroom. Learning spaces communicate so much
to children, families, and professionals. The way a space is
designed can convey the level of independence expected
of children by offering more or fewer challenges. Displays
and materials also convey to families how welcome they
are and what expectations the program has of them.
The UDL framework gives you powerful guidance
about re-envisioning your classroom to communicate
the messages you think are important in many different
ways. If you want to foster resourceful, competent, and
knowledgeable learners, you can change the classroom
environment to make learning accessible and relatable to
each child and all children with the following strategies.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 11

Spaces can only do so much to develop a child’s sense

of place and sense of belonging. Proactive planning of
spaces, routines, and activities take time and effort. UDL
can be this framework for the proactive planning of
spaces, routines, and activities. We need to construct the
social and physical environment with the realization that
what we do determines the ways in which children inter-
act and participate.

DECAL: Classroom Design to Meet the Needs of Children from

Different Experiences
Some children enter school with unpredictable back-
grounds including limited home literacy practices,
unstable home environments, or traumatic events. You
can make proactive changes in the classroom to be more
responsive to their needs.

Ask yourself: How can I look at my environment through

the eyes of a child who has not had any experience with
a stable school or home?

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ For a child with a transient lifestyle, having
a safe place to keep personal belongings can
be very helpful to keep them feeling secure
and able to focus on learning. Provide a cubby
that can be locked or similar space for all
children to ensure the needs of the unsure
children are met.
(continued)
12  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

(continued)
◆◆ For children who experience poverty, access
to learning at school may be interrupted
by hunger, poor hygiene, or lack of basic
necessities. Keep a collection of toothbrushes,
socks, hats, mittens, snacks, and other items
that might be needed. Don’t ask questions;
just make these items available for all children.
◆◆ Check your books, displays, and games to
be sure there are items that are relatable for
each child. Some children may not have the
experiences that other children have had,
so their prior knowledge may be different.
Stories about farms should be balanced with
stories about city life. The dramatic play area
could have items representing shopping at
stores as well as thrift shops. A class lending
library can ensure that all families have home
literacy materials regardless of their incomes.
◆◆ Many children may not have experiences
with whole groups of children, so they may
not understand the signs and symbols that
teachers use to teach classroom routines.
Explicitly teaching these routines and
symbols may be needed to understand and
interpret.
◆◆ Access to the internet and technology
resources is important, as it can reduce the
digital divide and help all students grow up
with experiences they will need for future
educational and career success.
◆◆ Look for more detailed suggestions in the
appendix of this book!
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 13

DECAL: Classroom Design to Meet the Needs of Children from

Different Cultures
Children learn best in environments with materials they
can relate to.

Look around your room for cultural connections. Are you

representing the culture of each child in the classroom?

Of course, it is important to avoid stereotypes, but

that can leave some classrooms looking like there is
no culture at all. Authentic connections with a child’s
culture help the child perceive the information you
want to teach more easily and are best gathered with
the help of their families. When you make a poster
using photos sent in by the families of the children,
you help to build connections and comprehension that
can’t happen as well with purchased “multicultural”
posters. The environment should reflect the traditions,
celebrations, and activities that are familiar to each
child every day, not just during token “multicultural
weeks” or designated months.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Learn words and phrases of the children’s
home language to help present new
information in many different ways.
◆◆ Collect culturally relevant play and learning
materials through local flea markets,
yard sales and thrift shops, families, and
cultural organizations that can build prior
knowledge or be a visual/tactile example.
(continued)
14  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

(continued)
◆◆ Learn as much as you can about the culture
of each child that is meaningful to them.
Magazines, newspapers, and catalogs from
different countries can help you develop a
better understanding so you can make sure
you are making the correct connections for
this child.

DECAL: Classroom Design to Meet the Needs of Children with

Different Abilities
The environment can support access for all children, both
inside and outside, with careful planning.

How accessible is the environment for children with dif-

ferent abilities? Can all children access the room and
participate in activities no matter what their ability level,
visual or hearing needs, or physical challenges?

The goal of preparing an environment for all children

is to foster independence wherever possible. Installing a
ramp so a child with limited mobility can get into the
classroom along with his peers is a better option than
employing an aide to carry the child into the classroom.
The addition of adaptations like ramps, braille, or sign
language can make all the difference between depend-
ence and independence for some children. Often, this
type of planning means that there are options with vary-
ing levels of challenge, so each child gets the experience
he or she needs.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 15

Independence is key for many children with differ-

ing abilities. If you find yourself helping a child with the
same routine repeatedly, chances are it is time to recon-
sider that routine. Safety is an important consideration,
but ensuring safety does not mean coddling children to
protect them from everything. Four-year-old children
can learn to cut with knives. Provide plastic knives so
all children get the fine motor practice of cutting food or
dough, but the children with lower dexterity, or children
who have vision impairments, are not in danger of cutting
themselves.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Look at the physical space from the child’s
perspective. Make sure everything is in reach
of the children so they can get materials
or toys and put them away on their own.
Independence is key!
◆◆ Use outdoor play equipment that encourages
climbing, swinging, and hanging but with
enough space so children with visual
disabilities or physical disabilities can
participate safely.
◆◆ Add visual cues in the environment to assist
children with hearing impairments participate
and be engaged with peers and materials while
maintaining independence. Using a clapping
sequence to signal clean up is not effective for
them—but turning on and off the lights would
be. The best choice is to do both things!
(continued)
16  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

(continued)
◆◆ Include tactile cues, such as braille letters
or different textures to classroom labels, to
support children with visual impairments.
◆◆ Ask scout troops or college groups to design
adaptations for furniture and equipment.

Too often, individuals with disabilities are over-protected

by parents and teachers, and, therefore, never get the
opportunity to experience the consequences of poor
choices. Risk taking provides individuals with disabili-
ties different learning opportunities and new experiences
within their environment so that they may test their own
limits and discover capabilities they may not have known
they had (Opportunity for Independence, 2011). Allowing
individuals with disabilities to take risks and to move
toward greater independence is an essential component
of becoming an adult. It is also important to find that bal-
ance that supports risk taking without real danger.

DECAL: Classroom Design to Meet the Needs of Children from

Different Languages
All young children need to see evidence of their home
language or languages in their school environment.
Research has shown that young children retain some
information in their home language even if they are pro-
gressing well in the use of English. Continuing to connect
with their prior knowledge in their home language actu-
ally supports their developing proficiency in English.
Young children with different language backgrounds
also benefit from visual cues in the environment to help
them understand what is happening in English. These
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 17

cues are also helpful for children with language or cogni-

tive delays, as well.

Can you identify the language needs of each child in

your class? Knowing this information will assist you in
updating the environment appropriately.

For maximum benefit, environmental print must be

meaningful and useful in the classroom. Environmental
print that no one ever reads or talks about is just like wall-
paper in the background. Too much print can create an
unsettling level of clutter that reduces language use and
comprehension. The goal should be to reduce the visual
stimuli in the classroom and change it often, so you can
be sure what is visible really contributes to communica-
tion between adults and children and peer to peer.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Classroom labels should be reconsidered.
Placing a label on the chair that says “chair”
or a label over the bookshelf that says
“library area” won’t really help any child
communicate. But, a label in the science area
with pictures showing the steps children
should use to explore some new materials
would enable children with different
languages or different language abilities
to independently participate in science
explorations. Some programs add QR codes
(continued)
18  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

(continued)
to classroom labels that children can scan
with a handheld device to hear the words
pronounced in their language and/or English.
◆◆ A clear picture schedule should be on the wall
of every classroom to enable each child to feel
secure in knowing what is expected and what
will happen next.
◆◆ A poster with welcoming words or greetings
in different languages can be an asset at the
beginning of the year, but you can advance
language learning by changing that poster to
add new words for all the children and adults
to learn throughout the year. If the same
“hello” poster is left in place all year, it, too,
will become like wallpaper.
◆◆ As school choice becomes an increasingly
important topic, remember that families get
their first impression of your school before
they even enter the building. Are different
languages available on the school website or
on flyers and signs?
◆◆ The idea of a picture exchange communication
system (PECS) comes from special education,
but the truth is, communication by pointing
to relevant pictures is a strategy that can help
many children communicate across language
barriers.
◆◆ Invite family members to be recorded as
they walk around the classroom identifying
different areas and items in their home
languages. These videos can help teachers
learn key words in the home languages of the
children and can help children gain a better
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 19

understanding of the components of their

daily classroom experience.
◆◆ Some schools post videos on their website
or Facebook page to show families about
the routines of the school. These videos can
help families who don’t speak English to
prepare their child for fire drills, lunchroom
procedures, and other important routines.
◆◆ Open conversation at snack time so children
may express opinions and disagree strongly,
but do not allow name-calling.
◆◆ Peers are also part of the educational
environment. Group children with the same
language so they have plenty of opportunities
to play and interact in their home language
during the day, and they can help each other
learn words in the new language as well.

Multiple Means of Representation—Learning

Materials
DECAL: Learning Materials That Support Children from
Different Experiences
Classroom materials that reflect a child’s early experi-
ences are important for several reasons. Not only do they
help the child relate new information to their experiences,
but they also validate the child’s experience and convey
the message that all children are valuable regardless of
their family income, housing situation, or any other expe-
rience. It is also important to bring in elements that will
expose children to information and activities they might
not otherwise be able to experience. For example, many
books, songs, and puzzles focus on farm animals. For city
20  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

children, this is not a very relatable topic. That doesn’t

mean all references to farms should be eliminated. Instead,
consider shifting the balance so there are more materials
that connect to the children’s current environment and
just a few exposures to information about farms.

Assess the images and messages found in the books,

puzzles, games, toys, music, dramatic play, and other
learning materials in your classroom to see if they can
make every child’s experience part of the school day.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Create class books using photos of the
children’s actual homes, neighborhoods, and
the school community so children can more
easily perceive the meaning. Think about places
the children go such as the grocery store, food
bank, park, zoo, homeless shelter, bank, welfare
office, clinic, grange center, veterinarian,
county fair, street festival, and so on.
◆◆ Use family photos glued to boxes and blocks
to make relatable people in the block or table
toy area.
◆◆ In the small toy or manipulatives area, replace
meaningless plastic items with real items that
children see at home in order to add context
and access prior knowledge. When you teach
sorting with a collection of socks, children
see the same items at home and can extend
their learning in ways that don’t happen with
plastic school supplies.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 21

DECAL: Learning Materials That Support Children from

Different Cultures
A child’s culture is mostly about his own home, family,
traditions, and activities. Some exposure to the culture
of his home country can be interesting, but is not always
relatable for a young child. For example, we think of
baseball as the sport that represents American culture,
but if a child lives with a family of avid soccer fans, then
soccer is culturally relevant for that child more than
baseball. The best way to get to know what will make
sense to the child is to ask his family.

Ask each family about their celebrations, favorite meals,

how they spend time together, music they listen to,
traditions, and the toys/songs/games they remember
from their own childhood so you can incorporate these
things throughout the school environment.

It is important to get to know each family and to avoid

making assumptions about their culture based on their
appearance or their name. Once you have more informa-
tion, you can build cultural connections into all areas of
the classroom and outdoor area.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Cultures can be represented in the types of
plants and herbs grown in the school garden.
◆◆ Traditional children’s songs from other
countries can be nice, but so can an afternoon
spent learning some salsa dance steps or
creating a rap about sharing with friends.
(continued)
22  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

(continued)
◆◆ Ask families to take pictures of their child’s
plate at dinner and use the images to create
class books or laminate them to serve as
pretend food in the dramatic play area.
Families can also send in empty food containers
that can be cleaned and used here, too.
◆◆ Visit thrift stores to collect dress-up items
rather than ordering inauthentic items from
catalogs. Look for sports jerseys representing
children’s favorite teams, or uniforms from
different professions, for example. A migrant/
seasonal Head Start program might include
bags used in harvesting crops. A school in a
coastal town might include fishing equipment.
An Alaskan program might have snowshoes.
◆◆ If your curriculum provides required reading
books, create supplemental materials that
support the vocabulary and topics in those
books that provide additional images that
are culturally relevant to use as puzzles or
memory game pieces.
◆◆ Build a partnership with the local children’s
librarian. Librarians have access to a wide range
of catalogs and resources that can help to provide
children’s books as well as music, videos, and
adult resources representing different cultures
such as cookbooks or travel books.

DECAL: Learning Materials That Support Children with

Different Abilities
Materials should be available so that children with dif-
ferent intellectual and physical abilities can have access
to learning the same content in different ways. The focus
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 23

does not have to be about a high or low level; instead,

make sure the children have access to the same informa-
tion through multiple avenues.

Look at the materials in your classroom from the perspec-

tive of a child who has trouble understanding things or
communicating. How can adaptations to materials help
each child participate at his or her own level?

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Group books by topic, so each group has
board books, picture books, and higher level
books, so children with different abilities can
access multiple books with the same content
but at different levels.
◆◆ Instead of games with thin cards that are hard
to pick up, paste the cards onto pieces of thick
cardboard or foam board for easy handling.
◆◆ Understand that for some students, there
may be some missing knowledge or limited
experiential background, so add as much of
that to the classroom as you can.

DECAL: Learning Materials That Support Children from

Different Languages
All young children benefit from opportunities to learn and
practice their home language. When children grow up with
one or more languages in addition to English, classroom
materials can help provide the needed supports even if the
teacher doesn’t speak every child’s language. Some items
can be purchased in different languages or borrowed from
24  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

the library. When these options are not available, you can
have some of your existing materials translated. Always be
cautious about any translation, whether it is from the inter-
net or another person, and have all translations checked by
at least one other person. Some online translation services
or apps are meant for use by adult travelers or for busi-
ness use. Even though their translations may be accurate,
they may use forms that are not familiar to children. Some
words and phrases do not translate well. For example, in
the U.S., it is common for early childhood educators to say
“clean up time” when they want children to put away toys.
In other countries, the term “clean up” refers to washing
things, and the preferred term equates more to “tidy up.”
This could confuse a child who is new to English.

When adding languages to materials in the classroom,

be sure to choose words and phrases that children will
use many times in meaningful conversations.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ When adding languages to classroom labels
and materials, use color coding so children
and adults will know that each language
has its own color. For example, if Korean is
always green, you can put green stickers on
the books that are in Korean and on CDs that
have Korean music, too.
◆◆ Add stickers inside of books with key words
translated into the language needed by the
children—and include phonetic spelling so
any adult or child can pronounce the word.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 25

◆◆ Add more real items for math, science, and

other manipulative activities. Dual language
learners get a head start when working with
familiar materials that they understand
and know about. This is another reason
to use socks for sorting games instead of
meaningless plastic toys or cut-out shapes.
Collect items from nature, from kitchens,
sports, and so on.
◆◆ Be more intentional about choosing songs
in different languages. Look for music with
words that children can use in activities and
interactions. Just because a song is available
in another language doesn’t mean it will teach
children anything if they don’t use the words
outside of the song.
◆◆ Adding pictures to labels is a good way
to support different languages, but be
intentional with your choices. If you put a
label on a chair with a picture of a chair but
it is already on a real chair, does the picture
add meaning? Maybe a picture of children
pushing in their chairs or sitting in chairs to
have a snack would provide more context to
talk about.
◆◆ Menus from diverse restaurants in the
dramatic play area can provide food-related
words in different languages.
◆◆ Models of different alphabets should be
available in the writing area.
◆◆ Plastic and magnetic letters are available in
some languages other than English. If you

(continued)
26  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

(continued)
need other characters, print them out and
glue onto plastic sheets and add magnets.
◆◆ Give children access to brief videos
showing how to play a game or complete an
assignment with instructions in their home
language so they can then participate with
their peers.

Multiple Means of Representation—Technology and

Digital Resources
DECAL: Technology and Digital Resources That Support
Different Experiences
Technology is being used in many ways in today’s schools.
Many experts are concerned about “the digital divide” sep-
arating children with advantages from children who have
little or no access to technology (Neuman & Celano, 2012).
We want all children to grow up knowing how to use digi-
tal tools, and we also want all children to have access to
the information and activities that are available with digi-
tal tools and internet access. These experiences don’t have
to be exactly the same, but the divide should not be wide
enough to influence differences in school performance or
career success. In early childhood education, the teacher
has the responsibility for finding an appropriate balance.

What do you know about each family’s use of and access

to technology? How can you enhance these experiences
for home and school?
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 27

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Not all families have access to the internet,
but most families have smartphones (Rideout
& Katz, 2016). Help children learn to use
handheld devices effectively to search for
information on the internet, to use calculators,
and to communicate and learn via text
messages and videos.
◆◆ If your school has a computer lab, create
programs that invite families and children
to use these resources outside of school
time to accomplish tasks and to learn
together.
◆◆ Provide guidance to families to help them
guide their child’s technology use. Families
with easy access may still not know what is
best for young children.
◆◆ Get to know the availability of technology
resources at local libraries, museums, and
other organizations.

DECAL: Technology and Digital Resources That Support

Children from Different Cultures
Online resources can help teachers and students under-
stand different cultures, but when schools put severe
limits on internet use, these resources may be out of
reach. For example, YouTube can provide a great win-
dow on the world. You can find videos depicting many
cultural practices, activities, and traditions. Of course,
educators know they should proceed with caution.
28  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

What sources do you use to find information about the

cultures of your children? Which of these sources are
useful for your students?

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ The Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s
Services website (www.brycs.org) provides
information to help you understand the
refugee conditions faced by families in
different parts of the world.
◆◆ Digital pen pals can interact with each other
via email or video chats to get to know
how children live and learn in different
countries.
◆◆ Also consider using video chats such as
Google Hangouts or Skype to contact the
relatives and friends of children in their home
countries.
◆◆ Use digital photographs representing the
culture of each child’s family to make
placemats, books, math activities, posters, and
much more.

DECAL: Technology and Digital Resources That Support

Children with Different Abilities
Technology offers amazing opportunities to enable children
with different abilities to participate fully in school activi-
ties. Some software and hardware have been developed to
compensate for specific disabilities, but they may be very
expensive. There are many ways that technology can be
used inexpensively to support different abilities, as well.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 29

Before making a purchase, consider whether an app or

device designed for people with disabilities is worth the
cost or if the same function could be served by an app
designed for general use.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Many augmentative and alternate
communication systems can help young
children with limited expressive language
to communicate. You might also achieve
the same goal by simply printing out digital
photos and tacking them to a board.
◆◆ Look for apps that children can start and use
independently without a lot of barriers to entry.
◆◆ Find software with multiple levels of play or
learning so that each child can progress at their
own pace. Look for scaffolded supports as well.
◆◆ Apps and software that provide voice-to-text
functionality allow children to say answers to
questions or tell stories when they are not yet
able to type on small keys.
◆◆ Show children how to use the zoom-in
features so they can make images larger when
they are hard to see.
◆◆ Use apps that turn tablets into paddle
switches to help children participate in games
with peers.
◆◆ Handheld devices also give children access
to voice commands and prompts so they can
hear what other children are reading or learn
how to perform new routines or games.
30  ◆  Multiple Means of Representation

DECAL: Technology and Digital Resources That Support

Children from Different Languages
The number of languages found in early childhood
classrooms can be overwhelming. A teacher may col-
lect materials in several languages during one school
year, only to find those children move on and her
class is filled with different languages the following
year. Technology helps teachers be more responsive to
changing or challenging language needs. It is always
important to double check translations and meanings to
be sure you are providing resources that are appropri-
ate for young children.

Which languages are being underserved in your class-

room? How might technology enable you to improve
those language supports?

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Collaborate with other teachers or join online
professional learning networks to find out
about new options for supporting different
languages using digital resources.
◆◆ Look for e-books and apps with multiple
language options so children can both read
and hear stories in different languages.
◆◆ Multilingual websites with digital stories can
be found at www.icdlbooks.org and www.
TumbleBooks.com.
◆◆ Apps with learning games that do not depend
on language make learning accessible to
children from any language. Find examples at
www.tocaboca.com.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 31

◆◆ Access online stores to search for books and

music in many languages. Even if you don’t
buy all of them, you can create a list for the
librarian or as a wish list for donations.
◆◆ Download the Google Translate app onto
your tablet, and use the camera to scan
printed documents and change the words to
another language. Google Translate Online
allows you to both see and hear translated
words pronounced.
◆◆ With book making apps such as My Story,
children can draw, type, fingerspell, and
illustrate their own stories and include
recorded voice narration in any language.
 3
Using UDL as a Framework
Providing Multiple Means of Action and
Expression

What Does This Mean to a Teacher?

Children participate in activities and demonstrate what they
know in the classroom in many different ways. Providing mul-
tiple means of action and expression can help children with
differing needs, such as language barriers, physical disabilities,
and even impulse control issues, have the options they need to
be able to participate and play with the materials in the envi-
ronment in order to learn new skills and be able to demonstrate
what they know.

Guided Questions
◆◆ Which centers in your classroom are well used
by the children and which centers are ignored by
the children? Do children stay longer at certain
centers and have more complex play with those
materials? Do specific children seem to ignore a
particular center?
34  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

◆◆ How are the children in your group expressing

what they know and can do during activities?
Which children are the most challenging for you
to know what they can do or interpret what they
are trying to show/tell you? What contributes to
this challenge?
◆◆ When you step back and watch the children in
child-directed activities, what are they doing?
How are they playing and planning what to do?
Are they using the skills and knowledge you
have taught them in teacher-directed activities?
What other skills are they using?

Core Considerations of DAP for Action and Expression

Understanding children as individuals helps us provide
meaningful, relevant, and respectful learning experi-
ences in the classroom. The NAEYC position statement
on DAP focuses on three primary, or core, considerations
for teachers:

1. Knowing about child development and

learning. It is important for every teacher to
understand the stages and progression of typical
development for the children in their class,
for all the learning domains. This knowledge,
based on years of research, helps teachers design
experiences and instruction that are best for each
child’s learning and development. Whether a
teacher is new to the field or is being reassigned
from an older grade, specific understanding of
the children in each new class will be needed to
support effective means of action and expression
for each child.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 35

2. Knowing what is individually appropriate. All

children are different and many have different
experiences, cultures, abilities, and languages
that teachers need to take into consideration
when they are designing instruction and
assessments. By getting to know the children
both in and out of the classroom, we can learn
about them developmentally, and watching them
play and interact with peers helps us to get to
know their preferences and interests. Allowing
each child to receive and express learning
in ways that are individually appropriate is
essential to both DAP and the UDL framework.
3. Knowing what is culturally important. Children
cannot be understood in isolation but rather as
a part of an interconnected and interdependent
family system. We must make an effort to get to
know the children’s families on a deeper level.
Understanding the values, expectations, and
cultural factors that shape each child’s life at
home and in their communities is necessary for
effective action and expression in early education
(National Association for the Education of Young
Children, 2009).

Executive Function Skills

Another key aspect of the action/expression part of the
UDL framework is the development of the self-regulation
skills needed for children to be active learners and to be
able to plan and execute tasks on their own. As a group,
these skills are known as executive function, which
becomes a complete process of setting a goal (like build-
ing a large complex structure in the block area), and then
having the ability to organize their ideas and the resources
36  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

they have to be able to follow through to achieve that goal

as independently as possible. Can the child persist at the
task? Can she keep in mind the steps her task will take?
Can she adapt when a step does not go as planned? The
ability to organize ideas is a precursor to being able to
express the depth of knowledge and understanding of
concepts. When children exhibit executive function skills,
teachers are able to have a much more accurate assess-
ment of their knowledge and skills no matter what way
they express them (NAEYC, 2009).

Action and Expression in the Early Childhood

Classroom
Ways to Make Content Accessible to Children: DECAL in the
Classroom
Our own understanding of curriculum as a vehicle for
learning has to become broader. While some curricula
may have an end concept or skill in mind that all chil-
dren should have at the end of a school year or a specific
age – how we get there can be very different from child to
child. We are all headed to the same destination, but the
vehicles we are in and the roads we take are going to be
different for many children.
Unknowingly or not, the teaching practices used in
the classroom reflect the adult’s belief about each child
and whether every child is considered an equal and
valued member of the classroom (Brillante, 2017). To
proactively design instruction for all children from a
common curriculum, teachers must first understand
the needs, strengths, and preferences of each child, so
they can design the classroom, formal instruction, and
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 37

informal learning opportunities so that all the children

can participate and learn at the same time.
To implement the action/expression aspect of UDL
when we are talking about children with different expe-
riences, cultures, abilities and languages, the biggest
change needs to come from the teacher by changing the
way they design instruction, organize the classroom,
and conduct assessments (Burgstahler, 2008). The most
common, and effective, classroom practices support dif-
ferentiation so they can be used with all children, and
the UDL framework makes that possible. The follow-
ing strategies show how to establish practices using the
action/expression principle of the UDL framework.

The Basics for Every Young Child: Action

◆◆ Provide some options for physical action/active
participation.
◆◆ Design activities with different ways to do things
and different ways for children to participate and
respond.

The Basics for Every Young Child: Expression

◆◆ Provide multiple options and ways for every
child to communicate with everyone in the
classroom.
◆◆ Support the child only as needed so they become
independent.

The Basics for Every Young Child: Executive Function

◆◆ Teach the child to set their own goals and decide
how they are going to accomplish tasks.
◆◆ Support planning and strategy development to
promote independence.
38  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

The Basics of Active Learning

◆◆ Each child has the ability or an individualized
strategy to communicate with others in the
classroom (gestural, spoken, and written; words,
sounds, and images; in person and electronic).
◆◆ Each child has the appropriate level of support
from the teacher, other adults, and peers, and can
offer support to others.

The Basics of Routines and Schedules

◆◆ Children learn best when they understand and
follow a consistent schedule each day. The
routines and schedule are taught to the child in a
way they understand and can predict.
◆◆ There is an emphasis on planning most of the day
with small groups and individualized activities,
keeping whole group work to a very small
minimum. This balance should be based on each
individual child’s needs at the time. There is no
one-size-fits-all schedule.
◆◆ There is a balance of special activities that deviate
from the routine schedule of the classroom, but
the children are prepared for these changes and
are not required to go if they do not want to.

The Basics of Ongoing Assessment

◆◆ Assessment is both formal and informal, and
builds on the child’s prior knowledge and skills.
◆◆ Assessment is embedded within both curricular
and real-life activities and is not done in isolation.
◆◆ Assessment is focused on how the child uses the
skills and knowledge within everyday activities
and routines, not in a staged setting or event.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 39

◆◆ Assessment is both linguistically and culturally

appropriate for each child.

Let’s look at how you can think about instruction and

materials through the lens of making them accessible and
appropriate for children from the perspective of DECAL.

Multiple Means of Action and Expression—Active

Learning
Active learning happens when each child has the oppor-
tunity to engage with different materials, actions, and
events. It is important for children to have the oppor-
tunity to make choices and decisions about themselves
and what they want to do and, when appropriate, be part
of the decision making when helping the group decide
what they will do.

DECAL: Active Learning for Children from Different

Experiences
Teachers need to understand the different experiences a
child has had before coming into their classroom. Have
they had the same access to the materials (i.e., computers,
pretend play toys) as other children in the classroom? Do
they need different opportunities to explore the items on
a basic level that the other children do not need? In some
cases, teachers may have to provide direct instruction on
how things work and how to play with them in order for
the child to be able to learn and express what they know.

Which classroom materials are new to your students?

How are you going to teach them what these things are
and how they are used?
40  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Give the children access and time with
materials they may not have at home or they
may not be familiar with at all. Experiences
are key to much knowledge, and they may
not have had the opportunity to have the
same experiences as everyone else in the class.
◆◆ Provide direct instruction to fill some of the
gaps in experiences.
◆◆ Every child has strengths and abilities that can
be incorporated in plans for play experiences.
◆◆ Be conscious of the use of food as an
instructional material (dried rice or beans
in a sand table, or using an apple with
tempera paint on it to make artwork). It
can be considered disrespectful to use
food in that way if a child goes hungry
at dinnertime or over the weekend. Be
conscious of your choices and of the
children’s experiences.
◆◆ Check your own definition of “fair.” Some
children who do not have items like you
have in your class may need extra time with
those materials to catch up to the experiences
of other children. Fair should mean that
everyone gets what they need.

DECAL: Active Learning for Children from Different Cultures

Different cultures may have different views on teach-
ers, schools, and education in general. Some families
do not understand the use of project-based learning,
play, and active learning when children investigate
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 41

problems, so the children may appear hesitant to par-

ticipate in group work (Cambridge International, 2015).
Have culturally appropriate options for students when
necessary.

What cultural views could the families in your class have

about teachers and schools? You may have to investi-
gate this yourself, but always double check to make sure
it is true for the families in your class.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Be flexible with your own teaching practices.
It really is OK to be outside of the box
sometimes with the whole group, or with
just selected children. Not everyone has to do
things the same way.
◆◆ Incorporate some of the cultural traditions
about the children that you have learned, or
work with the families to learn more.
◆◆ Let children take the lead and show you what
they know in any way they feel comfortable.
In fact, encourage that.

DECAL: Active Learning for Children with Different Abilities

Children with different abilities have a right to have access
to the same education as their same-age peers. The con-
tent and standards are the same for everyone, but the ways
in which children with differing abilities access the con-
tent and demonstrate their knowledge is what needs to
change. Instructional strategies for teaching students with
varying abilities must by adapted and modified in order to
42  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

support the child to have access to and actively participate

in high-quality experiences and make progress toward
developmentally appropriate goals (Brillante, 2017). In
addition, with children who are gifted or have strengths in
specific areas, there is always the need for a solid founda-
tion in all areas in order for them to be able to explore at a
higher level and bring a deeper meaning to their learning.
All children, and particularly children with disabilities,
need to actively participate in instruction in order to learn.
The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) (2007) recom-
mended using the framework of UDL in order to promote
positive outcomes for children with disabilities, includ-
ing promoting active engagement and learning, as well
as individualizing and adapting practices for each child
based on ongoing data. Young children who are gifted are
naturally curious children who plunge into new activities
or situations quickly and positively and tend to initiate
their own learning from a very young age (Gross, 1999).

Do you understand the abilities that every child in your

classroom has? Make sure you are not focused on the
disability or what is missing. Find the child’s strength
and work with that!

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Use collaborative projects that provide a
meaningful role for each learner.
◆◆ Pay close attention to the level of challenge
provided for each child. Sometimes challenging
behaviors reveal that a child is facing too much
or too little challenge in their school activities.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 43

◆◆ Be prepared to relinquish some control of

classroom time. For young children to engage
in active learning at their own developmental
level, they must have plenty of time to
explore, discuss, and experience actions and
materials with less guidance from the teacher.
◆◆ Teachers should focus on highlighting key
vocabulary and concepts for each child by
using developmentally responsive scaffolding
techniques.
◆◆ Resist the culture of learned helplessness—let
them do it!
◆◆ Be very aware of classroom aides or special
education aides who over support children
because they think that is their job. All of your
jobs are to make the child as independent as
possible so they can learn and be part of the
classroom and community.
◆◆ Have open-ended materials that are flexible
enough that all students can learn from them.
If the object only has one purpose and one
way to do something, look for another object
instead.
◆◆ Find materials that you can use to make
classroom materials easier to use and
manipulate. Materials such as modeling clay,
sponge hair curlers, rubber bands, tennis
balls, ace bandages, cardboard, foam board,
and different types of tape can make handles
bigger, sturdier, and even easier for some
students to grip. Even paper clips put on
pages of a book can make it easier for children
to turn the pages individually.
44  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

DECAL: Active Learning for Children from Different Languages

Even though children may not be fluent in the language of
the classroom, instruction in content and skills must go on.
Teachers need to supplement their instruction with some
use of the child’s native language as well as many alternative
communication strategies. The most important thing is to try
to ensure that the child understands and is understood. This
is important as they develop friendship with peers who do
not speak the language, and it is important for the teacher to
be able to assess what the child knows and can do.

Can every person in your classroom communicate with

each other? Are there ways for everyone to talk and for
everyone to understand what is being said to them?

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Remind parents that being bilingual is
a wonderful thing, and encourage the
continued use of the native language at home.
Assure the parents that this will not hurt the
child academically in any way— and, in fact,
it may help in the long run.
◆◆ Pair all instruction with concrete materials that
the children can see, touch, and manipulate to
bring meaning to the words in English.
◆◆ Use non-verbal cues such as gestures,
and teach the child to use them, too, to
communicate with you and with their peers.
◆◆ In addition to gestures, work on a way that
children who speak different languages can
communicate and interact with each other
during play in the classroom. PECS, which has
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 45

primarily been used for children who have a

speech and language disability, comes in handy
when two children speak different languages.
◆◆ Create a common classroom language using
pictures and words written in both languages
so children can use them to talk to each other.
◆◆ Give the child some time to process language.
Classrooms can seem very overwhelming and
demanding when the child is learning a second
language. Give them some space to process it all.
◆◆ Learning to understand the concepts and
content in the child’s home language is much
more important that learning to speak English
(Espinosa, 2013).
◆◆ Supporting active learning and
communication rather than the passive
learning of isolated words and skills will help
those young brains develop as they should,
whether in one language or two or more
languages (Nemeth, 2012).
◆◆ Use concrete items and take time to explain
and demonstrate the meanings of words for all
children, helping children who speak different
languages make connections between new
words and words they already know in the
home language (Ackerman & Tazi, 2015).

Multiple Means of Action and Expression—Routines

and Schedules
Routines and schedules are an important learning tool
within a developmentally appropriate early childhood
classroom. Predictable routines in the classroom help
46  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

children to feel safe and secure since they know what

to expect during the day. When classrooms stick to a
familiar schedule, children are more likely to master the
routines of the day, like cleaning up the centers and get-
ting ready for lunch.

DECAL: Routines and Schedules for Children from Different

Experiences
Instability with routines in early childhood can impact
many parts of a child’s development. Frequent and pro-
longed instability can cause young children to feel a
significant amount of stress, which will negatively impact
early academics and social/emotional skills.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Children with unstable home lives may
crave the routines of the classroom and
may have a difficult time when the routine
is changed. Make sure you prepare them
well in advance and often, so there are no
problems.
◆◆ Children with unstable home lives crave
autonomy and may not respond well to
adults dictating what they can and cannot do.
Make sure you give children with these needs
choices within the classroom.
◆◆ A key influence on school readiness is
preschool attendance; if children are not
coming to school regularly, have your
school administration work with the parents
to understand the importance and help
overcome some of the barriers (Isaacs, 2012).
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 47

DECAL: Routines and Schedules for Children from Different

Cultures
Certain cultures and groups view time in a linear fashion,
doing only one thing at a time and within a fixed sched-
ule; other cultures view time in a less linear way. Some
cultures are less focused on schedules or punctuality.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Instead of blaming the children for being late
to school or having a hard time following the
classroom schedule, consider these behaviors
may be culturally driven, so alternatives need
to be developed.

DECAL: Routines and Schedules for Children with Different

Abilities
Providing children with disabilities the opportunities
to learn within the regular routines of the general edu-
cation classroom is essential. Removing children with
disabilities from the routines and activities of the general
education classroom in order to provide related services
at a time that accommodates the schedule of adults is dis-
ruptive and promotes the generalization of skills within
the natural environment (McWilliam & Scott, 2001).

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Work with therapists to embed therapies
within the classroom so the classroom teacher
can learn from observing and contributing to
the therapeutic interventions.
(continued)
48  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

(continued)
◆◆ Work to provide extra activities in the
classroom, so the child has more opportunities
to practice the new therapeutic techniques.

DECAL: Routines and Schedules for Children from Different

Languages
As with children from different cultures, the explanation
of some routines and schedules may not make sense to
some children who speak different languages.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Teach the meanings of words and phrases
about time in a more concrete manner. Avoid
using vague terms like “later” that have no
specific meaning.
◆◆ Use images to depict the events in the daily
schedule.

Multiple Means of Action and Expression—Ongoing

Assessment
Ongoing assessment helps teachers and the school make
better decisions for children. The more we know about
what children know and can do independently, the bet-
ter we can design developmentally appropriate activities
and programs for them.

DECAL: Ongoing Assessment for Children from Different

Experiences
Children who have different experiences are difficult to
assess. It is essential that teachers understand the difference
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 49

between a lack of exposure to specific content and

skills vs. a difficulty with learning specific content
and skills.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ The earlier the intervention the better.
Research has proven that high-quality
preschool has potential life-long benefits
(Magnuson, 2013).
◆◆ Catch specific skills, like the specific
precursors to reading skills, as early as you
can. New research looks at reading skills
down to the earliest years of childhood,
broadening our understanding of the early
factors that are associated with success
and failure in reading (Annie E. Casey
Foundation, 2013a).

DECAL: Ongoing Assessment for Children from Different

Cultures
Many early childhood assessments were not developed
for students from different cultures, and because they do
not consider cultural difference, they may not be assess-
ing what we think they are assessing. Standardized
assessments will not be accurate for children from differ-
ent cultures.
The NAEYC and the National Association of Early
Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education
(NAECS/SDE) published a position statement on early
childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evalu-
ation (NAEYC, NAECS/SDE, 2003). In this position
statement, the key assessment recommendation is to
50  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

assess young children’s strengths, progress, and needs,

using assessment methods that are developmentally
appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, tied
to children’s daily activities, supported by professional
development, inclusive of families, and connected to
specific, beneficial purposes, including

◆◆ assessment that it used to make sound decisions

about teaching and learning,
◆◆ assessment that is used to identify significant
concerns that may require focused intervention,
◆◆ assessment that is used to help programs
improve their educational and developmental
interventions.
(NAECS/SDE, p. 24–25)

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Assess children from different cultures in
the natural environment and across many
different opportunities.
◆◆ Talk to people who know what the cultural
expectations are before you use assessments
to make decisions.

DECAL: Ongoing Assessment for Children with Different

Abilities
For young children with disabilities, assessments are
always individualized and are used to determine services
and guide instruction, as well as develop the accommo-
dations and supports that may be necessary.
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 51

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Each child’s progress is measured in the
context of their own prior knowledge, not
measured against other children.
◆◆ Assessments need to reflect what the child
can do independently and with assistance,
and the two levels need to be addressed.

DECAL: Ongoing Assessment for Children from Different

Languages
For students who are not fluent in English, as with
students from different cultures, any standardized
assessment should be looked at with caution.

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ For informal classroom assessments, assess
students using their preferred language as
much as possible.
◆◆ For formal evaluations, higher stakes
assessments must be based on multiple methods
and measures featuring age-appropriate and
culturally and linguistically appropriate tools.
To have a more comprehensive look at the
child, the assessments should be ongoing
and involve two or more adults, repeating
assessments of language development over time
(NAEYC, 2009).
52  ◆  Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Multiple Means of Action and Expression—Teacher

Resources
Teacher Self-Assessment Questions
◆◆ Am I sure that every child has the basic
instruction in how to use items in the classroom
that they have never had access to before? Is it
that they do not know how to cut paper with
scissors or have they never had the opportunity
to have scissors in their own hands before?
◆◆ Am I sure that every child knows what the
pretend play props in my classroom are and
what they are used for? They may not have
context of how some of the props in the
classroom are used.
◆◆ Reflect on your own culture and teaching
style to see how it may differ from the students
you are teaching, and how teachers working
from their own cultures and teaching styles can
successfully reach the diverse populations in
most schools today.
◆◆ Ask yourself, do I understand the cultural
expectations for participation from a child from
this culture? Should boys and girls participate
in the same group as peers or culturally, would
it be expected that they be separated? How can I
change my way of doing things to fit what they
would be comfortable doing?
◆◆ How will children of different cultures best
demonstrate what they know? Would letting
them get up in front of the whole class be a good
thing or frowned upon culturally?
◆◆ Have you made it easy for children with different
needs to physically complete the activity and
participate with peers without adult assistance?
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 53

◆◆ How do you get a child who may not be as

independent as the others to participate and
demonstrate what they know and can do? How
do you support and help the child without over-
helping them and doing it for them? How do you
make sure the child is learning to be independent
and not dependent on adults?
◆◆ How are you challenging students who are gifted
or may be advanced in particular areas in order
to give them the opportunity to explore further
while still making sure they are part of the group?
◆◆ Is every child’s home language represented in
some way in some place in the classroom?
◆◆ What have you done to learn key words and
phrases of the languages the children in your
classroom speak?
◆◆ What have you done to teach (or have someone
else come in and teach) all the students in the
classroom words and phrases in the languages of
all the children in the classroom?
◆◆ How have you achieved a balance between
supporting the home languages and facilitating
the learning of English? Being bilingual is an
asset, and all teachers should encourage the child
and the family to become fluent in the family’s
native language, even if it is a language that the
teacher does not know.
 4
Using UDL as a Framework
Providing Multiple Means of Engagement

What Does This Mean to a Teacher?

Being engaged means more than just being on task; it means
the child has a desire to know more, to do more, and to be part
of more. When we talk about multiple means of engagement,
we are looking at children’s interest as well as their behavior in
the classroom. Children who are engaged show signs that they
are curious and want to know more about how the world works.
When children are engaged and intrinsically motivated, they are
more likely to be able to persist through difficulties and setbacks.

Guided Questions
◆◆ How much time do children spend together in
play?
◆◆ Do you have times of the day when children
must work alone or work in groups? How much
flexibility do you offer with that?
56  ◆  Multiple Means of Engagement

◆◆ How much of your instruction relies on rote

learning of concepts such as letters, numbers,
colors, and shapes? How much of your instruction
is about teaching specific routines that all children
must follow? Are there any times when children
can figure things out all on their own?
◆◆ When you step back and just watch, what materials
do children show the most interest in? Do you
have a way you want children to play or use those
materials? Do children have time in the day to
explore with those materials any way they want?

Multiple Means of Engagement

Children learn through play. Experimenting with different
materials and playing with different peers helps children
build new knowledge based on what they already know
and can do. The choices teachers make with how they
plan the day and how the room and different materials are
arranged helps make learning more concrete for children.
Different children need different amounts of time to sup-
port the learning that works best for them. To be responsive
to the needs of all children, a schedule with some flexibility
will work best. Some teachers provide options for children
who can’t sustain attention to an activity as long as others.
So, there might be related independent play options such
as table toys related to the scheduled activity, or books. It is
important, however, that these options should not be sim-
ple “busy work,” and they should be planned to represent
content that will support connections to what other chil-
dren are learning at the same time. Plenty of time should
be allowed for children who work at a slower pace.
On the other hand, this time allowance should not
leave the quicker children with nothing to do. When
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 57

preparing for transitions, for example, some children will be

ready to end their activity and line up quickly. Others need
more time. The children who were first to line up shouldn’t
suffer for their choice by having to stand idly while some
other children gradually finish up and get ready to tran-
sition. The teacher could plan transition activities such as
discussion questions or learning songs that would engage
the children who are ready early and help all children learn
to be patient with those who work at a different pace. Ideally,
each part of the daily schedule should be more like a menu
of options than an exact time frame with exact requirements.

DECAL: Engagement for Children from Different Experiences

Teachers need to understand the different experiences a
child has had interacting with materials (i.e., computers,
pretend play toys) from other children in the classroom.
Some children may not have had many experiences with
some materials in the classroom, so pretending with
them may not come naturally.

What open-ended and novel materials can you add to

the classroom for children to engage with? What rules
will you have about these materials, and do you think
those rules will impact how the child engages?

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ For children who have fears about using
open-ended materials “incorrectly,” start
small and work toward positive open-ended
imaginative play. Model it for them.
(continued)
58  ◆  Multiple Means of Engagement

(continued)
◆◆ Have minimal basic rules for children who crave
the structure. The rules can be as simple as how
many students can be with the materials at one
time and where the materials can be played with.
◆◆ Children who have lived in poverty or who are
homeless may have difficulty sharing materials
that they have started to engage with. Respect
those experiences and give them their own set
of the materials that they can store safely, so
they can count on them being there.
◆◆ Some children will be ritualistic in their play,
so adding novel materials that are at the top
of the zone of proximal development and are
used with assistance may break some habits.

DECAL: Engagement for Children from Different Cultures

Culture is more than just an ethnic label; it can also impact
how children interact and engage with others. Some cul-
tures value being independent and some cultures value
working together as a group, and that is important to
understand in the classroom. These cultural expectations
can come through in the class with the choices of who to
play with, when, and the roles children take within the
classroom (Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2016).

How deep is my knowledge and how wide are my

experiences with the cultures of the children in my
class? Do I have any “blind spots” when it comes to
understanding how their culture changes the way
they engage in the classroom?
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 59

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Don’t try to change the children’s cultural
expectations and values. Work on developing
each child’s identity and find value in each
other’s culture.
◆◆ Change your own expectations of engagement
in the classroom, be comfortable with the
differences of children from different cultures,
and do not promote what your own culture
values.
◆◆ Be flexible, offer opportunities to work
on long-term projects together while also
carving out time for some students to work
on their own. Project-based learning is
very successful in the universally designed
classroom.

DECAL: Engagement for Children with Different Abilities

It is important to understand how the child’s abili-
ties and disabilities impact engagement. Intellectual
delays and disabilities will inhibit maturity, making
engagement with peers and materials in the class-
room with typically developing peers more difficult
(but never impossible).

Do children’s individual delays and disabilities make

it harder for them to engage with peers, or engage in
classroom routines or activities?
60  ◆  Multiple Means of Engagement

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Look at how the materials are used by the
children in the class. Can all of the children
use them in the way they are meant to be
used, or do you have to adapt them?
◆◆ Look at the routine of the child with a
disability. Do they have enough time to
engage with their peers in play, or are they
sometimes out for a therapy of some kind, or
working with a teacher or aide on a specific
skill. Watch that you are sacrificing time for
them to engage with peers.

DECAL: Engagement for Children from Different Languages

When young children want to communicate with peers,
their common language is not always verbal. The use of
sign language, gestures, and pictures to facilitate inter-
action and engagement with classmates and friends can
be successful. Don’t let language differences be a barrier
to engagement. Large group activities, which encourage
children to help each other without language, assist them
to learn the value of each other’s friendship across the
language barrier (Nemeth, 2011).

Do you make a conscious effort to make sure that all

children, no matter what their language of preference,
have a way to communicate with each other?
 Using UDL as a Framework  ◆ 61

Teacher Tips!
◆◆ Have the teachers model learning a
classmate’s unfamiliar language. The teachers
can use gestures and pictures, too!
◆◆ Allow children time to just play with their
friends, watching how children try to
communicate on their own, and help support
that.
◆◆ Make sure you work with all the parents to
have them help support all the languages in
the classroom.

Having the time and the right materials to promote

engagement is one of the important things teachers can
do in the classroom. Facilitating engagement works on
important skills children need both now and for the rest
of their lives, like curiosity and persistence. When chil-
dren are truly engaged, they are naturally curious and
are inclined to explore and ask questions. When children
are truly engaged, they can persist through tasks and be
attentive to the smallest details. Help children learn to
help each other rather than always relying on an adult.
Every empowered child has something to offer a friend.
Engagement can seem loud sometimes and can look
unstructured, but it is valuable. Engagement is an impor-
tant aspect of any classroom to promote lifelong skills.
 5
Where We Are Now and Where
We Need to Go

Sometimes the status quo is the biggest obstacle to

change. That concept is especially true when we discuss
what we do in schools today. For many years, children
have been grouped into silos by what is the “same.”
Classrooms become silos made up of children who are
the same age and children who live in the same neigh-
borhood, but in reality, children are not all the same.
Some children have differing abilities, or come from dif-
ferent places, speak different languages, and have had
different experiences. We know that not everyone fits
into the same silo.

Guided Questions
◆◆ How has your program changed over the last
five years? How about the past 10 or 15 years?
◆◆ What is the most challenging part of serving the
needs of all the children in your program?
64  ◆  Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go

◆◆ What barriers have you already faced and what

barriers do you expect to face in the near future?
◆◆ What new knowledge do you think the
professionals in your program need? What new
knowledge do you think you need?

All Together Now—The New Normal

Classroom practices have changed over the years.
Academics and direct instruction have become carefully
controlled, with the teacher defining what content and
skills the children are supposed to learn and when they
need to learn it. The whole concept of “school-readiness
skills” has young children learning pre-academic work at
younger and younger ages. All of this “drill and kill” of
specific and isolated knowledge, referred to as “work” in
some preschool classes, is expressly different to children
than is “play,” and all this work is giving children less
time to learn the most important skill—how to learn.
Early childhood classrooms of today are also more
inclusive than they have ever been before. Children are
coming to our classrooms with different life and familial
experiences. They are coming from families from different
cultures than our own. They have different abilities and dis-
abilities. Their native language may be different from the
group, or they may have more than one of these differences
at the same time. While we say diversity should be cele-
brated, teachers are facing more and more pressure from
standardized expectations, and we may be unintentionally
exacerbating the challenges they face in the classroom.
So who are the children in our classrooms today?
 Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go  ◆ 65

Children from Different Experiences

Poverty
As of 2013, 51% of children in public schools qual-
ify for free or subsidized school meals, with 22% of
children living below the official poverty line (Annie
E. Casey Foundation, 2013b). The issue of poverty is
also concentrated in certain groups. In 2013, nearly
40% of all African American children lived below the
poverty line. The poverty rate for other groups is not
as severe, but it is worrisome, with 37% of Native
American children and 33% of Hispanic children liv-
ing in poverty. These children are more than twice
as likely to live in poverty compared to Caucasian
children, with only 14% of Caucasian children living
below the poverty line.

Neighborhoods
Even if children do not live in poverty themselves, just
living in a community where over 30% of the commu-
nity is in poverty will have an impact on them. Where
there is a concentration of poverty, schools tend to
be lower performing, local employment is harder
to come by, and violence and crime are more preva-
lent. According to the research by the Annie E. Casey
Foundation (2013b), 14% of children were living in
neighborhoods with a high level of concentrated pov-
erty, which is up from 9% from 2000. According to the
report, almost one third of African American children
and 30% of Latino children live in areas of concen-
trated poverty.
66  ◆  Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go

Family Structure
Family structures are increasingly varied. What may have
been a typical family when teachers and administrators
were growing up may be less common now. According
to a Pew Research Center report in 2013, only 46% of chil-
dren are living with two married heterosexual parents
who are in their first marriage, which is down from 61%
in 1980 and 73% in 1960 (Livingston, 2014). The data also
show that the institution of marriage itself is changing,
with more than 41% of children being born outside a tradi-
tional marriage, up from only 5% in 1960. One of the most
significant changes in this data shows that 34% of children
are living with one unmarried parent, which is up from
19% in 1980 and just 9% in 1960 (Livingston, 2014).
Children may live with their grandparents, or guar­
dians, or multiple parents, or same-sex parents or
internationally adoptive parents, and their family struc-
ture may change more often than families changed in
the past. The structure of families presented in the 1950s
sitcoms is no longer relevant for today.

What Teachers Need to Know

◆◆ Everyone is unique and everyone has strengths.
Build resiliency in children by building up what
they can do and empower them to focus on what
is good.
◆◆ Check your experience at the door; remember
that how you grew up or live now may be
different from the children in your class. Respect
that their families are making the best decisions
possible based on their reality.
◆◆ Keep your expectations high; all children will
strive to meet those expectations.
◆◆ Include families in the classroom as much as you
can. Everyone can contribute and be included.
 Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go  ◆ 67

◆◆ Become a mentor, either officially or unofficially.

Most of the people who made it out of the poverty
they grew up in did it with the help of a mentor.
◆◆ Families come in all configurations, but focus on
whom the children consider their family. It may
include more people or different people than you
are prepared for.

Children from Different Cultures

US Government data from 2015 indicates that there are
more than 61 million legal and illegal immigrants in this
country with children under the age of 18, with at least
75% of those children from parents who immigrated
here legally (Ziegler & Camarota, 2016). This group of
Americans is relatively new and is growing at a quick
pace, with a growth rate six times faster than the total
population between 1970 and 2015. Illegal immigration
has also changed American schools, with a 2015 estimate
of around 5.1 million school-aged children living in this
county with a parent who is an illegal immigrant.
The United States has always been a multicultural
society, but what was once the melting pot—when families
left their cultural traditions behind in order to assimilate
into the “American” culture, we are now more of a salad
bowl, where many different cultures can exist together
side by side and never lose their uniqueness.
When we talk about culture, we are more commonly
speaking of values, norms, traditions, and conformity.
When we talk about young children from different cul-
tures it is particularly important to understand specific
aspects of their culture. For young children, play reflects
what is meaningful to them within their own lives.
Cultural, social, and familial values and practices tend to
shape how children play (Erickson, 1963; Vygotsky, 1977).
68  ◆  Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go

What Teachers Need to Know

◆◆ Young children learn many of their own societal
roles, norms, and values through play.
◆◆ Children from European American cultures tend
to focus on independence and how children can
do things for themselves.
◆◆ Children from Asian, African, or Hispanic
American cultures may focus on social-emotional
factors and how children act as a member of a
group.
◆◆ Families of young children from Asian cultures
see play and academics as two different things,
with academics more highly valued of the two,
whereas families of young children from some
European cultures see little difference between
play and academic learning.

Children with Different Abilities and Disabilities

Most children develop and grow at their own pace, but
the stages or pattern of development are usually very
similar. Some children develop advanced gross motor
skills while their speech and language skills may lag.
Eventually most children develop the skills they need to
support their own interests and activities. Some children
are born with disabilities or acquire disabilities that have
them develop outside the norm, and researchers classify
these disabilities as either physical, neurodevelopmental/
mental health, or other.

Children with Disabilities

The number of children who are diagnosed with a dis-
ability is about 6 million, which is approximately 16% of
the population, and the number is on the rise. Research
 Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go  ◆ 69

finds that the rate of children who are diagnosed with

a disability has increased by 16.3% in just a decade
(Houtrow, Kandyce-Larson, Olson, & Newacheck, 2014).
The kinds of disabilities, and who is being diagnosed,
have varied. The number of physical disabilities has
decreased in the past decade, but the number of young
children, specifically young children who come from
affluent backgrounds, is increasing with both neurode-
velopmental and mental health-related disabilities.
Most notably is that the trend for children under the
age of 6 to be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental
disability has doubled from 19 cases per 1,000 children
to 36 cases per 1,000 children (Houtrow et  al., 2014).
Neurodevelopmental disabilities include ADHD, learn-
ing disabilities, and autism.

Children Who Are Gifted

Young children can also develop at a pace much quicker
than their peers can. Developmentally, gifted children
generally tend to develop speech, motor skills, and
social/emotional skills earlier than their peers do (Karnes,
Manning, Besnoy, Cukierkorn, & Houston, 2005). Some
types of giftedness, such as artistically gifted or musi-
cally gifted, are not usually found in young children
since those skills require a significant amount of time to
cultivate those skills. It is important to know that gifted
preschoolers are likely to initiate their own learning and
demonstrate high levels of curiosity about how things
work (Karnes et al., 2005).

Early Diagnosis and Intervention

Early diagnosis and intervention are probably the most
important things a teacher can do to help a child with a
disability or a potential disability. Many parents, teachers,
70  ◆  Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go

and doctors take a “wait and see” approach that can

ultimately delay getting the child the early help they
need. New research from the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Monitoring Network (2016) reported that only 43% of
young children with autism had received an evaluation
by the time they were 3 years old, even though 87% of
those children showed signs of of Autism well before the
age of 3.
Early intervention is also important for young
children who are gifted in order to prevent undera-
chievement (Stile, Kitano, Kelley, & LeCrone, 1993). A
rich and stimulating environment with novel materials
and time for them to explore on their own is important to
enhance their high levels of curiosity. Classrooms need
to prepare the environment and change their daily prac-
tices to let children who are gifted develop their own
pattern for learning.

What Teachers Need to Know

◆◆ It is okay for every child to have their own rate
of development. Keep track of each child as an
individual and help them achieve at their own
pace.
◆◆ Not everything has to be the same for every child.
The classroom can have different materials that
are specifically for different children, including
some for children who are developing more
slowly and for those who are developing quickly.
◆◆ Ask for help if you need help, or, if you suspect
that the child may have a disability or the
child may be gifted, ask. Most of the time your
instincts are correct.
 Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go  ◆ 71

Children Who Speak Different Languages

As of 2013, nearly one in three children in the U.S. lived
in a household where more than one language is spoken
(Child Trends Databank, 2014). This trend is on the rise,
increasing from 20 million children to 23 million children
between 2004 and 2013, an increase from 28% to 32%,
with 23% of those children speaking Spanish as their
primary language.
Learning a new language takes time, especially for
young children who are continuing to learn their home
language. Research tells us that it can take between four
and seven years for a young child to become proficient
enough in English for academic purposes (Center for
Public Education, 2007). Becoming proficient in English
that is used for academics by the end of first grade is
important, since research tells us that students who are
proficient in the English used in classrooms by the end
of the first grade have better outcomes that those chil-
dren who are not (Halle, Hair, McNamara, Wandner, &
Chien, 2012). But becoming proficient in English at the
determent of the home language is not the answer.
Years of research tell us that having the child continue
to use and learn their home language is not just good but
essential. The research and the mandates are clear; chil-
dren must be supported in learning their home language.
This is reflected in policy and position statements from
the Office of Head Start (2007), NAEYC (2005), DEC (2010),
Office of English Language Acquisition (Pinkos, 2007),
National Literacy Panel (August & Shanahan, 2008), the
National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for
Hispanics (2007), and from researchers including Patton
Tabors (2008) and Linda Espinosa (2013).
72  ◆  Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go

What Teachers Need to Know

◆◆ It is very important to have all the languages of
all the children evident in the classroom, and
to have books, games, posters, and labels in
the home language displayed throughout the
classroom (with pronunciations if needed).
◆◆ You need to learn some words and phrases of
each of the home languages of children in your
classroom. Ask the parents—and the children—
to teach you!
◆◆ Thread your activities and learning for a few
days at a time so young dual language learners
can make connections and use new vocabulary in
context (Nemeth, 2009).

Why Is UDL, and Especially DECAL, so Important?

UDL has been used effectively for many years to help
teachers plan for the needs for students with disabilities
in their classrooms, but just using UDL for individuals
with disabilities is no longer enough. When we proac-
tively design the way we teach, the materials we use, and
how we assess ALL students in many different ways,
everyone can succeed (Ralabate, 2011).
We need to have a revolution, at least a little one, and
break some of these silos down. We know that schools in
the past (and maybe some still today) were standardized,
teaching the same thing to every student, and rewarding
those students who complied with the rules. Teachers
expected students to repeat isolated knowledge back
to them, to behave properly, to complete tasks on com-
mand, and to respond when requested. The workforce
of the future will require diverse workers prepared to
work collaboratively with diverse co-workers. Children,
 Where We Are Now and Where We Need to Go  ◆ 73

especially young children, should be learning to solve

real problems and learning to ask real questions instead
of memorizing and repeating facts, and that is where our
old practices need to change. Inclusive classrooms and
inclusive lives will be normal. A whole host of languages
and new and emerging cultures will be part of the every-
day landscape. We must prepare students for things we
ourselves do not even understand, jobs we have never
heard of before, and communities that are fully inclusive.
We must teach the next generation of professionals to
think through the lens of DECAL.
 6
Professional Development
Resources
Using the UDL Framework Across the DECAL—
Elements to Support Change in
Professional Practices

What Does This Mean to a Teacher?

Teachers often experience professional development as a series
of separate topic-focused workshops. If you attend a math
workshop, you probably did not get specific information about
adapting the materials for children with limited dexterity. If
you take an assistive technology workshop, you probably did not
get information about how to use the strategies with children
who speak different languages. Teacher training often happens
in silos that make it hard for you to put together the various
recommendations and requirements being presented to you.
When you can be an active participant in professional develop-
ment that presents clear implementation goals and responds to
individual adult learning needs, you take on ownership of your
professional learning. The UDL framework not only changes
how teachers teach, it can also improve how teachers learn. This
perspective places a greater share of professional development
76  ◆  Professional Development Resources

responsibility on you as an adult learner. We will show you

how this works in the context of UDL. This chapter is intended
to empower educators as adult learners and to inform profes-
sional development providers about these methods. We firmly
believe that early childhood education is not just a job—it’s a
profession. Professions are not determined by salary. They are
determined by dedication to excellence and to constantly learn-
ing and building one’s knowledge and skills.

Guided Questions
◆◆ What is the best professional development
experience you’ve had? Can you describe what
makes it so memorable?
◆◆ How does your school help you learn from and
with your peers?
◆◆ What is your administrator’s role in professional
development?

How Did We Get Where We Are Today?

Separate Preparation Systems
The way we train our educator workforce is antiquated,
and everyone needs to have more than just a basic
understanding of the needs of all children (Mulvey,
Cooper, Accurso, & Garliardi, 2014). Just knowing the
basics of how to teach is not enough. Teachers must now
know about how to have high-quality interactions with
children and how to prevent challenging and explosive
behaviors for all children. The skills for individualizing
instruction and scaffolding learning, both proactively
and reactively, are essential to twenty-first-century
educators and beyond.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 77

Preparation for teaching different categories of chil-

dren remains segregated in higher education programs
by licensure requirements. We can reform notions of
teacher success when we realize that teachers teach in
their silos because they were taught to teach in our silos.
We are seeing promising results in colleges where depart-
ments for early childhood education, special education,
and English as a second language collaborate to create a
more seamless system of teacher preparation.

Separate Pre-K and K Systems

Advancements have been made in linking pre-K systems
to the state K–12 systems in the United States, but unfor-
tunately, unstable state funding has limited this growth.
According to the 2015 State of Preschool report from the
National Center for Early Education Research (2016),
approximately 1.4 million children attended a K–12-
linked, state-funded pre-K in 2015, serving just 20% of
4-year-olds and just 5% of 3-year-olds. Other public pro-
grams, including non-state-funded public preschool and
federally funded special education programs and Head
Start, serve approximately 41% of 4-year-olds and 16%
of 3-year-olds, so where are more than half the children
who are preschool age? Where are they spending their
days?
Even though most school districts serve preschoolers
in some way, there is often a disconnect between the pre-
school services and the K–12 services. Federal guidance
and ESSA requirements seek to change this condition
by encouraging a more seamless approach that includes
shared professional development and intentional plan-
ning. UDL could be an effective approach that supports
this connection.
78  ◆  Professional Development Resources

Silos of Philosophy
The philosophies between some preschools and the
K–3 system can differ. Early childhood philosophy and
curriculum used in preschool classrooms are holistic,
looking at the development of the child as a whole, not
just as a reader or writer. High-quality early childhood
curriculum is grounded in child development theory and
years of research. K–3 systems are usually bound by the
K–12 model, and starting this change in Kindergarten is
a problem.
In their report, Crisis in Kindergarten, authors Miller
and Almon (2009) reported that teaching to the state
standards and increasing student achievement on stand-
ardized assessments of isolated skills have become the
central focus for many classrooms and programs. This
new focus is leading administrators and some teachers
to embrace highly scripted programs that do not support
child-directed play and offer little time for exploration
and imagination.

Silos of Practice
While pre-K is most likely in its own silo away from K,
even within preschool we have our own silos. Young
children with disabilities are still being segregated and
taught with other children with disabilities. Many times,
specialists in special education and speech therapy pull
young children away from their peers to practice iso-
lated skills of the adults’ choosing. Young children who
are dual language learners are often segregated within
classrooms where they work with a classroom aide who
is the only adult speaking the same language. With all
this segregated knowledge, segregated philosophy, and
segregated practices, it is no wonder the status quo never
changes.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 79

How Do We Change? New Perspectives on

Professional Development
Adults approach professional learning based on their own
different experiences, cultures, abilities, and languages—
an adult version of DECAL. Understanding the UDL
framework through the DECAL lens can be used to
help programs, presenters, and teachers re-imagine
professional development to achieve greater benefits
and observable outcomes by focusing on the individual
needs of adult learners. The key difference is in setting
goals. Instead of setting a goal to arrange a speaker on
a particular topic, the goal should address what needs
to be learned with a plan for a variety of ways to learn it
based on individual and group needs. The focus should
be on making the new information accessible to each
individual who needs it and on looking for evidence that
change has happened as a result of that learning. Too
often, current efforts focus on checking off that everyone
has attended a workshop without questioning what par-
ticipants gained and what each participant will do as a
result of their attendance. When you change the goal to
focus on changing practice with new skills and informa-
tion, you open the door to a more universal approach to
providing that information.
The UDL framework applied to adult learning con-
nects very strongly to the principles of adult learning that
were pioneered by Malcolm Knowles (Knowles, Holton,
& Swanson, 2015). Knowles has made the case that each
adult learns in unique ways because of their lifetime of
developing preferences, prior knowledge, and experi-
ences. As mature thinkers, adults are especially able to
benefit from seeing the long-term applicability of what
they are learning, and they are especially likely to be
80  ◆  Professional Development Resources

frustrated when that long-term applicability is not clear

to them. Here are the principles of effective adult learn-
ing that are attributed to Knowles (Knowles et al., 2015):

1. Adults need to understand why they need to

learn new information.
2. Adults need to see themselves as effective, self-
directed learners.
3. Adults will experience new learning through the
lens of their prior knowledge and experiences.
4. Adults need environments and experiences that
make them feel ready to learn.
5. Adults learn best when the new knowledge is
focused on solving a problem they need to solve.
6. Adult learning is especially affected by the
individual’s level of motivation and belief that
the new knowledge will be useful to them.

For early childhood educators, these principles can be

seen as the adult version of DAP. They give you important
insights into how you can benefit from taking responsibility
for your own professional learning by working with pro-
fessional development providers. Those providers can help
you learn what you need to know by addressing you as
an individual, considering where you are along the learn-
ing continuum based on your own experiences and culture,
and by supporting your individual motivations and inter-
ests, just as you do when working with young children.
According to the Early Childhood Education Professional
Development, Training and Technical Assistance Glossary
developed by NAEYC and NACCRRA (2011, p. 5):

All professional development (education, training,

and TA) should
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 81

◆◆ be designed using evidence-based best prac-

tices; consistent with the principles of adult
learning; and structured to promote linkages
between research, theory, and practice;
◆◆ address the continuum of young children’s
abilities and needs;
◆◆ respond to each learner’s background
(including cultural, linguistic, and ability),
experiences, and the current context of her
role and professional goals;
◆◆ include resources to ensure access for all.

Now let’s see how the elements of the UDL framework

can help make professional development more effective
for all.

UDL—Representation
Professional development materials can be presented for
listening, reading, or hands-on experiences. Information
and skills can be conveyed to adult audiences in any of
these ways:

◆◆ Spoken presentations
◆◆ Distance learning via webinar, MOOC, or online
course that allows interaction
◆◆ Print on paper books, articles, or handouts
◆◆ Digital print in ebooks and apps
◆◆ Combinations of images and print via
PowerPoint or similar
◆◆ Recorded video
◆◆ Recorded audio
◆◆ Still photograph
◆◆ Charts, tables, and other images
82  ◆  Professional Development Resources

◆◆ Animation
◆◆ Infographics
◆◆ Hands-on demonstrations
◆◆ Social media posts and comments
◆◆ Site visits.

There are many different media tools to convey informa-

tion that early childhood educators might need or want
to learn. Recognizing the formats that work best for you
will help you plan for your own professional learning
successfully. Professional development leaders can use
the DECAL system to consider how these different media
can be made more accessible to individual learners.

Guidance for Professional Development Providers

DECAL: Professional Development Materials and Media to
Meet the Needs of Adult Learners from Different Experiences
Prior experience with different media will influence
how adults respond to professional development. Some
people have had a lot of experience reading charts and
tables, but others find them confusing. People who are
comfortable with technology tools may be better able
to access ebooks or digital information. Some reflection
will be needed to clarify what will work for individuals
and groups of participants. The UDL approach places the
focus on proactively adapting the learning materials and
environment to provide multiple pathways for learning
rather than waiting to make reactive adaptations to indi-
vidual participants. The focus for adaptation should be
placed on making the environment ready for diverse par-
ticipants rather than on the individual participant trying
to adapt to challenging environments (Rose, Harbour,
Johnston, Daley, & Abarbanell, 2006).
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 83

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Print should be large enough and clear
enough, on screens and on paper, to
accommodate those with vision challenges.
◆◆ Print should also be provided at a vocabulary
and literacy level that makes the information
accessible to all intended audiences.
◆◆ Printed information should be translated so
that each adult learner can experience the
depth of understanding by reading in their
home language.
◆◆ Video examples should be accompanied by
transcripts for people who may find it hard to
follow the visual or auditory tracks.
◆◆ Professional development settings should be
free from distracting noise and discomfort.
◆◆ Images should be meaningful enough to
support understanding—not just entertaining.
◆◆ Professional development materials and
information should be available to all who
need them without cost barriers.
◆◆ Real materials promote learning better
than pictures, and hands-on practice builds
learning better than passively listening to
instructions.

DECAL: Professional Development Materials and Media to

Meet the Needs of Adult Learners from Different Cultures
Images and speaking styles have cultural components,
too. Keep in mind that information is more readily
learned when it is presented in ways that are familiar to
the learners.
84  ◆  Professional Development Resources

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Be sure the characters and people in the material
are representative of the diverse ethnicities,
cultures, and lifestyles of your program.
◆◆ Be sure that the print and spoken words are
not offensive to any culture.

DECAL: Professional Development Materials and Media to

Meet the Needs of Adult Learners with Different Abilities
Technology can help adult learners with different abili-
ties to find ways to receive information that meets their
needs. Technology can also make it possible for adult
learners with different abilities to find a way to express
what they are learning that is comfortable for them. Here
are some adaptations that may help.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Print should be large enough to accommodate
those with vision challenges.
◆◆ Print should also be provided at a vocabulary
and literacy level that makes the information
accessible to all audiences.
◆◆ Video examples should be accompanied by
transcripts for people who may find it hard to
follow the visual or auditory tracks.
◆◆ Simple fonts make reading easier.
◆◆ Professional development settings
should be free from distracting noise and
discomfort.
◆◆ Some adult learners may need to receive
information in smaller chunks with frequent
breaks.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 85

◆◆ Some adult learners benefit from learning key

information via verbal explanation in addition
to written materials.

DECAL: Professional Development Materials and Media to

Meet the Needs of Adult Learners from Different Languages
When an early childhood educator speaks a language
other than English, that additional language can be an
important asset in the program. Providing materials in
the languages spoken by the adults in your program
helps them to gain important depth of understanding
and helps them to continue to grow and develop their
non-English language.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Print should be translated when possible.
◆◆ Video and audio materials should have
transcripts that can be translated.
◆◆ Images that are associated with print
information can help bilingual adults make
learning connections.
◆◆ Some websites provide professional learning
materials for early childhood educators in
more than one language. Look for Colorín
Colorado (www.colorincolorado.org) and
the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge
Center (www.eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/
tta-system).
◆◆ The Google Translate app for mobile devices
allows the user to use his camera to scan
print and show it on the screen in translated
form.
86  ◆  Professional Development Resources

UDL—Action/Expression
As we explore the role of the adult learner in determin-
ing her own professional learning, the UDL principle
of addressing multiple means of action and expression
plays a critical role. As we described in Chapter 3, we
think of action as the mental action or learning activity
undertaken by the learner, and we think of expression as
addressing multiple ways for the learner to show what
they have learned. These principles are just as relevant to
adult learners as they are to children, and they encourage
an approach that responds to each individual learner.
Here are some ways that an adult learner might engage
in professional learning:

◆◆ Viewing live presentations

◆◆ Participating in distance learning via webinar,
MOOC, or online courses that allow interaction
◆◆ Reading print on paper books, articles, or
handouts
◆◆ Reading digital print in ebooks, websites, and apps
◆◆ Reading combinations of images and print via
PowerPoint-type presentations or infographics
◆◆ Viewing recorded video clips or full-length
documentaries
◆◆ Listening to recorded audio books or podcasts
◆◆ Studying still photographs
◆◆ A book study group
◆◆ Formalized lesson studies or other professional
learning communities
◆◆ Reviewing charts, tables, and other images
◆◆ Viewing animation videos
◆◆ Participating in hands-on demonstrations
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 87

◆◆ Consulting, coaching, and mentoring interactions

◆◆ Acting in role-playing demonstrations
◆◆ Learning via game format
◆◆ Studying with self-guided learning programs
◆◆ Filling in worksheets
◆◆ Reading social media posts and comments
◆◆ Receiving email newsletters and list servs
◆◆ Learning via informal conversations
◆◆ Attending workshops
◆◆ Seeking out conference presentations
◆◆ Becoming inspired by keynote speeches.

Keep in mind that in order to be most effective, each

teacher, administrator, specialist, and paraprofessional
should be able to identify their own personal learning
needs. This is not as easy as it sounds. It is not simply
a matter of giving everyone what they want or what-
ever seems easiest. It will take some self-reflection and
some trial-and-error investigations for you to identify
what really works for you. Some teachers feel they
learn best when they receive an outline of the presen-
tation, but research shows that this results in a more
passive approach to the information and yields less
learning than when teachers have to actively process
the information and write notes by hand (Mueller &
Oppenheimer, 2014).
Another misconception has arisen from the popular
articles claiming that people need learning presentations
that match their set “learning styles.” We now know
that neither adults nor children are truly set as “visual
learners” or “kinesthetic learners.” People learn in all
modalities, depending on their mood, experience, and
the content of the information itself. A thorough review
88  ◆  Professional Development Resources

by Pashler, McDaniel, Roher, and Bjork (2008) concluded

that there was no credible evidence that learning is facili-
tated by matching content delivery methods to perceived
learning style of any individual. This means the best
approach is to offer learning content in several formats
and focus more on allowing teachers to work on learning
the information individually or together until each one
has learned what they need to know to change practices.
Consider the following questions to start thinking about
the kinds of learning that work best for you:

◆◆ Do you like to attend workshops or learn on your

own?
◆◆ If given the option to learn on your own, do you
usually complete the learning task in the time
allotted?
◆◆ Do you like to participate in workshops, or do
you prefer to be quiet?
◆◆ Do you retain most from reading articles? Books?
Listening to brief podcasts? Viewing 90-minute
webinars? Taking graduate courses? Learning via
social media?
◆◆ Do you write notes or type on a computer or
tablet?
◆◆ Do you have experience learning together with a
colleague who can support you and be supported
by you?
◆◆ Have you responded well to the coaching model
of professional improvement?
◆◆ Do you appreciate attending seminars or
presentations during the summer months when
you are more relaxed, or do you prefer to do your
professional learning during the school year?
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 89

Use these questions to identify what are your preferred

ways of accessing information and using the information
you have learned. You must also begin to understand
how you will access, retain, and use information that
is presented in a way that is not your preference. Once
each person is able to articulate their needs and prefer-
ences, it is the job of the supervisor and/or committee
to determine how they can provide the same informa-
tion in different formats with the goal of making sure
every staff member who needs the information gets it.
The goal must be extended to describe how the team will
observe classrooms or try other means to determine that
the information is being used.

Changing Practice by Focusing on Teachers as Collaborators

We often hear from teachers of young children that feel
isolated in their work. They feel as if their classroom is
an island and they have to plan, decorate, adapt, and
implement everything on their own. With the growing
focus on differentiated instruction throughout the field,
working alone to meet the needs of each unique child
can seem especially daunting. Professional develop-
ment does not always mean that you have to personally
learn everything needed to teach so many diverse young
learners. Another way to meet your goals is to collabo-
rate with others in the field and involve them in your
work. Collaborations can make it possible for you to
effectively meet the needs of individual learners within
the UDL framework. Rather than thinking, “How can I
get this job done?” you can shift to thinking “What will
it take to get this job done?” Here are some strategies for
you to consider:
90  ◆  Professional Development Resources

◆◆ Collaborating with coaches and mentors for

job-embedded professional development means
learning within the context of your particular
classroom, curriculum, and students about
strategies to enhance your teaching practices. It is
the best way, but not the only way, to participate
in personalized professional development that is
just for you. Much has been written about how
to make the best use of both roles in the coach/
teacher relationship that emphasizes a shared
responsibility for sharing and learning (Jablon,
Dombro, & Johnsen, 2015).
◆◆ Co-teaching models enable two educators with
different skill sets to work together toward the
goal of meeting the educational needs of each
individual student. This might involve pairings
like general education/special education,
general education/English as a second language
education, ESL/special education, or English-
speaking/Spanish-speaking teachers. Effective
co-teaching requires a different approach to
planning, talking, and teaching in the early
childhood classroom, which is rarely covered
in teacher education coursework. When this
strategy is adopted, a school or program
should offer extensive in-service professional
development and ongoing support to make it
work. Co-teaching partners need clear guidelines,
assignment of responsibilities, and regular
planning opportunities.
◆◆ Collaborative planning can support both
co-teaching and independent teaching models.
All teachers can benefit from sharing ideas for
lessons, activities, and adaptations, especially
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 91

when the focus is on updating practice to

support differentiated learning for students
from different experiences, cultures, abilities,
and languages. Planning in isolation often leads
to many duplicated efforts and is usually less
efficient than collaborative planning. In groups,
teachers brainstorm together, inspire creativity
in each other, and benefit from the contributions
each teacher brings from their own unique
experiences, cultures, abilities, and languages.
◆◆ Specialists such as speech-language pathologists,
ESL teachers, and occupational therapists can be
especially effective when they consult with the
early childhood classroom teacher to support
interventions that can be embedded into each
child’s school experience all day every day. For
young children, supports need to be in place at all
times since they are not able to remember and use
strategies provided in occasional pullout lessons.
When specialists work in consultation with you
as the classroom teacher, they not only provide
interventions for a particular child, but they also
build your knowledge and skills that you can use
with many children going forward. If a specialist
pulls a child out to work on a skill or strategy, the
classroom teacher will never see it and will never
be able to repeat it in the regular classroom.
◆◆ Collaboration with specialists gives you access
to other points of view, research-based strategies
from other fields, and a wider variety of teacher
preparation and practice. Not only do they
bring expertise in their field of specialty, but
they also have learned different ways to present
information, to create materials, and to work with
92  ◆  Professional Development Resources

colleagues. All these experiences can become part

of your experience when you collaborate and
work actively together instead of turning to other
work while a specialist is working with one of
your children.
◆◆ Collaborating with families is another way to
build your capacity to meet learning goals for
each child. Families have so much information
to share about the child’s experiences, culture,
abilities, and language. When you build
relationships with individual families, you can
leverage that knowledge to inform your practices
at school and to extend the learning you want
to see at home. Treat parents as equal partners
in a child’s educational experience to achieve
your desired outcomes. The better informed and
supported they are, the more they can add to the
work you want to do.
◆◆ Collaborating with volunteers will open more
diverse pathways to information and support.
Bilingual volunteers can visit your classroom to
read, talk, or play with children in their home
languages. Volunteers from the community
can bring the richness of their personal talents
as well as their culture and experience to build
strong connections with children and families
in your school or program. It is important to
respect diverse volunteers, but part of that respect
involves communicating clear expectations about
their participation. All volunteers, whether family
members or members of the community, need
some kind of training and support to ensure their
work with young children is appropriate and
effective.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 93

Professional Development via Social Media

Social media is a relatively new addition to the profes-
sional development scene, but educators have discovered
many ways to use these formats to meet personal learn-
ing goals. The most attractive feature is that you can
access information in any way at any time that meets
your personal needs. The interactive component of social
media adds that potential for active learning that is so
important to adults. Social media gives teachers, admin-
istrators, and specialists access to information they might
otherwise miss. You don’t have to pay for memberships
in every relevant organization because social media gives
you a way to connect with their specialized information
that might help you in your work. If you can’t attend a
conference, you can follow the hashtag on Twitter to see
highlights and links. If you don’t subscribe to a journal
or magazine, you can often gain access to articles via the
organization’s Facebook page.
LinkedIn groups are available for many topics related
to early childhood education such as ELLs/DLLs in Early
Childhood, ALSC (Association for Library Services for
Children), or Head Start Professionals. This is a good place
to see new posts and articles shared by peers along with
lengthy comments and multi-turn discussions. Twitter
is a place to post briefly about links, images, or thoughts
and to participate in online 140-character chats such as
#earlyed, #SLPchat for speech-language pathologists, and
#ELLCHAT for discussions on topics about English learn-
ers. Other forms of online learning may fall into the category
of social media when they invite comments and discussion.
These may include podcasts and blogposts. Instagram and
Voxer are other ways teachers communicate with each other
to share ideas and questions. Social media support the UDL
approach to professional development because they make
94  ◆  Professional Development Resources

it possible for you to get what you need when you need it.
You can ask a question at dawn or midnight and someone
will be online to give you an answer. You can get a glimpse
inside parts of the field that you haven’t seen, and you can
build a personal learning network of colleagues near and
far. Social media platforms put learning at your fingertips,
but it is up to you whether you access that learning in a pas-
sive or active way.
Here are the principles of adult learning from Malcolm
Knowles that address the ways adults engage in the act
of learning (Knowles, et al, 2015):

Adults will experience new learning through the lens of their prior
knowledge and experiences
This can be accomplished in two ways. The presenter of
the information can plan it in such a way as to ensure the
new information is connected to previously covered top-
ics. The learner can also take responsibility for seeking
connections to what they already know through active
participation in the learning process. Imagine that you
are attending a workshop by an out-of-state presenter
who shares some fun math activities you could use with
your preschoolers. Now imagine how much more mean-
ingful that information would be if the presenter took the
time to find out about the curriculum your school is using
and she tailored the information with specific examples
based on what you already learned about your curricu-
lum. Now think about how much more you could use
the information if you took the time to ask the presenter
for specific examples based on your own experiences.
This is how both the presenter and the learner can use
this adult learning principle to change the outcome of a
professional learning experience.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 95

This principle can also apply to the ways you

read books, listen to podcasts, or even have conversa-
tions with colleagues during planning times. Look for
supports such as guiding questions or questions for
discussion that are provided with professional learn-
ing materials to help you prepare to connect with your
prior learning.
Professional development providers can use pre-
session surveys to build connections with potential
learners. By asking meaningful questions about topics
to be covered in upcoming presentations, surveys get
the audience to start thinking about the prior knowl-
edge they will bring to the professional development.
Responses also help the presenter to tailor content and
approaches to provide more personalized content and
presentation styles.

Adults need environments that make them feel ready to learn

Adults learn best when they are comfortable . . . but not
too comfortable. Here are some elements that support
active learning:

◆◆ Plan comfortable environments, clothing,

temperatures, lighting, and sound to help you
acquire and retain information.
◆◆ Feeling ready to learn means feeling able to
focus your attention on learning for sufficient
periods, with any kind of medium. In workshops
and courses, move to the front of the room. Let
presenters know if you have trouble hearing or
if people around you are causing distractions.
If reading before bed puts you to sleep, find
another time of day.
96  ◆  Professional Development Resources

◆◆ Seek opportunities for professional learning

where you feel comfortable asking questions,
exploring more information, and expressing your
own processing of the information. Coaching,
workshops, and peer discussions should not be
intimidating.

Adults also need experiences that make them feel ready to learn
Learning isn’t always easy, but it should always give
you something you didn’t have before and something
you can use in your work. While fun and laughter make
a learning experience temporarily enjoyable, they don’t
often result in lasting change or sustained knowledge. It
is important to have experiences that are enjoyable but
that also lead to improvement of some kind so as not to
waste your valuable time. Seek learning experiences that
involve you as an active learner by engaging in online
or in-person discussions, by taking notes, and by tak-
ing time to think about how the content can actually be
used in your work. Feeling ready to learn also depends
on your actions. Scan the agenda before a meeting. Read
the preface of a new book. An independent learner pre-
pares for a learning experience to take charge of their
own readiness. Here are the elements of DECAL that
help an adult learner experience active learning accord-
ing to their individual needs.

Guidance for Professional Development Providers

DECAL: Professional Development Actions to Meet the Needs
of Adult Learners from Different Life Experiences
Whether you are providing presentations, materials, or
interactions to support the professional development
of early childhood educators, consider the following
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 97

elements of DECAL. Within the UDL framework, these

considerations can support effective practices.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Learn about the experiences of your audience
before writing professional development
content or presenting information. Use
examples, wording, and images the audience
can relate to.
◆◆ Don’t assume anything about the members
of your audience. It is always better to get to
know them before you provide information by
survey, conversations with administrators, and
learning more about their school or program.
◆◆ Take responsibility for establishing writing
contracts, presentation contracts, or course
assignments, requiring enough advance
information to allow you to tailor your work
to meet the needs of individuals.
◆◆ Consider the experiences of readers and
audiences within the context of the federal,
state, and local regulations they must follow,
the constraints of their curriculum, and the
rules of their funding. A presenter might
be accustomed to recommending push-in
supports for children with disabilities, but that
will not meet the learning needs of teachers in
a district that requires pullout services due to
lack of space.
◆◆ Adult learners are also affected by experiences
beyond the workplace. A teacher in a

(continued)
98  ◆  Professional Development Resources

(continued)
high-intensity urban area might respond
differently to some presentation styles than
a teacher from a rural area. Some teachers
have graduate degrees; others have not
attended college. Their behavior with regard
to professional learning will be influenced by
these types of experiences, and each of them
needs to reach learning goals in different ways.

DECAL: Professional Development Actions to Meet the Needs

of Adult Learners from Different Cultural Backgrounds
As with considerations about different experiences, adult
learners also need to feel a cultural connection based on their
life outside the school. Professional development providers
and writers, including peer learners and local mentors or
coaches, need to get to know elements of each learner’s cul-
ture. It is not enough to look at learners as members of large
cultural groups based on assumptions. Cultural connec-
tions are only effective when they come from knowledge
about what is meaningful to each individual.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ It may not always be possible to learn about
the individual cultures of each adult learning
reader or participant. Try to include a variety
of cultural connections in the examples and
content you provide.
◆◆ Avoid the trap of trying so hard not to offend
anyone that you provide content that is
culturally empty. Cultural connections depend
on taking risks to build authentic relationships.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 99

◆◆ Remember that the goal is to provide

information that adult learners relate to. It is
not useful to insert random cultural factors or
too many cultural factors just for the sake of
appearing to respect diversity.

DECAL: Professional Development Actions to Meet the Needs

of Adult Learners with Different Abilities
When goals for professional development are viewed
through the UDL lens and the focus is on ensuring changes in
practice, the abilities of the adult learners must be taken into
account. The UDL philosophy is about empowering learn-
ers and respecting what makes each learner unique. Some
instructors, authors, and administrators worry that adapt-
ing for adults with different experiences or abilities could be
perceived as “babying” the adult learner by oversimplify-
ing or catering to their needs. This is certainly a challenging
issue, but keeping their eyes on the goal of causing change in
teaching practice can help. Another way to address this con-
cern is to make advanced learning a learning goal in itself.
Program administrators can work with their staff to develop
their skills for critical reading, increase their English skills
and reading levels, provide direct guidance on the kinds of
notetaking, interacting, and attention behaviors expected
during presentations, and improve their expressive abilities.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Don’t attribute lack of understanding to a
participant’s inability to learn. Assume that
your goal is to try different pathways until
you find a way that helps them learn.
(continued)
100  ◆  Professional Development Resources

(continued)
◆◆ It is possible to use shorter sentences and
simpler vocabulary while maintaining the
integrity of the learning content.
◆◆ Develop collections of meaningful visual cues
and video examples to enhance learning.
◆◆ Provide multiple check-ins to give adult
learners feedback on how well they are
picking up on content or skills from attending
or reading.
◆◆ Encourage learners to be more aware of their
abilities that help them learn or that require
adaptations rather than pretending everyone
is the same.
◆◆ With learners of varying abilities, it is critical
to eliminate excess words, distracting images,
and graphics to stick to key points.

DECAL: Professional Development Actions to Meet the Needs

of Adult Learners from Different Languages
Adapting professional development for learners who
speak different languages may seem simple, but the
reality is these adaptations require more effort than just
hiring a translator.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ The first priority should be to encourage
bilingual adults to access learning through
materials and presentations in their home
language. When adults are able to use the
language they find most comfortable for
learning, they comprehend more and are able
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 101

to build a stronger foundation of knowledge

that can then be transferred to English.
◆◆ Hire certified translators and interpreters
when possible. Look for translators who
have some background in early childhood
education so they are able to accurately
translate professional terms.
◆◆ Use online resources in the languages of
participants. The Language Castle (www.
LanguageCastle.com) website has a list
of early childhood education professional
development resources available in Spanish.
The Head Start ECLKC technical assistance
website has an English/Spanish toggle button
making it easy to access professional learning
information in both languages.
◆◆ Professional development may also be
provided in English, but when bilingual adults
have a chance to build prior knowledge in
their home language, they are better prepared
to process and retain learning in English.
◆◆ Build same-language professional learning
networks to make it easier for colleagues to
actively process their learning in discussions
with peers.
◆◆ Allow bilingual adults to express their
learning in ways that do not depend on their
use of their second language. They might
demonstrate their learning via role playing,
video recording, or writing. Instead of placing
the burden on the participant to translate his
learning into the provider’s language, consider
taking on the responsibility of using software
or hiring a translator for this purpose.
102  ◆  Professional Development Resources

UDL—Engagement
A fair amount of responsibility rests with an educational
professional to be an engaged and motivated learner.
Not every presentation will be fun or humorous. Not
every video will move as quickly or as slowly as you
might like. When you know you need information to do
your job well, you need to find a way to engage actively
in the learning. It is as much the responsibility of a
teacher to get sufficient sleep at night as it is for the pre-
senter or discussion group not to put them to sleep. Be
prepared to take notes, ask questions, and think about
how new information applies to your practice. When
your mind is actively engaged in the information being
discussed, presented, or read, your learning is much
more effective.
We have overheard teachers at conferences saying
things like, “I always go to the challenging behavior
workshops” or “I hate those math workshops because
I’m not good at math.” When there is a choice, many
adults will choose a topic or event that fits their comfort
level or their current interests. Could you choose a topic
that you’re not comfortable with because that’s the thing
you need to learn the most? When you get a new issue
of an education journal, do you just read the articles on
your favorite topics or do you also take advantage of
the articles on topics that are not your favorites but are
needed to meet program-wide goals?
In an article about her research on the development of
a “growth mindset,” Carol Dweck (2015) found that adults
can often achieve higher learning goals by changing their
approach to learning. She found that learners who take on
a growth mindset believe that learning is possible if they
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 103

try different strategies, and this often results in improved

learning outcomes. But Dweck recommends that adult
learners should acknowledge it is also true they are better
at some things than they are at others, as each adult has
different abilities as well as different beliefs about those
abilities. So, for example, a teacher that believes she is not
good at math might avoid learning new ways to use math
in her classroom. But if she could change her view of math
learning, and find that she can help children discover
math in everyday activities like snack time and outdoor
games, she would feel that she is good at teaching math.
This kind of change is likely to lead to improvements in
teacher practice and in student outcomes. Being proactive
and seeking out professional learning opportunities in the
areas that are not your favorites can result in the greatest
change in your teaching success. It can be helpful to work
with your peers to set up professional development that
meets individual needs but also satisfies a unifying goal
for the program.
What information can help you draft an individual
professional development plan? Student outcome data or
classroom evaluation scores can provide some guidance
about areas in need of improvement, but they don’t always
tell the whole story. Sometimes, we just like to follow a par-
ticular author or blogger, or a friend recommends a new
book we hadn’t thought of reading before. True growth
in a professional field calls for both formal and informal
encounters with new information that keep us thinking
and improving practice, and enjoying our work.
Guidance for administrators often recommends that
professional development goals should be planned
with each individual teacher and staff member. Some
administrators worry that not every teacher recognizes
104  ◆  Professional Development Resources

areas in which they need improvement, or that there may

be some program-wide content that everyone needs to
learn whether they request it or not. These are valid con-
cerns. As a self-determining professional learner, each
of us has to allow that there are some things we have
to learn that we did not necessarily choose to learn. The
UDL approach provides some answers to this dilemma,
but prepares both the administrator and the teacher to
think more intentionally about the way that information
is delivered and acted upon.
Here are the principles of adult learning from Malcolm
Knowles that address the factors that make learning
engaging (Knowles et al., 2015):

Adults need to understand why they need to learn new information

From both the learner’s and the presenter’s point of view,
this principle is very important. Work in partnership with
other colleagues and administrators to set clear goals so
that all professional learning helps you take steps toward
those goals. Adult learning goals should be about changing
educator behaviors, not just about increasing knowledge.
Make the goals measurable and meaningful to your work.

Adults need to see themselves as effective, self-directed learners

Self-determination is the critical feature of this component.

Adults learn best when the new knowledge is focused on solving a

problem they need to solve
Setting goals that are measurable and meaningful for your
work will help you see learning as a means to an end.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 105

Adult learning is especially affected by the individual’s level of

motivation and belief that the new knowledge
will be useful to them
This principle refers to your ability to clearly see what
this new knowledge will mean to your own work, rather
than just believing it is important to early childhood
education in general.

Guidance for Professional Development Providers

DECAL: Professional Development Engagement to
Meet the Needs of Adult Learners with Different Life
Experiences
Professional development presenters and writers should
think of engagement in terms of the principles of adult
learning described above. Engagement is not a synonym
for entertainment. To be effective, professional develop-
ment should respect adults as self-directed learners and
help them see the value of the learning for their work.
This requires knowing something about the experiences
and beliefs of your audience of learners so you can sup-
port their growth as individuals. Not every teacher has
had experiences that make self-directed learning a habit
for them. Not every reader or participant will immediately
recognize the purpose you envision for the content you
provide. Addressing these differences will enhance the
effectiveness of each type of professional development.
These factors should also be considered by administrators
as they cultivate a community of lifelong learners who are
prepared and motivated to learn. Here are some strategies
to help.
106  ◆  Professional Development Resources

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Use surveys, research, or informal
conversations to learn about the experiences
of your audience so you can connect with
their individual learning needs. If, for
example, a principal tells you his teachers
always respond best to “make and take”
workshops, that doesn’t mean you have
to present a make and take workshop. It
means that you have to know that about the
experience of your audience so you can be
explicit in making the connection to your
content.
◆◆ Humor can be an effective tool for
engagement, but the experiences of the
participants will affect how each of them
reacts to humorous expressions. Be observant
about participant responses and be prepared
to change course accordingly.
◆◆ Adult learners often approach professional
development with preconceived notions
based on prior experiences. These can be hard
to undo in a short period. Presenters can work
with educational leaders to uncover negative
assumptions and help to work toward
more positive attitudes before professional
development begins.
◆◆ Because of differences in previous
experiences, it is not always possible to make
changes so that one professional development
resource or presentation works for everyone.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 107

Think instead about the goals to be

accomplished and the variety of professional
development resources needed to get all staff
to those goals.
◆◆ Professional learning takes true commitment
from the learner, the employer, and the
provider. All three components of this
partnership must take responsibility for
meeting the engagement needs of adult
learners. Whether on a small scale or large
scale, in person or remote, professional
development will be more successful
with collaborative pre-planning and
implementation supports.

DECAL: Professional Development Engagement to Meet the

Needs of Adult Learners from Different Cultural Backgrounds
Considerations about the cultural backgrounds of adult
learners are similar to considerations about the experi-
ences of learners. Culture is part of each adult learner’s
experience that might influence how they tackle their
own professional development and how they respond to
reading, listening, and discussing. These tips will assist
you in addressing these factors.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Encourage readers and participants to engage
in self-reflection about cultural factors

(continued)
108  ◆  Professional Development Resources

(continued)
that might come into play when accessing
professional learning, and invite them to
share to inform providers. Ask about factors
such as
{{ comfort with questioning authority figures
{{ comfort communicating disagreements
{{ adherence to time schedules
{{ speaking up in large group settings
{{ willingness to participate in role playing or
demonstrations that involve touching others
{{ comfort with certain slang or expressions
{{ assumptions about early childhood
education and adult education developed
while growing up in another country.

DECAL: Professional Development Engagement to Meet the

Needs of Adult Learners with Different Abilities
Different abilities affect how a person will access and
use new information, but they also influence the feelings
people have about engaging in professional learning.
Supporting different pathways to learning for adults with
different abilities will enhance their engagement. Even
though Carol Dweck (2015) encouraged educators to
overcome the emotional limits they place on their learning
through negative self-talk, she also acknowledged that
sometimes, different abilities will limit learning. The
key is to find a balance that encourages learners to
stretch themselves to go beyond their perceived limits
while supporting their learning within those existing
limits.
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 109

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Provide plenty of time for learning to
take root for those who need it, but offer
enrichment and advancement activities for
those who are ready to move on.
◆◆ Offer multiple modalities and pathways of
learning to ensure all participants can progress
in their learning. Within an article, that might
include vignettes, summary tables, and
narrative. For workshops, that might include
lecture, discussion, and demonstrations.
◆◆ Break learning down into smaller chunks
so each accomplishment is noticeable and
supports engagement in the next step.

DECAL: Professional Development Engagement to Meet the

Needs of Adult Learners from Different Languages
Connecting learning with the languages of the learners
contributes to engagement.

Professional Development Tips!

◆◆ Take translation seriously. Poor quality
translations may cause participants to feel
disrespected and disengaged.
◆◆ Invite learners to be active participants in
the translation process to help them take
ownership of the role their language plays in
their own learning.
(continued)
110  ◆  Professional Development Resources

(continued)
◆◆ If you present information in different
languages, ask for feedback in those
languages, too.

Addressing Critical Professional Learning Topics with

a UDL Approach
There are many demands placed on early childhood
educators today. That means there are many things they
have to learn about, and that learning must result in
changes in practice. The support of the UDL approach
can significantly improve the chances of success for
any new rollout. Professional development providers,
writers, administrators, and practitioners can all work
together to achieve common professional learning goals
in ways that include each individual adult learner.
When states have introduced Common Core and state
standards, the way the information was delivered had
a lot to do with how effective their implementation
rates were across each state. States like Connecticut
(www.ct.gov/oec/cwp/view.asp?a=4541&q=536726) and
Illinois (www.illinoisearlylearning.org) support differ-
ent pathways to learning about standards. Head Start
introduced its new early childhood outcomes frame-
work with a toolkit of support resources to enhance
implementation (www.eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/
sr/approach/elof).
Other areas of national and local interest have faced
challenges to implementation that might have been
helped if the UDL approach to supporting all learners
played a bigger role. Examples include kindergarten
 Professional Development Resources  ◆ 111

entry assessments and national standardized assess-

ments. When initiatives like these are introduced without
sufficient considerations for diverse adult learners,
weakened implementation can have catastrophic conse-
quences. In the field of preschool education, classroom
and teacher assessments like ECERS-3, ELLCO, and
CLASS yield scores that can affect job security and pro-
gram funding. Preparing practitioners to understand
what is expected in high-quality classrooms depends
on how well the plans can be adapted for the different
needs of adult learners.
Every early childhood curriculum company should
be held accountable for meeting the needs of diverse chil-
dren who come from Different Experiences, Cultures,
Abilities, and Languages. It is just as important that
the support materials and professional development
they provide should have adaptations for the diver-
sity of adult learners. Curriculum elements, such as
meaningful planning for the use of technology and dig-
ital resources, should also be considered. As our field
changes and evolves, success depends on supporting
each member of the early childhood education commu-
nity along the evolution process. When programs fully
adopt the UDL framework to meet the needs of children,
families, and educators from Different Experiences,
Cultures, Abilities, and Languages with a focus on the
most important goals for all, they will achieve the kind of
outcomes that will make all early education the success
it was meant to be.
 7
What Administrators
Need to Know
Using the UDL Framework Across the DECAL—
Elements to Improve Outcomes for
Teachers and Students

Message to Administrators
The intended audience of this book is classroom teachers of
children from preschool through grade 3, but we know that
real change in teaching practice cannot be accomplished with-
out informed collaboration and support from administrators.
Our goal for Chapter 7 is to provide critical information that
you need as an administrator of an early childhood education
program and to provide it in a way that will make your job
easier and more effective. Rest assured that UDL is not a new
curriculum to add to your to-do list. It is a way to improve
knowledge and practice proactively to bring higher levels of
success to any curriculum.
114  ◆  What Administrators Need to Know

Guided Questions
◆◆ What barriers are you encountering that make
it difficult for your school to achieve the level of
outcomes you aim for?
◆◆ What federal, state, and funding requirements
are pushing you to seek change in your school?
◆◆ What is the aspect of your job in which you feel
you are most successful?

Defining Key Terms

We recap the explanations provided earlier for teachers
to give administrators an equal footing as we begin our
message to you.

1. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework

that helps all teachers in all classrooms adapt to
meet the needs of each individual child. While the
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
has started a great movement to use this approach
for children with disabilities, we are expanding
the framework to work with all students.
2. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is an
approach that focuses on supporting the learning
of each individual young child according to
his or her interests and level of development.
Materials from the NAEYC list the three key
considerations of DAP as
◆◆ knowing about child development and learning,
◆◆ knowing what is individually appropriate, and
◆◆ knowing what is culturally appropriate.
3. DECAL is a guide for preparing all teachers
to meet the needs of children with Different
Experiences, Cultures, Abilities, and Languages.
 What Administrators Need to Know  ◆ 115

It is a way to focus professional learning and

preparation that addresses
◆◆ Experiences (family income, home literacy
practices, stress and trauma, safe environ-
ments, health and physical development
supports, early care and education, etc.)
◆◆ Culture (family, community, home country,
traditions)
◆◆ Abilities (gifted, individual learning
strengths/abilities/potentials, identified or
potential disabilities, mental health issues)
◆◆ Languages (frequently occurring or rare lan-
guages, multiple languages).

And why are these things important to you as an admin-

istrator? Because they are explicitly required under
the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA, 2015).
According to the CAST (2016) website, UDL is specifi-
cally mentioned in ESSA in the following section:

◆◆ SEC. 1005. State Plans: States need to show

that they have, in consultation with local
education agencies, developed and implemented
high-quality student assessments, including
alternate assessments for students with the most
significant disabilities, “using the principles of
universal design for learning.”
◆◆ SEC. 1204. Innovative Assessment and
Accountability: States must also develop
innovative assessment systems that are accessible
to all students and provide accountability to the
state standards by “incorporating the principles
of universal design for learning.”
◆◆ SEC. 2221(b)(1). Comprehensive Literacy
Instruction: Defined as systematic instruction that
116  ◆  What Administrators Need to Know

provides practice in reading and writing across

the curriculum that “incorporates the principles
of universal design for learning.”
◆◆ SEC. 4104. State Use of Funds (for Student
Support and Academic Enrichments): Federal
education funds under the ESSA must be used
by local schools to improve their ability to “use
technology, consistent with the principles of
universal design for learning, to support the
learning needs of all students, including children
with disabilities and English learners.”

UDL is included in regulations and guidelines in a grow-

ing number of states, including New Jersey and Maryland.
National leadership organizations such as ASCD (Goodwin
& Hein, 2017), National Association for Elementary School
Principals (Brown, Tucker, & Williams, 2012) and American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (Ralabate, 2011).
The goal of our book is to support this national leader-
ship and to expand implementation to encourage a more
unified, accessible approach to education for all children
and all educators.

Change Happens; Be Proactive

One of the most helpful yet untraditional features of UDL
is the notion that change in education should be proactive
rather than reactive. Why not make your building entrance
a ramp so everyone can get in, rather than building stairs
and then having to tear them down when they become a
barrier to someone in the school community? And, simi-
larly, why choose a curriculum that only offers materials in
written English, then spend more money to create props,
translations, and other adaptions as new students find
 What Administrators Need to Know  ◆ 117

that they are not able to access the content. As an adminis-

trator, you can guide your staff, families, volunteers, and
vendors along the path of proactively creating a learning
environment that has the fewest barriers and the greatest
potential for success. It takes leadership to support edu-
cators as they transition away from outdated but familiar
methods such as lecturing, large group instruction, and
worksheets. Differentiation and personalized learning
have been talked about for years. UDL through the lens of
DECAL gives you a way to make personalized planning
and learning more manageable for your teachers.

Promising Trends to Watch

Some states are specifically writing UDL into their regula-
tions, and more states are likely to follow. As an example,
Maryland posted the Maryland Universal Design for
Learning Regulation (COMAR 13A.03.06) in 2013,
stating that

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) means a

research-based framework for curriculum design
that includes goals, methods, materials and assess-
ments to reduce barriers to learning by providing
students multiple accessible support options for
◆◆ acquiring information and knowledge;
◆◆ demonstrating knowledge and skills in alterna-
tive forms of action and expression; and
◆◆ engaging in learning.
(Montgomery County Schools, 2016)

They also provide an introductory puppet-based video

to explain UDL and an interactive digital learning
resource on their learning links website. Just as UDL is
118  ◆  What Administrators Need to Know

a progressive new approach to teaching, some organiza-

tions are creating progressive ways to learn about UDL.
Another promising trend is the increase in venues
to share strategies and resources via websites and social
media, such as:
◆◆ CAST (the Center for Applied Special
Technology, www.CAST.org)
◆◆ The UDL Center (www.udlcenter.org) also has
Twitter handle, Facebook page, and other social
media connections. Their YouTube channel
provides several free videos for educators (www.
youtube.com/c/udlcenterorg)
◆◆ Twitter chat about UDL: #UDLchat
◆◆ DECAL blog (www.languagecastle.com)
◆◆ UDL has a significant presence on Pinterest with
some pages hosted by practitioners and others
hosted by authors and experts like this one by
Katherine McClaskey (www.pinterest.com/
kmcclaskey/universal-design-for-learning/)
◆◆ LinkedIn lists 45 groups dedicated to Universal
Design.

And there are many books, authors, and trainers available.

All of these connections help to emphasize that UDL is ris-
ing and spreading more thoroughly than a simple fad.

Making the Commitment to Operating the Best

Program You Can for Each and Every Child
Highlighting UDL classrooms and practices that sup-
port the components of DECAL offers administrators
the opportunity to uncover the methods and materials
needed to help every child in their program progress
and learn. These methods are not derived from magic or
 What Administrators Need to Know  ◆ 119

mystery. They are common-sense approaches to make

learning work for all of the diverse children in your
program, using the resources, assets, curriculum, and
materials available to your program.

Establishing a Vision for Leading with Diversity in Mind

What is your personal mission? What is your vision for
your professional career in the next five years? What is
the mission or vision statement of your school? And do
any of these statements really guide your behavior or
your work? Recently, it has become trendy for schools
and districts to post “mission statements” that often
result from lengthy team meetings. These statements say
things like:

◆◆ XYZ School shall do whatever it takes for every

student to achieve high academic standards.
◆◆ XYZ School, in partnership with family and
community, will provide all students with
numerous and varied opportunities to gain the
knowledge and skills necessary to grow into
healthy, productive citizens equipped for lifelong
learning.
◆◆ XYZ school professionals understand that
each student is a unique individual and we are
ready to support every student in the pursuit of
learning. Our strategies are not limited to rote
memorization or text reading. Our purpose is to
reach every student in our care.

We often wonder why so much work is put into these

statements when they all sound so similar. Does hav-
ing a mission statement like this really influence
changes in practice? Perhaps it is time to establish a
120  ◆  What Administrators Need to Know

vision that says more explicitly that all teachers, para-

professionals, and specialists are expected to prepare
and implement instruction that meets the needs of each
student from different experiences, cultures, abilities,
and languages, using the proactive UDL framework
to guide planning, designing, and presenting learning
experiences.

Meeting the Needs of Each Individual Staff Member

Some universities, such as The William Paterson
University of New Jersey where Pam is currently an
assistant professor, include course content on UDL.
That will help future teachers and staff, but your job is
to support the teachers, specialists, paraprofessionals,
and volunteers that are already on your staff. Details
for making that possible are provided in Chapter 6 of
this book. We make the case for the importance to taking
into account the different experiences, cultures, abilities
and languages of all of the members of your school com-
munity as you plan events, professional development,
meetings, and communications. The UDL approach is
closely aligned with the principles of adult education.

Self-Check
Supporting Teachers, Specialists, and Paraprofessional in
Becoming a Universally Designed School

Multiple Means of Representation in the Classroom

◆◆ Have you provided the same information a few
different ways (e.g., seeing, hearing, touching) in
order for every child to be able to perceive what
you are trying to teach?
 What Administrators Need to Know  ◆ 121

◆◆ Can the information be presented in the different

languages the children speak?
◆◆ Are the symbols you are using in the classroom
understood by everyone? How can you teach
what the symbol means?
◆◆ Are your directions and expressions understood
by everyone? How can you teach what your
directions and expressions mean?
◆◆ Do the children in your classroom have the
prior knowledge they need to comprehend
what you are teaching? If not, how do you
provide it?
◆◆ Have you used multiple examples that highlight
the skills or knowledge you want to teach?

Multiple Means of Action and Expression in the Classroom

◆◆ Are you providing a way for each child to be able
to physically access and manipulate the materials
and spaces in the classroom as independently as
possible?
◆◆ Are children able to express what they know
in many different ways? Are you permitting
children to draw, use manipulatives, or even act
out what they know?
◆◆ Do children have a fluent way to communicate
with us and with their peers?
◆◆ Are you providing the correct level of assistance
the children need? Independence is key, and you
need to make sure you are not over-supporting
or under-supporting them.

Multiple Means of Engagement in the Classroom

◆◆ What are you doing to make sure you are gaining
the attention of the children in our classrooms?
122  ◆  What Administrators Need to Know

◆◆ Are you providing choices and autonomy in the

classroom so children can have choices in what
interests them?
◆◆ Are you making sure that the materials and
activities in our classrooms are relevant and
authentic to the students in the classroom?
◆◆ Are you making sure that the children have
the correct level of support from the adults in
the room? Not enough supports or too many
supports are harmful.
◆◆ Do children have some challenges in the activities
but not challenges that would frustrate them?
◆◆ Are you designing the supports children need to
reach their personal goals?
◆◆ Are you teaching children what to do when they
feel frustrated?
◆◆ Are children seeing and celebrating their own
successes?

Resources for Leaders

In this section, we have gathered key resources that meet
the particular needs of administrators.
Nemeth, K. (Ed.). (2014). Young dual language learners: A
guide for preK–3 leaders. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon Inc.
www.naesp.org/principal-septemberoctober-2012-
common-core/access-common-core-all-0
www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/Brown_Tucker_
Williams_SO12.pdf
www.ascd.org/publications/books/101042/chapters/
Making-Universal-Design-for-Learning-a-Reality.aspx
 What Administrators Need to Know  ◆ 123

Right from the Start

Schools Are Changing—What Does That Mean to a Teacher?
When we started this book, we wanted you to come to the
same conclusion that we did: if we plan to do the same
old things, we can’t be surprised if we get the same old
results. Why? Because nothing is the same as it used to be.
The twenty-first century is a new time, with new
advantages and new dilemmas. Not only does the “what”
we teach have to change with the times, the “how” we
teach has to change too. The advantages for using the
UDL framework within a developmentally appropriate
program will meet the needs of all young children.
Working from a proactive stance gives us an opportu-
nity to look at each child separately, as well as each group
as a whole. There are many different ways to make sure
each child gets what they need, without sacrificing what
someone else needs. It is essential that teachers have the
knowledge and the support to make sure every student
is included and succeeds to the best of their ability. With
UDL strategies, educators can make it possible for every
child to be the best he can be.
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 Appendix A
Classroom Planning Resource Guide

Tips for finding, choosing, and making materials for the

UDL classroom appear throughout the chapters of this
book. Here, we have compiled the top tips to make class-
room planning easy and accessible.

UDL-ECE Teacher Tips Guide for Choosing Classroom Materials

◆◆ Provide open-ended materials like clay,
blocks, and paints that each child can use to
express himself at her own level.
◆◆ Small pitchers and serving utensils help all
children snack independently.
◆◆ Menus from ethnic restaurants and other real
items from the neighborhood support cultural
connections.
◆◆ Employ a changeable Picture Exchange
Communication System (PECS) for all kinds
of communication needs.
◆◆ Provide games giving everyone a chance
to test their skill, but not always making
everyone win and not always making just the
tallest or most advanced students win.
◆◆ Instead of games with thin cards that are hard
to pick up, paste the cards on pieces of thick
cardboard or foam board for easy handling.
(continued)
134  ◆  Appendix A

(continued)
◆◆ Add more real items for math, science, and
other manipulative activities. Dual language
learners get a head start when working with
familiar materials that they understand and
know about. This is another reason to use
socks for sorting games instead of meaningless
plastic toys or cutout shapes. Collect items
from nature, from kitchens, sports, and so on.
◆◆ Being culturally responsive also means
being respectful about the lives of children
who have a variety of advantages and
disadvantages—make sure you have books
and materials that represent children who
may have housing or food instability or who
are in foster care with changing arrangements.
◆◆ Check your books, displays, and games to be
sure there are items that are relatable for each
child.
◆◆ Visit thrift stores to collect dress-up items
rather than ordering inauthentic items from
catalogs. Look for favorite team colors,
items related to the work of the families, and
relevant pastimes.
◆◆ Provide gardening materials that every
student can use, but avoid sharp implements
so all can be safe.
◆◆ Cultures of the children can be represented
in anything from art supplies to music to
the plants you choose for the garden and the
games you play outdoors.
◆◆ Plastic and magnetic letters are available in
some languages other than English. If you
 Appendix A  ◆ 135

need other characters, print them out and

glue onto plastic sheets and add magnets.
◆◆ Provide some kind of bin or locker for
each student to keep a few important items
securely in the classroom.
◆◆ The Joan Ganz Cooney Center offers a new
website (www.joinkidmap.org). The name
“kidmap” means Kids’ Inclusive and Diverse
Media Action Project. In 2017, they developed
the DIG—Diverse and Inclusive Growth—
checklist to identify high-quality apps for
diverse children (www.joinkidmap.org/
digchecklist/). They recommend that a UDL
approach should be used to ensure accessible
functionality and navigation of children’s apps.

UDL-ECE Teacher Tips Guide for Finding Classroom Materials

◆◆ Check local flea markets, yard sales, and thrift
shops for locally and culturally responsive
items.
◆◆ Ask local charities or cultural organizations to
provide culturally relevant materials.
◆◆ Materials can be requested by mail from the
embassy representing the home country of
each child.
◆◆ Ask restaurants and local businesses for
ethnic menus, posters, and other culturally
relevant materials.
◆◆ Ask family members or volunteers to
contribute print-rich, photo-filled magazines,
(continued)
136  ◆  Appendix A

(continued)
newspapers, and catalogs from different
countries.
◆◆ Borrow from the public library.
◆◆ Online libraries of digital books or
multilingual story apps are good options for
hard to find languages.
◆◆ Ask scout troops or college groups to design
adaptations for furniture and equipment.

UDL-ECE Teacher Tips Guide for Creating Classroom Materials

◆◆ Create class books using photos of the
children’s actual homes, neighborhoods,
and the school community. Think about
places the children go such as the grocery
store, food bank, park, zoo, homeless shelter,
bank, welfare office, clinic, grange center,
veterinarian, county fair, street festival, and
so on.
◆◆ Check local flea markets, yard sales, and thrift
shops for culturally relevant materials you
can use to create centers, projects, activities,
and artwork for the classroom.
◆◆ Provide open-ended materials like clay,
blocks, and paints that each child can use to
express himself at her own level.
◆◆ Use family photos glued to boxes and blocks
to make relatable people in the block or table
toy area.
◆◆ If your curriculum provides required
reading books, create supplemental materials
 Appendix A  ◆ 137

that support the vocabulary and topics in

those books with additional images that
are culturally relevant to use as puzzles or
memory game pieces.
◆◆ Use photos to create picture schedules all
children can follow.
◆◆ Keep a collection of adaptation materials that
can make purchased materials easier to use
such as modeling clay, sponge hair curlers,
rubber bands, tennis balls, ace bandages,
cardboard, foam board, and different types
of tape.

UDL-ECE Teacher Tips Guide for Partnering with Families to

Update Classroom Materials
◆◆ Ask families to take pictures of their child’s
plate at dinner and use the images to create
class books or laminate them to serve as
pretend food in the dramatic play area.
Families can also send in empty food containers
that can be cleaned and used here, too.
◆◆ In the small toy or manipulatives area, replace
meaningless plastic items with real items
that children see at home. When you teach
sorting with a collection of socks, children
see the same items at home and can extend
their learning in ways that don’t happen with
plastic school supplies.
◆◆ Invite families to record themselves as they
walk around the room talking about the
(continued)
138  ◆  Appendix A

(continued)
materials and activities in their primary
language. Use the recordings to practice
vocabulary you can use with children in their
home languages.
◆◆ Post videos of upcoming lessons and activities
so families can talk with children about what
to expect and help to prepare them.
◆◆ Involve families in sharing stories, games,
and rhymes they remember from their own
childhood. They may participate directly in
class or contribute recordings that can be used
for them.
◆◆ Organize a family fix-up day and engage
families in working together to repair,
paint, clean, and decorate the classroom or
playground.

UDL-ECE Teacher Tips Guide for Empowering Students in UDL

Classrooms
◆◆ Use open-ended materials like clay, blocks,
and paints that each child can use to express
himself and create items that can be used for
learning in the classroom.
◆◆ Provide small pitchers and serving utensils to
help all children snack independently.
◆◆ Give children access to basic necessities such
as clean underwear and clothes, toothbrushes
and toothpaste, and hairbrushes that they can
use to take care of themselves even if those
items are not always available in their home.
 Appendix A  ◆ 139

◆◆ Invite the children to be recorded as they

talk about the items and displays in the
different areas of the classroom in their home
languages to help teachers create labels and
conversation starters in each language.
◆◆ Use labels and name tags that include both
visual and tactile cues so all children can
operate independently in the classroom.
◆◆ Provide story making apps that allow
children to create, collaborate, narrate, and
share their own stories.
◆◆ Use apps that allow children with different
levels of dexterity to participate and learn—
such as voice activation or paddle-switch
simulations.
◆◆ Help children learn to help each other rather
than always relying on an adult. Every
empowered child has something to offer a
friend.
 Appendix B
Guided Questions

Here are the guided questions from all the chapters. You
can use them to prepare assignments, start discussions in
staff meetings, post on social media chats for feedback,
explore more deeply in a professional learning commu-
nity, and more.

Chapter 2

◆◆ How do you routinely present information to

the students in your classroom? Is it always
with visuals? Do you always talk about the
topic? How many ways do you present the same
information?
◆◆ When do you find it most challenging to
communicate with the children in your group?
◆◆ What kind of technology are you most
comfortable using that could help you establish
multiple means of representation in your
classroom?
◆◆ Take a closer look at the items on display in your
classroom. How are you presenting information
that you want your children to know? Which
items are really used to facilitate communication?
Which are rarely or never discussed?

Chapter 3

◆◆ Which centers in your classroom are well used

by the children and which centers are ignored by
the children? Do children stay longer at certain
142  ◆  Appendix B

centers and have more complex play with those

materials? Do specific children seem to ignore a
particular center?
◆◆ How are the children in your group expressing
what they know and can do during activities?
Which children are the most challenging for you
to know what they can do or interpret what they
are trying to show/tell you? What contributes to
this challenge?
◆◆ When you step back and watch the children in
child-directed activities, what are they doing?
How are they playing and planning what to do?
Are they using the skills and knowledge you
have taught them in teacher-directed activities?
What other skills are they using?

Chapter 4

◆◆ How much time do children spend together in

play?
◆◆ Do you have times of the day when children
must work alone, or they must work in groups?
How much flexibility do you offer with that?
◆◆ How much of your instruction relies on rote
learning of concepts such as letters, numbers,
colors, and shapes? How much of your instruction
is about teaching specific routines that all children
must follow? Are there any times when children
can figure things out all on their own?
◆◆ When you step back and just watch, what
materials do children show the most interest in?
Do you have a way you want children to play
or use those materials? Do children have time in
the day to explore with those materials any way
they want?
 Appendix B  ◆ 143

Chapter 5

◆◆ How has your program changed over the last

five years? How about the past 10 or 15 years?
◆◆ What is the most challenging part of serving the
needs of all the children in your program?
◆◆ What barriers have you already faced and what
barriers do you expect to face in the near future?
◆◆ What new knowledge do you think the
professionals in your program need? What new
knowledge do you think you need?

Chapter 6

◆◆ What is the best professional development

experience you’ve had? Can you describe what
makes it so memorable?
◆◆ How does your school help you learn from and
with your peers?
◆◆ What is your administrator’s role in professional
development?

Chapter 7

◆◆ What barriers are you encountering that make

it difficult for your school to achieve the level of
outcomes you aim for?
◆◆ What federal, state, and funding requirements
are pushing you to seek change in your school?
◆◆ What is the aspect of your job in which you feel
you are most successful?