Using “Snack Talk” to Support Social Communication in Inclusive Preschool Classrooms

Using Mobile Technologies to Communicate With Parents and Caregivers

“…When photos of children engaged in classroom routines and activities were shared, all parents found that their children included greater detail when asked about their day and provided additional information about activities not depicted in the photo. This finding is consistent with other literature addressing the use of visual supports to promote conversation (Arthur-Kelly, Sigafoos, Green, Mathisen, & Arthur-Kelly, 2009; Gauvreau, 2017; Meadan, Ostrosky, Triplett, Michna, & Fettig, 2011). All parents reported that the conversations with photos as a visual support were much more enjoyable for both them and their children.…”

“…One study participant, in a recorded conversation with her mother, asked, “Mom, Mom, you’re, the things that you have [pictures emailed from school], help me remember.” Another child asked, after her mother initiated a question without a visual, “Mama, can you show me the picture so I don’t forget?” Thus the results of this study, combined with the robust literature on visual supports (Arthur-Kelly et al, 2009; Gauvreau, 2017; Meadan et al, 2011; Rao & Gagie, 2004) and the importance of parent–child conservations as mediators of memory development (Fivush et al, 2006; Larkina & Bauer, 2014; Ornstein et al, 2004) suggest that mobile technology-created visuals are useful in supporting more meaningful conversations about a child’s day at school, and that these visuals are socially validated by parents and children (Gauvreau, 2015).…”

Training of future teachers for work with children under the conditions of preschool inclusive education

“…Thus, this research was a contribution to the study of the problem of training preschool teachers in the context of implementation of the concept of inclusive education. First of all, the study expanded previous research on the necessary skills and abilities of teachers who will work with children with special needs (Florian L., Beaton M., 2018;Gauvreau A. N., 2019;Nizet, I. & Meyer, F., 2015).…”

“…Thus, inclusive education in its modern sense formed only at the end of the 20th century. According to the results of the review of modern research on inclusive education of preschool children, the researchers identify the following contradictions (Gauvreau A. N., 2019;Smantser, A. P., & Ignatovich, E., 2015): 1) between the modern requirements of society to an effective system of inclusive education and insufficient development of its theoretical and methodological justification, as well as scientific and methodological support (Biktagirova G. F., 2016); 2) between the importance of social formation of a preschooler's personality in the system of inclusive education and the lack of appropriate methods of organizing this process (Flumerfelt, S. & Green, G., 2013;Sadovaya, V. V., Khakhlova, O. N. & Reznikov, A. A., 2015); 3) between the importance of training professionals to help children with peculiar psychophysical development and their families and the inconsistency of the true state of mental and psychological pedagogical readiness of preschool teachers for effective practical implementation of this process with this provision (Sukhoterina, 2013).…”

“…This level is associated with the activities of specific organizations and specialists, individuals. For inclusive education, this is the level of psychological acceptance by teachers of educational organizations of the very possibility of joint learning of people with disabilities, their professional attitudes, stereotypes and actions towards pupils with disabilities (Gauvreau A. N., 2019).…”