Ask two parents of young children (ages 2–5 years) to come to class and allow you (the instructor) to interview them using Reach for the Stars. Invite one parent who has a child with a disability and one parent whose child does not have a disability.

In class, complete the interviews separately. Model appropriate interviewing techniques (e.g., use of open-ended questions). For each interview, complete the Gifts and Contributions, Preferences, and Images for School maps described in Chapter 3.

Reflect on the interviews by having a discussion with students about the quality of each interview. Consider what the interviews reveal about the similarities and differences of the hopes and dreams of families who have children with disabilities and those who do not.


Activity 2: Role Play

Using the communication strategies listed in Table 2.3 in Chapter 3, pair students and have them role-play an interview. They are going on their first home visit to see a new family whose child will be entering their classroom. Their goals for the visit are to get to know the family and child better and to find out what the family’s present concerns and needs are for their child. Have each student in the pair generate questions with this scenario in mind.

After the questions are developed, have each person practice being the interviewee (parent or caregiver).

At the conclusion of the activity, have the class as a whole reflect on their performances and share their thoughts about the ease or difficulty of such a task.


Activity 3: Panel Discussion

Invite to class a panel of parents who have children in an inclusive early childhood program to discuss their thoughts about the program in which their children participate. Ensure that you invite families who have children with and without disabilities, and also attempt to include nontraditional families (e.g., single parents, grandparents raising their grandchildren). Prepare questions to share with the families ahead of time, such as the following:

1. What are your reasons for choosing an inclusive program for your child?
2. How do you think your child benefits from participation in the program?
3. How do you participate in your child’s program?
4. Do you have any concerns about the setting?

Allow students opportunities to ask questions throughout the panel discussion.