Education Commons^™

Naturalistic Instructional Approaches In The Early Childhood Inclusive Classroom, Maranda Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As a result of the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), states are required to provide students with disabilities high quality education in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) to the greatest extent possible. Many students are now being educated alongside their general education peers in blended classrooms. Co-teaching has become a practical strategy to provide high-quality, individualized, and specialized education within blended classrooms. However, studies have shown that early childhood educators are not prepared to teach students with disabilities. Naturalistic instructional approaches are an evidence-based practice that can be utilized by early childhood inclusive co-teachers to teach important …