Teacher Preparation that Addresses the Needs of Young Children with Diverse Abilities and Developmental Differences

• In Event: Early Childhood Teacher Education for a Diverse Democratic Society: Promising Practices and Research Gaps

Abstract

One proven avenue to improving educational outcomes is preparing teachers to address the diverse abilities of young children. This paper seeks to bridge the divide by examining holistically, both early childhood education and early childhood special education to understand teacher preparation for young children with diverse abilities and developmental differences. It examines the constraints of history and the elements of high quality teacher education, along with challenges, promising practices, and future directions for teacher preparation for all young children. This synthesis of the research literature using an ecological lens brings together what we know to be effective practices for preparing teachers for inclusive early childhood teaching.

Author

• Leslie J Couse, University of New Hampshire