NASP 2011: San Francisco

1. A Comprehensive Approach to Early Childhood Assessment and InterventionKelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., & Dempsey, J.University of Nebraska Omaha NASP 2011: San Francisco

2. Acknowledgements and Appreciation • Papillion-LaVista Public School District, Omaha, NE • Especially Kristy Feden! • Sarpy County Head Start, NE • School Psychology Graduate Students • Many, many children and their families • University Committee on Research • Artwork by Julie K. Hart

3. What is Play Assessment? • An observation of a child’s skills in the context of play • Cognitive (thinking and problem-solving) • Social • Behavioral • A system that results in a description of a child’s competencies and areas of need • A method of monitoring a child’s progress in curriculum and intervention

4. Use of Play Assessments • Individual assessments to determine performance levels in developmental domains • Screening classes or groups to determine group performance • Progress monitoring of individuals, groups, and/or classrooms • Program evaluation to determine program effectiveness

5. What is play intervention? • An intervention process in which the areas of need that are identified in play assessment are addressed in the context of play

6. Why play interventions? • Teachers easily understand the intervention • Children are in their natural environment • Parents can learn how to conduct interventions

7. Conducting Play Assessments Observational Approach “how to”

8. Observation Sessions • Determine setting • Laboratory • Classroom • Home • Select time of day (free play is ideal in classrooms) • Make sure that the toys can elicit a wide range of skills

9. Observation of Play • Observe at least 30 minutes to determine level of exploratory/pretend play • Document the amount of time for play behaviors (explained later) • For supplementary subdomains, observe until child reaches age appropriate levels of play or until you determine that the results are accurate • Validate from the teacher

10. Level of Facilitation • Do not guide the child’s play • Do not let others guide the child’s play • For categories that were not observed, you can set up an opportunity – may need to ask teacher • If category never observed and no opportunities are available, ask teacher for input

11. Observation of Social/Behavior • Also note any social and/or behavioral strengths and possible areas of need • Initiation of play • Receptivity of play when others initiate • Variety of playmates • Adult vs. child play

12. Additional Developmental Domains • Can also note on the following • Language • Motor • Interests

13. CodingPlay Forms and coding guidelines How to analyze the observations

14. Assessment Forms • Observation and Coding • Summary and Progress • PIECES • Developmental Progression of Play

15. What is measured…. • Core Play Skills – measures cognitive development • Exploratory Play • Simple Pretend Play • Complex Pretend Play • Social Skills • Behavior • Language can be noted • Supplemental Play Skills – • Problem Solving Skills and Planning - measures cognitive development • Discrimination/ Classification Skills • Quantification Skills • Drawing Skills • Sequencing Abilities

16. Social: Play Partners • Number • Child(ren)/Adults

17. Social: Play Direction • Initiator – child initiates play with another child or adult • Follower – child follows play of another child or adult • Cooperative – child has cooperative play interchanges with another child or adult

18. Communication • Language heard during play – document • This can be a conversation with an adult or another child or the target child could be talking to him/herself

19. Supplemental Areas of Assessment • Strategic Behavior and Problem Solving Skills • Discrimination/Classification Skills • Quantification Skills • Drawing Skills • Sequencing Abilities

20. Reporting results • Highest level of play coded for each subdomain (i.e., core and supplemental) • Percent of time in pretend vs. exploratory play • Number of steps in pretend play (when applicable) • Description of the variety of play acts, toys used, and level of facilitation • Social dimensions of play • Behaviors that may facilitate or interfere with play

21. Results of play assessment • Competencies • Student observed an age appropriate skill in the play subdomain • Reported skills • Teacher reported an age appropriate skill in the play subdomain but the skill was not observed • Emerging skills • Skill was observed rarely or only with facilitation • Areas of need • Skill was not observed or reported

22. Intervention System Using the assessment data

23. System – Level 1 • Screening of all children using the PIECES observation and coding system • Can be conducted 3-4 times per year • Purpose: • To determine group progress and program effectiveness • To determine which children need additional interventions • Must have a criteria for moving to Level 2

24. System – Level 2 • Small group or individual interventions • Interventions are 1-2 times per week • Progress is monitored 1-2 times per week • Evaluate progress every 4-6 weeks • Establish a criteria for moving from Level 2 to Level 3 and from Level 2 to Level 1

25. System – Level 3 • Level 3 – Individual or small group interventions • Progress is monitored 2-3 times per week • Interventions are 3-5 times per week • Evaluate progress every 4-6 weeks

26. Play Interventions • Determine from assessment results • Intensity depends on need • Small group or individual interventions can be used • Frequent progress monitoring is required because young children change very quickly • Peer comparisons are helpful in determining if improvement is due to development or the intervention

27. Play Interventions can include • Parents* • Teachers • Peers • Siblings • Older children in a school – if applicable • *Hart found that parents are knowledgeable about play and believe it is important to development but their child’s play level did not reflect the belief

28. Interventions • Individual and group intervention strategies • Teach new skills • Model • Add ons • Increase emerging skills • Verbal prompts • Play partners Use verbal praise and encouragement throughout intervention

29. References • Cherney, I. C., Kelly-Vance, L., Gill, K., Ruane, A., & Ryalls, B. O. (2003). The effects of stereotyped toys and gender on play assessment in 18-47 month old children. Educational Psychology, 22, 95-106. • Kelly-Vance, L., Needelman, H., Troia, K., & Ryalls, B. O. (1999). Early childhood assessment: A comparison of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and a Play-Based Technique. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 27, 1-15. • Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2008). Best practices in play assessment and intervention. In J. Grimes & A. Thomas, (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V, vol. 2, 549-559. • Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2005). A systematic, reliable approach to play assessment in preschoolers. School Psychology International, 26, 398-412. • Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., & Glover, K. G. (2002). The use of play assessment to evaluate the cognitive skills of two- and three-year old children. School Psychology International, 23, 169-185. • Mallory, J., Kelly-Vance, L, & Ryalls, B. O. (2010). Incorporating divergent thinking into play interventions for preschool children with developmental risk factors. The International Journal of Creativity and Problem Solving, 20, 57-71.

30. Contact Information • Lisa Kelly-Vance • lkelly-vance@unomaha.edu • Brigette Ryalls • bryalls@unomaha.edu • Jessica Dempsey • jessicadempsey@unomaha.edu • www.unomaha.edu/schoolpsych/playresources.php