What is Inclusion

by Lisa Weinberger | More from this Blogger

17 Mar 2006 10:41 PM

What is Inclusion in regards to the educational classroom? Inclusive education means that all students in a school, mo matter their level of learning, their strengths or weaknesses in any subject area, becomes part of the regular school classroom.

All students want to have the feeling they belong or are included in the same activities as their student peers. Students want to be treated the same by their teachers and support staff.

Before NCLB or No Child Left Behind, the original policy of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with its 1997 amendments, made it clear that schools have a responsibility to educate all types of children with or without disabilities in a general education classroom.

Inclusion allows students with LD's (learning disabilities) to participate in a normal school day in a regular classroom with their friends. Instead of taking the student out of the classroom, teacher's assistants and shadowers have entered the regular classroom to help the individual students with disabilities.

Due to Inclusion, the classroom now is required to have different stations set up which allows all types of learners to participate in all activities. In one corner, you may see building blocks while in another corner, there may be a few CD players with headphones and CD's of the student's book being read allowed.

According to the US government of education, all students MUST be accommodated within a regular classroom setting. They find this to be the Least Restrictive Environment for student learning to continue.

Learn more about Lisa Weinberger

Lisa Weinberger began her career as a teacher and private tutor 15 years ago, and has taught preschoolers to adults. Lisa spent 4 months in Israel teaching English to Israeli students.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger