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Games for Teaching Preschool Inclusion

Inclusion is an important part of school life. When children have physical disabilities or delays, are English language learners, or have behavioral problems, it is important that they be included in preschool and receive every opportunity for learning, right along with other children. This benefits not only the children with the special needs, but also typically developing children, as all can learn to understand one another. Games and songs which focus on friendship, trust and acceptance among all class members encourage children of all abilities and backgrounds to feel included.
  1. The More We Get Together

    • A hand shake says, "I welcome you."

      Use the popular preschool song, "The More We Get Together," to emphasize that everyone is a welcome and valued member of the class. Sing the song with all the children in a circle, and encourage the children to shake hands with one another as they sing. If there is a new child or one who is shy, encourage the more outgoing children to greet that child.

    I Can Sing a Rainbow

    • Just as there are many colors in the rainbow, there are also many kinds of children.

      Teach the children "I Can Sing a Rainbow" and then give each child an 8.5-inch-by-11-inch sheet of paper with one of the colors on it. Have all the children in a circle so they can see one another. As everyone sings, each child raises her sheet of paper when her color is mentioned.

    The Sharing Version of Musical Chairs

    • In times past, children's games often had an elimination element, with the winner being the last one left in the game. In the traditional musical chairs game, one child was eliminated each round. You can reclaim this game. Each time the music stops, remove one chair as usual, but now the children have to work together to share the remaining chairs so that all have a place to sit.

    Learning Partners

    • When two children partner together for the day, they both feel included.

      Take a photo of each child and paste the photos onto sturdy card stock. Draw pairs of cards to assign learning partners for the day. The partners can read to one another, practice writing, and travel together on the way to the library or gym. If there are special needs children in the class, their learning partner of the day will have the special responsibility of offering assistance.

    Similar Characteristics

    • Have the children sit in a circle. Call out one characteristic, such as "Who has brown hair?" All the children with that characteristic come to the center of the circle for a moment. Continue calling out characteristics so that every child has several opportunities to experience that she is similar in some way to her classmates. End with several characteristics they all share, such as "Who is a human being?" and "Who is in Miss Smith's preschool class?"

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