The recent focus on inclusivity in education has been necessitated by a series of crucial sociocultural changes within the global community. The concept of inclusive practice is believed to have a generally positive effect on students’ performance and their further development, including cognitive and social aspects thereof (Llopart and Esteban-Guitart, 2018). Indeed, active knowledge and experience sharing contributes to galvanizing learners’ cognitive functions and enriching their experiences (Gilham et al., 2021). Integrating inclusive practices into the context of early years of education will help not only to spur the development of crucial cognitive skills in learners but also improve their mental health, while also improving parents’ and educators’ experiences.
The definition, nature, and goals of inclusive practices may vary extensively depending on learners’ age and the type of setting in which the specified practices are promoted. For the early years education, inclusive practice can be defined as a concerted effort at creating a culturally welcoming space where students from different backgrounds can feel comfortable and encouraged to explore their learning opportunities, as well as their learning characteristics. As a result, students implicitly develop a nuanced and profound understanding of their learning patterns, which allows them to select effective learning strategies in the future (Averett et al., 2021). Therefore, in its essence, the concept of inclusive practice involves the active encouragement of building a setting where students feel most comfortable engaging in learning activities and performing the related tasks.
Presently, there are several strategies for implementing inclusive practices in the classroom setting. Among essential approaches to maintaining inclusivity in the classroom, one should mention introducing innovative tools that allow learners with disabilities to enjoy the full extent of academic experiences (Llopart and Esteban-Guitart, 2018). Specifically, with a thorough analysis of expected classroom situations and the identification of potentially challenging scenarios for students with disabilities, teachers will be able to incorporate the supportive options that will increase learners’ engagement (Llopart and Esteban-Guitart, 2018). For instance, for students with hearing impairments, the use of microphones and frequency modulated units will allow teachers to increase the extent of students’ understanding and involvement in classroom activities (Averett et al., 2021). Additionally, options for ESL learners, as well as students form multicultural backgrounds, which involve integration of essential components of the target population’s culture and language into classroom activities, represent an important aspect of inclusive practices.
The effects of inclusive practices in early education affect all stakeholders involved, yet children are evidently the ones that will receive the greatest range of opportunities and benefits form inclusive practices introduced into the early education setting. Specifically, the integration of inclusive practices will help young learners acquire necessary skills at the required rate (Klibthong and Agbenyega, 2020). While it would be unrealistic to assume that all young learners will build specific skillsets at the same speed and with the same level of success, the use of inclusive practices will help students with learning difficulties to meet their full potential at their own pace (Klibthong and Agbenyega, 2020). Likewise, their peers will be able to develop a profound and intuitive understanding of inclusivity and diversity as they observe the integration of inclusive practices into the academic context (Gilham et al., 2021). Therefore, children will benefit extensively from the use of inclusive practices in the learning environment.
In addition, the proposed change to the early learning context will entail impressive changes for parents of children with learning difficulties and impairments. Namely, parents will be able to receive substantial support from educators and collaborate with teachers to ensure that their children acquire the necessary skills. Specifically, educators ill instruct parents on the strategies that they can implement in the home setting to boost students’ learning process (Raguindin et al., 2020). Moreover, the focus on inclusive practices and the resulting collaboration between teachers and parents will imply that learners will receive greater support from their parents (Raguindin et al., 2020). Therefore, children with learning disabilities should be considered the core target audience that will benefit from the incorporation of inclusive practices into the early education environment.
Teachers will also experience extensive effects of inclusive practices being implemented in the academic environment. Among the most obvious changes, an improved understanding of how teachers can facilitate active and immersive learning for students with special needs should be mentioned. Specifically, teachers will be able to focus on students that have a limited range of opportunities for succeeding in their academic endeavors. As a result, educators will be able to acquire the skills and competencies needed to support the specified demographic. The described change means that teachers will be exposed to a greater range of information and learning opportunities that they can utilize to gain new competencies and skills (Raguindin et al., 2020). Therefore, professional development and the associated changes will occur with the introduction of inclusive practices in the early education context.
Finally, the global community should be regarded as one of the core stakeholders in the introduction of inclusive practices in the early learning context. By focusing on the means of facilitating students with disabilities with a greater range of opportunities, educators will actively promote a new perspective on learning, collaboration, and equality in the academic setting. Specifically, the emphasis on the specified population will evoke greater empathy toward vulnerable communities and populations affected by factors contributing to a limited access to education.
As a result, the global community is expected to shift toward increased acceptance of people with learning disabilities, as well as the exploration of opportunities for facilitating better learning experiences for them. Additionally, the described change is expected to lead to a rise in equality and equity within the academic environment (Nganga et al., 2020). Therefore, the integration of inclusive practice into the early childhood learning environment is likely to cause a series of changes both on micro- and macro-levels. Overall, the promotion of inclusive practice will enhance the efficacy of learning and promote collaboration among all community members, which is why the specified approach should be actively pursued in the learning environment.
Due to the opportunities for cross-cultural learning, the incorporation of inclusive practices into early childhood education will not only improve students’ learning, but also offer teachers and parents a greater range of opportunities for supporting children’s development. Specifically, the focus on collaborative practices, personalization, and a greater variety of learning opportunities should be regarded as critical changes to be made to the current academic setting in order to enhance learning experiences of younger students. The proposed change in the school environment will encourage students to participate actively and engage in activities that they would not be able to otherwise. As a result, students from diverse backgrounds and communities will feel encouraged to acquire their skills while developing at their own pace.
Reference List
Averett, P., Hegde, A. V. and Church, J. (2021) ‘Early childhood administrators’ use of and beliefs about inclusive practices for gay and lesbian families’, Journal of Early Childhood Research, vol. 19(4), pp. 413-428.
Gilham, C., Neville-MacLean, S., & Atkinson, E. (2021). Effect of online modules on pre-service teacher mental health literacy and efficacy toward inclusive practices. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue canadienne de l’éducation, 44(2), 559-599.
Klibthong, S. and Agbenyega, J. S. (2020) ‘Inclusive early childhood settings: analyses of the experiences of Thai early childhood teachers’, International Education Studies, 13(1), pp. 21-31.
Llopart, M. and Esteban-Guitart, M. (2018) ‘Funds of knowledge in 21st century societies: Inclusive educational practices for under-represented students. A literature review’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 50(2), pp. 145-161.
Nganga, L., Madrid Akpovo, S. and Kambutu, J. (2020) ‘Culturally inclusive and contextually appropriate instructional practices: Rethinking pedagogical perspectives, practices, policies, and experiences in early childhood education programs’, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 34(1), pp. 2-5.
Raguindin, P. Z. J., Ping, L. Y., Duereh, F. and Lising, R. L. S. (2020) ‘Inclusive practices of in-service teachers: a quantitative exploration of a Southeast Asian context’, European Journal of Educational Research, 9(2), pp. 787-797.