Coaching and Consultation Practices in Early Childhood

Coaching is one of the best ways to enhance the skills of early childhood practitioners and ensure high‐quality learning experiences for young children with and without disabilities. With this authoritative professional learning resource, educators and early interventionists will learn how to use coaching and consultation methods to support inclusion and ensure the best outcomes for all children from birth to five. Written by two experts on early childhood intervention and special education, this book introduces multiple models of professional collaboration and offers in‐depth guidance on how to implement an effective consultation/coaching model in early childhood settings. From big‐picture considerations to small logistical details, professionals will master the entire process of creating, maintaining, and evaluating a successful coaching relationship. In each chapter, case examples, discussion questions, chapter summaries, and group activities reinforce key points and encourage reflection. An essential professional resource and an ideal textbook for courses on consultation and coaching, this comprehensive guide will help early childhood practitioners work together to improve educational and developmental outcomes for all young children. DISCOVER HOW TO:. Establish ground rules and objectives for coaching. Build rapport and strong communication skills within a coaching relationship. Systematically gather information about the child, teacher, and learning environment to inform coaching practices. Work together to set and prioritize intervention goals for children. Create and implement an action plan that addresses intervention goals. Deliver effective performance feedback. Evaluate the success of both the coaching plan and the partnership. Use current technology to harness the benefits of tele‐intervention, mobile coaching, and remote consultation. PRACTICAL MATERIALS:. Support successful coaching and consultation with more than 25 reproducible downloads, including progress monitoring forms, action plans, a planning matrix, self‐assessments, and coaching session sample logs.