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| Programming for Early Education of CHildren with Disabilities (PEECH). An individualized educational program designed to enhance the development of preschool children with mild to moderate disabilities, ages 3 to 5. |
Audience Approved by PEP for children with mild to moderate disabilities, ages 3 to 5.
Description The Programming for Early Education of CHildren with Disabilities (PEECH) program provides training and technical assistance to early childhood programs which serve children with mild to moderate disabilities ages 3 to 5. By adopting PEECH, an exemplary program for young children and their families can be developed. The educational needs of the children are determined by utilizing an ongoing assessment instrument which evaluates fine motor, gross motor, language, general knowledge and school readiness, social, and self-help skills. The philosophy of the PEECH model includes a low student/teacher ratio, a positive approach to behavior management, extensive training and involvement of paraprofessionals as teachers, a carefully structured learning environment, and careful planning and evaluation of daily individualized teaching sessions. Individualized family involvement is included as an integral part of the model.
The PEECH NDN program serves three of the National Goals for Education: #1, children starting school ready to learn; #7, educators receiving professional development opportunities; and #8, parents participating as partners in their child's education. PEECH provides a developmentally appropriate program for preschool children, workshops specifically designed for staff development in all areas of preschool education and a systems approach to parent involvement in the program.
Evidence of Effectiveness Children aged three to five with mild to moderate disabilities who have preschool programming using the PEECH model show improvement in receptive and expressive vocabulary. This improvement is shown by: (1) greater gains in receptive and expressive vocabulary than would be expected on the basis of maturation at their preintervention rate of development; (2) accelerated rates of development during intervention; and (3) moderate to large effect sizes.
Children aged three to five with mild to moderate disabilities who have preschool programming using the PEECH model also improve in social competence. This improvement is shown by: (1) statistically significant differences between pre- and posttest scores on an instrument measuring teachers' ratings of children's social competence; and (2) moderate to large effect sizes.
Requirements Administrative commitment to program review and assessment, staff development based on a needs assessment, integrated preschool classes, and parents as partners in education are prerequisites for successful implementation of the PEECH Model.
Costs Adoption sites pay $100 to help defray the printing costs of the training manuals which the Certified Trainers use for workshops. Travel costs for the coordinator will be negotiated with the SF. Adoption sites must have an ongoing assessment tool in place. (If one is not being used, the cost of a new assessment tool would be approximately $300.)
Services Two or three day adoption training sessions in the PEECH Model components are usually conducted in individual states. Periodically training sessions are scheduled at the University of Illinois. The State Facilitator assists with the identification of personnel who become Certified Trainers and assume responsibility for coordinating services, conducting training sessions with the site staff, and acting as liaison with the PEECH Coordinator.
Developmental Funding: USOE, SEP, and NDN.
JDRP No. 75-74 (11/10/75)
Recertified (3/9/92)
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