Preparation for Transition to Mainstreamed Post-Preschool Environments: Development of a Survival Skills Curriculum

Abstract

Children with handicaps need preparation to successfully negotiate the transition from preschool to kindergarten or elementary school. Different classroom demands are placed on preschoolers and kindergartners. Without specific instruction during preschool, children with handicaps may not acquire the survival skills necessary to learn in kindergarten or first grade. However, reports of curricula to teach survival skills are rare or nonexistent. This paper describes the development of such a curriculum. After conducting extensive observations of kindergarten and first-grade classrooms, the authors identified nine commonly occurring mainstreamed activities, analyzed the skills necessary to participate in these activities, and developed a curriculum to teach them. To teach children to respond independently to their environment rather than to engage in set routines, the curriculum used planned variations for directions following and locating materials as well as fading of teacher assistance. Most children mastered the survival skills. Limited follow-up information suggested that they used them in subsequent placements.