Early Childhood Programs
Laurie Martin, Director
North Point Educational Service Center provides center-based and itinerant services to children, ages, 3-5, from 16 school districts. These services are provided to children identified by their respective school district as eligible for services in any of the Ohio Department of Education special education categories.
Center-Based Services
Thirteen of our 14 center-based programs operate morning or afternoon classes Monday-Thursday in various sites in a 4 county-area. One of the classrooms is full day Monday through Thursday. All classrooms provide the following in the least restrictive environment as determined by the IEP team:
- Licensed Special Education Teacher
- At least one (1) Educational Assistant
- Individualized Instruction
- Speech, Occupational, Physical Therapies based on identified student needs
- Maximum of 8 students who attend based on need for special education services
- Maximum of 8 students who attend on a tuition basis and provide peer modeling in social, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Itinerant Services
Itinerant staff provides special education support in a 5-county area to children for a minimum of 4 hours/month. Students receive services in their home or community in the least restrictive environment as determined by the IEP team.
- Licensed Special Education Teacher
- Individualized Instruction
- Speech, Occupational, Physical Therapies based on identified student needs
- Consultative services to parents and community staff
Preschool Curriculum
The Board-adopted preschool curriculum consists of the following:
- The Creative Curriculum
- Read, Play, and Learn
Based in theory and research, The Creative Curriculum provides the background, strategies, and teaching approaches in how children develop and learn, the learning environment, what children learn, the teacher’s role, and the family’s role. There is also a focus on the social and emotional skills children need to succeed in school and life and guidance on the teacher’s role in addressing content in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology. The curriculum also provides a range of instructional strategies, from child-initiated to teacher-directed learning and incorporates activities to use with children of all ability levels.
In recognizing the importance of literacy in the overall development of the young child, Read, Play, and Learn is used in conjunction with the Creative Curriculum. The 16 books and accompanying modules of activities, used with other books, provide 1-3 weeks of flexible, sequenced activities that build on concepts, ideas, actions, and events of the stories in order to make learning more relevant for children. The curriculum activities are available in each classroom center. The retelling and rereading of the books each day enhance emergent literacy skills, and the many activities across classroom centers help promote children’s growth across the core domains of development.
Both curriculums allow for individualized instruction and modifications to meet each learner’s needs. The combination of the above activities and teaching strategies align with all the Ohio Department of Education Early Learning Content Standards for preschool children.
The above materials and resources support our belief in how children learn, the importance and responsibility of staff and parents in their child(ren)’s development, and provides early childhood staff with the knowledge and resources to create opportunities and environments for children to be active participants in their own learning.
As a child’s most important teacher and to assist us in establishing independence and developmental growth in each child, we ask that families encourage their child to follow all classroom routines, activities, and expectations. Examples of this might include, requiring the child to enter the classroom and hang up his/her coat, remove papers from home and give to teacher, etc. When each child arrives home, he/she should be expected to complete the same or similar routine. By expecting the children to be as independent as possible, we can all do our part to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.
For more information, or if you have any questions please contact Laurie Martin at 419-684-5385 or email her at lmartin@npesc.org.
