The impact of an early intervention home visiting experience on student learning in a dual early childhood/special education graduate preservice program

ABSTRACT

Home visiting is a primary service delivery approach to promote young children’s development and support families. Early Intervention professionals are expected to partner with families to create effective learning experiences in the daily context of routine family life. Concerns about early childhood (special) educators’ readiness to take on this partnership role have been voiced, suggesting explicit learning opportunities are needed within preservice preparation programs. This study explored the impact of an introductory assignment analyzing a videotaped home visit on preservice Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education students’ learning about home visiting practices. Implications for scaffolding home visiting experiences in preservice preparation are discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bonnie Keilty

Dr. Keilty is an associate professor in the special education department at Hunter College, City University of New York and coordinates Hunter’s Early Childhood Special Education program. Dr. Keilty’s work focuses on early intervention practices that support the family in their parenting role and promote infant-toddler development, and prepare professionals to provide that support. She is author of The Early Intervention Guidebook for Families and Professionals (2016) which is currently in its second edition and Seven Essentials for Family-Professional Partnerships in Early Intervention (2017). Dr. Keilty is a former president of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Sagarika Kosaraju

Dr. Kosaraju is an adjunct assistant professor at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY). She previously served as visiting assistant professor at Hunter and taught courses on authentic assessment, literacy, and student teaching. She holds a doctorate from The George Washington University in special education, where she partnered with Early Stages, a division of the District of Columbia Public Schools, to analyze time frames and family factors related to parent participation in the eligibility determination process for preschool children. Dr. Kosaraju was a special educator for 6 years in early childhood special education and taught in a variety of environments, including homes, classrooms, and community inclusion settings.