SKIP (Special Kids in Preschool)
It is the mission of the Special Kids in Preschool Program to provide eligible preschool children and their families with a developmental curriculum, appropriate to each child’s area of strengths and weaknesses, based on the belief that every child is best able to learn when given opportunities at his/her level of capability.
SKIP Program FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)
SKIP stands for “Special Kids in Preschool” It is a joint program between the Copper Country Intermediate School District and the local Head Start and Preschool Programs. The primary goal of the SKIP program is to successfully include children with special needs in a regular preschool program.
Children with disabilities can learn many skills through daily interaction with other young children. The abilities of all children are enhanced as they learn about the unique needs of their peers. Professional staff plan and implement individual educational goals for all children and make adaptations as needed to promote success for each child.
Many of the children attend kindergarten in their local school district. Some of the children continue to receive special education services while they are in kindergarten. Other children learn best in a special education classroom. Placement decisions are made collaboratively among parents, teachers, and the local school district personnel and are based on information collected during the child’s preschool experience.
The children in SKIP are preschool aged children from Houghton, Baraga or Keweenaw County who have been identified as having special educational needs which may relate to physical handicaps, speech and language delays, vision or hearing impairments, mental retardation, learning disabilities, or emotional problems.
Staff, parents, and other children all help. Speech and language therapists, social workers, hearing and vision consultants, behavioral specialists, and early intervention teachers are assigned as needed to the SKIP children. Their job is to help the children learn in the regular classroom and assist the Preschool teachers in making adjustments and plans for the SKIP children. Parents and volunteers are especially valuable to the SKIP program. Teachers will provide guidance to help parents and volunteers become involved in the classroom.
SKIP classrooms are usually located within regular Head Start classrooms but could be located in any preschool setting. Some children have also been included in SKIP while enrolled in daycare programs. Three Early Childhood special education teachers and a variety of therapists provide services in Houghton, Baraga, and Keweenaw County preschool classrooms.