The tools every EA needs to help each child reach their full potential
The Educational Assistant’s Guide to Supporting Inclusion in a Diverse Society is an accessible, practical guide to acquiring the key skills and knowledge you need to be an effective, professional enhancement to the classroom.
Chock-full of pro tips, tricks, tools, and tales from EAs who understand the importance of an individualized, holistic approach to student learning, The Educational Assistant’s Guide is your introduction to the many and varied roles and responsibilities of the effective EA. Updates for the second edition include five new chapters, a core-skills focus, targeted instructional strategies, EA wellness assessments, and more.
Gain foundational knowledge that will make you an invaluable addition to any classroom team:
- Canada’s legal commitments to diversity and inclusion
- AI and other assistive technologies in the classroom
- The argument for inclusive education
- Societal issues affecting students
- The basics of universal design for learning
- Proven methods of supporting learning and inquiry
- Scaffolding instruction for all learners
- Applications of assistive technologies
- Techniques for observing and documenting student progress
- Positive guidance strategies for challenging behaviours
- Relevant research on the brain, self-esteem, stress and trauma, resiliency, and multiple intelligences
- Effective communication, advocacy, and relationship-building strategies
- Strategies for problem-solving and professional growth
Preface
Introduction
PART I: DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM
1. Our Diverse Society
2. Exceptionalities and Inclusion
3. The Brain and Behaviour
PART II: THE INCLUSIVE EA
4. Introducing the Inclusive EA
5. A Practice of Relationships
PART III: CORE SKILLS
6. Communication
7. Advocating for Children and for Yourself
8. Observing and Documenting
9. Supporting Learning
10. Reflective Practice
11. Surviving and Thriving
PART IV: THE INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM
12. Universal Design for Learning
13. Assistive Technologies
PART V: STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
14. Supporting Inquiry: The Importance of Asking Questions
15. Supporting Emergent Literacy
16. Supporting Reading
17. Supporting Writing
18. Supporting Numeracy
19. Supporting Social Skills
Conclusion: Supporting Inclusion in a Diverse Society
Appendices
Appendix A: Instructional Strategies to Promote UDI Principles
Appendix B: Websites to Support Inclusive Instructional Planning
Appendix C: Individual Education Plan (IEP) Template
Appendix D: Inclusive Community Planning Matrix
Appendix E: Examples of Accommodations
Appendix F: Common Math Manipulatives
Appendix G: Apps to Support Instruction
Appendix H: AI Tools to Support Instruction
Appendix I: Differentiating Instruction for Academic Learning: Literacy and Numeracy
Appendix J: Differentiating Instruction for Social Learning
Glossary
Bibliography
About the Authors
Carole Massing began her career as an elementary school teacher and developed a special interest in early learning when her own children were small. Since that time, she has taught in post-secondary programs at MacEwan University, the University of Alberta, and NorQuest College. She has also consulted, researched, and developed curriculum in early learning and child care, interculturalism, and human service administration. She earned her PhD in elementary education at the University of Alberta. Bonnie Anderson began her teaching career as an educational assistant and went on to work as a classroom teacher for three decades. She worked primarily with children with exceptionalities in inclusive and specialized programs. Her focus was integrating arts across the curriculum and differentiating instruction. Bonnie developed the curriculum for the program for educational assistants at NorQuest College and now teaches in the program. Carol Anderson is a retired educator with 39 years of teaching experience working with school-aged children in diverse classroom settings. She is trained both as a K-12 educator and as a specialist for children with communicative challenges, in particular children who are Deaf and hard of hearing. Originally from California, Carol completed her undergraduate degree in liberal arts from the University of the Pacific and achieved her Master's in Communicative Disorders: Education of the Deaf, at California State University, Fresno. Sarah Dewhurst has spent her career in education proving that the learning journey never ends. Beginning as a high school English teacher, Sarah has developed programs for Indigenous students, students with English as an additional language, students with complex learning needs, preschoolers, daycare programs for autistic children, and day programming for adults with developmental disabilities. Sarah now teaches at NorQuest College in the educational assistant and disability studies programs. She is also the founder and executive director of DiffabilitiesYEG, an organization aimed at providing vocational day programming for adults with developmental disabilities.
