PLUMSTED — Two New Egypt Primary School teachers will receive recognition from the New Jersey School Boards Association for creating an innovative special-education program.

Jennifer Miller and Jennifer Gilbert have designed a program called Learning Tools, which focuses on helping to explain all of the adaptive equipment that specialeducation children use to enhance learning in their kindergarten class at the New Egypt Primary School.

"We wanted to get across to educators and others who are involved in both regular and special education that special education does not have to be stigmatizing or leave regular-education students out," said Miller, who is a special-education teacher. "The Learning Tools program has helped us make sure that no one feels singled out or left out during a particular activity."

The program designed by Miller and Gilbert helps all students understand the uses of the different adaptive equipment that some special-education pupils use during the school day.

The Learning Tools program helps to answer questions that are asked about the adaptive equipment and it helps the specialeducation students feel more comfortable using the equipment.

In the Learning Tools program, students label all of the items in their classroom that help to enhance learning as learning tools. Anytime a student or a teacher uses an item that has been labeled a learning tool, the tool and its use is explained to the entire class.

The other purpose of the Learning Tools program is to allow the regular-education students to experience the use of the adaptive equipment. This allows the use of the equipment to be viewed as "normal" to all students, which helps the special-education students to feel comfortable using the equipment.

Learning Tools is one of 10 entries selected for recognition through the 2009 Innovations in Special Education program. It was selected from among 44 programs offered by public schools and private schools for the disabled as examples of successful, creative efforts that enable special-needs students to achieve their potential.

The Learning Tools program will be recognized at a New Jersey School Boards Association awards ceremony on May 14 in Trenton.