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SUBJECT:  ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS

There are several categories of modifications ranging from simple to complex.  Since all students are unique, a successful modification for one student may not be applicable for another.  The intent of this handout is to provide a potpourri of ideas from which to choose.  

PREVIEW OR PRE-TEACH MATERIALS IN ADVANCE

·        Preview and discuss pictures in textbooks before material is read in class. Ask the student to tell you as much information as possible about the subject.

·        Review boldfaced words with the student.  Practice reading the new words.  Define and discuss the vocabulary in the context of the story.

·        If you are permitted to copy materials, then highlight important information.  Color code the info.  For Example:  yellow - vocab. Words; blue - definitions; green - topic sentences, important facts, and test information

·        If reading aloud causes apprehension for the student choose several paragraphs to practice in advance.  Let the general education teacher know which paragraphs the student has practiced. The teacher can call on the student to read only the prepared section.

·        Teach the student to use the RAP acronym below.  This will assist with paraphrasing of materials. 

Read the paragraph

Ask yourself to recall the main idea and several details about the material

Practice saying the main ideas and important details in your own words

TEXTBOOK MODIFICATIONS 

·        Provide an outline of the textbook material.  Allow the student to take notes on the outline while peers are reading.

·        Prepare an outline of important material for the student to use as a guide when listening to materials. 

TRACKING DIFFICULTIES

Many students have difficulty following along when material is presented in written format e.g., may lose their place, difficulty moving from line to line, directionality not established.

·        Give oral location clues when reading aloud.  Redirect the student by pointing out page and paragraph numbers frequently.  Give the student a bookmark.

·        Provide a picture frame made from construction paper.  The student will be able to see several lines of print, yet block out the distracting stimuli.

TESTING PROCEDURES

·        Test read by volunteer or teacher.  Completed by student

·        Test taken with specialist or special education teacher

·        Portions of test - color-coded

·        Test broken down into segments

ASSIGNMENTS/CLASS WORK/HOMEWORK

Some students feel overwhelmed, which, in turn, may result in extreme frustration and acting out behaviors.  Modifications need to be made if the student is to be successful in the general education classroom.  The first step is to determine the objective of the assignment.  Then you can modify the assignment accordingly.

·        Allow the students to work with partners or in cooperative groups. A member of the group can read the questions aloud.

·        Provide assignment sheets to help the student organize and prioritize daily assignments.  Include due dates.  Make sure the student checks off the assignments when complete.  Use Form 12 attached.

·        Allow student to respond verbally into a tape recorder. The answers can be transcribed at a later time.

·        Provide a photocopy of the material.  Ask the student to highlight, underline or fill in the blanks on the photocopy, instead of copying the entire page of sentences, math problems, or paragraphs.

·        Allow the student to respond orally and write the responses for the student.  This is beneficial for the student who is continually behind with class work.  Make sure the student completes some writing assignments on a daily basis.

·        If the assignment permits, allow students to illustrate their answers instead of responding in written format.

·        Provide pads of stick-on notes.  Each incomplete assignment is written on a separate note.  When the assignment is complete, the student throws the note away.  If the assignment is not completed during the school day, the note is placed in the student's assignment book at the end of the class.

·        Reduced amount of items to be completed

·        Suggested time-frame for completion notations

·        Extended completion time

·        Alternative assignment

·        Study-buddy

·        Teacher/parent sign homework book

SPELLING (see attached Form 15)

·        Reduced list (basic words) with appropriate sentence dictation

·        Reduced list (basic words with sentence given prior to test)

·        Complete list with limited sentences

·        Complete list with sentences given prior to test

·        CLOZE sentence format

·        Set individual spelling goals.  Increase the student's goal when mastery level is met on three consecutive tests.

·        Highlight, in different colors, base words, suffixes, and prefixes to aid with visual discrimination.

·        Reinforce only one spelling rule at a time

·        Have the student self monitor their spelling progress by creating a chart of their scores.  Many students are motivated by self monitoring techniques.

COMPOSITION (see attached Form 14)

Written language is a complex process.  Students may encounter difficulty with written language for many reasons.  Some students have trouble transferring their ideas into a written format.  Other students encounter difficulty with the grammar, syntax, or the mechanics of writing.  Still others have expressive language limitations or trouble with the acquisition of language. If a student refuses to write, encourage all attempts.  Focus on the ideas instead of the sentence structure and spelling.

·        Stories are dictated and recorded by adult

·        Stores dictated on tape, transcribed by student

·        Sentence-starters

·        Composition frame

·        Outlining

·        Set an individual goal for the student:  the goal may range from a sentence to a full page

·        Sequence cards. Provide the students with a sequence of pictures (speech and language teachers have sequence cards).  The student places the cards in sequential order and writes one or more sentences about each picture.  This could also be accomplished with a comic strip cut into segments.

·        If the goal is developing the writing process, then avoid excessive corrections with the mechanical aspects of writing, especially when a student is beginning to write.  Focus on the development of ideas.

·        Mapping

·        The SPACE strategy may be used as an error monitoring strategy when writing.  Teach the student to self check each area in the SPACE acronym before turning in the assignments.  The acronym SPACE stands for the following:

Spelling

Punctuation

Appearance

Capitalization

Error Analysis

·        Ask the student to tape record or read their stories aloud after writing.  Many students will be able to hear inaccurate sentence construction.  Allow ample time to make the corrections.

NOTE TAKING

Note taking is a difficult process.  It requires the student to process information both auditorily and visually.  The student must then output the information in a written format.  Students must be taught various strategies to take notes successfully.

·        Provide the student with an outline of the main topics before they are presented. Provide ample space to take notes on the outline sheet.

·        Before the presentation, read through possible discussion questions. This will help the student focus on the most important information.

·        Teach key phrases such as please remember this, this point is very important, or write this down.   General education teachers use these words frequently when making key points.

·        Show the student how to highlight important information in their notes.

FINE MOTOR

Weakness in fine motor skills may cause difficulty and frustration for the student when transferring the ideas to paper.  Instead of allowing creativity to flow, the student may write in short, choppy sentences to compensate for the difficulty in fine motor control.

·        Provide a close-up model for the student to copy, instead of the board or overhead.

·        Provide an alphabet card or strip so the student is able to see the correct formation of the letters.

·        Transcription may be necessary

·        Use of the tape recorder, word processor…  The IEP Team should review this as a SETT may be necessary for individual students.

MATHEMATICS

·        Desk aides (place value chart, grid)

·        File box of vocab./ formulas

·        Calculator (except when not permitted)

·        Test read to them by Curriculum Specialist or MAP aide (in specific situations ONLY)

·        Students with disabilities may experience difficulty with abstract concepts. Reinforce math concepts with “real life” situations. This relationship will help students understand the relevance of the lesson.

·        When monitoring students, do not worry about perfect math calculations, Look for their understanding of the process. Once the process is understood, check the accuracy of the calculations.

·        Highlight similar math operations on each page. Highlight all addition problems in yellow, subtraction in blue, and so forth.  If the assignment included several types of math calculations in one page, the student should complete all problems using the same operation before proceeding on to the next.  For example, the student should complete all the multiplication problems before moving on to division problems.

·        Number the steps in word problems. Highlight important words.

READING

·        Vocab. Cards

·        Elements of fiction/non-fiction cards

·        Pre-reading

·        Reading buddy

·        Story tapes

·        Story summaries

SOCIAL STUDIES/SCIENCE

·        Vocab. Cards

·        Concept cards

·        Summary cards

·        Fact highlighting

·        Outlining

·        Test taken in LS classroom

·        Alternative test format

CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS

If the goal is to measure the student’s knowledge of a curriculum area, it is important to test only the curriculum and not penalize the student for the disability. Since many students have difficulty with reading and writing, you will be responsible to read and write tests for many students.

·        Test the student orally or individually.

·        Write the answers to the questions for the student. Be sure to record the answers verbatim.

·        Allow the student extra time to complete the test. Administer the test outside the classroom area. Find a place free of distracting stimuli.

·        Divide the test into segments. Each should have only one set of directions.

·        Circle, underline, or have the students highlight key words in the directions. You may also do this for the student before the test is received.

·        Use recognition of facts rather than factual recall on tests.  Delete the trick questions on commercially made tests.

ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS

§         Color-code folders for each subject. If possible, coordinate the folders with the color of the textbook. Keep a pencil, pen, paper and other necessary items in each folder.

·        If folders are confusing and material is still misplaced, use a three- ring notebook. Keep all folders, papers, and the assignment book in the three ring binder. The student is instructed to keep all assignments in the notebook until the paper is due.  For loose papers, use a three- ring hole punch. The student can punch papers and insert them into the notebook. This works well for the student who has extreme difficulty with organization.

·        Tape a large manila envelope to the inside of the student’s desk. If assignments are not complete, the student and slip the paper into the envelope to complete later.

DIRECTIONS

·        Make sure you have the student’s attention before giving directions. Pause and wait if you do not. Eye contact is important.

·        If the general education teacher presents the directions orally, write the directions so the student is able to refer back to them.

·        Do not ass irrelevant information during oral directions. Keep directions concise and simple.

·        Accompany all verbal explanations with visual demonstrations whenever possible.

·        Ask the student to repeat directions back to you or a peer to check for understanding.

BEHAVIOR AND ATTENTION DIFFICULTIES

§         Review the classroom rules frequently. If a student is having difficulty with a specific rule, write down the rule. Be clear and concise. A student can not argue with a piece of paper.  Give specific examples of the rule.  Examples may include; sit quietly when the teacher is talking, stay in your seat when the teacher is talking, sharpen pencils only at the beginning if the class period.

§         Always state the positive action you would like to see. For example, if the student is running in the hall simply say, “ Walk, please.”

·        Include the student in small group activities and instruction whenever possible. Immediate feedback is important.

·        Give one or two step directions. Ask the student to repeat directions back to you.  Check for understanding of each direction.

·        Give one assignment at a time.  Many students are overwhelmed easily.  Keep all assignments in a folder. If the student falls behind, complete some of the assignments orally to catch up.

·        Allow ample time for hands-on instruction. This will help actively engage the student in the learning process. Active participation is extremely important for this student.  It will assist the student in remaining focused.

·        Use a timer to assist students with on-task behavior. Set a timer for a specified amount of time.  Explain the task you would like completed before the timer rings.  Monitor and adjust the assignment and time so the student is able to be successful. Once the student remains on-task for the specified amount of time, increase the time.  Provide constant reinforcement to the student.

·        Allow the student time during the day to get up, walk around and stretch.  It may be appropriate for the student to sit in the back of the classroom. The student may stand and sit as needed with minimal disruption to the class. If movement is necessary, provide clear guidelines about when movement is appropriate.

·        Many students benefit from immediate feedback. Provide self-correctors for the student’s assignments.

·        Teach the student to stop and think before responding. Create a visual signal between the adult and student. An example of a visual sign would be to place your finger aside your nose. When the student observes this, he or she will know that it is time to slow down and think about the action.

·        If possible, the student should be seated near student s who are quiet, independent workers. Provide good role models. Do not seat disruptive or easily distracted students together.

REINFORCEMENT AND DISCIPLINE

Many students with behavior difficulties are more dependent on external reinforcement in comparison to their peer group. Students may need constant reassurance they ate doing well. A reward system may help meet this need in the classroom. Reward systems are also used frequently in the cafeteria, study periods, or recess.

·        A daily report can be used to monitor behavior and academic goals. An easy way to create a daily report is to tape an index card to the student’s desk.  Subjects are added to the card as they are presented during the day. For younger students a happy face may be placed on the card after the subject f the student has experienced success during the time block. For older students a rating scale of 1-5 may be used.  This report may be sent home daily to increase communication between the school and the home.

·        A daily log has proven successful in coordinating home and school communication. The log is usually a spiral notebook that remains in the backpack daily.  Both parents and teachers use this log to write comments, concerns, and suggestions about the student.  The student is rewarded for taking home and returning the notebook daily.

·        Teach the student to use positive talk. “I can do this!”  “I can handle this!” or “ I’m good at this!” are all examples of self –talk. If you hear a student using negative self-talk or putting him or herself down, stop the student and help the student to rephrase the comments positively.

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT 

Always think of the students as a student first and the disability second.  If you maintain high expectations for each student, the student will rise to meet your expectations. Students should always be challenged and encouraged to do their best.  As strengths are noted for each student, find ways to reinforce them. No matter what the limitations may be, find the strengths and capitalize on them.  If you, as a general education teacher, are concerned whether a student is able to complete an assignment, ask the special education teacher.  Modifications may be needed.  Ask the student to complete as much of the assignment as possible.  It is more beneficial to the student if the assignment is modified and a small amount is completed alone.  The student must be held accountable for work completion and take the responsibility to turn it in.

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