ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES FOR GENERAL EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS

This list of strategies and accommodations may be used to select appropriate interventions when students are having educational difficulties. Implementation of strategies matched to the student’s needs can enable most students with educational difficulties to be successful in the general education setting and curriculum.

Environmental Strategies

• Seat close to teacher, board or work area.
• Seat away from distractions (e.g. doorway, noisy heater/fan/air conditioner, high traffic areas, visibly stored manipulatives).
• Seat near well-focused and /or helpful students(s).
• Be sure desk and chair are appropriately sized for the student.
• Provide an alternative work space (e.g. study carrel).
• Arrange classroom to accommodate preferential workgroups, individuals, pairs, small groups.

Response Strategies

• Allow students to dictate responses when necessary in place of writing.
• Provide alternative assignments to limit writing demands (e.g. oral reports, constructing models, labeled illustrations, demonstrations, ect.).
• Reduce writing requirements (e.g. have students write answers only, answer a limited number of questions, ect.).
• Reduce the number of items of a crowed page or worksheet by cutting the page in half and/or enlarging it.

Note Taking Strategies

• Model what students should write (using overhead projector). Say the words while you write them.
• Provide an outline or organizer so that the student needs only fill in key words and phrases.
• When students are required to fill in a chart or organizer, provide sufficient space to accommodate writing if student’s writing is larger than average. (Provide an enlarged organizer if necessary.)

Assessment Strategies

• Review important ideas before the test. Provide a study guide.
• Allow use of notes (make sure student has legible notes).
• Level tests (i.e. students with different abilities may take different parts of the tests).
• Read all directions and test items when necessary. It may be necessary to read one item at a time.
• Allow dictation of lengthy responses.
• Consider providing frame paragraphs in place of essay responses or provide a structure for paragraph development.
• Allow alternative response formats – pictures, diagrams, graphic organizers, models, demonstrations, ect.
• Reduce memory demands, provide choices for factual information (e.g. matching, multiple choice, answer box).
• If unit objectives have been modified for a student, test only the selected objectives.

Organizational Strategies

• Establish a consistent daily routine. Post the daily schedule and point out any changes in the routine.
• Minimize transitions throughout the day.
• Have the students use a daily or weekly homework sheet, assignment notebook, or calendar for recording homework.
• Establish a consistent place to post homework assignments and to turn in homework and class work.
• Keep a master list of homework and class work assignments so the student can catch up if an assignment was lost, incomplete, or missed.
• Distribute independent seatwork assignments one at a time or list in order of priority for completion.
• Provide time for organizing materials (e.g. clear clutter from desk, clean out desk, file papers in notebook/binder). Provide assistance as needed.
• Three-hole punch papers that are to be filed in a binder before distributing.
• Have students number or color-code papers to be filed in binder.
• Provide ample opportunities for discussion before students begin a writing assignment. Teach students to jot down key words during discussion.
• Provide/develop a proofreading checklist.
• Give a time frame for completing parts of a long-term assignment and check progress periodically.
• Provide a checklist of materials needed for a class or subject.
• Provide a study guide for each unit
• Provide frequent opportunities for discussion to ensure understanding.
• Provide a safe environment for verbalizing and responding without fear of ridicule.
• Provide sufficient time for guided practice.
• Summarize key points and review outcomes at the end of each lesson.
• Utilize cooperative learning activities and paired practice when appropriate.
• Do not teach similar skills or concepts on the same day (e.g. latitude/longitude)
• Have student teach skills/concepts to other(s).
• Teach associative clues such as mnemonic devices to aid memory.
• Provide a desk copy of board or overhead work to limit far-point copying.
• Color-code, highlight, or box the directions so that they stand out from the rest of the activity and teach students to do the same.
• Use visual “flags” to draw attention to important points, questions, directions, or steps.
• Set aside a few textbooks with main ideas and key words highlighted.
• Provide lower-level materials for independent reading assignments when possible. Use same-topic materials from a lower grade level or a re-written text.
• Read directions and passages aloud, if necessary.
• Allow student to use manipulatives as long as necessary for each math concept/skill.
• Teach students to highlight relevant information in a math word problem.