INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION MAKING
In the Instructional Decision-Making section of the Level II Teacher Work Sample, you
are asked to describe your students’ responses to your first lesson, and then to explain
how you will adapt your strategies for your second lesson. Adapting instruction involves
making alterations in instructional goals, strategies, activities, materials, or assessment
methods for the purpose of improving student learning. Below is a table listing 8
categories or approaches to adapting instruction. These categories were derived from the
experience of practicing teachers through survey research. Below the table is a list of
examples that illustrate the types of adaptations described in each category. Use the table
and examples to stimulate your thinking as you reflect on adjusting your instruction.
Most new teachers rely most heavily on modifying methods of instruction and/or student
tasks. Consider broadening your repertoire by incorporating some of the other strategies
listed in the table as well.
Adaptations
Modify learning
goals or objectives
Alter the learning goal for one or a few students (one student learns skills
that are easier, more difficult, or different than others).
Modify methods of
instruction
Alter methods for instruction, such as providing a demonstration, using
different modalities, slowing or speeding up the pace of instruction,
checking for understanding more often, asking different types of questions,
giving different amounts/forms or feedback, etc.
Modify student tasks
or assignments
Alter the assigned task for a student, such as break it into smaller or larger
steps, shorten or lengthen an assignment, etc.
Teach cognitive or
self management
strategies
Teach learning strategies that enable a student to be more successful, such
as memory strategies, or self instruction or monitoring, etc.
Modify instructional
materials
Provide one student with different/supplementary materials, such as a
calculator, multiplication table, self correcting worksheet, marker, etc.
Modify enhancement
Provide one student with supplemental levels of praise, encouragement, or
other forms of reinforcement.
Modify Grouping
Arrangement
Have students participate in different types of grouping arrangements to
learn their targeted academic skills or concepts
Modify method of
progress monitoring
Modify the method of assessing progress for an individual student, such as
reading a test orally, providing extra time to take a test, modifying grading
criteria, taking daily measures of academic progress, etc.
From Scott,B. J., Vitale, M.R., & Masten, W.G. (1998). Implementing instructional
adaptations for students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms: A literature review.
Remedial and Special Education, 19 (2), 106-119.
Examples of Adaptations Made by Teachers
Modify Methods of Instruction (Methods of giving directions, explanations,
demonstrations, asking questions, etc.).
The teacher asks a student who has trouble remembering directions to repeat them to the
class.
The teacher reviews a list of vocabulary words with the entire class. As she points to each
word on the board, the entire class says the word aloud. The teacher then calls on one or a
few select students to repeat and spell these words aloud for the class.
A sixth grade class is involved in a teacher-led discussion during a health activity. The teacher
deliberately asks certain students lower level questions and provides higher level questions to the
more advanced students.
An entire class of second graders are working in cooperating learning groups to complete
a language arts activity. The teacher joins one group for several minutes in order to
model/teach appropriate cooperation skills and help keep children focused on the task at
hand.
In order to build effective listening skills, the teacher intentionally asks certain students to
repeat or elaborate on comments made by other students.
During independent seatwork, the teacher breaks a math problem into small parts so that a
student can complete each part separately.
The teacher reviews a list of vocabulary words with the entire class. As she points to each word
on the board, the entire class says the word aloud. The teacher then calls on one or a few select
students to repeat and spell these words aloud for the class.
Modify Learning Goals or Objectives
An entire class of third graders are involved in a math activity. Most of the students are working
on multiplication while a few high achievers complete a worksheet on fractions
The teacher provides advanced spelling or vocabulary words to fourth graders who have
mastered the previous lists.
In a small group reading activity, one student focuses on word recognition while four others
work on reading comprehension
The teacher makes a special worksheet so that several kindergarten students can trace rather than
write their names
Modify Tasks or Assignments
During a whole-class instruction for math, the teacher has children who have difficulty sitting
still engage in guided practice at the blackboard.
A class of fourth graders are working in cooperative learning groups on a map activity. The
teacher assigns different tasks or jobs to different students in each group. Two students are
responsible for finding and writing the capitals of each state on the map while the other two use
the computer to find the population of each state.
Students who read or write slowly are given more time to complete an assignment.
The teacher reduces the length of a reading passage for a fifth grader who has difficulty reading
and comprehending material.
All students in a class are preparing an assignment on a Special Person” in their life. Some
students are required to give a presentation on their person while others turn in a written paper.
All students in a third grade class are working on an assignment related to their favorite season.
Some students prepare a poster to highlight their favorite season while others write a paper to
accompany their poster.
Teach Students to use Cognitive Strategies
All students in the class are preparing for a writing activity. After writing the directions
on the blackboard, the teacher provides one student with her own list of directions to
place on her desk.
The teacher creates a checklist for students who have trouble managing time and
assignments. This enables them to know how many things they need to get done before
the end of the day.
A student uses a mnemonic method to help her remember the steps for completing a long
division problem
Four to five low achieving second graders are taught to use a KWL strategy to assist their
reading comprehension.
Several sixth graders who rush have a tendency to rush through their work are given a cognitive
strategy to help them remember to slow down.
Modify Students’ Materials
One student has trouble copying math problems or sentences from a book. The teacher makes a
photocopy of the page for them.
The teacher color-codes worksheets for students who have trouble organizing and remembering
order (i.e. Make sure you do the red paper first then the blue). These students also receive a color
line that will show them the order in which to do assignments.
An entire class of first graders are sitting in a semi circle listening to the teacher read a
story. One student is given his own copy of the book so that he can follow along (and maintain
interest) during the activity.
The teacher provides advance organizers to three to four students who have difficulty
maintaining attention and participating in teacher-directed lessons (presentations)
The teacher creates a checklist for students who have trouble managing time and assignments.
This enables them to know how many things they need to get done before the end of the day.
During a reading comprehension activity, one student use sentence strips to help organize and
retell the sequence of events in a story.
During whole class paired reading, the teacher provides one child with a t-scope and index card
to block out extra stimuli when she reads
Some students are provided with calculators to double check their answers to math problems.
Modify Grouping Arrangements
After reading “Jamie’s Best Friend”, all students in a fifth grade class are directed to write a one
page book report. Some students are directed to complete this task independently while others
meet with the teacher individually to make an outline before they begin writing.
An entire third grade entire class is assigned a multiplication worksheet to complete. Some
students complete the worksheet individually while others work in pairs.
An entire class of fourth graders is writing a paper on Colonial America. Some students work in
pairs on the computer to find and organize information while others complete this task
independently.
Modify Methods of Progress Monitoring
An entire class is working on fractions. Some students are evaluated through a unit test at
the end of the week while others take daily quizzes.
Students complete a ten item multiple choice quiz on a chapter of health text. The teacher makes
a slight modification for low achieving students. These students have to choose from a total of
three choices (per problem) while others have four choices.