IRIS Module One
EDRE 4330 Teaching Content Area Reading
9/10/2013
Jessica Whitt
1.
What are accommodations? How do they differ from modifications?
Accommodations are changes in educational environments that help students overcome their
disability. Some students have a tough time adapting to their educational environment without
some things to help them with a disability they may have. These children are able to learn the
required content, but might require adaptations in order to succeed in a general education
classroom. Accommodations do not change the expectations for learning, or reduce the
requirements of the task. Once you change the expectations for learning and reduce the
requirements of the task, you are no longer offering accommodations, but rather modifications.
2. A student’s accommodations might differ from one setting to another. Explain why this
might be the case and offer an example.
Every setting is different. In one setting, the student may be taking a test. This type of setting
usually needs to be well lit with minimal distractions. In another setting, there may be very little
room for a student with a wheelchair to get around. To accommodate this child, the teacher will
need to move around the furniture to make a path that the child with the disability can go through
and feel a part of the class. A child’s peers may be another reason that accommodations may
change from one setting to another. In one class, Jamie, a child who has trouble regulating his
behavior may have a friend who he constantly gets in trouble with. In this case, the teacher will
have to move Jamie to a place where he will not get distracted while doing his work.
3. Name at least three accommodations categories. For each, give an example of an
accommodation and describe how it could support a student with a disability.
Presentation, response, setting, and timing and scheduling are the four accommodations
categories. First, presentation accommodations allow the student with a disability to access
information in many other ways other than just reading and listening. For example, a student
who has a visual disability could be accommodated by being able to have books and
materials with large print and graphics. This could support the student by making it easier for
him or her to read the material on their own without having to strain their eyes or ask for
someone to read it for them. Next, response accommodations allow a student with a
disability to answer assignments other than through written or verbal form. For example,
students may be able to use a scribe to help them get their answers heard. If a student has a
speaking disability, this is a great accommodation that helps them be able to answer
questions. Setting accommodations allow for a change in the student’s environment. For
example, if a student with a physical disability is in the classroom, the teacher may have to
move around furniture in order to help that student feel a part of the class and be able to
move around the room with ease. Finally, timing and scheduling accommodations allow the
student with a disability extra time to complete an assignment. For example, a teacher may
provide extra break for a child with a disability in their classroom. This could support that
child by giving them time to relax and breathe if they get to flustered, or time to get up and
move around.
4. Mrs. Watkins, a sixth-grade science teacher, typically lectures using PowerPoint while
students take notes. She assigns her students to read and answer questions from the textbook,
and requires them to conduct lab experiments by following written procedures. She assesses
her students using written tests. A student in her classroom has a learning disability and reads
at a third-grade level. Based on what you know about Mrs. Watkins class:
a. List at least three areas where this student might experience difficulty in her classroom.
One area where this student may experience difficulty in her classroom is being able to read and
understand the textbook. Since the student is only at a third grade reading level, a sixth grade
science textbook will have many difficult words that the student will not be able to read. Another
area where the student might experience difficulty in is doing the lab experiments. Since the
teacher has her students follow written procedures, the student with the reading disability may
not be able to comprehend and understand what she or he is supposed to do in the experiment.
Finally, one last area where this student might experience difficulty in is taking the written tests.
The student who reads on a third grade level will not be able to understand what the test
questions are asking if they are on a sixth grade level, without the teacher reading the questions
to them and explaining what words mean.
b. Suggest at least four types of information that Mrs. Watkins can share in an upcoming
IEP meeting to help identify appropriate accommodations.
Mrs. Watkins can share what accommodations she has tried already and which ones helped and
did not help. This is very important in order to come up with more accommodations for the
student. Mrs. Watkins can also share how the student is performing in her classroom. This is
important to know in order to figure out which accommodations are working. She can also share
the individual’s strengths and weaknesses in her classroom. This can also help with coming up
with better accommodations for the student. Finally, Mrs. Watkins can share her educational
goals she has for the student. This information can let others know what steps need to take place
in order for that student to hopefully reach those goals.
c. List at least two presentation accommodations and two response accommodations
the IEP team might identify for the student. Explain how these accommodations
might help.
One presentation accommodation the IEP team might identify for the student is having Mrs.
Watkins incorporate a lot of graphics and pictures in her power points and lab procedures. This
could help the student by giving them a visual along with the words. If he or she is unable to read
what the PowerPoint says, then they can have a better understanding by looking at the picture.
Another presentation accommodation that can be used to help this student is having an oral
reader. By having an oral reader, the student can ask questions when need be and be able to hear
it instead of having to struggle with reading a word that is too difficult. One response
accommodation the IEP team might identify for the student is to have the student circle or point
at the answer. This can help the student if they are unable to read what the answer says. The last
response accommodation the IEP team might identify is letting the student use a visual
organizer. This might help the student better understand the concept.
d. Based on the presentation and responses accommodations recommended above,
what tips might be helpful for Mrs. Watkins to maximize her student’s success?
A few tips that might be helpful for Mrs. Watkins to maximize her student’s success are to make
sure to put graphics in her power points and lab procedures. Since the student is on a third grade
reading level, it will be very difficult to read sixth grade material. If there are pictures that the
student is able to see, then he or she can connect the word with the picture and understand the
concept. In her written lab procedures, it is important that Mrs. Watkins have a picture of a
student doing each step in the procedure and have it labeled. Also, Mrs. Watkins could set aside
a certain amount of time for a peer tutor to come in and help the student with their reading. This
would not tie up Mrs. Watkins and allow her to continue to teach the entire class on a sixth grade
level, but it would be a huge confidence booster for the student with the disability. Mrs. Watkins
can also pair the student with a partner during the lab. This way, the partner can read the
instructions and explain to the student with the disability what to do. One last tip is to have a
special written test made for the student with the disability that asks the same type of question,
but with vocabulary that they are able to understand and with pictures.