Schools
can implement academic accommodations and modifications to help students with
dyslexia succeed. For example, a student with dyslexia can be given extra time
to complete tasks, help with taking notes and work assignments that are
modified appropriately. Teachers can give taped tests or allow students with
dyslexia to use alternative means of assessment. Students can benefit from
listening to books on tape and using text reading and word processing computer
programs.
Teaching
students with dyslexia across settings is challenging. Both general education
and special education teachers seek accommodations that foster the learning and
management of a class of heterogeneous learners. It is important to identify
accommodations that are reasonable to ask of teachers in all classroom
settings. The following accommodations provide a framework for helping students
with learning problems achieve in general education and special education
classrooms. They are organized according to accommodations involving materials,
interactive instruction and student performance.
Accommodations
Involving Materials
Students
spend a large portion of the school day interacting with materials. Most
instructional materials give teachers few activities or directions for teaching
a large class of students who learn at different rates and in various ways.
This section provides material accommodations that enhance the learning of
diverse students. Frequently, paraprofessionals, volunteers, and students can
help develop and implement various accommodations. Material accommodations
include the following:
·
Clarify
or simplify written directions.
Some
directions are written in paragraph form and contain many units of information.
These can be overwhelming to some students. The teacher can help by underlining
or highlighting the significant parts of the directions. Rewriting the
directions is often helpful.
·
Present
a small amount of work.
The
teacher can tear pages from workbooks and materials to present small assignments
to students who are anxious about the amount of work to be done. This technique
prevents students from examining an entire workbook, text, or material and
becoming discouraged by the amount of work.
·
Block
out extraneous stimuli.
If
a student is easily distracted by visual stimuli on a full worksheet or page, a
blank sheet of paper can be used to cover sections of the page not being worked
on at the time. Also, line markers can be used to aid reading, and windows can
be used to display individual math problems. Additionally, using larger font
sizes and increasing spacing can help separate sections.
·
Use
a placeholder in consumable material.
In
consumable materials in which students progress sequentially (such as
workbooks), the student can make a diagonal cut across the lower right-hand
corner of the pages as they are completed. With all the completed pages cut,
the student and teacher can readily locate the next page that needs to be
corrected or completed.
·
Change
response mode.
For
students who have difficulty with fine motor responses (such as handwriting),
the response mode can be changed to underlining, selecting from multiple
choices, sorting, or marking. Students with fine motor problems can be given
extra space for writing answers on worksheets or can be allowed to respond on
individual chalkboards/whiteboards.
·
Encourage
use of graphic organizers.
A
graphic organizer involves organizing material into a visual format. To develop
a graphic organizer, the student can list the topic on the first line, collect
and divide information into major headings, list all information relating to
major headings on index cards, organize information into major areas, place
information under appropriate subheadings, and place information into the
organizer format.
·
Provide
an outline of the lesson.
An
outline enables some students to follow the lesson successfully and make
appropriate notes. Moreover, an outline helps students to see the organization
of the material and ask timely questions.
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