Classroom Accommodations
When a child struggles in school, the teacher may try to level the playing field by offering classroom accommodations. You, as the parent, can also request these accommodations if you believe that they are necessary. If your child has never had an accommodation, you may be unsure of what to expect. Online Reading Tutor is here to help!
What is an Accommodation?
Accommodations are changes that remove barriers to learning so that every student has a chance to succeed. They are put in place to change how kids learn, not what they learn. These changes may include the way a teacher presents information, the various testing methods for the student, and the ways in which the student practices their new learned skills. Your child can get accommodations through the teacher, in an IEP (USA and Canada), a 504 plan(USA) or an IPRC (Canada).
Are Accommodations Fair?
Absolutely yes! Treating every student exactly the same wouldn’t be fair to those who need the extra help or those who have a different learning style. Accommodations provide each student with what they need to have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Types of Accommodations:
Instructional
These accommodations are a change in the way information is presented to the student. A common method is by “chunking”, which means breaking lengthy assignments down into shorter, more manageable tasks. Some students are also helped by being able to copy another person’s notes.
Assessment
Assessment accommodations change in the way a child completes assignments or tests. This can be achieved through the use of speech-to-text software, by allowing extra time for assignments and tests, having the test read aloud to the student or having a scribe to record the students answers.
Environmental
Accommodations to the student’s environment simply involve changing where the student is learning. For example, changing the child’s seating arrangement to have minimal distractions.An example of this would be moving them closer to the teacher or to sit with a positive peer model.
Assistive or Adaptive Technology
This type of accommodation uses technology to assist the student in gaining access to information and output of knowledge. It can include using voice-to-text software to assist with written output, the use of audio books, or accepting typewritten or verbal answers instead of handwritten answers.
Academic accommodations can make the difference between success and failure for students who struggle with reading. They are important, but they do not correct the problem. These accommodations only give the student an opportunity to become successful in spite of their academic struggles.
Our lessons are based on neuroscience and reading research that identifies how the brain functions while reading. Online Reading Tutor has successfully helped struggling readers throughout the world.
