There are many ways teachers can help kids who are struggling in school. Here are some common accommodations and modifications that schools and families can discuss as possible options for kids.
Common accommodations
Presentation accommodations (changes the way information is presented)
Listen to audio recordings instead of reading text
Learn content from audiobooks, movies, videos, and digital media instead of reading print versions
Work with fewer items per page or line
Work with text in a larger print size
Have a “designated reader”— someone who reads test questions aloud to students
Hear instructions spoken aloud
Record a lesson, instead of taking notes
Get class notes from another student
See an outline of a lesson
Use visual presentations of verbal material, such as word webs
Get a written list of instructions
Response accommodations (changes the way kids complete assignments or tests)
Give responses in a form (spoken or written) that’s easier for them
Dictate answers to a scribe who writes or types
Capture responses on an audio recorder
Use a spelling dictionary or digital spellchecker
Use a word processor to type notes or give answers in class
Use a calculator or table of “math facts”
Setting accommodations
Work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions
Sit where they learn best (for example, near the teacher)
Use special lighting or acoustics
Take a test in a small group setting
Use sensory tools such as an exercise band that can be looped around a chair’s legs (so fidgety kids can kick it and quietly get their energy out)
Timing accommodations
Take more time to complete a task or a test
Have extra time to process spoken information and directions
Take frequent breaks, such as after completing a worksheet
Scheduling accommodations
Take more time to complete a project
Take a test in several timed sessions or over several days
Take sections of a test in a different order
Take a test at a specific time of day
Organization skills accommodations
Use an alarm to help with time management
Mark texts with a highlighter
Use a planner or organizer to help coordinate assignments
Receive study skills instruction
Common modifications
Assignment modifications
Complete different homework problems than peers
Answer different test questions
Create alternate projects or assignments
Curriculum modifications
Learn different material (such as continuing to work on multiplication while classmates move on to fractions)
Get graded or assessed using a different standard than other students
Be excused from particular projects
Learn about the difference between accommodations and modifications. For kids who have specific struggles, check out accommodation guides for dyslexia, ADHD, and more. And find out why some kids might refuse to use accommodations.
