The timing of this article was good for me as I begin the process of updating my MTSS forms. The article stresses the importance of distinquishing between accommodations that we make for student learning and modifications that we make for student learning. I have at least 5 students (1/3 of my class) that have accommodations: science/ss tests read to them, shortened spelling lists, oral essay answers, extended time for tests, quiet room for tests... However, all of these students are still being tested/assessed on the same grade level learning standards. I have one student for whom accommodations are not enough-- he has many modifications to his learning. Amanda and I are zeroing in on the most important of the learning standards for him. Grade level material is becoming increasingly difficult for him. A good example of one of his modifications is how he takes AR tests. He listens to audio books, and then I read the AR test to him and we see how he does without my help. I delete/deactivate his non-passing score, and we go back and find the text answers in the book for the correct answers. We count the new passing score, but I am really just using the AR program to help him strengthen his exposure to reading and vocabulary. He is not able to comprehend grade level reading passages independently. I have modified the AR reading program for him. One of the most important messages of the article is how important it is to communicate to parents when modifications are given because it means the learning standards are different for this child as opposed to other students in the class. I think that sometimes our progress reports can be misleading to parents, so it is very important that we make sure that parents are aware of the accommodations and modifications that we make for their children.
I would call accommodations the bread and butter of what teachers do on a daily basis to help their students to successfully understand and master the content. Modifications are those things we do meet the students who are not able to be successful with accommodations alone. This is a little off the language topic, but… This is exactly the questions I was asking in 1986! A student with severe learning disabilities was mainstreamed into my general population class for all non-academics, but was in direct instruction resource for all other subjects…as he had been since Kindergarten. Every year his report card said he was promoted to the next grade. He entered my 3rd grade class working at a Pre-primer level. But if you looked at his report card he was “on grade level”. There were not any ways to distinguish his work level from his grade level modifications. Every year, here at Aquin, we have the same type of discussion about our reporting forms. Do we score them as to their individual ability to meet the standard or rate them strictly by how they meet the age level standard. I don’t know if there is a way to change the progress reports to show this. Even with the limited standards to limit the size of the progress reports…shouldn’t the report be more of a “living” record. Shouldn’t we adapt the forms to include the standards we are actually “covering” in that trimester. Currently, of the math standards we “report”…most of them are not covered until the spring of the year. The fall/spring report looks like we cover very little and don’t cover it until the end of the year. It would be more work, but I think the progress reports should adapt/change each trimester to reflect standards taught during that time frame. Each school/grade level should set up their own version to make sure all standards are covered and reported upon. (At least until the Dept. of Ed. drops the Core and moves on to something new/different.)
This article covers 90% of what I do for my job. Amanda and I are always discussing accommodations and modifications for students. Every student can learn but the trick is finding out how they learn. For some students that means trying many different accommodations before we can find the right fit. I am so glad I work with teachers who are willing to make the accommodations and modifications that students need!!
I actually had a parent several years ago bring this up, as she didn't understand the difference between accommodations and modifications. She and I were both very frustrated - I felt that her child was capable of regular material, so I was providing accommodations, but she felt he was still struggling and had her own thoughts on how I should be helping him. It wasn't until Keystone explained to her that modifications are only rarely used for students who truly can't be successful with the same material as their peers even with accommodations that she finally (and begrudgingly) accepted my point of view. I also believe that it's important to be the least intrusive as possible - We need to provide accommodations only when students truly aren't capable of being successful without them. The goal is for students to be successful with the normal classroom setting/material as much as possible. I always think back to a specie education class that I once took. The professor made a strong point that students with disabilities are often capable of more than most people believe and should be given every opportunity to prove what they CAN do; we shouldn't just assume that they can't. Those students should be in the least restrictive environment possible. That's always kind of stuck with me. That doesn't mean, of course, that many students don't need accommodations. I think all of us at Aquin make accommodations regularly. I do agree with those who discussed report cards. Grades alone really provide only a vague understanding of a student's true performance when they aren't accompanied by more informative records describing the level of accommodation/modification provided.
I love a lot of what Gina said. A lot of times I start the year with each kid doing the same thing as everyone else. There is a lot of growth between second and third grade so I often want to see what they have grown at. I had a special education teacher always say children can amaze you at what they learn when no one is looking. That has always stuck with me so I try to never assume kids can't do something. I found the article very interesting because in college they always used those words these two words together. They never really explained the difference. The difference makes a lot of sense and using them correctly would be very important for parents. I also agree with the report cards. For math this fall there wasn't anything we had touched on yet in class. Luckily we had conferences after it so I could explain to parents what we had actually worked on and finished.
As Tyler said I don't think I've ever been told the difference between an accommodation and a modification, so I appreciated that this article explained the difference. I make lots of accommodations. This year, about half of one math group has a testing accommodation. Some have a quiet a room to help them, some have the test read to them, and some have both a quiet room and the test read to them. I'm thankful that we have Amanda and Linda available to help us to make some of these accommodations available to our students who need them.
I have never really thought about the differences between accommodations and modifications. This article made me think about the differences and was very helpful. I guess I just do them without even thinking about it. I definitely make accommodations every single day with my first graders. I don't have to make modifications with the group I have this year. I totally agree with the report card issue. It was hard doing the report card first trimester because we had a lot of topics we hadn't covered yet. It probably looked to parents that we haven't done anything yet this year. It would be nice to have a different one each trimester.
I agree with what many have already said which is as teachers, we make accommodations every day and many times don't even think about it. In fact, if I find that one needs an accommodation such as a graphic organizer, questions read aloud, or fewer math problems, I make the accommodation for the whole class. I think that this helps with the validity of the assessment and fairness. This also eliminates the issue of students "looking different" in front of their peers. By junior high, students don't want to stand out, so some accommodations become harder to implement.
At Aquin we are fortunate to have small class sizes and therefore are able to know each of our student's abilities and needs because we have the optimal student teacher ratio. When we accommodate we are able to give and get immediate feedback because we can work with students one on one or in small groups, and visit with them on a day to day basis. We don't have to wait days to meet with groups. The teachers at Aquin adjust and make the accommodations needed because they have a direct and ongoing relationship with each of their students.The accommodation needs are made continuously and with scheduled time from Amanda and other resources. The open communication we have with each other also helps us to learn about previous accommodations that worked and can be continued to help our students learn and master the standards. It is good to recognize the difference between the accommodations and modifications made for our students. I have had little experience with modifications as many of my students have not had those needs.
This is what I spend most of my day dealing with. For each student I work with, it is figuring out what works for them to be successful with the content at hand. It is not a one size fits all for everyone, but what works for the individual(s). It is super important to see what the student can do without any supports so there is a baseline established and add in accommodations to see how content changes and work from there. Teachers at Aquin are willing to ask what they can/should do for their students and work together to find the right fit.
As others have mentioned, I did not know the difference between accommodations and modifications. This is good information to know. With kindergartners there isn't a huge need for accommodations since most of everything we do is together and I read it to them. We work with kids individually/small groups to push skills that are more difficult for them. This is great because it gives these students more time to think and recall the information they have, when in large group settings, those that don't need more time are blurting out answers.
Accommodations and modifications are terms that we focused on a lot while I was in school. This is something that must be more popular for recent education graduates. As a first year teacher, I am learning how to utilize both of them, so the article was helpful. I think this is a topic that educators should review often, especially with each other. I think it benefits us to discuss with each other about what modifications and accommodations that have worked for students.
I felt the chart about the differences between accommodations and modifications was interesting. Sometimes we think about these being the same even though they should not be. My class is kind of unique in the aspect of accomodations, because sometimes the computer in itself is the accomodation. Because of this, I see myself doing more modifications when it comes to projects we do in class. For example if they are creating a video some of the modifications might be length or working with a partner. When I did have students with physical disabilities and needed accommodations in that nature, then we would move desks and computers around in the classroom, use different size tables or special seating.
I agree with what most have said. I feel that as teachers, we made accommodations and modifications each day in our teaching. I am constantly thinking of different ways I can teach to meet the needs of each student in my classroom. Last year my group had a very large range of abilities, so my accomodations felt overwhelming at times. This year, I am usually able to break my students into two or three groups and adjust my teaching as needed.
I agree with many of the commetnts above. In college it was always referred to as "accomodations/modifications" but we didn't really clarify the difference between the two. I feel that I am making accomodations on a regular basis; however, this year I have not needed to make a lot of modifications. I am sure there are some that I just do without even thinking about labeling it as one or the other. I also agree that it is important to take note of the accomodations and modifiations.
I remember studying the difference between accommodations and modifications during my special education class in college. When I was still a student, I constantly made accommodations for the students in the classroom who struggled keeping a beat or singing on pitch. I learned how to make music modifications when students from a life skills class came to music. The structure of the class was completely different because the students were not able to do work at the grade level of typical peers, but they were still able to participate in the learning. At Aquin, the majority of accommodations I make is during written exams, but I find that most students are at relatively the same level when we start and finish a unit. I have not had to make any modifications at Aquin.
This article was very informative and did a great job of explaining the difference between accommodation and modifications. It really helped me when they used examples of each. I agree that we make accommodations daily, most times without even thinking about it. I am thankful for our MTSS meetings where we can talk about students with Cindy, Amanda and teachers to help come up with ideas that I may not have thought of. These monthly meetings are very helpful. It is a time to listen to other teachers share what accommodations and modifications that they are using that may work for one of my students. It seems that so many of our students now need accommodations or modifications that we are going to need to continue to build our bank of ideas.
This reminds me of the 11 years I taught middle school & high school special education. I thought Mark Twain's comment was very unique. He stated the difference between the almost "right" word and the exact "right" word is like the difference of light between the lightening bug and lightening. Accomodations helps the students "level the playing field" and the modifications effects how we grade students. It seems like there is a lot of "gray" area between the two: accomodations and modifications but the results are light years apart.
I enjoyed reading the article- it was great to know the difference between accommodation and modifications. I do accommodations all the time in the classroom. As Karen said, MTSS meetings are great for sharing what they do for their students and I am always wondering how can I use that in Kindergarten. There are so many students who need help and as teachers we are on our toes all the time trying to think of ways to help our students.
THis article was great at explaining the difference between accommodations and modifications. I think that we easily use the terms for each other. But remembering the difference is extremely important. As a preschool teacher and parent I make accommodations each and everyday and as many have stated, without even thinking about doing so. We are Aquin are so blessed to be able to have conversations with other staff about each student and determine what is best for each specific child. We really are so lucky to have so many resources with in the staff here.
I think as teachers we do accommodations and modifications daily! This comes from getting to know our students and their needs at an early start. I do think having our grade level sharing meetings gives us a jump start on what has been tried by previous teachers, and we can build off of that. This information is vital, because it helps us same time and identify struggles earlier. Revisiting again a couple months into the school year also is an asset, because we can problem solve again if needed and communicate what is going well. We are all in this together for the success of the students and that’s what I believe accommodations and modifications do- they help our students be more successful.
I agree with most of the others who have commented that it was nice to have the difference between accomodations and modifications explained. I think that the small size of our school and small class sizes allow us to identify the need for accomodations more easily. Through grade level sharing with colleagues, close communication with parents and positive teacher/student relationships we are able to create a learning environment in which students of varying abilities can be successful.
I never knew the actual difference between modifications and accommodations until I took classes for my special education endorsement. We were drilled endlessly on both so I have an understanding of them, but the article was a good refresher. Every teacher has to make modifications and more formal accommodations for students in relation to their abilities and learning styles. Teachers and students at Aquin are lucky to have the opportunity to work together through meetings and grade-level sharing to continue using methods that have proved successful and bounce ideas off of each other when things are not working best for each individual student.
Great explanation of the difference between the two words. I agree with much of what has been said. I think we naturally make accommodations, and sometimes modifications for students in order to help them be successful. I do gave a student this year who needs a lot of accommodations. I try to have him do what the rest of the class is doing as much as possible, but offer the supports to help him succeed.
The timing of this article was good for me as I begin the process of updating my MTSS forms. The article stresses the importance of distinquishing between accommodations that we make for student learning and modifications that we make for student learning. I have at least 5 students (1/3 of my class) that have accommodations: science/ss tests read to them, shortened spelling lists, oral essay answers, extended time for tests, quiet room for tests... However, all of these students are still being tested/assessed on the same grade level learning standards. I have one student for whom accommodations are not enough-- he has many modifications to his learning. Amanda and I are zeroing in on the most important of the learning standards for him. Grade level material is becoming increasingly difficult for him. A good example of one of his modifications is how he takes AR tests. He listens to audio books, and then I read the AR test to him and we see how he does without my help. I delete/deactivate his non-passing score, and we go back and find the text answers in the book for the correct answers. We count the new passing score, but I am really just using the AR program to help him strengthen his exposure to reading and vocabulary. He is not able to comprehend grade level reading passages independently. I have modified the AR reading program for him.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important messages of the article is how important it is to communicate to parents when modifications are given because it means the learning standards are different for this child as opposed to other students in the class. I think that sometimes our progress reports can be misleading to parents, so it is very important that we make sure that parents are aware of the accommodations and modifications that we make for their children.
I would call accommodations the bread and butter of what teachers do on a daily basis to help their students to successfully understand and master the content. Modifications are those things we do meet the students who are not able to be successful with accommodations alone.
ReplyDeleteThis is a little off the language topic, but…
This is exactly the questions I was asking in 1986! A student with severe learning disabilities was mainstreamed into my general population class for all non-academics, but was in direct instruction resource for all other subjects…as he had been since Kindergarten. Every year his report card said he was promoted to the next grade. He entered my 3rd grade class working at a Pre-primer level. But if you looked at his report card he was “on grade level”. There were not any ways to distinguish his work level from his grade level modifications.
Every year, here at Aquin, we have the same type of discussion about our reporting forms. Do we score them as to their individual ability to meet the standard or rate them strictly by how they meet the age level standard. I don’t know if there is a way to change the progress reports to show this. Even with the limited standards to limit the size of the progress reports…shouldn’t the report be more of a “living” record. Shouldn’t we adapt the forms to include the standards we are actually “covering” in that trimester. Currently, of the math standards we “report”…most of them are not covered until the spring of the year. The fall/spring report looks like we cover very little and don’t cover it until the end of the year. It would be more work, but I think the progress reports should adapt/change each trimester to reflect standards taught during that time frame. Each school/grade level should set up their own version to make sure all standards are covered and reported upon. (At least until the Dept. of Ed. drops the Core and moves on to something new/different.)
This article covers 90% of what I do for my job. Amanda and I are always discussing accommodations and modifications for students. Every student can learn but the trick is finding out how they learn. For some students that means trying many different accommodations before we can find the right fit. I am so glad I work with teachers who are willing to make the accommodations and modifications that students need!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI actually had a parent several years ago bring this up, as she didn't understand the difference between accommodations and modifications. She and I were both very frustrated - I felt that her child was capable of regular material, so I was providing accommodations, but she felt he was still struggling and had her own thoughts on how I should be helping him. It wasn't until Keystone explained to her that modifications are only rarely used for students who truly can't be successful with the same material as their peers even with accommodations that she finally (and begrudgingly) accepted my point of view. I also believe that it's important to be the least intrusive as possible - We need to provide accommodations only when students truly aren't capable of being successful without them. The goal is for students to be successful with the normal classroom setting/material as much as possible. I always think back to a specie education class that I once took. The professor made a strong point that students with disabilities are often capable of more than most people believe and should be given every opportunity to prove what they CAN do; we shouldn't just assume that they can't. Those students should be in the least restrictive environment possible. That's always kind of stuck with me. That doesn't mean, of course, that many students don't need accommodations. I think all of us at Aquin make accommodations regularly. I do agree with those who discussed report cards. Grades alone really provide only a vague understanding of a student's true performance when they aren't accompanied by more informative records describing the level of accommodation/modification provided.
ReplyDeleteI love a lot of what Gina said. A lot of times I start the year with each kid doing the same thing as everyone else. There is a lot of growth between second and third grade so I often want to see what they have grown at. I had a special education teacher always say children can amaze you at what they learn when no one is looking. That has always stuck with me so I try to never assume kids can't do something.
ReplyDeleteI found the article very interesting because in college they always used those words these two words together. They never really explained the difference. The difference makes a lot of sense and using them correctly would be very important for parents.
I also agree with the report cards. For math this fall there wasn't anything we had touched on yet in class. Luckily we had conferences after it so I could explain to parents what we had actually worked on and finished.
As Tyler said I don't think I've ever been told the difference between an accommodation and a modification, so I appreciated that this article explained the difference. I make lots of accommodations. This year, about half of one math group has a testing accommodation. Some have a quiet a room to help them, some have the test read to them, and some have both a quiet room and the test read to them. I'm thankful that we have Amanda and Linda available to help us to make some of these accommodations available to our students who need them.
ReplyDeleteI have never really thought about the differences between accommodations and modifications. This article made me think about the differences and was very helpful. I guess I just do them without even thinking about it. I definitely make accommodations every single day with my first graders. I don't have to make modifications with the group I have this year. I totally agree with the report card issue. It was hard doing the report card first trimester because we had a lot of topics we hadn't covered yet. It probably looked to parents that we haven't done anything yet this year. It would be nice to have a different one each trimester.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what many have already said which is as teachers, we make accommodations every day and many times don't even think about it. In fact, if I find that one needs an accommodation such as a graphic organizer, questions read aloud, or fewer math problems, I make the accommodation for the whole class. I think that this helps with the validity of the assessment and fairness. This also eliminates the issue of students "looking different" in front of their peers. By junior high, students don't want to stand out, so some accommodations become harder to implement.
ReplyDeleteAt Aquin we are fortunate to have small class sizes and therefore are able to know each of our student's abilities and needs because we have the optimal student teacher ratio. When we accommodate we are able to give and get immediate feedback because we can work with students one on one or in small groups, and visit with them on a day to day basis. We don't have to wait days to meet with groups. The teachers at Aquin adjust and make the accommodations needed because they have a direct and ongoing relationship with each of their students.The accommodation needs are made continuously and with scheduled time from Amanda and other resources. The open communication we have with each other also helps us to learn about previous accommodations that worked and can be continued to help our students learn and master the standards. It is good to recognize the difference between the accommodations and modifications made for our students. I have had little experience with modifications as many of my students have not had those needs.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I spend most of my day dealing with. For each student I work with, it is figuring out what works for them to be successful with the content at hand. It is not a one size fits all for everyone, but what works for the individual(s). It is super important to see what the student can do without any supports so there is a baseline established and add in accommodations to see how content changes and work from there. Teachers at Aquin are willing to ask what they can/should do for their students and work together to find the right fit.
ReplyDeleteAs others have mentioned, I did not know the difference between accommodations and modifications. This is good information to know. With kindergartners there isn't a huge need for accommodations since most of everything we do is together and I read it to them. We work with kids individually/small groups to push skills that are more difficult for them. This is great because it gives these students more time to think and recall the information they have, when in large group settings, those that don't need more time are blurting out answers.
ReplyDeleteAccommodations and modifications are terms that we focused on a lot while I was in school. This is something that must be more popular for recent education graduates. As a first year teacher, I am learning how to utilize both of them, so the article was helpful. I think this is a topic that educators should review often, especially with each other. I think it benefits us to discuss with each other about what modifications and accommodations that have worked for students.
ReplyDeleteI felt the chart about the differences between accommodations and modifications was interesting. Sometimes we think about these being the same even though they should not be. My class is kind of unique in the aspect of accomodations, because sometimes the computer in itself is the accomodation. Because of this, I see myself doing more modifications when it comes to projects we do in class. For example if they are creating a video some of the modifications might be length or working with a partner.
ReplyDeleteWhen I did have students with physical disabilities and needed accommodations in that nature, then we would move desks and computers around in the classroom, use different size tables or special seating.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what most have said. I feel that as teachers, we made accommodations and modifications each day in our teaching. I am constantly thinking of different ways I can teach to meet the needs of each student in my classroom. Last year my group had a very large range of abilities, so my accomodations felt overwhelming at times. This year, I am usually able to break my students into two or three groups and adjust my teaching as needed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the commetnts above. In college it was always referred to as "accomodations/modifications" but we didn't really clarify the difference between the two. I feel that I am making accomodations on a regular basis; however, this year I have not needed to make a lot of modifications. I am sure there are some that I just do without even thinking about labeling it as one or the other. I also agree that it is important to take note of the accomodations and modifiations.
ReplyDeleteI remember studying the difference between accommodations and modifications during my special education class in college. When I was still a student, I constantly made accommodations for the students in the classroom who struggled keeping a beat or singing on pitch. I learned how to make music modifications when students from a life skills class came to music. The structure of the class was completely different because the students were not able to do work at the grade level of typical peers, but they were still able to participate in the learning. At Aquin, the majority of accommodations I make is during written exams, but I find that most students are at relatively the same level when we start and finish a unit. I have not had to make any modifications at Aquin.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very informative and did a great job of explaining the difference between accommodation and modifications. It really helped me when they used examples of each. I agree that we make accommodations daily, most times without even thinking about it. I am thankful for our MTSS meetings where we can talk about students with Cindy, Amanda and teachers to help come up with ideas that I may not have thought of. These monthly meetings are very helpful. It is a time to listen to other teachers share what accommodations and modifications that they are using that may work for one of my students. It seems that so many of our students now need accommodations or modifications that we are going to need to continue to build our bank of ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the 11 years I taught middle school & high school special education. I thought Mark Twain's comment was very unique. He stated the difference between the almost "right" word and the exact "right" word is like the difference of light between the lightening bug and lightening. Accomodations helps the students "level the playing field" and the modifications effects how we grade students. It seems like there is a lot of "gray" area between the two: accomodations and modifications but the results are light years apart.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the article- it was great to know the difference between accommodation and modifications. I do accommodations all the time in the classroom. As Karen said, MTSS meetings are great for sharing what they do for their students and I am always wondering how can I use that in Kindergarten. There are so many students who need help and as teachers we are on our toes all the time trying to think of ways to help our students.
ReplyDeleteTHis article was great at explaining the difference between accommodations and modifications. I think that we easily use the terms for each other. But remembering the difference is extremely important. As a preschool teacher and parent I make accommodations each and everyday and as many have stated, without even thinking about doing so. We are Aquin are so blessed to be able to have conversations with other staff about each student and determine what is best for each specific child. We really are so lucky to have so many resources with in the staff here.
ReplyDeleteI think as teachers we do accommodations and modifications daily! This comes from getting to know our students and their needs at an early start. I do think having our grade level sharing meetings gives us a jump start on what has been tried by previous teachers, and we can build off of that. This information is vital, because it helps us same time and identify struggles earlier. Revisiting again a couple months into the school year also is an asset, because we can problem solve again if needed and communicate what is going well. We are all in this together for the success of the students and that’s what I believe accommodations and modifications do- they help our students be more successful.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the others who have commented that it was nice to have the difference between accomodations and modifications explained. I think that the small size of our school and small class sizes allow us to identify the need for accomodations more easily. Through grade level sharing with colleagues, close communication with parents and positive teacher/student relationships we are able to create a learning environment in which students of varying abilities can be successful.
ReplyDeleteI never knew the actual difference between modifications and accommodations until I took classes for my special education endorsement. We were drilled endlessly on both so I have an understanding of them, but the article was a good refresher. Every teacher has to make modifications and more formal accommodations for students in relation to their abilities and learning styles. Teachers and students at Aquin are lucky to have the opportunity to work together through meetings and grade-level sharing to continue using methods that have proved successful and bounce ideas off of each other when things are not working best for each individual student.
ReplyDeleteGreat explanation of the difference between the two words. I agree with much of what has been said. I think we naturally make accommodations, and sometimes modifications for students in order to help them be successful. I do gave a student this year who needs a lot of accommodations. I try to have him do what the rest of the class is doing as much as possible, but offer the supports to help him succeed.
ReplyDelete