As a math teacher, you want all of your students to reach their highest potential. However, with increasingly diverse student needs in today’s classrooms, it can be difficult to determine how to meet your learners where they are. This is where accommodations come into play! These small adjustments can make a world of difference for struggling and reluctant learners. Today I wanted to share a little more about what math accommodations are (and aren’t) and give you some ideas to use in your classroom.
Accommodations are changes or adjustments to the instructional environment, curriculum, or assessment that make it possible for all students to participate and learn. They can be put into place for a variety of reasons- such as a student’s disability, cultural background, English language proficiency, or reading level. The goal of accommodations is always the same: to ensure that all students have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
There are a few things that accommodations are NOT: they are not a replacement for instruction, nor do they guarantee success for any student.
Additionally, accommodations cannot be tailored specifically to an individual student- instead, they should be available to all students who need them. Finally, math accommodations should be used in conjunction with interventions, which are designed specifically for individual students.
The main difference between accommodations and modifications is that accommodations generally change the environment or the way things are done, while modifications involve altering the content of what is being taught.
For math, some common accommodations include providing math tools such as rulers and compasses, allowing students to use graphic organizers to organize their thoughts, and breaking down math problems into smaller steps.
Modifications, on the other hand, would be things like changing the math problems to be less difficult or providing alternate assignments for students who are struggling.
Some students with disabilities may require both accommodations and modifications to be successful. However, many struggling learners can benefit from accommodations without any modifications being necessary.
There are a few ways that math accommodations can help struggling learners. First, they can provide students with specific strategies and tools to help them understand and complete math tasks. Additionally, accommodations can help to create a more supportive and structured learning environment, which can reduce feelings
Now that we’ve covered what accommodations are, let’s dig a little deeper to understand the different types of accommodations you might consider providing in your math classroom.
There are four types of accommodations you’re likely to use in your classroom. In fact, you’re probably already using many of these without realizing they are considered accommodations at all! These include adjustments to the learning environment, pacing of lessons or assignments, changes to the format of instruction, and adjustments to how students share their learning.
Each of these types of accommodations can be helpful for struggling learners in your math classroom. Now let’s take a closer look at each one.
These are changes to the physical environment of the classroom. This could involve things like adjusting the lighting, providing a specific type of seating, or working in a different area of the classroom.
Not surprisingly, these are often included in IEPs and 504 plans to help students. However, they can be provided to any student based on need as long as you document what you’re doing.
Here are a few more examples:
These accommodations are designed to allow students to work at a pace that is the right fit for them. The most common of these is extended time, which is offered to students with a variety of different needs.
However, timing accommodations also include:
Instructional accommodations focus on how learning happens for the student. These changes to instruction are meant to provide more support for students as they learn new concepts. This can include the use of additional materials, like manipulatives, or tools to aid learning.
Examples of instructional accommodations include:
These are the different ways you allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the material. Response accommodations focus on the assessment of student learning and also answer what students will be asked to provide as evidence.
Examples include:
Hopefully, this gives you a little better understanding of what types of accommodations you might consider using or are already including in your math lessons.
Of course, there are more examples than those I’ve listed here, but keeping these four basic types in mind can help with your planning. It is always a good idea to have a conversation with the student’s parents or teacher about their needs so you can create a plan that best meets his/her needs!
Math is an area many learners struggle. That’s why it is important to have a variety of accommodations available. You can implement any of the options below. However, you should note that it might take a bit to determine if they are working.
The lists of strategies below will help you differentiate in math so all of your students can achieve success.
While I’ve shared a number of possible ways you can help meet the needs of your learners in the space above, it can be helpful to get a feel for what this might look like in your classroom. That’s why I’ve shared three scenarios below. I’ve experienced each of these, and I want to share the tools I’ve used to address the issues. These may not be a perfect fit for your learner’s unique needs. However, I hope you’ll find this to be a helpful starting spot.
This is a common issue that is often mentioned when considering how to meet the needs of struggling learners or those that receive services outside the classroom. Therefore, here are five accommodations you may consider when you’ve got a student in this situation:
This student may need more repetitions and experience with the foundational parts of your instruction to master the skill. Here are some accommodations that can be helpful:
When students are easily distracted, they often miss important information during your lessons. Over time, these small gaps can add up to create larger issues. Here are some ways you can support students with attention issues.
As I finish this post, I want to emphasize the importance of documentation for any accommodations you provide your students – whether they are identified with special needs or not.
Even if the accommodations seem minor, it can be helpful to have a record of what worked (or didn’t work) in the event that a student experiences difficulties in the future. Good documentation can help support your decisions if you ever need to advocate for your student or provide information to other educators working with them.
However, I know you’re busy! That’s why I’ve created an easy-to-use sheet to help you better track the accommodations you provide for Tier 1 & Tier 2 students. This can also be used to help you track any math interventions. You can grab this for free by entering your name and email below.
Additionally, I’d also recommend creating a code to document these for your grade book. For example, ET might code extra time. This can help parents better understand what is going on in the classroom and it can be useful if you need to meet with the campus MTSS team.
Whenever possible, it’s also best to include parents in conversations about accommodations. First and foremost, they can provide critical information about what has worked in the past and be a part of decisions made for their child’s math education. This can also help them better communicate with you about how homework is going or other things that may impact the child’s needs.
In conclusion, I hope these accommodations help you create a successful math classroom for all your students. Remember, math is a process, and accommodations can help ALL students be successful in your class. Finally, enter your email below if you’d like my Student Support Document.
Finally, if you have questions about accommodations or want to share ideas, please leave a comment below! I’m always looking for new ways to support my students.
