SPED 504MM: Theoretical and Empirical Bases of Education for Learners with Mild/Moderate Disabilities
Adapting Instructional Materials
I. Analyzing Instructional Materials
A. The readability of text may be too difficult.
Non-example: The man, addressing the audience before him, told them that he had repented for all of his past offenses. Example: ???
B. The vocabulary is often highly sophisticated.
Tip: Use no more than 5 unfamiliar vocabulary words per lesson.
C. Too many concepts may be presented at one time.
Tip: Introduce concepts one at a time. Assume that all of the following are included on a workbook page. What is wrong with the following example?
24 / 8 = ___ 38 / 5 = ___ 215 / 3 = ___
D. The sequencing of skills may be inappropriate.
Example: Students should be taught initial consonant sounds before they are introduced to the concept of consonant blends.
E. Directions are not always clear.
Tip: Use consistent wording in directions. How could this direction be stated more clearly? Put a line around the best answer.
F. There are insufficient opportunities for practice and review.
Example: Students should spend sufficient time learning how to subtract two-digit numbers from two- digit numbers without regrouping before attempting similar problems with regrouping.
G. Key points and terms may not be given adequate emphasis.
Example: Printed products do not always highlight, print in bold type, print in italics, or define the most important terms and ideas.
H. Organization, format, and layout are sometimes confusing.
Examples: 1. Printed materials do not always begin with an advanced organizer or introduction.
2. When tables, graphs, and illustrations are placed too far away from the text that describes them, they may confuse students.
3. Pages may be cluttered with too much information.
I. Materials may be unmotivating and uninteresting.
Example: Commercially produced materials often are not appealing because of format, level of difficulty, lack of color and illustrations, subject matter, age level targeted, typeface, or lack of relevance and functionality.
J. Materials and text are sometimes too abstract.
Examples: 1. A social studies chapter on justice, democracy, and freedom may not make these concepts concrete.
2. Math material that contains the term congruent with no examples, definitions, or illustrations of the term.
K. Students may be limited in their response modes.
Example: A science text that provides only end-of-chapter questions limits response.
L. A variety of ethnic and cultural groups may not be represented or they may be inaccurately represented.
Tips: 1. Materials are limited in their appeal if they do not include a variety of ethnic and cultural groups.
2. Watch out for stereotypes.
II. Adapting Materials
A. Readability
1. To modify the readability level:
a. shorten sentences
b. simplify vocabulary
c. provide outlines or study guides to accompany the text
d. highlight essential information
e. limit the amount of information on a page
f. make the topic sentence of a paragraph the initial sentence
B. Vocabulary
1. To modify vocabulary:
a. Use the marginal gloss technique. Write terms and their definitions in the margins of a textbook page.
b. Underline or highlight key terms.
c. Locate all boldface, italicized, or new concept words from the text and list them with the corresponding page number.
d. Tape record essential words, definitions, and sentences on audiotapes.
e. Provide vocabulary lists or glossaries with simplified definitions and use the words in sentences.
C. Presentation of Concepts
1. To modify the presentation of concepts:
a. Supplement print material with concept teaching procedures.
b. Present concepts one at a time.
c. Provide visual supplements, such as transparencies, illustrations, and diagrams.
d. Use modeling and demonstration to clarify concepts.
e. Use games, manipulatives, and hands-on activities to reinforce concepts.
f. Draw upon the different cultural backgrounds and experiences of students to make concepts meaningful.
D. General Comprehension
1. To increase understanding of materials:
a. Include prereading organizers and end-of-text summaries.
b. Provide study guides or outlines.
c. Insert stop points in text and have students summarize what they have read.
d. Include periodic reviews in the form of statements or questions.
e. Have students generate their own questions about printed materials.
f. Highlight main ideas in one color and supporting details in another. Post a key to the coding system in the classroom.
g. Give short, frequent quizzes instead of one long test.
h. Provide summaries on audiotapes.
i. Use graphic organizers.
j. Conduct brainstorming sessions.
E. Directions
1. To clarify written directions:
a. Simplify the directions.
b. Shorten the directions.
c. Use concise, boldface directions.
d. Put the words typically used in directions on flashcards.
e. Highlight the key words in a set of directions (e.g., "Write a t in the blank if the answer is true and an f if the answer is false").
f. Have the students underline what they are supposed to do (e.g., "Write your answer in the blank provided for you").
g. In a set of multiple directions, use colored dots or numbers to differentiate the separate directions.
h. Record directions on audiocassettes.
F. Practice
1. To provide sufficient practice:
a. Have students move laterally before they move vertically to a new skill (e.g., have students practice multiplying one-digit numbers by one- digit numbers to mastery level before teaching them to multiply one-digit numbers by two-digit numbers).
b. Supplement practice in printed products with games, tapes, and manipulatives.
c. Provide repetition, review, and application of skills.
G. Manageability of Materials
1. To increase the manageability of printed materials:
a. Shorten assignments by cutting worksheets in half or circling even-numbered questions for students to complete in a session.
b. Clip a piece of construction paper so that it covers half of a page and have the student complete the other half.
c. Draw a box around the questions that the student should answer.
d. Use bookmarks to help students locate words and keep their place.
e. Underline or highlight specific information that is being introduced or emphasized.
f. Mask out certain areas of print material to emphasize specific concepts, eliminate unnecessary visual stimuli, and encourage task performance.
g. Color-code newly introduced material, major concepts, or material to be memorized.
h. During presentations with transparencies, put a star by the important points and underline the details.
i. Cover each transparency with a piece of paper and move the paper downward one line at a time.
j. For students who have difficulty reading lengthy chapters, tape record every other page. Have the student read one page and listen to the next.
H. Organization
1. To organize printed materials in a clear, consistent manner:
a. Use advance and post organizers for each activity (e.g., give students an outline or a set of questions at the beginning of a lesson and print a summary or list important points on a transparency to use for review at the end of a lesson).
b. Reorganize poorly designed worksheets to create simple, easy-to-follow layouts and formats.
c. Provide graphics that are clear and understandable. Be sure graphics clarify and support the printed text (e.g., give students a photocopy of a check that has been filled out so that, as they read the text, they can see where the date, amount, signature, etc. belong).
I. Response Modes
1. To increase the options for student responses:
a. Allow students to audiotape their responses.
b. Provide opportunities for students to work in groups with games, flashcards, and hands-on activities in response to printed assignments.
c. Allow students to take tests orally.
d. Let students dictate stories, themes, and book reports.
e. Allow students to type spelling words, themes, and reports on the computer instead of writing them.
f. Provide role-play and discussions.
J. Motivation
1. To increase motivation and interest in printed materials:
a. Use concrete examples and demonstrations to supplement printed materials.
b. Draw upon prior knowledge to make material more interesting to students.
c. Supplement text materials with nontraditional printed materials, such as newspapers, magazines, comic books, and baseball cards.
d. Allow students to use self-correcting materials.
e. Use materials that interest students while simplifying vocabulary.
f. Let students use materials independently, in small groups, and in large groups.
g. Use audiovisual aids, such as filmstrips, videotapes, computer software, and audiotapes to increase interest in printed materials.
K. Content Delivery
1. Use audiotapes to present printed materials. When preparing tapes:
a. Highlight important points.
b. Include questions to facilitate recall and critical analysis.
c. Repeat key concepts.
d. Provide feedback.
e. Differentiate between main ideas and supporting details.
f. Explain how to use graphics.
g. Explain how to use chapter titles, boldface subheadings, section summaries, and questions to gain information.
h. Show students how to use a marking system in connection with an audiotape.
L. Concreteness
1. To make materials more concrete:
a. Provide demonstrations.
b. Use concrete examples.
c. Present or construct models.
d. Use role-play.
M. Chapter Questions
1. To modify end-of-chapter questions:
a. Ask fewer questions.
b. Reword the questions in simpler terms.
c. Increase response time.
d. Write the number of the page on which the response can be found next to each question at the end of the chapter. Or, next to the response in the chapter, write the number of the question, then highlight the response.