Accommodations, Adaptations & Modifications

Some definitions that might help you as you consider what you can do for ELL students:

Accommodations are supports and services that help students be successful. Accommodations for ELL students might include:

• supplemental materials (i.e., diagrams, illustrations, charts, definitions, articles in L1)
• tutors, advocates, after-school programs, translators
• pull-out programs / sheltered programs / ELL study halls
• equipment (i.e. hearing aid, wheel chairs)

Adaptations are instructional tools and approaches that bolster a student's ability to learn or demonstrate learning. Adaptations for ELL students might include:

• using a bilingual dictionary during tests
• using audio recorders or word processors
• adapted texts / materials (i.e., materials written in simplified language) or translated texts
• modified assessment procedures / materials (i.e., directions written in L1)
• notes / materials (i.e., pre-teach vocabulary, concepts, background)
• Consultation with teachers, family, agencies, and other advocates (i.e., ESL teacher, conferences with family and translators)

Modifications are significant changes that are made to the content so that a student may be successful

• reducing objectives
• reducing content, process, and product
• alternative texts and tests (The key here is that the content is different, not the way it is presented.)
• assistance for majority of learning

Susan Fitzell, a special education teacher and educational consultant, makes the distinction that modifications are significant changes (> 33 percent) to the content of a class / curriculum. Fitzell has resources available to teachers on her website. Of interest to teachers of ELL students are:

Grading in the Diverse Classroom: What's Fair?
Grading Special Needs Students In The General Classroom