Adapting curriculum Teaching and Learning Strategies

2. By: Dr. Daniyal Mushtaq

3. Introduction
 There are several factors that you will need to consider
in adapting the curriculum. Adaptive instructional
programs are characterized by combined teaching
strategies, flexible scheduling, individualized
instruction, mastery learning, large and small group
instruction, individualized tutorials and cooperative
learning.

4. Continued………..
 Further, while we will need to adapt the form of
instruction to meet the individual needs of children
with special needs we will also need to adapt the
delivery and response factors that will face the child in
school.

5. Objectives …………
 After studying this unit you will be able to:
 1. Create access to learning for all the children in their
mainstream classroom.
 2. Understand the concept of instructional and
accommodation adaptations in teaching learning
process of children with special needs
 3. Learn or know the role of mainstream classroom
teacher to create effective instructional environments.

6. Continued ………..
 4. Use cooperative and collaborative learning in
inclusive setup.
 5. Develop the teaching-learning material that will
encourage the independence of Learners.
 6. Drawing upon the resources to maximize the
teaching learning process/ time

8. What is the Adaptive curriculum??
 . Curriculum adaptation is an ongoing dynamic
process that modifies and adapts the prescribed
program of studies to meet the learning requirements
of a student with special needs. It enables the teaching
team to welcome learners of all abilities and ensures
that every student is challenged to learn.

9. Continued………..
 The academic instructional program for students on
an adapted curriculum is guided by the general
education curriculum and provides instruction with an
additional focus on life skills. ... Instruction for
students with low incidence disabilities on an adapted
curriculum involves the use of specialized strategies

10. What are the features of an
adaptive curriculum?
 A learning environment that offers opportunities for
content to be reflective and culturally responsive to the
children using the space (e.g., wall displays, books, and
play materials that reflect all cultures in the
classroom)
 Learning opportunities that foster critical
thinking based on what children are interested in

11. Continued………….
 Although the concept of curriculum adaptation is
fairly straightforward, it can take many different forms.
In essence, teachers and curriculum specialists adjust
and modify curricula according to student needs and
the goals set forth by that student’s Individualized
Education Program (IEP

12. Continued………….
 Opportunities for teachers to individualize
learning approaches as children need based on what
they know about children and where they expect
children to go next
 Opportunities to apply content knowledge in practical
ways and extend learning beyond a test or worksheet
 Opportunities to collaborate with other students to
work on shared tasks

14. Examples of Classroom
Adaptations
 Use different level of reading material.
 Adjust objectives.
 Teach from the concrete to the abstract.
 Check on student frequently to provide support and
assistance as required.
 Give cues to encourage use of strategies.
 Permit the use of learning aids such as computers,
calculators, or tape recorders.
 Give immediate feedback on progress.
 Pre-teach new vocabulary, concepts, and symbols.

15. Examples of Adapting the
Curriculum for Students with
Special Needs
 Where a student with special needs is expected to
achieve or surpass the learning outcomes set out in the
science curriculum, regular grading practices and
reporting procedures are followed. For students not
expected to achieve the learning outcomes,
adaptations and modifications must be noted in the
Individual Education Plan. In this way, instructional
and assessment methods may be adapted to meet the
needs of all students.

16. Continued………….
Adapt the environment
 Change where the student sits in the classroom. •
Make use of cooperative grouping
Adapt presentations •
 Provide students with advance organizers of key
scientific concepts. •
 Demonstrate or model new concepts.

17. Continued………….
 Adapt the pace of activities •
 Allow the student more time to complete assignments
 Provide shorter but more frequent assignments.
 Alternate mode for materials
 Tape record.
 Draw pictures.
 Cut pictures from magazines.
 Build models.

18. Continued……….
 Use the computer .
 • Enlarge/shrink materials.
 Cut and paste.
 Use manipulative.
 Use a calculator.

19. Continued………….
 Different types of paper (e.g., graph, paper with mid-
lines, raised line paper).
 • Provide more white space to put answers.
 • Highlight or color code (directions, key words, topic
sentences).
 • Cover parts of worksheets.
 • Put less information on a page.

20. Adapting Instructional Strategies
 This first category of curriculum adaptations refers to a
change in the way a teacher teaches - that is, in the
methodologies she uses to provide information to a
learner(s) in her class. These involve a change in the
learner's instructional input.

21. Adapting Instructional Materials
 Adapting teaching materials involves making changes
to the equipment and / or supplies to which a
learner(s) has access during the course of instruction.
 Most materials adaptations fall into one of four
groups:

22. Continued …..
 Adjusting the readability level of written materials.
 Enhancing critical features of the content within the
materials themselves.
 Designing materials with features that appeal to
sensory modalities other than visual/ auditory.
 Selecting alternate instructional materials for their
durability or safety features.

23.  Adapt materials
 • Use large print activity sheets.
 • Use overlays on text pages to reduce the quantity of
print that is visible.
 • Highlight key points on the activity sheet.
 • Line indicators
 • Sections on paper (draw lines, fold)

24. Categories of adapting curriculum
for the children with special needs
 1. Accommodation.
 Accommodation is this simplest form of adapting
curriculum. It addresses students who are able to
comprehend and perform at the regular curriculum’s
levels of content and conceptual difficulty but require
differentiation in instructional techniques and the
medium in which each student demonstrates their
depth of understanding.

25. Continued………….
 2. Adaptation.
 Adaptation is appropriate for students whose needs
and learning goals are in line with the content of the
regular curriculum but require a moderate
modification of the depth of conceptual difficulty of
that content.

28. Continued………….
 3. Parallel Curriculum Outcomes.
 Implementing parallel curriculum outcomes implies a
greater modification of conceptual difficulty than
adaptation. However, similar to adaptation, the
content subject is the same, allowing that student to
participate in classroom activities alongside other
students. A teacher must address each student’s needs
and IEP goals with adjusted learning outcomes and
conceptual depth levels for each lesson.
 .

29. Continued ……
 4. Overlapping Curricula
 Students who require heavily modified learning
outcomes and goals may need integration into general
classroom activities through overlapping curricula. In
this situation, a student participates in classroom
activities with individualized learning outcomes for
each activity, including social/behavioral development
goals, cognitive learning goals, language skills or even
physical ability development.


30. Adapted Lesson Plans
 Before the process of curriculum adaptation begins, all
members of the team should be familiar with the
student’s cumulative file. Classroom observations
combined with past IPPs, therapy updates and
progress reports gives the teaching team the
information needed to plan and implement a
meaningful program of studies.

31. Continued………….
1. Knowledge
 In this step, identify what the student will learn. It is
okay that this student’s knowledge goals are different
from those of the other students in the class. What is
important is that the goals have meaning for the
student and that the knowledge gained will further his
learning.

32. Continued………….
2. Process
 In this step, identify how the student will be taught
and what tools will be used. It is okay that this student
requires different materials and equipment than his
peers. What is important is that the necessary
adaptations are in place to ensure that the process is
not an obstacle to learning.

33. Continued………….
3. Demonstration
 In this step, identify how the student will demonstrate
learning. It is okay that this student will present what
he has learned using different techniques (e.g., poster
board versus essay) and modalities (e.g., spelling with
letter tiles rather than printing letters) to demonstrate
both knowledge and process.

34. Conclusion………..
 An inclusive education is a burning issue towards
educating the children with disability and learning
difficulties with the normal children, the curriculum
must be framed in such a way which should meet the
needs of diversified section if students. While framing
the curriculum the policy makers should unmark, the
appropriate age, interest, psychology as well as the
needs of the particular society..

35. Continued ………….
 The curriculum should spread the concept of equity
through out the educational system where all the
disable students identify their hidden talents and
sharpen their ideas, thoughts to excel in their life.
After all, a positive mind set of the society as well as
teachers helps for the successful implementation of
curriculum.