Adaptive Curriculum

1. AN ADAPTIVE
CURRICULUM
A L I S O N M OT L E Y
S O E 1 1 5 P H Y C O LO G Y O F T E A C H I N G A N D L E A R N I N G
K E N D A L L C O L L E G E

2. OVERVIEW OF AN ADAPTIVE
CURRICULUM
My strategy is having an adaptive curriculum as an educator.
Being able to adapt the curriculum to children who may be
quicker learners or slower learners is important in order for each
child to be challenged and to learn all they are to learn. Also, this
helps for those students who have special needs or multicultural
students. Adapting a curriculum is when an educator modifies the
current curriculum to meet a students needs in order for them to
learn all of the information that is required for them to learn. I
chose this strategy because this is something I want to learn more
about because in my current job this is something that we deal
with when it comes to different children.

3. SOURCE 1• According to Tools for Teachers there are nine types of adaptations of a curriculum,
“Input, Output, Time, Difficulty, Level of Support, Size, Degree of Participation,
Alternate Goals, and Substitute Curriculum,”
• Tools for Teachers states that, “Input is adapting the way the instruction is delivered to
the learner. Output is adapting how the learner can respond to instruction. Time is
adapting the time allotted and allowed for learning, task completion or testing.
Difficulty is adapting the skill level, problem type, or the rules on how the learner may
approach the work. Level of Support is increasing the amount of personal assistance
with specific learner. Size is adapting the number of items that the learner is expected
to learn or complete. Degree of Participation is adapting the extent to which a learner
is actively involved in the task. Alternate Goals is adapting the goals or outcome
expectations while using the same materials. Substitute Curriculum is proving the
different instruction and materials to meet a learner’s individual goals.” This shows that
there are many different things that could cause for curriculum adaptation.
• This source also explained how a curriculum may not have to be modified at all. This
would only occur in a situation where a student or a few students needed more help
learning about a certain topic. Also, this does not mean that a student that needs to
curriculum adapted and modified for a certain topic will need that for all topics

4. SOURCE 2
• This source The Prep Program explains what curriculum adaptation is along with
attitudes, Education Assistant Support, Materials, Strategies and Techniques.
• This source thoroughly shows how to adapt the curriculum with a Down Syndrome
child. This shows an educator how to adapt to those children with special needs even if
it is not Down Syndrome.
• The Prep Program states that, “it is okay to be in this grade and not be at this grade
level.” This is a great comment because although it is important as educators to keep
children on the right track curriculum wise, in some cases as long as the child is
progressing being on the exact same level is not always crucial.

5. SOURCE 3
• This source includes multicultural students and the adaptations that teachers would
have to make for those children, but the way many schools curriculums do not allow
for this adapting environment,. This source also shows how some educators are limited
to the amount of adapting they are able to do for their curriculum because they are
forced to teach a certain curriculum this affects the students.
• This source stated that, “Teachers’ voices in curriculum decision making is paramount
to student outcomes and the ability for teachers to meet individual student needs.”
(Meidl, Pg.5) Without the ability to adapt the curriculum, students suffer and their
needs are not met in education.
• This source also stated that, “ Effective individualized instruction necessitates
identifying and recognizing students’ abilities as strengths and not weaknesses. “
(Meidl, Pg.9). Therefore, students benefit from this type of teaching rather than having
a strict curriculum where students are not learning as much as they could be learning.

6. ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION
• I found that all three of my sources were similar. They all seemed to point in the direction
that adapting a curriculum will ultimately help the children who are suffering.
• One article focused mainly on children who have down syndrome, but this type of
adaptation could be related to any child with special needs.
• Another article focused a lot on multiculturalism and how some teachers are not able to
adapt their curriculum, but how it is important to do so in order for each student to
completely understand everything they should.
• Finally one of the sourced provided me with information on nine types of adaptations,
which is very helpful to know all of the different types other than the common ones about
slower pace or faster pace.
• I believe that all of these sources somehow agreed with each other on how adapting a
curriculum is important in order for children to get the most out of their learning
experience.

7. CONNECTIONS
• The concept that this connected to was about closing the
achievement gap and about the No Child Left Behind. If
educators truly went by this Act adaptable curriculums would
be more welcomed in every school. No Child Left Behind
includes those children who are special, multicultural, faster
paced, or slower paced. It is important for educators and
school districts to truly implement this type of learning to
help their students achieve all that they can.

8. CONCLUSIONS
• I believe that with my sources that I have provided there is clear evidence that
supports my strategy on curriculum adaptation. Each source either provided
information on different types of adaptations or explanations on how to implement
this in the classroom. Without adaptations in the classroom, I believe that it would be
harder for every child to be on the same page or to at least continue to move on in
their education. Even some schools that do not have room for adaptations, the teacher
tries to incorporate some type of adaptations for those children if they are able to. For
those schools that do not allow this, I believe should take a closer look at this topic
and reconsider.

9. COMMUNICATIONS WITH FAMILIES
• If a parent asked me about my strategy on Curriculum I would say that there are many
different ways it can be modified if needed. The curriculum may not need to be
modified for any child in the class. If their needs to be a modification it can be more
than just a child is too fast or is too slow at learning. I would provide the parent with
the information on the nine different adaptations so that they can gain insight on what
can be adapted. It is also important to reassure the parent that many children need
adaptations to the curriculum because all children do not learn the same and or at the
same pace in this environment. Also adaptation can be made for multiculturalism.
Research has shown that having adaptations in the classroom for the curriculum helps
the overall learning for each student.

10. REFERENCES
• Meidl, T. & Meidl, C. (2011). Curriculum Integration and Adaptation: Individualizing
Pedagogy for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students. Current Issues in
Education, 14(1). Retrieved from http://cie.asu.edu/
• Http://ljournal.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/a-2017-023.pdf. (1999). The Prep
Program, 39-50. doi:10.18411/a-2017-023
• Http://ljournal.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/a-2017-023.pdf. (1999). Tools For
Teacher, 15-32. doi:10.18411/a-2017-023