Before the implementation of adaptive materials and push for differentiated instruction, neurologically and linguistically diverse students often found themselves excluded from general education classroom experiences.
As a high school special education teacher, I’m not going to lie, it’s hard. It was hard to find age-appropriate text that my kids could understand and actually enjoy. While their peers were diving into Shakespeare, they were reading texts meant for elementary kids.- Morgan B.
Replacing the outdated language of “labels and perceived abilities,” inclusion has transformed how schools operate, how educators teach, and how students learn. Indeed, academic environments have evolved into spaces where all children learn and belong.
“In its broadest sense, inclusive education is about collective learning and growing together as a diverse student group when everyone feels welcomed and engaged. It is the creation of learning environments where everyone can reach their full potential, through active and shared learning (Hart, 2024).”
Meeting students where they are and providing materials suitable for their individual needs is crucial in fostering an inclusive classroom. How teachers effectively achieve this goal may vary.
Understanding IEPs and their Purpose
Legal frameworks are in place to ensure student inclusivity, including Individual Education Plans (IEPs). These plans assist teachers in understanding their students with clarity and specificity, however, educators must compile and curate what is needed for inclusion.
Many students today rely on Individual Education Plans. An IEP is a legally binding document which outlines goals, needs, strengths, and accommodations for students who require specialized services to ensure a quality education. IEP contracts are as unique and diverse as the students they represent. It is imperative to understand that a student’s IEP is not only essential but also legally mandated (in the United States). In fact, the federal Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) provision ensures that students with disabilities receive the same educational opportunities as their neurotypical peers.
Enhancing Inclusivity
Digital platforms such as Adaptive Reader build inclusive and transformative opportunities. By providing varying levels of text, translations of text, and auditory capabilities, our adaptive materials ensure that students with diverse learning needs have access to the same content as their peers, thus, transforming the learning experience. Moreover, our digital products and features enable students – at all levels – to focus more on comprehension rather than struggling through the act of reading.
Upon closer examination, Adaptive Reader provides several embedded IEP accommodations. These, of course, benefit all students.
Simplified Text
Our simplified text adjusts the following to make it more accessible for readers:
- vocabulary complexity
- sentence structure, and
- text difficulty.
While core ideas, themes, and concepts remain consistent, the text is tailored to suit each student's reading ability, allowing everyone to engage with the same content at a level that matches their skills. In addition, students still have access to versions in a side-by-side format to help them to “scaffold up to the original text.
Reduced Cognitive Load
Although our simplified texts offer three distinct versions, in some cases, the actual number of words a student is reading may remain the same.
Instead, what changes is the amount of cognitive load required to unpack – grammatically – what is being read.
For instance, an Original text’s structure may appear in this way:
Modifier, simple sentence. Complex sentence; simple sentence.
(Seven prepositional phrases.)
However, our Gold version’s structure changes in this way:
Simple sentence, modifier. Complex sentence; simple sentence.
(Two prepositional phrases.)
Meanwhile, our Silver version’s structure alters in this way:
Chunking Text
Both educators and students alike will also find that Adaptive Reader’s Gold and Silver version make chunking the text a manageable endeavor.
For instance, in the example illustrated above, the gold and silver versions are chunked in this manner:
Gold
"This promising wind / fuels my daydreams / making them / more vivid and intense. / I refuse / to believe / that the pole / is a place / of only frost and desolation / in my mind / it's / a beautiful and delightful region."
Silver
"The cold wind / makes me dream / even more / about my journey. / I have / a hard time believing / that the North Pole / is just cold and empty. / In my imagination, / it's / a beautiful and wonderful place."
Audio Companions
Across many digital platforms, including Adaptive Reader, audio capabilities have transformed the reading experience. Being able to listen to what they are reading is another way to accommodate an individual’s learning preference. Audio companions are audio versions of texts that read aloud to students in their home language or English. This feature helps students improve their listening skills, pronunciation, and overall comprehension by hearing the text as they follow along. In addition, engaging with text through auditory means leads to increased comprehension, productivity, and efficiency.
Conclusion
The impact of creating an inclusive learning experience should not be underestimated. Adaptive Reader represents an opportunity to create a significant confidence boost, enabling learners to feel included and intellectually engaged with their classmates.
I wanted my students to feel included, to feel their age, but not at the expense of comprehension. Adaptive Reader is the end all be all of inclusivity. A tool where students all over the spectrum… can read the same book as their typical peers. The different levels of text meet students where they are at, but still tell the same story.- Morgan B.
Ultimately, all children desire a sense of belonging and the opportunity to learn. By embracing adaptive materials and leveraging innovative tools like Adaptive Reader, we can create a dignified and inclusive educational environment that empowers and supports every student, regardless of their learning needs.
“When all educators develop the ability to frame the complexity of their classroom students as an asset, they can make deeper connections with their students, and in turn, can support their students in making deeper connections with one another (Hart, 2024).”
All students possess untapped gifts and capabilities, therefore, it is imperative that the academic world cultivate each learner and the abundance they bring. Adaptive Reader serves as one digital platform to enhance that inclusive spirit.
Sources:
Adaptive Reader Teacher Interview with Morgan B.