Diana Lou Tapac

BEEd III-C

1. What is Curriculum Modification

Curriculum modification is a critical component in the learning process of students

with disabilities and has been an accepted practice of teachers in special education
to provide access to high quality learning or mastery learning.

2. What is its purpose?

Its purpose is to more closely “align the cognitive, affective, communicative, and
physical/health demands of the curriculum to the capacities, strengths, and needs
of students” (Sands, Kozleski, & French, 2000)
3. What are the characteristics of children with Learning Disability?
Many students with learning difficulties or disabilities could not cope with
academic learning in the inclusion setting or regular classes. This situation could
be caused by the students’ low motivation to learn due to poor self-concept and
experiences of academic failure, so they pose high risk of dropping out from school.
4. Describe the three strategies of Curriculum Modification

The three prevailing strategies that are being used for curriculum modifications
among children with disabilities are:

Curriculum Adaptation- this has been explained by most educators of children with
disabilities as a modification the ways in which content is represented or presented,
or in which students engage themselves with and respond to the curriculum.

Curriculum Augmentation- Results of researches in curriculum augmentation point

out that this approach enhances metacognitive learning and problem solving
strategies or learning how to learn that focus on questions like “How can I help
myself?” or “How else can I solve this problem?” It refers to efforts to expand the
general education curriculum to provide additional skills or strategies that help
students succeed within the general education curriculum.

Curriculum Alteration- this is the option when the regular curriculum could neither
be adapted nor augmented to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.
5. What is Multi-Sensory Approach

This employs as many of the child’s senses as possible to help him/her learn (e.g.
child sees the letter (Visual), hears the letter (Auditory), and trace the letter
(Kinesthetic and Tactile). VAKT has been proven to work best among children with
disabilities.

6. Examples of Curriculum Adaptation, Curriculum Augmentation and Curriculum

Alteration

Curriculum Adaptation- here are some example of adaptations that can be initiated
by teachers: 1) increase readability or change font size like large print materials, 2)
highlight critical features, 3) reduce extraneous details and simplify the layout, 4)
supplement with visual cues (pictures, diagrams, illustrations), 5) supplement with
written cues and prompts, 6) simplify the language (use shorter sentences and
simple vocabulary), and 7) use student work folders for daily assignment.

Curriculum Augmentation- here are some example of adaptations that can be

initiated by teachers: 1) shadowing or teaching students to repeatedly read aloud a
written section then vocalize thinking, 2) verbatim notes or copying sections in txt
to rehearse information, and 3) Self-management strategy, which includes self-
regulation, self-directed learning and self-determination.

Curriculum Alteration- here are some example of adaptations that can be initiated
by teachers: 1) vocational training emphasis, 2) career education curricula, and life
skills curricula that incorporate community-based learning experiences

7. What is Assistive Technology?

These are items designed specifically to help students with vision loss like screen
readers for blind individuals or screen magnifiers for low-vision computer users,
and video magnifiers and other devices for reading and writing low vision.

8. Cite research findings about the effectiveness of strategies

Self-management strategies as a form of curriculum augmentation among learners

with disabilities have been well researched. Results show that self-management
promotes student independence and desirable behavior across a variety of settings
(Pierce & Schreibman, 1994; Wood, Murdock, & Cronin, 2002). When students
with disabilities learn to self-manage, they are more likely to rely on themselves
than on others for decision making. They empower themselves in determining areas
where they desire to improve, thus the need for other adults or peers to assist in
controlling their behaviors is minimized or eliminated (Firman, Beare, & Loyd,
 2002; King-Sears, 1999; Hughes, Copeland, Agran, Wehmeyer, Rodi, & Presley,
2002)

9. What are the most effective to assist LD’s?

The educational programs likely to be most effective with these students are
programs developed on the basis of the general principles of good instruction rather
than programs designed from the beginning as responses to special needs of
learning deficits diagnosed in compensatory education students (Brophy, J. 1988).
The efficient use of instructional time, and the efficient design of instruction is of
greatest importance for those students who have the greatest difficulty learning
(Horner, R.H., Flannery, K.B., & Snell, M., 1993).
10. Why is mastery learning linked or associated with Curriculum Development

Mastery learning was developed to help teachers provide a higher quality of

learning for more of their students. This is certainly the case for special needs
learners. In essence, curriculum modification for students with disabilities have
shown to be strongly related to mastery learning in its philosophy, principles and
strategies. Both espouse differentiated instruction to diverse learners so that all
students can attain high level of learning.