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A support provided to a student that is currently having an issue behaviorally or academically.

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Any child that could benefit.

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Any child that could benefit.

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Children with learning, physical, or intellectual disability. Those with an IEP or 504 plan.

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Children with learning, physical, or intellectual disability. Those with an IEP or 504 plan.

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Children with learning, physical, or intellectual disability. Those with an IEP or 504 plan.

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Children with an IEP calling for it.

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Changing how instruction is given to specific children. Managed in classroom by the general education teacher.

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Specific help that a child can receive in how they represent there answers or work through a problem

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An umbrella term that encompasses accommodations and modifications

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Changes made to assignments or assessments of a specific child.

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Instruction tailored to a specific student given by a special education teacher.

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Shorter assignments

Alternate assignments

Graded on a different standard

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Lists many of the most common modifications.

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Common accommodations and modifications in school

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Refer to this checklist of common modifications and accommodations to get to know options for struggling students.

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Lists many of the most common accommodations.

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Common accommodations and modifications in school

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Refer to this checklist of common modifications and accommodations to get to know options for struggling students.

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Assignments read aloud

Additional time to complete work

Preferential seating

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Quiet areas

Assistive technology

Modified pacing

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Overview of SDI. The main take away is that this is the next level beyond adaptations.

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The delivery of specially designed instruction is the core job responsibility of special education teachers.

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All students are held to a certain standard. HLP 13 specifics when changes can be made per student

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Audio assignments

Alternate testing locations

Fidget objects

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A few examples of adaptations. For specifics check the accommodations or modifications sections.

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In past posts, we've talked about universal design for learning (UDL) as a highly effective framework for teaching all students. As author Whitney Rapp says in her book Universal Design for Learning in Action:

"An environment that is universally designed for learning includes everyone and prepares everyone to be inclusive and think inclusively. It shows students that everyone is different, everyone has strengths, and everyone has needs, and that is okay. It shows students there are multiple ways to be successful, multiple ways to solve problems, and multiple ways to learn from mistakes."

Part of teaching and planning with a UDL lens is recognizing what each of your learners needs to be successful. That means adapting and customizing aspects of your activities and lessons-and offering multiple ways for students to learn and show what they know.

Today's post brings you five approaches for adapting instruction in your inclusive classroom, so students with and without disabilities can participate and learn academic content. Adapted from Rachel Janney & Martha Snell's practical guide to these strategies can be used in any combination to best meet the needs of your individual learners. Try these in your classroom, and let us know which adaptations have worked best for your students!

Alter the instructional arrangement

Groups of the same size don't always work for all students. Keep an eye on what types of arrangements different learners respond to best. Here are some options for adapting the arrangement of students during classtime:

Let your student work in a group of three when most of her classmates work in groups of four or five.

Have your student team up with a peer partner when most of his classmates are working individually.

Add variety to small-group work: when most classmates are working in student-directed small groups, have the student and a few selected classmates work in a small group that you sit with and help support.

Alter the physical or social environment

A student's surroundings can have a huge impact on how he or she learns. Be mindful of and responsive to students with sensory and attention issues, and make changes to the learning environment to meet their needs. Some examples:

Give your student the choice to sit at a table instead of a desk (or vice versa).

Get your student a larger (or smaller) desk, depending on her preference.

Let students with sound sensitivities work in a particular part of the classroom, such as a "quiet space" or study carrel.

Give easily distracted students the option of sitting at a desk closer to the board. You could even arrange for the student to complete certain tasks in another part of the school campus, such as the media center or outdoors.

Alter your methods and materials

Multiple means of engagement and representation are two pillars of the UDL framework. When you teach a new lesson, offer your learners many different ways to engage with and absorb the content. For example:

Incorporate more visuals to present content in different ways, such as maps, pictures, drawings, objects, or videos.

Use graphic organizers to arrange key points in a way students can easily grasp.

Provide additional models or demonstrations for students who need extra support during the lesson.

Select concrete materials instead of symbolic representations, or illustrate symbolic representations with concrete examples.

Make the most of whatever technology is available to you-enhance your lesson with whiteboards, streaming videos, or remote clickers.

Check for understanding more frequently, using methods that require active responses from your students. For example, try asking questions about the lesson material and have your class vote on the answers.

Provide students with differentiated reading material based on their reading level and/or interests.

Make content easier to learn by giving your student enhanced texts in which key parts are highlighted, pictures or symbols are added, and/or text is enlarged.

Alter the process or task

For some learners, you may want to modify or reduce the requirements of assignments. And be sure to give all your learners multiple means of action and expression (the third pillar of the UDL framework). Let them show what they know in a variety of innovative ways, depending on how they best express themselves. Some examples:

Have your student follow written, pictorial, or audio-recorded task steps instead of giving them oral instructions.

Modify essay assignments-instead of writing an essay, your student could demonstrate understanding of the content by completing a chart, developing a text-to-speech presentation, or creating an outline.

Reduce the number of items students are expected to complete. For example, your student can receive the same math worksheet as the rest of the class, but you can ask him to complete only the odd-numbered items.

Give your student the option of using the same materials as the rest of the class, but in a different way. On a math worksheet, she could locate and mark certain numerals instead of completing problems.

Suggest note-taking helpmates such as guided notes or a slot-note note format, so students can more easily record and recall key information.

Allow for more creative ways for students to show what they know. Artistic students might build a model, create a poster, or draw a map a in place of a written assignment.

Alter the level of personal assistance

For learners who need extra support with some tasks, enlist helpers such as peers, a special educator, or a paraprofessional. They can provide assistance in a variety of ways, depending on the learner's needs:

Have the helper model the steps of a task before the student performs them on her own.

Encourage helpers to provide additional prompts (verbal, gestural, or partial physical) when students need them.

Assign the helper to complete some of the task steps with or for the student.

Ask the helper to give the student immediate feedback and additional encouragement to reinforce successes.

What are your favorite strategies for adapting materials, tasks, assignments, and the learning environment? Share your ideas in the comments below!

For more guidance on check out the book (free excerpt at the link!)

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5 Types of Instructional Adaptations for Your Inclusive Classroom - Brookes Blog

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In past posts, we've talked about universal design for learning (UDL) as a highly effective framework for teaching all students. As author Whitney Rapp says in her book Universal Design for Learning in Action: "An environment that is universally designed for learning includes everyone and prepares everyone to be inclusive and think inclusively.

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All students are held to a certain standard. HLP 13 specifics when changes can be made per student

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All students are held to a certain standard. HLP 13 specifics when changes can be made per student

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Briefly defines SDI and talks about how it is different from differentiation, accommodations, and modifications.

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This tool is intended to be used by instructional leaders and those in coaching capacities to look for the presence of SDI in co-taught classrooms during formal observations. The list is not exhaustive, and questions may be presented in multiple ways to help uncover the various factors that contribute to the implementation of SDI and the variety of SDI one might see. An administrator or observer may only see 1 or 2 observable behaviors in an observation. This tool is intended to promote conversation between the observer and the observed.

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This tool is intended to be used by instructional leaders and those in coaching capacities to look for the presence of SDI in co-taught classrooms during formal observations. The list is not exhaustive, and questions may be presented in multiple ways to help uncover the various factors that contribute to the implementation of SDI and the variety of SDI one might see.

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Explore this website to learn more about high leverage practices

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Brief overview of evidence based practices.

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Page 1: What is an EBP?

For Your Information

Although the terms evidence-based practices and evidence-based programs have been used interchangeably, experts in the field, as well as practitioners, are beginning to differentiate between them.

Evidence-Based Practice: Skills, techniques, and strategies that have been proven to work through experimental research studies or large-scale research field studies.

Evidence-Based Program: A collection of practices that, when used together, has been proven to work through experimental research studies or large-scale research field studies.

Educators often use the well established and commonly used practices and strategies that they have seen others use-including their own teachers-never questioning whether these practices are supported by evidence. In fact, some of these practices have been shown to be ineffective or have no data to support them. For example, many schools across the country have adopted a zero tolerance policy and associated disciplinary practices for certain behaviors, yet research indicates that these practices are not only ineffective but are also associated with negative student outcomes.

To improve the quality of instruction students receive and the outcomes that students achieve, the field of education has been making great efforts for a number of years to implement evidence-based practices or programs (EBPs). In general, an EBP is one whose effectiveness is supported by rigorous research. In other words, research shows that the practice or program works. Unfortunately, identifying and selecting an EBP is difficult for education professionals for a number of reasons.

There are few opportunities for educators to learn about evidence-based practices (e.g., professional development training, conferences, professional journals, a limited number of Websites).

Specific information about an EBP (e.g., description of the practice, the student population it is effective with, implementation procedures, effectiveness rating) can be difficult to locate.

EBPs are often presented in formats (e.g., research article) that educators find difficult to understand and, in turn, to apply in the classroom.

Training on how to read and interpret research findings is often inadequate.

Written descriptions (especially when composed by vendors) might claim that practices and programs are evidence-based even though they are not backed by rigorous research.

The criteria for deeming a practice or program "evidence-based" might vary depending on the organization or agency producing the effectiveness rating.

The term "evidence-based" has not been used consistently. Several similar terms have been used to describe the effectiveness of programs or practices: research-based, research-validated, and best practice. Further complicating matters, these terms have evolved over time and have been used interchangeably; consequently, it can be hard to get past the terminology and determine which practices or programs have been shown by research to be effective.

To help clarify the terminology, the table below highlights some common terms you may encounter when searching for an EBP. The first term, "evidence-based practice," refers to a practice with the strongest research evidence.

Evidence-based practice

Shown to have a positive effect on student outcomes

The research design allows one to infer that the practice led to child or student improvement

Multiple high-quality studies have been conducted

Reviewed by a reputable organization (e.g., What Works Clearinghouse)

Promising practice

Shown to have positive effects on learner outcomes

The research design does not clearly demonstrate that the practice led to child or student improvement

Insufficient number of studies conducted to demonstrate its effectiveness

Research-based practice

Some research studies have demonstrated positive effects on student outcomes while other studies have not

Based on research that may or may not clearly demonstrate that the practice led to improved child or student outcomes

Multiple studies have been conducted

Emerging practice

Anecdotal evidence of effectiveness

Research has not been conducted

Other terms that you might encounter during your search for an EBP are "best practice" or "recommended practice." These terms have been used inconsistently. Sometimes these practices or programs are backed by research, and other times they are not. When reviewing these practices or programs, proceed with caution. You want to make sure they are backed by research not just anecdotal evidence or professional judgment.

Keep in mind that due to inherent difficulties posed by research, limited time, and lack of funding, not all educational practices and programs have been subjected to rigorous research.

Bryan Cook discusses the differences between evidence-based practices and promising practices and how to prioritize their use. (time: 3:05).

Transcript: Bryan Cook, PhD

There are a lot of confusing terms out there. I think it's important to think about how we use these terms and try to use them meaningfully and consistently, if possible. I think promising practices is an especially important term to be thinking about and to be using, because not everything out there is necessarily identified as an evidence-based practice. I think sometimes we slip into a way of thinking where we think of things as evidence-based practices and everything else we think, "If I'm a good educator, I'm trying to do good things for my students, I want to only use evidence-based practices," and it would be the rare day, I think, where you could go through an entire day of teaching and use only evidence-based practices. We have to think of ways to prioritize non-evidence-based practices and not think of them as all the same.

There's at least a few reasons why practices might be non-evidence-based. We might not have a formal review done where we've definitively determined that this is an evidence-based practice. There could be research out there that does indicate its effectiveness, but it's just not been reviewed and formally identified as an evidence-based practice by a scholarly journal or by the What Works Clearinghouse or some of these different systems or organizations that do that kind of work. There's probably quite a few different things out there that are supported by research but aren't identified as evidence-based just because evidence-based reviews take a lot of time and effort to do. And I think probably the most-common reason why effective practices aren't identified yet as evidence-based is that there's not a body of high-quality research done on a lot of practices. Every evidence-based practice at some point started off as a non-evidence-based practice that we didn't have enough research out yet to tell whether it was evidenced-based. And so just because something's not evidenced-based doesn't necessarily mean that it's ineffective.

So when we have some research evidence that something works, and we can consider it promising, that's important to know, and it's when...we should prioritize evidence-based practices first, but if we don't identify any relevant evidence-based practices, or the one or two evidence-based practices that we did identify ended up not working for particular students then promising practices are a very good next step that we can go to instead of just saying, "Well, I've no idea what to do next." The other reason that something might not be identified as an evidence-based practice is that we have good research that show that it doesn't produce meaningful positive effects or that it actually does harm. We don't want to use that. It obviously wouldn't be a promising practice. We don't have enough evidence-based practices to address every situation for every learner. We're going to have to go down to kind of a next level, which are promising practices, and I think that's okay.

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Although the terms evidence-based practices and evidence-based programs have been used interchangeably, experts in the field, as well as practitioners, are beginning to differentiate between them. Evidence-Based Practice: Skills, techniques, and strategies that have been proven to work through experimental research studies or large-scale research field studies.

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Tiered assignments

Flexible grouping (small group work)

Leveled reading

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Gives some examples of the categories of differentiation as well as some examples within each catagory.

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Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.

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Morin, A. (2024). Common accommodations and modifications in school. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/common-classroom-accommodations-and-modifications

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HLP 7 is about maintaining the learning environment. Differentiation can modify this.

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Also relevant. HLP 8 is about how to provide feedback. Some students may need different types of feedback

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Children under SDI may need help with social skills. This HLP is a guide for that, however each student may need further differentiation from what is outlined here.

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The small group portion of differentiation pertains to HLP 11. Creating groups of students with the priorities of learning in mind will help make sure all students are understating the most important content.

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Designing education toward specific goals. Some students may need help reaching goals. Adaptations provide that support

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Accommodations are about helping a student achieve on grade level goals. This is sometimes called scaffolding.

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More explicate guidance on small groups

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Some students will require assistive technology. One common one is translation software.

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This HLP provides some guidance on student engagment for students not thriving in general education settings.

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Tutoring

Breaks form work

Anger management coaching

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Some examples of interventions and some guidance on planning interventions.

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'Intervention'. If you work in a school, you're likely to hear the term used innumerable times a day. Now an intrinsic part of school life, interventions in education allow teachers and teaching assistants to address any gaps in a child's progress or attainment. Once a need has been identified, effective interventions can then be used to overcome any barriers in the child's learning.

In this article, we'll overview the main types of interventions in education. We'll then look at a range of strategies and practical examples that you can use when planning effective interventions for your students.

What are Interventions in Education?

In educational settings, interventions are often used to describe a focused teaching session, which is a deviation away from existing teaching practice. Interventions in schools can be one-to-one, or delivered as a group. The aims of the programme will have been carefully created by a teacher or teaching assistant based on a key area of need. For example, inference in reading, or units of time in maths. Interventions should be delivered alongside Quality First Teaching, and are often used to support children with SEND.

Many issues children face in their learning are inter-connected. It might be that a child is displaying concerning behaviour, and is falling behind academically, so each intervention needs to address each individual's specific areas of need.

As a result, some interventions are targeted, and are put in place to address a certain weakness. These interventions are likely to be more formally monitored in order to track the child's progress, whereas other interventions are more flexible, and adjust according to the changing needs of the student.

Some interventions can be costly and time-consuming. In order to be effective, there needs to be a demonstrable impact, so structuring interventions requires strategic thinking.

Types of Intervention in Schools

There are many different types of interventions in schools. Let's take a look at the most commonly used intervention strategies:

Behavioural Interventions

Collaborative Interventions

One-to-One Interventions

Classroom-Based Interventions

Social, Emotional and Wellbeing Interventions

Peer Tutoring

Metacognition and Self-Regulation

Homework

Why are Effective Interventions Important in Schools?

Interventions can be an incredibly beneficial aspect of school life.

Using a structured intervention, teachers can swiftly close progress or attainment gaps in a key area. They can also see the demonstrable impact of their practice, and share it with the child and their parents or carers.

Challenging behaviour in the classroom is one of the greatest barriers to learning. But behavioural interventions can help to address low-level behaviour, and, as a result, build relationships in the classroom, therefore improving the teaching and learning experience for the teacher and pupils.

When pupils fall behind their peers, they can begin to lose confidence. Implementing interventions can help to build a child's self-worth, as well as their academic understanding. Equally, interventions often take place in a nurturing, safe environment, which can positively contribute to students' overall wellbeing.

How Might Teachers Plan Effective Interventions?

In order to plan an effective and impactful intervention, you must first identify what it is you wish to achieve. The outcome you decide upon should ideally be monitorable, so that you can demonstrate the impact of the programme. At this stage, it may also be worth discussing any previous interventions you've used in order to unpick their success rates. If we prioritise interventions within the teaching and learning policy, then they're more likely to have a sustainable impact.

Work with a colleague to consider:

What will we be doing?

Why are we doing it?

How will we implement the intervention?

Will we be able to monitor the process, and if so, how?

And to what aim?

Once you have selected the child or children for the intervention, next look holistically at the provision in your school. What can you realistically offer? Who will deliver the session? Where? At what point in the day?

When you've addressed any logistical barriers, strategic planning will then be needed to address any challenges you may face. For example, staff may need to increase their knowledge and understanding prior to delivering a particular intervention. Keeping staff motivated and enthused will be crucial in the programme's success. Additionally, a potential challenge may be that children are involved in too many interventions, which may simply lead to students feeling overwhelmed, negating any form of progress.

Before you begin the programme of intervention, remember to organise a baseline assessment, so staff can effectively monitor the child's outcomes.

Throughout the sessions, consider how any members of staff involved will feedback on progress and target setting. And finally, when it comes to assessing outcomes, ensure you have collected tangible evidence of the intervention's impact. This could be an increased reading age, or a journal created by the child, reflecting their increased understanding of strategies they can use to improve their wellbeing.

If the intervention was a success, try to make time as a team to discuss why. Share the practice with the rest of the school, and consider whether the programme could be rolled out across other year groups.

This handy guide from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) allows you to compare which interventions are most impactful, based on evidence strength, impact and cost.

Examples of Classroom Intervention Strategies

Interventions in the classroom may take many different forms.

It might be that a group of children are struggling with a particular concept. The teaching assistant might then work with those particular children to spend time consolidating their knowledge of shape before they move further into the topic.

Equally, a collaborative intervention might take place in class to deepen and strengthen students' knowledge and understanding of a poet's techniques and language use.

A teacher's ability to identify early areas of need within the classroom can prevent any learning issues from becoming bigger barriers to education.

How to Create a Successful Intervention: Top Tips

1. Make it fun

Particularly important when working with Primary aged students, it is vital to grab their attention and make the learning experience memorable. You might consider getting outside and using the natural environment to practise symmetry, or use drama to analyse characters in fiction. For secondary aged students, it's also important to make it engaging, and be sure to make the purpose of the intervention clear to them, so that they can really see how it will benefit them.

In order for the students to make links between key concepts and subject areas, try and link the content to wider class learning. Consider liaising frequently with the class teacher to ensure that the content aligns with the learning objectives which are being covered with the rest of the class and try to use similar case studies or examples to those which they plan to teach.

3. Timing is key

With regard to neurodiversity, a student with ADHD, for example, may resent being taken out of a creative subject they love and excel in, in order to make progress in a subject they find challenging.

4. Personalise the sessions

Every student is unique. They all have differing areas of need, and different skills and talents. As a result, when planning an intervention, try and tap into what it is that will really spark their interest and keep them motivated.

5. Consider staff wellbeing

It is vital that staff feel supported in delivering their interventions, so check in with them frequently and show an interest in the progress they are making. They must be offered adequate training for the role, and they must be given enough time to effectively plan their sessions. The interventions should also be carefully planned into their timetables so that they are balanced and manageable, for example, staff may find a full day of back to back interventions quite overwhelming so if it is possible, try to space them out.

6. Play to your strengths

Use staff in a strategic manner by playing to their areas of strength. As a team, work out where your skills and interests would be best placed when matching staff to both subject areas and individual students. It may be that a teaching assistant has a degree in a certain subject, and would feel particularly comfortable delivering interventions in that area, so make the most of those situations!
Creating an intervention in school can seem challenging. But if the programme is created in a structured and strategic manner, the chances of it being successful are much higher. Yes, interventions involve budgets, monitoring, and data, but at the heart of every programme is the child. Effective interventions help today's young people navigate whatever challenges they may face, and your role can be crucial in helping them to reach smoother seas.
Further Resources:

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Effective Interventions in Education: Types and Examples

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Interventions in education help to address any gaps in a child's progress or attainment. We look at a range of strategies and practical examples here.

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HLP 20 briefly cover interventions. The most important piece is monitoring progress and collecting data.