6. Modifying Activities to Support Active Engagement Part 1

Have you ever used Siri, Alexa, or another virtual assistant to send a text message? Drank coffee from a spill-proof tumbler? Or used a ramp while pushing a stroller, shopping cart, or a rolling suitcase? If you have, then you have used a modification.

Modifications are small changes to activities, materials, and environments that help children participate as easily and independently as possible. While modifications are helpful for all of us—like the ramp example we just talked about—they are especially important in inclusive settings where children with and without disabilities play and learn together. Modifications are one simple way to make sure that everyone can participate in all activities.

This video is about how to use modifications in any program or setting to help all children participate. We’ll discuss four different types of modifications, and see how one preschool team uses these to support Elaine. Let’s get started!

Modifications can have a big impact on a child’s participation, sense of belonging, and overall learning. They don’t involve altering the content or goal of an activity. Instead, they are a minor change that helps a certain child participate. We often describe modifications as a “small change that has a big impact.” And, when modifications are in place, children can join in the same activities as their peers and work towards the same goals.

We’ll talk about four strategies for making modifications: changing the environment, changing the materials, including a child’s preferences, and simplifying activities.

Let’s start by looking at Elaine’s preschool classroom.

Elaine is a 4-year-old preschooler with a disability. At school, Elaine and a few other children have a hard time staying in line as the class goes out to recess. Children bunch up together, or wander around the room instead of waiting in line.

So the teachers, Jen and Luis, put a long line of tape on the floor where children should line up. With this modification, everyone knows exactly where to stand when it’s time to line up for recess.

It’s also difficult for Elaine to focus on her own work during small group activities. She often draws on other children’s papers or grabs their materials. So, teachers give Elaine a bright blue tray to organize the things she needs for each activity. The tray helps define Elaine’s space, making it clear exactly where her materials should go.

With this simple change, Elaine no longer tries to add to other children’s work and is more focused on her own projects.

Finally, Elaine has trouble transitioning between activities and finding her spot at circle and the snack table. In this class, children’s seats and carpet mats are labeled with their names. Elaine is still learning to recognize her name, so it’s difficult for her to find her spot.

To help with this, teachers put a picture of Elaine next to her written name in all key locations. This allows her to easily and quickly find her seat during transitions!

Now, let’s talk about modifying materials.

Writing and art activities are challenging for Elaine. She has a hard time keeping her paper stable when coloring and often gets frustrated when it moves around the table. So, Jen simply tapes her paper to the table to keep it secure. With this simple change, Elaine can concentrate on coloring and drawing, rather than keeping her paper stable.

Cutting was another tricky skill for her. So, Jen gives Elaine modified scissors, which allows her to cut on her own!

Finally, staying calm and still during circle time is tough for Elaine and a few other children. These kids often wiggle, kick their legs, or get up from the circle area. Jen and Luis provide modified seating options that let children move around while staying seated. Elaine uses this scoop rocker chair, which allows her to gently rock back and forth while sitting.

A few other children use wiggle seats, which provide other ways to move. The team also gets two extra wiggle seats and a few different pillows that anyone can use during circle time. With these changes in place, Jen and Luis notice that children can get the movement they need while staying at circle.

Another easy way to modify activities is to include the child’s preferences. This could be their favorite toys, characters, colors, or other areas of interest. After talking with Elaine’s dad, teachers learn that she loves princesses, dinosaurs, babydolls, and playing with sand.

Jen and Luis plan to incorporate these things into activities at preschool to encourage Elaine’s participation. At school, she hasn’t been very interested in math activities, so they replace the usual classroom counting bears with small dinosaur figurines. With this small change, Elaine is much more engaged in counting and sorting activities.

They also notice that Elaine doesn’t participate in many mealtime conversations with her friends. It can be difficult for other people to understand Elaine, and she gets easily frustrated with communication breakdowns. So, Jen makes a visual conversation board with pictures of her favorite princesses and dinosaurs and encourages all the children to use this to have a conversation.

Everyone is excited to share, but with this visual conversation board, Elaine can point to certain characters when her friends aren’t able to understand her words.

Lastly, simplifying activities is another way to create modifications.

Let’s consider Elaine again—she has a difficult time completing multi-step activities, such as washing her hands and cleaning up at the end of meals. So, Jen makes visuals with each step in these routines and posts them by the sink and by the meal clean-up area. By simplifying these longer routines into smaller, concrete steps, Elaine can wash her hands without any adult help.

And, teachers notice that other children use the visuals as well, leading to smoother transitions for the whole class!

Teachers also observe that writing her name is tough for Elaine and several other preschoolers. When it is time for name writing, Elaine gets frustrated, throws her paper on the floor, or walks away from the table. They realize Elaine is communicating that this activity is too difficult, and they modify her sign-in sheet so she can trace, rather than write, the letters in her name.

By making this task a bit simpler, Elaine can build her confidence with writing and is no longer upset. Teachers will work towards her writing her name without tracing over time.

Finally, Elaine loves the new dinosaur puzzles in the classroom but gets easily frustrated when she can’t put the pieces together by herself. Jen modifies this activity by making it simpler. She puts the first few pieces together and lets Elaine finish the rest. Over time, Jen and Luis can reduce their support and work towards Elaine doing the puzzles by herself.

Making small changes to the environment and materials, including her interests, and simplifying activities has helped Elaine participate more independently and confidently in her classroom. These modifications have also helped her develop relationships with her peers and improve her writing and cutting.

Modifications are small changes that have a big impact on how children participate in inclusive settings. These are simple, relatively easy to implement, and usually work right away.

Now, think of a child in your program who needs some help to participate or engage in certain routines or activities. How could you make changes to the physical space or materials, embed their preferences, or make the activity a bit simpler?

In inclusive settings, everyone gets the help they need to participate, and in many cases, modifications are an easy way to provide this support.