7. Modifying Activities to Support Active Engagement Part 2

In part one of modifying activities, we saw examples of how four different types of modifications help promote participation and engagement. In this video, we’ll look at some tools to help determine which learners in your program could benefit from modifications. We’ll also share strategies for talking with the group about these supports. We know many kids will be curious about them. Let’s get started.

We start with the learner participation form, which is available in our accompanying resources. This guides teams in examining the expectations for learners during each part of the day and then considering what additional support each of them might need. We often have different ideas for how learners should participate during activities such as entering or leaving the room, transitions, group instruction, etc. It’s important to clarify these as a team so we can be consistent with expectations.

Ms. Miller starts by writing down the activities during art class: the welcome routine, reviewing the art activity for the day, working on art during studio time, cleaning up the studio, and sharing their work with class during the weekly showcase. Then she invites Mr. Park, an instructional assistant who occasionally helps support the class, to reflect on the expectations for everyone during each activity. This part is important because Ms. Miller and Mr. Park have different initial ideas about how students should engage in some routines. Ms. Miller would prefer for students to sit quietly and listen during the welcome routine, while Mr. Park thinks it’s fine for students to be getting settled in and talking a bit with friends as they enter the studio. Together, they compromise and clearly outline what students should do. This way, it’s much clearer for students, and everyone’s on the same page.

Ms. Miller then thinks about how Elaine is doing during each activity. Is she independent, or does she need help? She reflects that the welcome routine can be harder for Elaine and she’s often talking with her peers, late to class, or seems distracted getting settled. She also notes that Elaine really loves studio time but has a hard time participating with some fine motor pieces, such as cutting or using very small drawing implements like oil pastels or charcoal, and often seems to struggle with the last 10 or 15 minutes of class, asking repeatedly when class will be over. Mr. Park reflects that cleaning up at the end of class can be hard for Elaine as well, and she usually needs many reminders.

Then Ms. Miller uses the modification worksheet to plan the specific supports for Elaine during the welcome routine, studio time, and cleanup. Since the welcome routine is tough for her, she added structure with a visual schedule and the option of a standing desk. During studio time, some art projects involving fine motor skills are difficult, so they make a plan to use larger oil pastels and place large rubber bands around the charcoal pieces so they’re easier to grip. Ms. Miller will pre-cut out collage materials as well. To support transitions and help Elaine stay on task towards the end of class, they introduce a large visual timer and plan to give her one- and five-minute warnings. Finally, for the cleanup, they create a checklist with the necessary cleanup steps and put this on the board and make a plan to develop labels for all the art cabinets, bins, and cubbies, so it’s easier for everyone to know where all the materials go.

After these modifications are in place, Ms. Miller and Mr. Park will observe how Elaine is participating. If she’s more on task during transitions and cleanup, and if she’s less frustrated and more engaged during studio time, they’ll know they’re working.

As Ms. Miller thinks about other modifications that might help Elaine, she wonders: Is it fair to do something different for one kid in the class but not everyone? If we try other things, like giving Elaine a special table to stand at instead of sitting, will other kids want this option too?

This question comes up often when we talk about curriculum modifications. At the Haring Center, we believe that inclusive settings provide the support everyone needs to be successful. We all have different strengths and areas of need, and we all can use a little help once in a while.

Let’s think about this in terms of equity. Modifications are equity, not that they’re equal. Not every child needs the same type of help. You may have seen this image of three people watching a baseball game. In the image on the left, each person is given an equal-sized block to stand on, but this modification isn’t successful because it doesn’t allow everyone to see the game. The shortest person isn’t able to see over the fence, and the tallest person doesn’t need the block. When everyone gets the same help, it doesn’t mean everyone ends up with the same results.

On the right, we see an equitable example. Each person has the support they need to view the game—one person needs one block, another needs two blocks, and the third doesn’t need any blocks at all. They aren’t given the exact same thing, but instead they have what they need to accomplish their goal, in this case, watching the baseball game. Modifications are a way to provide equitable support for all learners, so each child can meaningfully participate.

Once Ms. Miller implemented Elaine’s modifications in the classroom, a few other students wondered why there was now a standing desk—they wanted to use it too. Ms. Miller saw this as an opportunity to have a conversation with the whole group. Of course, it’s natural to be curious about peers’ modifications, and this curiosity is a fantastic way to introduce the concept that everyone has different strengths and needs.

At the start of the next class, Ms. Miller introduces this by saying, “We all have things we’re good at and things we’re working on. I’m really good at figure drawing, but ceramics are harder for me. I know that some of you here are really good at watercolors but have a harder time with ink. We’re always learning different things, and we all need different kinds of help sometimes. This could be a certain seating arrangement, a tool that helps us remember things, or a different drawing material that’s easier to hold. And the cool thing about art is artists approach their work in so many different ways.”

Conversations about modifications are an important part of inclusive programs and a great way to help all learners understand that inclusion and equity are all about getting what you need to participate. Sometimes teachers are concerned that modifications will be a distraction to other learners. Will using modifications like visuals, a timer, or special seating distract peers from other things they should be focusing on?

Ms. Miller realized that when Elaine was taking too long to transition, this was far more distracting than the modifications. The goal of modifications is to help learners meaningfully and independently engage in activities, reduce the amount of adult support they need, and help them feel a true sense of belonging. If their peers seem distracted by modifications, simply remind them that in this space, everyone gets what they need to participate.

Modifications are an important part of inclusive and equitable programs, but we must be intentional about how we use them. The child participation evaluation form and the modification worksheet are great ways to start, and we can expect that other learners may be curious about these. There might even be adults in our program who question them. Welcome these questions as an opportunity to teach about equity and inclusion.

So what does this mean for your program? How could you introduce modifications, and how could you use them to support a specific learner?