FAQ's
Adaptations VS IPPs
Adaptations are strategies and/or resources to accommodate the learning needs of an individual student. They are planned, implemented, monitored, and evaluated to enable a student to achieve the public school program learning outcomes.
Example: a student that has processing difficulties may be given extra time to complete a task or assessment.
Sometimes adaptations (the strategies used to meet the learning needs) are not sufficient to address student need. When this happens, the provincially approved outcomes need to be changed and/or additional outcomes need to be developed to meet the needs of the student. When this occurs, the student is receiving an IPP or Individual Program Plan.
It is possible that a student could have both adaptations and an IPP.
Example: a student may have an Individual Program Plan in the area of Mathematics and Adaptations in other subject areas. In this example, the student will be working towards achievement of the PSP (public school program) outcomes in all areas except Mathematics.
Adaptations are strategies and/or resources to accommodate the learning needs of an individual student. They are planned, implemented, monitored, and evaluated to enable a student to achieve the public school program learning outcomes.
Example: a student that has processing difficulties may be given extra time to complete a task or assessment.
Sometimes adaptations (the strategies used to meet the learning needs) are not sufficient to address student need. When this happens, the provincially approved outcomes need to be changed and/or additional outcomes need to be developed to meet the needs of the student. When this occurs, the student is receiving an IPP or Individual Program Plan.
It is possible that a student could have both adaptations and an IPP.
Example: a student may have an Individual Program Plan in the area of Mathematics and Adaptations in other subject areas. In this example, the student will be working towards achievement of the PSP (public school program) outcomes in all areas except Mathematics.
What is a learning disability?
According to LD online, a disability is "a neurological disorder. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways".
If you have concerns about your child's academic learning, there are several ways you can help: reassure and encourage your child, emphasize your child's strengths, collect information about your child's academic performance and share your conerns with your child's teacher. The teacher can try a number of interventions-including adaptations and targeted instructional approaches.
According to LD online, a disability is "a neurological disorder. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways".
If you have concerns about your child's academic learning, there are several ways you can help: reassure and encourage your child, emphasize your child's strengths, collect information about your child's academic performance and share your conerns with your child's teacher. The teacher can try a number of interventions-including adaptations and targeted instructional approaches.
The importance of book selection: Why reading for learning requires "Just Right Books"
According to Sharon Taberski (reading teacher 'guru'), there are several reasons why it is important to get Indpendent Reading right: it promotes accurate fluent reading, builds background knowledge, improves vocabulary, enhances familiarity with literacy language structures, provides opportunities for students to practice skills and strategies taught to them, and helps children fall in love with books.
However, if your child is interested in books that are 'out of their reach' in the sense that they are unable to decode the text, there are still several things you can do. The Halifax Regional Library offers many 'ebooks' for loan. You can borrow these books and with devices such as book readers (ex. Kindle) or apps you can install on a smart phone or ipod, your child can enjoy these stories by having the book/text read to them. As well, even if your child is in the upper elementary grades, they are not too old to have a story read to them. Check out Tumble Books on my Student Page. There are numerous books available that students can listen to--for free! Offer a balance of reading for learning and reading for pleasure for your child--especially if reading is a challenge. It will help promote a love of reading.
**For the purpose of this discussion- "Reading for Learning" means a book that a child can read with at least 95% accuracy, sounds fluent (does not read word for word) and understands the text.**
According to Sharon Taberski (reading teacher 'guru'), there are several reasons why it is important to get Indpendent Reading right: it promotes accurate fluent reading, builds background knowledge, improves vocabulary, enhances familiarity with literacy language structures, provides opportunities for students to practice skills and strategies taught to them, and helps children fall in love with books.
However, if your child is interested in books that are 'out of their reach' in the sense that they are unable to decode the text, there are still several things you can do. The Halifax Regional Library offers many 'ebooks' for loan. You can borrow these books and with devices such as book readers (ex. Kindle) or apps you can install on a smart phone or ipod, your child can enjoy these stories by having the book/text read to them. As well, even if your child is in the upper elementary grades, they are not too old to have a story read to them. Check out Tumble Books on my Student Page. There are numerous books available that students can listen to--for free! Offer a balance of reading for learning and reading for pleasure for your child--especially if reading is a challenge. It will help promote a love of reading.
**For the purpose of this discussion- "Reading for Learning" means a book that a child can read with at least 95% accuracy, sounds fluent (does not read word for word) and understands the text.**