How to Modify Curriculum
Whether you are buying a curriculum for homeschooling or for
supplementing work at home sometimes you will find that you need to
modify what you are doing to fit your child's needs.
Here are a few suggestions for meeting sensory needs.
Simple Modifications
Sensory wise
1. Deflate a ball to about 1/2 of what it is suppose to be and have the
child sit on this at the table, or desk area.
2. Replace the chair with an exercise ball that the child can bounce on
while doing their work, or listening to you read a story.
3. Bean bags also can work nicely.
4. A Tee Seat also works well for posture and concentration.
5. Maybe you could keep a small box with beans in it so your child could
run his/her hands through it before asking him/her to do a task.
Handwriting modifications
1. Put beans in putty and ask the child to pull them out.
2. Squeeze a ball before holding a pencil
3. Tri grip pencil holders
4. Use markers instead of pencils if the child doesn't apply pressure
when writing.
5. Have your child stand at a dry erase board and write standing up.
6. Use play-doh or clay to roll out letters or numbers.
7. Have the child to try to make the letter or number with his/her body
(this will also promote imitation)
Simple curriculum modification
1. Make flash cards. They do not have to be perfect, you and your child
can cut out pictures from magazines and handwrite the cards. Or you can
put them on the computer and print them out. Either way they work.
2. Take a sheet protector and place over the page that you are working
on, use a dry erase mark and work on answering the questions. When you
know your child is ready take the protector off and let him/her answer
them on the regular sheet.
3. Dry erase or chalk board works so that they can stand up and write.
4. Games can be a reinforcer, or computer programs that are aimed at
what you are teaching.
These are not all the modifications that could be made, but this may
give you a good start. Use you imagination and you may come up with
something great.
