Posted by:
Katherine Douglas
K-12 Classroom teacher
East Bridgewater, MA

Topic:
In Essence, Each Student Has An IEP!

Message:
When they are offered a choice of materials, techniques, and approaches, all students can be said to have an individual educational plan. The choice-based program views each student as having special needs and has the goal of helping all students to express their individual ideas in a way that is most prosperous for them. Students who have enormous difficulties with academic parts of school often excel in the art room with manipulative or visual work. Three dimensional work is rarely offered in classroom work, but it is always an option in my choice-based art room. Students are able to choose work which is comfortable for their learning styles and their particular intelligence. Physically disabled students have a wide variety of approaches available which enable them to be an integral part of the class; no special and separate project needs to be developed for them.

Another important detail...in a flexible choice-based program it is easy to make simple furniture changes (for wheelchair access, for example) and add various adaptive equipment for disabled students. A centers-based, choice-based art room also receives other adults easily. When children are working in small independent groups all over the room, the presence of an occupational or speech therapist who works quietly alongside a student creates no disruption and can be a welcomed addition to the class.

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