Accommodation Breakdown: Filled-In Cloze Notes
What’s the accommodation? Student will be provided filled-in cloze notes. How's it supposed to be implemented? What are potential problems?
What’s the Accommodation?
Student will be provided filled-in cloze notes prior to the start of instruction.
Cloze notes—also known as guided notes—are outlines of key information that teachers provide to students prior to (or during) instruction. Cloze notes include blanks that students are expected to fill in during the lesson to encourage active engagement.
Filled-in cloze notes are cloze notes with the blanks already completed. The following is one example:
Cloze note: ___________ was the first president of the United States.
Filled-in cloze note: George Washington was the first president of the United States.
In a lesson on George Washington, a student may be provided more than just one example. There may be one or two pages of sentences similar to the example above, which focus on key facts. The student would be provided the filled-in version of the cloze notes prior to instruction.
Who Benefits from this Accommodation?
Filled-in cloze notes reduce writing demands on students, allowing them to focus on listening, comprehending, and learning instead of writing, copying information correctly, having enough time to fill in the information, and a host of other hurdles students may face in class.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Students who have ADD or ADHD might struggle to listen, comprehend, and take notes simultaneously. Filled-in cloze notes may help reduce multitasking demands and cognitive overload.
Dyslexia and Other Language-Based Learning Disabilities: Students who have dyslexia and/or other language-based learning disabilities may find notetaking challenging due to difficulties with spelling, handwriting, and written expression. Filled-in cloze notes allow them to prioritize listening and learning, rather than being overwhelmed by the act of writing.
Executive Functioning Disorders: Students who have difficulties with working memory, organization, or processing speed may struggle with the pace of instruction when required to take notes. Filled-in cloze notes allow them to focus on listening and processing information rather than simultaneously managing note organization
Physical or Motor Impairments: Students who have fine motor difficulties may not be able to write quickly enough to take adequate notes. Filled-in cloze notes help ensure they still receive complete instructional content.
Anxiety: This accommodation may help reduce stress related to missing information and multitasking demands.