Is there anything I can put on IEP about this sort of test situation for kid with dyslexia?

[Anonymous]

Child has ADHD and dyslexia and is in the 3rd grade. Here is an example that came home last week. Math quiz with 4 questions. It's a very easy test. Across the top is a list of objects and each object has a number corresponding to the number of objects. Hypothetically, let's say 36 geese, 145 eagles, and so forth. The questions are word problems like, "How many flying animals does Mary see" and other questions designed to get the child to figure out which numbers he has to add or subtract. The first time my child takes the test he gets a 50% because for two of the questions, when trying to figure out how many flying animals (should be 36 + 145, based on my hypothetical), he writes 39 + 45 and adds correctly but obviously gets it wrong. The questions build from one another, so if you got one number wrong in question 2, then you aren't going to get question 3 correct (e.g, a word problem where the goal is to subtract the number of animals with 4 feet from the total number of flying animals that you calculated previously). So they offer him a retake and this time he writes there are 132 geese and proceeds to perform the addition correctly but get everything wrong again. Grr.
So he knows how to perform the math asked of him, and he knows what he's looking for, but he will transpose digits, copy the number incorrectly, etc. And then make the same sort of mistakes repeatedly when given another try. Not sure if it's the dyslexia or not paying enough attention. I hate there are so few questions, and that if you get one wrong you'll miss the rest, and that knowing how to perform the math doesn't help this kid with his quizzes and tests. Are we just stuck here or is there an accommodation that would help?
When he's home and making these mistakes on his homework, I ask him to check his numbers again and i'll keep asking him until he's at least starting the problem with the correct numbers.

[Anonymous]

Partial credit for correct steps within a problem.

[Anonymous]

I sympathize. My 7th grader with dyslexia and attention issues still has problems with this. He failed a test last week because he answered only the first part of each two part problem. He just didn't see them. Since reading takes so much effort, and attention takes so much effort...it just didn't happen.

There are so many small things that are part of school life that are hard for our kids unnecessarily. Teachers seem to think that word searches and word scrambles are fun treats, and an easy A for everyone. Well, everyone but my kid who fails them, and he fails them no matter whether he knows the content or not. They aren't testing content, people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Are we just stuck here or is there an accommodation that would help?

OP your accommodation at home, so to speak, is to continue to ask your DS over and over to check his numbers against what was written in the word/picture problem. Once you stop asking, he knows he can proceed to the math, which he can do successfully. Otherwise he would not catch the fact that he confused 6 and 9, and that during his second try, he put the hundred in front of the number for the wrong animal.

I would focus my questions for the case manager and teacher on how they will teach him to make this process independent so that he is not relying on someone else for this step. Maybe he needs to read the numbers out loud, or express them graphically before he moves to numerals. The teachers should help him break down the process somehow. This goes beyond an accommodation. It is specialized instruction. This is the reason you have an IEP and not just a 504.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Partial credit for correct steps within a problem.

That’s one possibility.

In general, this type of assessment design will cause problems for lots of students. It’s not a great idea.

[Anonymous]

You can have a reader and a human scribe/dictate answers for
Tests/assessment (including specific for non ELA). Those are in my DC’s IEP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can have a reader and a human scribe/dictate answers for
Tests/assessment (including specific for non ELA). Those are in my DC’s IEP

Ie the focus is on child demonstrating understanding and mastery of the concepts - not penalized for reading/writing/organizing/attention issues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Are we just stuck here or is there an accommodation that would help?

OP your accommodation at home, so to speak, is to continue to ask your DS over and over to check his numbers against what was written in the word/picture problem. Once you stop asking, he knows he can proceed to the math, which he can do successfully. Otherwise he would not catch the fact that he confused 6 and 9, and that during his second try, he put the hundred in front of the number for the wrong animal.

I would focus my questions for the case manager and teacher on how they will teach him to make this process independent so that he is not relying on someone else for this step. Maybe he needs to read the numbers out loud, or express them graphically before he moves to numerals. The teachers should help him break down the process somehow. This goes beyond an accommodation. It is specialized instruction. This is the reason you have an IEP and not just a 504.

Order from verbal prompts to nonverbal. First verbal, then write on a card and point to it each time, then "point" with eyes, then teach child to check off at the end that they checked work. I like the PP's suggestion to have work graded on concepts and process, not accuracy in copying numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Partial credit for correct steps within a problem.

Is this an actual accommodation your child has received, or that you know is offered?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Partial credit for correct steps within a problem.

Is this an actual accommodation your child has received, or that you know is offered?

It was written into my dyslexic kid’s plan (private school so not an IEP) but it is also just good practice. It is the only thing that allowed me to pass any math, stats, or epi class, ever. I’m dyslexic too. It’s pretty common to take off points for non-conceptual mistakes but give credit for demonstrating understanding of the concept.