Universal Design for Learning and CLIL (1)

  

One of our challenges across the curriculum is to reach students who struggle to understand reading passages in different content areas.  This goal is closely related to UDL Principle 2, which involves offering multiple ways of representation. How can we engage our students into reading if they face texts which are written, by far, at comprehension levels higher than their own? 

There is a considerable number of  tools  which are a must  for students who need them but they are available for all students and can be  beneficial to gain a deeper insight  into a text.    

This post will be the first one of a series on UDL across the curriculum so I intend to write short posts with specific tips to put UDL into practice in effective ways without having to spend long hours preparing your classes. Therefore,  today I will just  list my 3 top tools to facilitate reading in any content area :

 - Rewordify 

This is powerful free software that simplifies difficult English for faster comprehension.  Try the Rewordify Engine , the brain behind this tool.  Students will understand texts much better and build their vocabulary much faster. Teachers will save time and prepare much more engaging lessons. 

 -  Readworks 

 It is driven by cognitive Science and it responds to the practical diversity of your classrooms.  It provides educators with a variety of question sets which range from simple multiple choices to inferential questions that build a deeper understanding of the important elements of a text. Vocabulary is carefully selected and exemplified through  authentic sentence examples.  A feature I like a lot is the inclusion of paired texts, which  arise students' critical thinking skills by  asking them  to draw connections and make comparisons.

Readworks contains many other features, such as audio versions of reading content or lesson plans with guided practice. 

- CommonLit 

CommonLit is a nonprofit education technology organization dedicated to ensuring that all students reach the necessary competences regarding reading, writing, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Would you like to know how to  develop CommonLit's  Google Classroom Integration? The following video will allow you to see how to use it in 8 minutes. 

 

These are my 3 top tools today. I will keep on writing on assisted technology tools  to  make UDL a reality for all students.  In other words, to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.