How do I make a practice activity accessible to learners who respond in different ways?

Start with one sentence describing the learning goal, not the format of the activity. For example: “Learners will explain how they chose evidence to support a claim.” That makes it easier to distinguish what must stay consistent from what can vary.

Next, identify what the activity asks learners to do along the way. They may need to read a prompt, work out what it means, arrange their thoughts, and share a response. Consider offering choices for one or more of those steps rather than designing entirely different tasks.

For instance, learners might read the same short prompt on a page or hear it read aloud. They might plan with a few notes, a simple organizer, or spoken rehearsal. They could share the same explanation in writing, in a short spoken response, or through a labeled diagram—if each option lets them demonstrate the goal. Keep the learning target and the essential expectations steady.

Check what you would need to see or hear to judge the learning goal. If the goal is explaining how evidence supports a claim, every response option should make both the claim and the connection to the evidence clear. A format that leaves out that explanation may not show the intended learning.

Write down two or three criteria that apply to every option. For example: “States a claim,” “identifies relevant evidence,” and “explains the connection.” Then try each response format yourself. Ask: Could someone meet these criteria in this format? Am I accidentally grading handwriting, speaking style, drawing polish, or use of a particular tool when those are not part of the goal?

If a format changes the skill being practised, revise it or describe the difference honestly. A choice is useful when it offers another route to the same target, not when it quietly changes the target or makes one route easier to assess than another.

Here is an adaptable example. Assume the practice goal is to support a claim with evidence from a short passage; replace the bracketed topic and materials with your own.

Practice: Support a claim with evidence

Read the short passage about [topic]. You may read it on the page or listen while someone reads it aloud. Choose one claim about [topic]. Use one detail from the passage as evidence, then explain how that detail supports your claim.

Plan your response with brief notes, the organizer below, or a spoken rehearsal. Share your final explanation in writing, as a short spoken response, or as a labeled diagram with a brief explanation. Your response should include a claim, a relevant detail from the passage, and a clear connection between them. You may choose a planning method and response format; these three parts are required.

Optional planning organizer

• My claim: [blank]
• Evidence from the passage: [blank]
• How the evidence supports my claim: [blank]

This wording makes the choices and shared expectations visible. It is only a starting point: adjust the formats to what you can offer and to what the learning goal actually requires.

Try completing each option using only the instructions and materials learners will receive. Check that learners can tell what they must learn, what they may choose, and what a complete response includes. Look for avoidable barriers: for example, an unclear direction, a missing way to access the prompt, or a response format that does not let someone show the required explanation.

Also consider the practical setup. If spoken responses are an option, say how learners can share them in your setting; do not assume every learner has the same equipment or a private place to record. If a choice cannot be made available, explain that clearly and consider another workable route to the same goal.

After the activity, invite learners to say which choices helped them show their thinking and what remained confusing. Use that feedback to improve the next version, without assuming one format works best for everyone.