Supplemental Aids: It's Elementary
for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades
What are supplemental aids?
According to TEA, "Supplemental aids are paper-based resources that assist a student with a disability in recalling information."
3rd Grade
Click here to learn more about supports for 3rd grade.
4th Grade
Click here to learn more about supports for 4th grade.
5th Grade
Click here to learn more about supports for 5th grade.
Best Practices for Implementation
Anchor it for everyone!
While it is true that only students who meet the specific eligibility requirements may be handed printed copies of these supports on the day of the test, all students can be taught to "brain dump" information before they begin an assessment.
Make it interactive.
Turn the anchor of support into an interactive tool that increases the retention of the meaning of the support. This support should include student writing and processing. The support needs to be accessible to students during instruction and assessment.
Create a supplemental aids folder.
As students demonstrate a persistent need to use the support to successfully answer questions surrounding specific TEKS, have them add the supports to a "Supplemental Aid" folder. The supports that go into this folder need to meet all of TEA's requirements for a supplemental aid. The folder needs to be accessible to the specific students during instruction and assessment. Encourage students to use the folder to help them throughout any and all assessments. Remember that if this folder gets too big with too many supports, it may be more confusing than helpful to the student.
Where can I find a bank of approved supplemental aids?
- tinyurl.com/aisdspecialeducation contains subject specific folders with examples of supplemental aids.
- Please remember that the supplemental aid folders need to be individualized for your students. It is NOT appropriate to print a district created packet for every eligible student and limit them to using only those supports.
Links with more information
- TEA's "What's Allowed and What's Not" PowerPoint
- Google and Pinterest have some great ideas for mnemonics, graphic organizers, anchors of support, and foldables.
Contact for Ongoing Support
Liz Nix
Special Education Math & Science Curriculum Specialist
Email: liz.nix@austinisd.org
Phone: 512-414-9806