Institutionalization of Adapted Books in Enhancing the Reading Ability of Students with Cognitive Disabilities

Abstract

The call toward inclusive school systems prompted educators to strengthen support and continuously accommodate students’ own unique learning strengths and needs. Thus, this study sought to examine the teacher-made adapted books to enhance students’ reading ability with significant cognitive disabilities. It utilized a quasi-experimental design to determine the relationship between the variables under study. After two months of implementing the adapted books in the control group, students’ reading ability was determined and compared to the conventional group. Results of the study revealed that the control group using the conventional book performed significantly below grade- level complexity while the control group using the teacher-made adapted books nearly met grade-level proximity. This further revealed that the use of adapted books tailored to students’ specific needs and interests proved to be beneficial, especially for students with special needs. The experiences shared by these teachers have also provided insights on how to enhance the adapted books ensuring appropriate differentiation. Based on the favorable results, the institutionalization of these adapted books to aid students with special needs reading ability is recommended. Administrative support may also be afforded to the teachers creating these adapted books as these entail considerable time and effort.