Adapting Homework for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Elementary Teachers

Introduction: Homework, a moment of suffering for some families

"Teacher, can we not have homework tonight?" This phrase is one you regularly hear from some students. And behind this request often lies a painful reality: for children with learning disabilities, homework at home is a nightmare.

Imagine Lucas, a dyslexic student in Grade 3. At school, he has already put in a colossal effort all day to follow along. In the evening at home, when his classmates take 20 minutes to do their homework, he spends 1.5 hours, fights with dancing letters, and cries out of frustration. His parents are exhausted, the parent-child relationship deteriorates around homework, and Lucas ends up hating school.

Or think of Emma, a dyspraxic student in Grade 4. Writing 10 lines for her is equivalent to a marathon. Her writing assignments cause her physical pain, her hand hurts, and the result never reflects the intelligence of her ideas.

Homework, supposed to consolidate learning, becomes a factor of failure and suffering. But this is not inevitable! There are simple and effective accommodations that allow students with learning disabilities to do their homework under equitable conditions without exhausting the entire family.

In this article, we will explore how to adapt homework so that it remains beneficial without being destructive: duration, quantity, format, tools, and communication with families. Concrete strategies that you can implement starting tomorrow.

Understanding the problem: why is homework so difficult?

The double burden of students with disabilities

A student with learning disabilities faces a "double burden":

At school (6 hours a day):

• They exert 2 to 3 times more cognitive effort than others to follow along
• They continuously compensate for their difficulties
• They use all their attention strategies
• They arrive exhausted by 4:30 PM

Then, at home:

• They are asked to do homework in the same subjects in which they struggle
• They are already exhausted from their day
• They have no cognitive resources left available
• Homework takes 2 to 3 times longer than for others

Result: Cognitive overload, frustration, devaluation, family conflicts, rejection of school.

The types of difficulties according to disorders

Dyslexia / Dysorthographia:

• Reading instructions takes a huge amount of time
• Rereading the lesson is exhausting
• Written exercises are laborious
• Memorizing word spelling is very difficult

Dyspraxia / Dysgraphia:

• Writing by hand is painful and slow
• Copying lessons is a nightmare
• Writing exercises are discouraging
• The result does not reflect intellectual capabilities

Dyscalculia:

• Math exercises generate a lot of anxiety
• Multiplication tables are hard to memorize
• Math homework takes an infinite amount of time

ADHD:

• Starting homework is difficult (procrastination)
• Staying focused alone at home is very complicated
• Homework time drags on with multiple breaks
• Forgetting the diary or materials is common

Dysphasia:

• Understanding complex written instructions is difficult
• Formulating structured written responses is complicated
• Conjugation or grammar homework is very costly

The impact on families

The homework of children with disabilities often creates:

• Repeated conflicts: shouting, crying, punishments
• Parental exhaustion: parents become frustrated "home tutors"
• Child devaluation: "I'm useless, I can't do it"
• Excessive time: 2-3 hours of homework instead of 30 minutes
• Sacrifice of leisure: No more time to play, do sports, see friends
• Deterioration of the relationship: The parent-child relationship revolves around homework

Your role as a teacher is crucial: adapting homework can transform this situation.

Fundamental principle: Equity vs Equality

Equality: giving the same to everyone

"All students have 10 math exercises and a poem to learn."

Result for the dyslexic student: 10 exercises take them 2 hours instead of 30 minutes, the poem doesn't stick despite 1 hour of repetition. Total: 3 hours of homework, exhaustion, failure.

Equity: giving each what they need to succeed

"Students have 10 math exercises. Lucas (dyslexic) does 5 of them, but with instructions read by a parent. The poem, he learns by listening to an audio recording and must recite it (not write it)."

Result for Lucas: 45 minutes of homework, he succeeds, he learns, he doesn't cry, the relationship with his parents is preserved.

Equity is not an injustice towards other students. It is giving each the conditions for success.

Strategy 1: Adapting the amount of work

The principle of quantitative reduction

For a student with disabilities, doing less but well is better than doing everything poorly (or not at all out of discouragement).

Examples of quantitative adaptations:

Application exercises:

Writing homework:

Poetry:

Lessons to revise:

How to decide on the reduction?

General rule: Homework time should not exceed:

If a student with disabilities consistently exceeds these durations, adaptation is needed.

Testing method:

1. Give adapted (reduced) homework for 2 weeks

2. Assess if the student masters the notions worked on

3. If yes: the adaptation is good

4. If no: it's not a quantity issue, it's something else (need for additional help, notion not understood)

Communicate the reduction to families

Document to provide to parents:

"For Lucas, homework is adapted in quantity:

These adaptations allow Lucas to work on the same notions as his classmates, in a reasonable time and without exhaustion."

Result: Parents know exactly what to do, no ambiguity, no guilt.

Strategy 2: Adapting the format of homework

Diversifying modalities

Instead of exclusively written homework, offer alternatives:

For reading:

For lesson learning:

For written production:

For exercises:

Digital homework: an asset for DYS

Digital tools allow for:

1. Autonomy: The student can do their homework alone with compensation tools (text-to-speech, word prediction, spell checker)

2. Motivation: Digital supports are often more fun and engaging

3. Compensation for difficulties: The keyboard compensates for dysgraphia, text-to-speech for dyslexia

COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES: The ideal tool for adapted homework

The program COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES is perfect for homework at home:

Why COCO is suited for homework?

1. Total autonomy: The child can do their exercises alone, the instructions are clear (audio + visual)

2. Controlled duration: You can set 15-20 minutes of COCO as homework, and the application manages the time

3. Integrated active breaks: Even during homework, the child moves every 15 minutes, which is perfect for ADHD

4. Automatic adaptation: The difficulty adapts to the child's level, they are neither in failure nor boredom

5. Immediate feedback: The child immediately knows if they are right or wrong, they can correct themselves

6. Multi-domain: Math, French, logic, memory, attention - all primary school domains

Example of homework with COCO:

"Evening homework: Do 20 minutes of COCO on the tablet, 'Mental Calculation' or 'Reading' domain. The application will automatically impose a sports break."

Advantages:

Strategy 3: Providing adapted support

Modified homework supports

Don't just give less homework, also provide homework in an accessible format:

Adapted exercise sheets:

Adapted lessons:

Adapted poetry:

The adapted homework planner

For ADHD or disorganized students, the traditional homework planner is a nightmare.

Solutions:

The shared digital homework planner:

Use a tool like Klassroom, Pronote, or a simple shared Google document where you note the homework. Parents have real-time access.

The pre-filled homework planner:

For some students, provide a homework planner already filled out (you note the homework yourself). The student glues it in their notebook or puts it in their backpack.

The color code system:

The child immediately visualizes the workload.

The visual checklist:

Instead of a written list, give a checklist with pictograms:

Strategy 4: Time and organization

The maximum time rule

Establish a clear rule with parents:

"If homework takes more than [duration adapted to the level], you stop and write me a note. I will not penalize the child; I will take it as information on what needs further adapting."

Example of a parent's note:

"Lucas worked for 45 minutes on math exercises but only completed the first 5. He was exhausted, so we stopped."

Your response:

"Thank you for the information. From now on, Lucas will only do exercises 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 (instead of all). This should take 20-25 minutes."

The optimal time for homework

Advise parents:

NOT immediately after school: The child is exhausted from the day, their cognitive resources are depleted.

The right timing:

1. After school: Snack + recreational break (running outside, playing, moving) - 30-45 minutes

2. Homework: When the child has regained energy - 20-30 minutes maximum

3. Break: If needed, a 10-minute break between two subjects

4. Finish before dinner: So the evening remains a family relaxation time

For ADHD students: Break it up even more:

Strategy 5: Communication with families

The personalized homework contract

For each student with disabilities, establish a homework contract co-constructed with the parents and possibly the speech therapist.

Example contract for Lucas (Grade 3, dyslexic):

📋 HOMEWORK CONTRACT - Lucas

Objective: Allow Lucas to consolidate his learning without exhaustion.

Maximum duration: 30 minutes per evening

Adaptations made:

Mathematics:

French:

Lessons to revise:

Authorized tools:

Parents' role:

Evaluation: Check-in every 3 weeks to adjust if necessary.

This contract will be sent to the speech therapist and integrated into Lucas's PAP/PPS.

The adapted liaison notebook

To facilitate daily communication:

Page template for the liaison notebook:

Date: ___________

Planned homework: [You note them]

Parents' feedback:

☐ Homework completed in ______ minutes

☐ Difficulties encountered: _______________

☐ Everything went well

Your feedback the next day:

"Thank you! Great job Lucas!" or "I will adjust more, let's discuss it."

Adjustment meetings

Plan regular check-ins:

Questions to ask parents:

Strategy 6: Alternative homework

Proposing different homework, not just less

Sometimes, it's not just about reducing the quantity, but changing the very nature of the homework so that it matches the student's strengths.

Examples of alternative homework:

Instead of: "Write 10 sentences in the past tense"

Offer to the dyspraxic student: "Record yourself saying 10 sentences in the past tense. Send me the audio or let me listen to it tomorrow."

→ Same educational objective (mastery of the past tense), adapted modality

Instead of: "Learn the history lesson pages 34-36"

Offer to the dyslexic student: "Listen to the audio version of the lesson (attached file) twice, then explain to your parents in your own words what you understood."

→ Same objective (memorization), adapted modality

Instead of: "Do the geometry worksheet (10 tracing exercises)"

Offer to the dyspraxic student: "Do exercises 1, 3, and 5 on the computer with GeoGebra" (geometry software)

→ Same objective (understand geometric properties), adapted modality

Instead of: "Read chapter 3 of the novel"

Offer to the very dyslexic student: "Listen to chapter 3 as an audiobook OR Read the summary of the chapter I prepared for you (1 page instead of 10)"

→ Adapted objective: access the story without exhaustion

The "à la carte" homework

For some students, offer a system of choice:

Homework Menu - Math (Grade 3):

You must earn 5 points among these activities:

Result: The dyspraxic student can choose COCO (2 points) + table review (2 points) + invent 1 problem orally (1 point) = 5 points, without having to write!

Training to better adapt: DYNSEO training

To deepen your skills in homework adaptation and supporting students with disabilities, DYNSEO offers two essential training courses:

Training: Supporting students with learning disabilities

Access the training

This training allows you to:

Training: DYS disorders: identify and adapt

Access the training

This training covers specifically:

Testimonials: when homework becomes possible

Testimony of Mrs. Dubois, mother of Tom (Grade 4, ADHD)

"Before, homework was hell. We yelled, Tom cried, it lasted 2 hours. Since the teacher adapted - reduced homework, short format, ability to use COCO - everything changed. Tom does his homework in 25 minutes, he is proud of himself, and our evenings are pleasant again. I didn't think it was possible."

Testimony of Clara, Grade 5, dyslexic

"I hated homework before. There was too much to read, and I spent my entire evenings. Now, my teacher gives me audio versions of the lessons and I do fewer exercises, but I do them well. I understand as well as the others, but it takes me less time. And I have time to do dance after school!"

Testimony of Mr. Legrand, Grade 3 teacher

"Initially, I was afraid that reducing homework would be 'lowering the standards'. But in fact, it's the opposite. When Lucas does 5 well-done exercises instead of 10 badly done while crying, he really learns. And parents thank me for giving them back manageable evenings. I don't understand why I didn't do it before."

Mistakes to avoid

Mistake 1: "If I reduce for one, I have to reduce for all"

Wrong! Equity is not equality. A student who takes 3 hours to do homework intended for 30 minutes NEEDS an adaptation. The others don't.

Response if a parent complains: "I understand your concern. Lucas has disabilities that make the same homework take him 3 times as long. Adapting it gives him the same chances of success. Your child doesn't need this adaptation, so he does the normal amount."

Mistake 2: Adapting without telling the child

Bad practice: You give a sheet with fewer exercises without explaining why. The child feels "different" and doesn't understand.

Good practice: "Lucas, you're going to do the highlighted exercises. It's normal, it's what we decided together so you can succeed without being too tired. The others do more exercises because they need more practice. You need fewer but well done."

Mistake 3: Letting parents manage alone

Bad practice: "Adapt the homework as you see fit at home."

Result: Parents don't know what they are allowed to do, feel guilty, or on the contrary, do nothing.

Good practice: Give clear instructions: "For Lucas: do only exercises 1, 3, 5. If it's too much, stop after 20 minutes and let me know."

Mistake 4: Never reevaluating adaptations

Bad practice: You set up adaptations in September and never reevaluate them.

Result: Either the adaptation is no longer necessary (the child has progressed), or it is no longer sufficient (new difficulties).

Good practice: Check-in every 6 weeks with parents to adjust.

Action plan: adapting homework in 4 weeks

Week 1: Identify the students who need it

Day 1: List students with identified disabilities (PAP, PPS, PPRE) or who are systematically struggling with homework.

Days 2-5: Contact the families of these students: "How is homework going at home? How long does it take? What difficulties?"

Week 2: Create the adaptations

Day 1: For each identified student, decide on the type of adaptation needed:

Days 2-5: Prepare the adapted supports:

Week 3: Implement and communicate

Day 1: Quick meeting (or phone call) with each family to explain adaptations and give the "homework contract".

Days 2-5: Launch adapted homework. Request quick daily feedback in the liaison notebook (duration, difficulties).

Week 4: Adjust

Days 1-3: Analyze the feedback. Do the homework still take too long? Reduce further. Is it going well? Continue.

Days 4-5: Check-in with the families: "How is it going now? Is it better?"

Beyond: Routine adjustment

Each month: Mini-check-in with the concerned families (5 min at the end of the day or by phone).

Each term: More formal meeting to reevaluate the adaptations and possibly modify them.

Conclusion: Homework that helps, not destroys

Homework should never be a source of suffering. Their purpose is to consolidate learning, not to discourage students and exhaust families. For children with learning disabilities, traditional homework is often counterproductive: they spend so much time and energy that they learn nothing and end up hating school.

Adapting homework is not lowering the standards. It is enabling ALL students to consolidate their learning under equitable conditions. When dyslexic Lucas does 5 well-done exercises instead of 10 poorly done while crying, he really learns. When dyspraxic Emma dictates her text instead of painfully writing it, she truly develops her writing skills.

The six strategies presented - adapting the quantity, format, providing accessible supports, managing time, communicating with families, and offering alternative homework - are simple to implement and radically transform the homework experience.

Remember: A child who succeeds with adapted homework learns. A child who fails with unsuitable homework learns nothing and becomes discouraged. Your power of adaptation can change a student's academic trajectory.

So, ready to transform homework in your class? Start with one or two students this week, test, adjust, and you'll see the difference. The children's smiles and the parents' gratitude are well worth the effort!

Resources for further exploration:

Homework should be a moment of learning, not a moment of suffering. You have the power to transform this. Use it!