Every Learner by UpOnly Learning

Accommodations vs. modifications

Two words that come up in school meetings and are easy to mix up. Here is the difference, with common examples, in plain language.

The difference in one line

Accommodations change how a student learns or how they show what they know[1]. Modifications change what a student is expected to learn[1].

Common accommodations

Universal Design for Learning, CAST's framework, points the same way: it includes customizing the display of information and clarifying vocabulary and symbols[2].

  • Fewer items per page or per line[1]
  • Text in a larger print size[1]
  • Instructional supports such as anchor charts, word banks and written step-by-step instructions[1]

Who decides

For a child with an IEP, the plan is a written statement developed for that child in a meeting, and it states the special-education services and the supplementary aids and services the child receives[3]. That is why no workbook can promise to meet an IEP. You and your child's team decide which supports fit.

Where our pages fit

Our free One Sheet, Three Levels keeps one grade-level skill and changes how it is presented, in three paths. The Access Edition workbooks, in the store now with a free sample, keep grade-level skills and use common accommodations: fewer items per page, larger print, picture choices and word banks.

  • Available now Access Edition adapted workbooks, K–3 $9.99 per grade, or $29.99 for K–3

    Math, Reading and Life Skills with fewer items per page, larger print, picture choices and answer keys. Separate English, Spanish and Portuguese editions.

    See it in the store

Questions

Is an adapted worksheet a modification?

Not if it keeps the same skill. Changing how the work is presented, such as fewer items per page or larger print, is an accommodation[1]. Changing what the student is expected to learn is a modification[1].

Will your pages meet my child's IEP?

We can't say that. An IEP is written for each child individually[3]. You or the team can choose our pages if they fit the accommodations already listed.

Can a student have both?

Yes. A team can choose accommodations for some work and modifications for other work; the plan for each child is decided individually[3].

Keep reading

Written by the UpOnly Learning team. Sources checked 26 Oct 2026; page updated 27 Oct 2026.

References

  1. Understood.org. Common accommodations and modifications in school (Katherine Martinelli; updated June 10, 2026). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  2. CAST. Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0 (2024). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  3. U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website). 34 CFR 300.320 Definition of individualized education program. Checked 26 Oct 2026.

UpOnly Learning is an educational publisher. We do not diagnose, assess or treat, and our materials are not a substitute for a licensed professional or your child's school team.

UpOnly Learning is a private educational publisher, not a school. We award no grades, credits or diplomas, we are not accredited, and nothing we publish satisfies a legal requirement on its own.