32 Resources for Building More Inclusive Classrooms in General Education

All parents want their children to succeed in school. Regardless of background, families share the same hope: that their kids will thrive academically and socially. Yet wanting the best doesn’t always guarantee access to school experiences that fully support engagement in learning and community life.

Students with disabilities often encounter significant barriers to their educational rights, even with protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Enacted in 1975, IDEA ensures a free and appropriate public education and, among other requirements, mandates that students with disabilities be educated alongside their general education peers to the maximum extent appropriate. This principle, called the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), promotes social inclusion and meaningful access to the general curriculum.

Schools can meet LRE requirements in several ways—from separate special education classrooms and resource rooms to general education placements with supplemental supports to full inclusion, where general education teachers implement the accommodations specified in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).

According to 2020–21 data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 7.2 million students receive special education services, and most spend at least 80 percent of their school day in general education classrooms.

Given this level of mainstreaming, all teachers must be prepared to support these learners. Both new and experienced educators are expected to understand their students’ disabilities and provide appropriate accommodations. That’s why new teachers in the Rutgers Alternate Route program dedicate time to studying research-based practices and resources that help students with disabilities succeed.  Explore the featured resources below.

The Value of Inclusive Education
Open Society Foundations
This resource explains why inclusive education benefits all students by ensuring every learner has equitable access to meaningful educational opportunities. It emphasizes removing barriers through an accessible curriculum, collaboration, and supportive school policies. Arthi Krishnan appreciated this article because it reinforced many of the inclusive practices she already uses in her sixth-grade science classroom, including preferential seating, extended time, positive reinforcement, and strong communication with families. In support of her students, she expresses, “Who does not like "Kudos"? In class, I constantly encourage students' success, however small it may be.”

Guiding Principles for Inclusion
National Coalition for Core Arts Standards
This guide explains how educators can implement the National Core Arts Standards while ensuring students with disabilities have equitable access to arts education. It stresses that teachers should adapt to instruction and support—not lower expectations—to help every student succeed. Mary Witterschein highlighted this resource because it reminded her that “art is a great opportunity for students with learning disabilities to challenge themselves” while receiving appropriate instructional support.

Assisting Students with Foreign Language Learning Difficulties in School
LD Online
This article explains that students with language-learning disabilities can successfully learn a foreign language when instruction is explicit, multisensory, and carefully scaffolded. It recommends using visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic support along with frequent review and guided practice. High school Mandarin teacher Zemin Zhang found these strategies especially valuable because they directly address the needs of students in a world language classroom. He writes, “Students with language learning difficulties can learn foreign languages in school when they have appropriate instructional modifications.”

Business Education Forum – January 2024 Issue
National Business Education Association
This issue includes practical resources to support neurodivergent students in business education classrooms. It shares instructional ideas and classroom practices that help create more accessible and inclusive learning experiences. High school business and theatre teacher David Nikithser recommended this publication because he joined the organization when he began teaching and found that “the January 2024 issue of their Forum publication had great resources about supporting neurodivergent students,” especially his own.

Considering Special Education and Disabilities in the Art Room (Episode 232)
The Art of Education University
This podcast discusses ways art teachers can create more inclusive classrooms for students with disabilities through thoughtful instructional practices, adaptive materials, and accessible learning environments. It also encourages educators to recognize the strengths students with disabilities bring to the art classroom. Kathleen Maldonado recommended this podcast because she found it an excellent resource for understanding how to effectively integrate special education into pre-K through elementary art instruction.

A One-Page Chart to Support Every Student Every Day and 3 Ways to Help Students Build Attention Stamina
Edutopia
This article introduces a simple organizational chart teachers can use to track accommodations, strengths, modifications, and other important information for individual students. The system helps educators provide consistent support while making student needs easy to reference throughout the school day. Lana Storey, a high school English Language Arts teacher, appreciated this resource because, with 159 students, she is always looking for better ways to organize accommodation information and support every learner effectively. She states, “I appreciated that it was geared towards high school students, as many resources I typically find talk specifically about younger grades.”

Helping Students See Their IEPs as Tools / A Handy Spreadsheet for Tracking Student Accommodations / 17 Ways to Help Students With ADHD Concentrate
Edutopia
These Edutopia resources encourage teachers to view accommodations as tools that promote independence and self-advocacy, not simply additional assistance. They also provide practical systems and classroom strategies that improve attention and engagement. Sixth-grade mathematics teacher Julie Moultrie selected these resources because they support her goal of using data and structured support to better meet her students' needs. She specifically writes, “In mathematics, these resources highlight the importance of tracking accommodations—such as extended time or digital manipulatives—using structured organizers to ensure every student’s specific needs are met daily.”

Universal Design for Learning Guidelines / Cultivating Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Education Environments / Culturally Responsive Teaching Resources
CAST, Resilient Educator, and the National Equity Project
These resources encourage educators to design lessons that are accessible to all students by providing multiple ways to engage with content, demonstrate understanding, and participate in learning. They also emphasize culturally responsive teaching practices that recognize and value students' diverse backgrounds and experiences. Walid Abushahba recommended these materials because they provide practical guidance for creating equitable and inclusive high school biology classrooms.

New Jersey Council for Exceptional Children and Edutopia Resources
New Jersey Council for Exceptional Children & Edutopia
These resources offer practical instructional strategies, advocacy information, and classroom examples that help teachers create more inclusive learning environments for students with disabilities. They emphasize accessibility, creativity, and individualized support. Charles Quaderer recommended these resources because they offer practical ideas that teachers can easily apply in everyday classroom instruction.

Step 1: Presenting Material in Multiple Ways
Harvard Graduate School of Education
This short instructional video shows how presenting information in multiple formats helps students with different learning needs access classroom content. It reinforces the principles of Universal Design for Learning by encouraging varied representations. High school English Language Arts Dianne Searfoss-Morin appreciated the video's reminder that effective teaching is about ensuring all learners have meaningful access to content, regardless of how they learn best.

Specific Learning Disabilities
National Center for Learning Disabilities
This resource explains the characteristics of specific learning disabilities, outlines the legal protections available to students, and provides guidance for educators and families. It helps teachers better understand their responsibilities while supporting students with diverse learning needs. Joseph Parillo, a high school social studies teacher, found the resource especially helpful because it combines information about learning disabilities with explanations of the legal obligations educators must understand. He writes that the source “gives a quick visual chart and video on examples of breaking homework assignments; it can certainly be applied in the classroom for seatwork or centers.”

Visual Chunking Homework and Teaching Strategies for Students with ADHD: Ideas to Help Every Child Shine
Watson Institute
This resource demonstrates how breaking assignments into smaller, visually organized sections can help students better manage complex tasks. The strategy promotes organization, reduces cognitive overload, and increases student independence. Second-grade elementary education teacher Jacqueline Kocur valued this resource because she saw immediate classroom applications for visual chunking during independent work, centers, and homework assignments.

Visual Timers with Respect to Anticipatory Anxiety, Performance, and On-Task Behavior in Elementary Math Assessments
PubMed Central
This research study examines whether visual timers can reduce student anxiety, improve academic performance, and increase on-task behavior during elementary mathematics assessments. The findings provide evidence supporting visual time-management tools as an effective classroom accommodation. Nyasia Diaz selected this article because it expands on the benefits of visual timers and connects them to improved performance and reduced testing anxiety for second-grade general education students.

Modifying Social Studies Curriculum for Special Education Students / Social Studies Accommodations and Modifications For Special Education and ELL Students / Michigan State University Education Resources
Social Studies School Service, Sharp School, and Michigan State University
These resources provide strategies for modifying social studies instruction, improving reading comprehension, and implementing accommodations for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Together, they demonstrate ways teachers can maintain rigorous instruction while increasing accessibility. Richard Mallon found these resources valuable because they offered practical methods for making social studies learning more equitable and accessible.

A One-Page Chart to Support Every Student Every Day and 5 Ways to Support Kids With ADHD During Remote Learning
Edutopia
These articles offer practical classroom strategies for supporting students with autism and ADHD, including sensory supports, accommodation tracking systems, and techniques that improve attention and engagement. They also encourage teachers to create organized learning environments that proactively meet diverse student needs. Tuhina Eyasmin recommended these resources because they provide actionable strategies she can use to support students while staying informed about inclusive educational practices. She will personally “utilize Edutopia for practical sensory room strategies to help our students with autism stay calm and ready to learn.”

Preschool Special Education
New Jersey Department of Education
This resource explains the preschool special education services available through New Jersey, including eligibility requirements, educational supports, and family resources. It serves as a helpful guide for educators and families working with young children with disabilities. Stephanie Collura recommended this website because it provides reliable state-specific information that supports her work in preschool education.

Universal Design for Learning (Podcast) & Art for All
The Art of Education University & Liz Byron
These resources explain how Universal Design for Learning can help art teachers make instruction more accessible through flexible teaching methods, visual supports, structured routines, and student choice. Together, they demonstrate how thoughtful planning can increase independence while meeting the needs of diverse learners. Priscilla Cancel appreciated these resources because they offer practical, easy-to-implement strategies that support inclusive instruction in the art classroom. She shares, “I can build self-discipline through art by guiding students step-by-step, encouraging reflection, and helping them work through challenges rather than rushing.”

Code.org, Scratch, Tynker, Experience CS, and Understood.org 
Multiple Educational Organizations
These educational platforms provide coding activities, scaffolded lessons, and instructional supports designed to make computer science accessible to diverse learners. Their interactive and visual approaches help students build programming skills while accommodating a wide range of learning needs. Radha Krishnan recommended these resources because they provide flexible tools that support inclusive instruction in middle school computer science classrooms.

English Learners and Special Education
Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC)
This resource explores best practices for supporting students who are both English learners and students with disabilities. It discusses equitable identification processes, culturally responsive instruction, and collaborative approaches that ensure students receive appropriate services. ESL teacher Nimra Khurram found this article valuable because it addresses the unique challenges educators may encounter when teaching multilingual students with disabilities.

ACTFL Resources for Diverse Learners & Colorín Colorado
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and Colorín Colorado
These resources provide instructional strategies that help world language teachers effectively support English learners and students with disabilities through differentiated instruction and culturally responsive practices. They encourage educators to create language-learning environments where all students can succeed. Lalys Merino recommended these organizations because they provide practical guidance for supporting diverse learners in high school Spanish classrooms. She writes, “Colorín Colorado offers fantastic strategies for supporting students who may have ‘double-edged’ challenges as both English Language Learners and students with learning disabilities.”

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