accommodate
uh-KOM-uh-dayt
/əˈkɒm.ə.deɪt/
To adjust or provide suitable adaptations to meet specific needs without changing core expectations.
In pedagogical settings, accommodation changes how a student accesses learning, not what they are expected to learn.
The story behind the word. Tracing back to Latin accommodare, meaning to fit or make suitable to a standard measure, the word passed through French into Middle English. In education, it came to mean fitting the learning environment to match the specific physical or cognitive needs of the learner.
Word relationships
- adapt: 'Adapt' is a general term for making adjustments, whereas 'accommodate' specifically implies adjusting to meet someone's particular physical or cognitive need.
- restrict: 'Restrict' means to limit access or impose barriers, directly opposing the act of accommodating needs.
Commonly confused with
- modify: 'Accommodate' changes the environment or format without lowering standards, whereas 'modify' alters the fundamental content or grading criteria.
Word family
- accommodation (noun): An adjustment made to assist a learner without altering academic expectations.
- accommodating (adjective): Willing to help or adapt to meet someone's needs.
Collocations
- accommodate special needs
- accommodate learning styles
- accommodate differences
- reasonably accommodate
Example sentences
- "The teacher provided extra time on the exam to accommodate students with processing speed challenges." Classroom Administration
Memory hook
ACCOMMODATE has double C and double M; it makes ROOM for everyone's needs. Fitting the room to match the learner's measure.
When not to use
Do not use when describing changes that alter grade-level standards or reduce core learning requirements.
Fun facts
- In legal and educational codes like the Americans with Disabilities Act, 'reasonable accommodation' is a precisely defined statutory duty.
- Double-letter spelling errors (accommodate vs accomodate) make it one of the most frequently misspelled words in English writing tests.
Related words
Explore more words
accommodating, adapt, acclimatize, adaptive, compromise, adaptable
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