Students with learning differences often engage well with graphic novels. The images give context, the text is broken into short pieces, and the pacing is easier to follow. Maus I still asks a lot of them, especially when it is time to write. Differentiation is what turns access to the book into access to the assessment.

Start by reviewing each student's plan, whether that is an IEP, a 504 plan, or another support document. These plans spell out accommodations you are expected to follow. Your grading approach should reflect them without lowering the standard for thinking.

Then decide which parts of the assignment are the target skill. If the goal is analyzing how the author uses images, a student who has difficulty with handwriting or spelling can still show that skill. Adjust the way they show it, not the skill itself.

Options might include speaking the response aloud, using speech-to-text, working from an outline, or writing a shorter piece with the same rubric. What matters is that the rubric measures what you say it measures.

Structure the essay to reduce overload

Breaking the essay into stages helps many students. A planning sheet, a paragraph frame, and a checklist can lower the cognitive load without changing the expectations. The finished essay still has to make a claim and support it.

• Provide a graphic organizer for claim, evidence, and explanation
• Offer paragraph frames that students can adapt in their own words
• Chunk the assignment into short deadlines instead of one due date
• Allow a checklist at the top of the page for students to track their own progress
• Give a clear example of a finished paragraph to use as a model

Make feedback easier to use

Long paragraphs of comments can be hard to process. Use short bullet-style notes, one idea at a time, and put the most important one first. If it helps, discuss the feedback aloud in a short conference.

Be concrete. "Add a panel to prove this point" is easier to act on than "develop your argument." Students with learning differences often benefit from clear, direct language, and so do most other students.

Keep records that support the student

Save the rubric scores, the accommodations you used, and any notes on progress. That documentation helps at annual reviews and when you talk to families. It also keeps you honest about whether the supports are working.

Compare drafts over time. A student who moves from one supported paragraph to a full essay is making real progress, and the record shows it. Those comparisons often reveal growth that a single score hides.

Balance individual attention with your total workload

Differentiation adds time. When a class has many students with different needs, the grading load can feel heavy. AI-assisted tools like GraideMind can draft rubric-based comments in a consistent format, leaving you more time to adapt feedback for the students who need it most.

Any draft comment should be read and adjusted by you, especially for students with support plans. You know the student, and the tool doesn't. Use it to save time on the routine parts so your judgment goes where it matters.