Differentiation is tailoring instruction to meet individual student needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.

Differentiated instruction is important because it provides equivalent learning activities that cater to the students' strengths but guides all students to the same learning objective. One end of the spectrum is the one-size-fits-all learning activity, while the other end is a completely individualized learning plan for each student. Differentiating instruction is the key to reaching all students.