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Many teachers think differentiation means creating multiple different assignments for different students in a classroom. This is not differentiation.
Differentiation is a proactive approach and a way of thinking about teaching an learning. The teacher plans with individualized students needs and interests in mind. Instruction can be differentiated by changing the content, the process, or product. The goal for differentiation is to provide enough support and entry points to get all students to reach a learning target.
Some questions to ask while planning a lesson are:
What do I want my students to know or do by the end of the lesson?
What are my students able to do now? (Readiness) What do I need to provide to move them towards the learning goal?
How do my students like to learn? What approaches have I not utilized recently?
How can I connect this lesson to my students interests, life experience, and motivations?
Tomlinson's (2014) Differentiation of Instruction. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs Of All Learners, by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Alexandria, VA: ASCD. © 2014 by ASCD.
Strategies for Differentiation:
In order to differentiate, teachers need to deepen their pedagogical toolbox and use a variety of strategies to engage and meet the needs of learners. Below are some suggestions but differentiating instruction is more complex that adding a strategy or two; It is a philosophy and approach to teaching and planning.
For students who are English Language Learners, specific strategies and approaches can be used.
Examples of Differentiation for Readiness:
Non-fiction text reading guides (with embedded checks for understanding)
Note-taking Graphic Organizer with sentence frames (
Non-fiction text – double entry journal (MLs - some scaffolding)
Non-fiction text with emojis- double entry journal (MLs-heavy scaffolding)
TP-CASTT Scaffold - with sentence frames
Examples of Differentiation for Interest
Figure out what motivates them (other than in the moment incentives)
Examples: positive reinforcement, helping others, seeing how they can use this in the future, relationships,
Find out what they are interested in
Examples: hobbies, sports, movies, make-up
This allows you to build relational capacity AND include connections to interesting things (either things they know or thought-provoking topics)
Examples:
Examples of Differentiation for Learner Profile
Easily Distracted:
Extra credit to give up cell phone
Class jobs (setting timers, passing out papers, stamping, moving boxes into other rooms)
Brain breaks (follow @oneoldkid on insta/tiktok)
Timers
Group Oriented:
Group roles
Creative:
Adult Orientated
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