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Differentiation in the Young Learner Classroom
Differentiation in the Young Learner Classroom
By María José Dearmas
Every class of young learners is a whole new world. Students are all different. They come with different stories, different strengths, and very different ways of expressing themselves. Some children need structure and reassurance while others crave space to explore and invent in a more independent way, and we do need to cater for each and every one. Over the years, I’ve realised that teaching young learners means being constantly challenged, and that’s exactly where differentiation comes in.
It’s not just about adapting worksheets or creating three different lesson plans for the same group of students, not even three different versions of the same activity. It’s about really seeing your learners, listening to what they show you, and being flexible enough to shift your plan when their energy, curiosity, boredom, or confusion tells you to. Every student matters, and as teachers, we need to be capable of recognising what they need and what their interests are so that learning actually takes place.
The Lesson That Took Off
The Lesson That Took Off
I still remember a lesson that came to life one morning, during what was supposed to be a simple project about countries and cultures. The plan was straightforward. Students would have to go to the reading platform we use at school, choose a country, do some research in order to collect information about its culture, food, landmarks, and traditions, and then present their findings to each other.
One thing led to another and when I gave them the options of designing brochures, postcards, blog entries or posters, the classroom was filled with excitement. Children started naming places they wanted to explore — “Japan!”, “Brazil!”, “France!” and before I knew it, maps, coloured pencils, and scissors were everywhere.
As I moved around the room, something caught my attention. Brainstorming stage had just started!
A few students were deep into writing full sentences and cutting out pictures they’d printed from home. Others, however, were staring blankly at their papers, unsure where to start. One pair was enthusiastically debating whether pizza came from Italy or the USA. That’s when the idea came unexpectedly: What if we turned the classroom into a travel agency?
Transforming the Task: From Texts to Experience
Transforming the Task: From Texts to Experience
The next day, I arrived early and rearranged the classroom. Desks became “offices,” name tags were placed on tables, and I wrote “Welcome to Dream Destinations Travel Agency” on the board.
When the children came in, they gasped. I told them, “Today, you’re not just students. You’re travel agents and customers! You’ll take turns to present your country to potential customers and convince them to book a trip!”
With the help of this RAFT activity, they chose a role, a country, and the format through which they wanted to present the topic to their audience. They were able to change the underlined words to personalise what they wanted to investigate. Suddenly, the project took flight!
Differentiation in Action
Differentiation in Action
Differentiation wasn’t something I added after planning but emerged naturally as I guided students through the activity.
For learners who needed more structure, I provided templates with clear prompts: country name, capital city, food, famous places, things to do. These learners used models, word banks and visuals to complete the information. Their confidence grew as the structure gave them a clear path to follow.
For my more confident writers, I encouraged independence. They designed their own layouts, added fun facts, and even created new slogans based on their findings: “Visit Japan — Where Tradition Meets Technology!” or “Explore Brazil — The Land of Carnival and Nature!”
For fast finishers and students with a knack for the creative, I offered the option of designing travel ads, tickets, passports, or maps as extra options to decorate their stands.
Each child found their own way to shine.
The Travel Agency Came Alive
The Travel Agency Came Alive
When the big day arrived, the classroom buzzed with excitement. Students’ work was neatly displayed on tables, posters hung on the walls, and little voices rehearsed their lines.
As the “tourists” walked around, they asked questions like:
“How long is the flight to Thailand?”
“What food can I eat in Mexico?”
“Is there snow in Canada right now?”
They proudly responded, using the vocabulary they had researched and the sentence structures we had practised in class. Even my quieter students, who often hesitated to speak in English, were suddenly confident, eager to take turns to “sell” their destinations or “buy” their classmates’ ones.
What amazed me most wasn’t the quality of the material they created but the engagement, collaboration, and ownership each child showed. They weren’t completing a school project; they were living an experience.
Reflection: What Differentiation Really Means
Reflection: What Differentiation Really Means
That day reminded me that differentiation isn’t about giving everyone a different task. It’s about giving everyone a fair chance to succeed in the same task.
Some students needed scaffolds: templates, visuals, or sentence starters. Others needed freedom: room to experiment, present, and extend their ideas. And some simply needed the right role. Being a “customer” gave shy students the opportunity to practise speaking without the pressure of presenting.
Differentiation, I realised, is deeply connected to agency and belonging. When children feel that their abilities, preferences, and personalities matter, they start taking ownership of their learning.
How This Changed My Teaching
How This Changed My Teaching
Ever since that lesson, I approach planning with open frameworks in mind. I plan activities that allow for multiple entry points and multiple outcomes. Instead of controlling every step, I now design lessons where students can choose how to engage, show understanding, and celebrate their progress. Learners don't need an easier task, but reassurance, or a small success that reminds them they can do it.
Differentiation doesn’t require reinventing your lesson plan every week. It starts with curiosity and the willingness to look at your students and ask, “What do they need right now?”. That day, we turned a research project into a real-world experience. What was meant to be a simple lesson which involved research and presentation skills became one of the most memorable examples of how powerful differentiation can be; not just for learning, but for confidence, creativity, and joy.
Because when children are seen, they don’t just learn, they thrive.
María José Dearmas is a DELTA-qualified English teacher, coordinator, and teacher educator. She helps teachers create inclusive, engaging learning experiences where all learners can succeed. With over 20 years of experience in ELT, she now trains teachers preparing for the Cambridge DELTA.
Instagram: @deltamodules
Email: deltatraining2023@gmail.com
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