DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

"Differentiated instruction (DI) is student centred and involves a strategic blend of whole-class, small-group, and individual learning activities to suit students’ differing strengths, interests, and levels of readiness to learn. It is rooted in assessment and involves purposefully planning varied approaches to teaching the content of the curriculum, to the processes (e.g., tasks and activities) that support students as they make sense of what they are learning; to the ways in which students demonstrate their learning and the outcomes they are expected to produce; and to the learning environment."

(adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education Instructional Approaches for ENL1W, MTH1W, and SNC1W)

A belief that all students can learn to high levels is imperative when approaching instruction and assessment. Differentiated instruction offers educators a way to consider individual students' needs and opportunities for growth when planning so that students can take on appropriate challenges and be pushed to keep going in their own learning: "Through an asset-based approach, teachers focus on these learners’ strengths, imbuing instructional approaches with a strong conviction that all students can learn [...] Research indicates that using differentiated instruction in classrooms can diminish inequities" (Instructional Approaches for MTH1W).

According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, "[a]ttending to students’ varied readiness for learning is an important aspect of differentiated teaching."

Some learners will be ready for "greater challenge" and benefit from

• support in aiming higher,

• developing belief in excellence, 

• learning in smaller groups for more individualized feedback, 

• accessing and using a variety of tools, representations, models, and resources to be able to flexibly create and consoldiate meaning, and

• co-creating tasks to increase the complexity while still maintaining joy in learning. 

Some learners may struggle to learn a concept and will benefit from

• being provided with necessary scaffolding, 

• learning in smaller groups for more individualized feedback, 

• accessing and using a variety of tools, representations, models, and resources to be able to flexibly create and consoldiate meaning, and

• encouragement to reach high standards.

For all learners, "[t]o make certain concepts more accessible, teachers can employ strategies such as offering students choice, and providing open-ended problems that are based on relevant real-life situations and supported with visual and hands-on learning."

(adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education Instructional Approaches for ENL1W, MTH1W, and SNC1W)

The following resources offer more opportunities learn about differentiate instruction from a range of sources:

• Differentiating Mathematics Instruction (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2008)

• Knowing and Responding to Learners: A Differentiated Instruction Educator's Guide (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016)

• PD Online: Differentiating Instruction (ASCD)

  • Key Elements of Differentiated Instruction (ASCD)

• Video: Differentiating Instruction - It's not as hard as you think (EdWeek, 2019)