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Essentialist teaching can be adapted by incorporating diverse instructional strategies that cater to different learning styles and abilities. For visual learners, teachers can use diagrams and videos, for auditory learners, discussions and storytelling work well. Kinesthetic learners benefit from hands-on activities and real-world applications. Differentiated instruction, flexible pacing, and varied assessments ensure all students grasp core knowledge while allowing room for individual strengths. Balancing structure with adaptability helps essentialism meet diverse student needs.

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Education as we know it, is usually viewed as a set route or rigid path where you have a starting point (kindergarten) and we should be led to success (graduating college), but I've come to realize it's more like a river, constantly flowing and adjusting to the distinct terrain of every student's mind. Say for example, some students really thrive when it comes to storytelling because they find a lot of meaning in narratives that relate to real life. On the other hand, some need to move around and interact to really get into the concepts. I've noticed that mixing traditional teaching with some exploration really helps students to question things, get creative, and have experiences that lead to a deeper, more personal understanding. We must also bear in mind that every student that we have possesses a unique spark of greatness, and as educators, we have the incredible opportunity to nurture that light, allowing it to shine even brighter than the stars.

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Essentialist Teaching Methods to Cater Students with Different Learning Styles

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Essentialist Teaching Methods to Cater Students with Different Learning Styles

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As essentialism leads teachers to teach students about the "essentials," essentialists can modify this by incorporating the use of the correct senses into how the student learns best. Examples would be utilizing hands-on activities for kinesthetic students or problem-solving activities for logical-driven students. Identifying the student's learning style can help the teacher adjust their essentialist approach to teaching by aligning it with their learning style. Teachers can use this approach and expand it to create various teaching tools to cater to the students' different learning abilities.

In addition, as these essentials can be applied in different situations, teachers can utilize interdisciplinary learning. For example, for Civics teachers who would like to focus on writing - one of the marked essentials for the students to learn, the teachers can provide a literary assessment (e.g. essay writing) to the students from what they have learned of a certain historical piece. This encourages students to explore different subjects while ensuring the essentials are included.

Lastly, since essentialists are to instill the essentials in the students, they can modify it by including problem-based activities. It encourages the students to utilize the essentials they have learned to solve the problems they are given. This ensures students that what they have learned is important to solve real problems.

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While still following a structured, knowledge-focused curriculum, teachers can employ differentiated instruction to modify essentialist teaching tactics for students with varying learning styles and capacities. To accommodate a variety of learning preferences, this may include using multimodal teaching strategies, such as visual aids, practical exercises, and stimulating debates. While enrichment activities can offer challenges for experienced learners, scaffolding techniques, such as guided practice and thorough instructions, can help students who are struggling to master important ideas. Additionally, by employing formative assessments, teachers can adjust their lesson plans in response to students' success. Teachers may guarantee that every student receives an education that is both demanding and achievable by introducing flexibility into the essentialist approach.

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Modifying Essentialist Teaching Methods for Better Teaching and Learning 

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Modifying Essentialist Teaching Methods for Better Teaching and Learning 

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The essentialist philosophy greatly emphasizes the fundamentals of learning. It follows methods that aim to provide core knowledge in teacher-centered instruction, implemented with traditional disciplines. It believes that learners should master subject matter as the center of the educational process in order for them to continue to higher learning and, ultimately, in life. Essentialism may be dubbed as a linear, structured approach, focusing on a certain standard in the teaching and learning of things.

While the methods of essentialism are useful in certain aspects of teaching and learning, especially in providing a strong academic base, it can be challenging for students with different learning styles and abilities. This traditional approach may not always consider that students process information differently.

To make essentialist teaching more inclusive of all learners, I believe that we, educators, can differentiate instruction, incorporate various technology tools including multimedia resources into lessons, as well as conduct peer or group activities. Utilizing diagrams, charts, and graphic organizers can help reinforce concepts while discussions and storytelling are good for engaging students. Hands-on activities, experiments, and role-playing also allow students to deepen their understanding of lessons.

Furthermore, using flexible assessments is another way of modifying structured teaching. Offering multiple ways for students to demonstrate learning is an excellent way of assessing their understanding of the topic that suits their strengths. For students with special needs, accommodations and modifications like visual supports, guided practice (task analysis), and structured breaks can make learning more accessible. Scaffolding lessons by breaking down complex topics into manageable steps also contributes to ensuring all students can keep up at their own pace.

By adapting essentialist methods to accommodate diverse learners, I think that educators will be able to help bridge the gap and ensure that all students, regardless of learning styles, abilities, and backgrounds can access and engage with the curriculum effectively.  By addressing the learning needs of students, we aid students in succeeding in the teaching and learning process by attaining meaningful learning.

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classroom, students in groups, teacher, happy

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Adjusting essentialist teaching methods to cater to students with different learning styles and abilities can be approached from the following aspects:

1. Differentiated Instruction

Teachers can adjust teaching strategies based on students' learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and ability levels. For example, visual students can learn through charts and diagrams, auditory students can discuss and explain, and kinesthetic students can gain better understanding through practical activities and experiments.

2. Flexible use of teaching resources

Essentialism emphasizes core knowledge, but teachers can use diverse textbooks and resources such as multimedia courses, interactive games, and case studies to meet the needs of different students. For example, using documentaries or virtual reality (VR) technology to enhance the experience of history courses.

3. Combining inquiry based learning

Introduce opportunities for students to explore and research independently while teaching core knowledge. For example, in science courses, students can deepen their understanding of concepts through experiments or project-based research, rather than just rote memorization.

4. Provide personalized learning paths

Allow students to learn at their own pace, such as providing online courses, additional practice materials, or open-ended assignments, to help students with different abilities master the core content.

5. Combining Cooperative Learning

Through group collaboration, students can learn from each other and help students with different levels of ability progress together. High ability students can consolidate their knowledge through lectures, while low ability students can receive more support.

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Essentialism, as a teacher-centered philosophy, does not undermine the effectiveness of the different ways to approach learning, since its focus is to teach the core subjects and target to rigidly inculcate these subjects into the learners’ minds. While it is concentrated on traditional instructional strategies, like discussions and lectures, the teacher, as the primary source of knowledge and guidance in the classroom, has the prerogative to enhance his or her strategies to meet the diverse learning needs of the learners, and this is where the different approaches arise and become relevant.

In a more specific context, an essentialist classroom tends to create a learning atmosphere revolving around the core subjects, like writing, math, science, and reading. As a teacher’s modification and accommodation to address the differences among learners, he or she may start with an assessment or observation as to how each student learns best and their individual characteristics. If the assessment result is already readily available, the teacher may start aligning the specific teaching and learning approach to the goal. For students who are found to be good at numbers but not so at reading, considering that both are imperative to cognitive development, the teacher may provide activities that will improve the learner’s reading skills, which could take the form of remedial classes and enrichment activities. This suggests the need for individual assessment, scaffolding, accommodation, personalization of the lesson, and employment of differentiated instruction on the basis of the formative results.

Another effective approach is the intensification of the lesson by allowing the use of multiple senses. For example, instead of just letting the student memorize the letters in the alphabet as a foundation for future reading activities, the teacher may opt to use sounds, videos, and actions to intensify the lesson for better retention, as research supports this approach. This multi-sensory approach can also be utilized when learning numbers (math) and science. This creates a more engaging lesson and lays an opportunity for stimulated learning, which benefits a wide range of students, not just those who excel at memorization.

For subjects or topics that require the use of direct instruction or lectures, or if these are seen as more effective and practical approaches, the teacher may employ interactive methods of teaching and learning, like integrating technology and utilizing the Socratic method to encourage engagement within the class and develop critical thinking skills.

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To accommodate the students with different learning styles and abilities is to teach them with different methods such as Differentiated Instruction that presents videos, hands-on activities or text-based resources; Multi-sensory teaching strategies by incorporating visual aids, storytelling and movement-based for kinesthetic learners; Collaborative Learning and Integration of Technology.

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In Essentialist teaching, it is important to teach children the essentials that they can use in their daily lives. It is one of the fundamentals in education that it is teacher centered and kept the methods of mental discipline by the problem solving. The teacher served as the authority in giving contents and instruction that results to limited student choice. But since education is constantly evolving as well as the learner’s needs, there are some modifications that can be made to accommodate students with learning styles and abilities such as incorporating variety of activities in class that target learner’s multiple intelligence. Since learners have diverse needs, teachers even though they are in charge of the authority, they need to consider the needs of the learners. For example, teachers can incorporate assistive technology in presenting contents of their lesson for the learners to be engaged and acquire the essentials taught. As well as using differentiated instruction in presenting the content to cater the diverse needs of the learners.

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As a Civics and Arts teacher, I'd change essentialist teaching by showing lessons in many ways, like using pictures, sounds, and hands-on activities, not just lectures. I would let students choose how they show what they've learned, like through drawings or presentations, instead of only tests. I'd break down big lessons into smaller steps and give extra help to those who need it. I'd connect Civics and Arts to real life, showing how they matter today. I'd use group work and projects to help different learners shine. By doing these things, every student can learn the important stuff in a way that works for them.

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As a Civics and Arts teacher, I'd change essentialist teaching by showing lessons in many ways, like using pictures, sounds, and hands-on activities, not just lectures. I would let students choose how they show what they've learned, like through drawings or presentations, instead of only tests. I'd break down big lessons into smaller steps and give extra help to those who need it. I'd connect Civics and Arts to real life, showing how they matter today. I'd use group work and projects to help different learners shine. By doing these things, every student can learn the important stuff in a way that works for them.

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How can you modify essentialist teaching methods to accommodate students with different learning styles and abilities?

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How can you modify essentialist teaching methods to accommodate students with different learning styles and abilities?

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What is essential yesterday may not be essential now. I believe this is the greatest challenge to the theory of essentialism. For example, modern teaching approaches have rejected the efficacy of a teacher-centered classroom and a fully standardized assessment. However, we cannot discount the strengths of essentialism such as consistency and structure of the curriculum and the integration of values such as discipline and responsibility. As a teacher, I can build on these strengths. A lot of the core subjects still maintain importance. Science and math are still considered core. A more modern approach can be employed alongside the strengths. For example, the teaching of language can be diverted from a 100% lecture-type teaching, and instead apply activities that are relevant, meaningful, and enjoyable for students.

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According to Ignacio Estrada, "If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn". One of the initial things a teacher can do before educating students is assess/gauge their ability to learn. Teachers should be aware that pupils are uniquely inclined and have varied ways of learning, and this is where learning styles come into action. In a classroom full of diverse learners from various backgrounds, each of whom excels in audio, visual, kinesthetic, and other areas. Teachers ought to implement appropriate methods that will help and take into account these learning types. Teachers must include differentiated instruction into the curriculum so that everyone may fully utilize their strengths while maximizing their areas for improvement. This method could increase classroom engagement, make learning more interesting, and eliminate any dull moments. Learners are motivated to learn and have an eagerness to deepen their understanding.

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Essentialism mainly focuses on the core knowledge and skills that is relevant for the students. However, this educational philosopy is teacher-centered, hence the need for modification. Instruction plays a great role for this through aligning objectives and instructions to the learners' abilities. This could include tasks that varies depending on their level. Moreover, this is the perfect time to utilize a variety of teaching modalities that caters diverse learners with different learning styles such as integrating technology in class to create more engaging class, or visual instructional materials for the learners.

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Thinking of this one from my perspective as a SPED teacher specializing in intellectual and multiple disabilities, this teaching philosophy must also always be part of the learning process. While essentialism emphasizes core knowledge, I adapt it by breaking down complex concepts into smaller, manageable chunks, utilizing concrete examples relevant to their daily lives, and incorporating multisensory approaches.

On a personal and honest note, this is really very difficult especially when you are in the implementation of the IEP already. But we can always go back to using the essentials without forgetting other lessons like using mnemonics to remember routines, using picture cards (PECS), graphic organizers, and videos, songs, rhymes, and repeated verbal instruction, and movement-based learning. Based on experience, this is difficult because it is a challenge to make activities that can hit multiple birds in one stone. But our job requires us to squeeze our creativity to ensure that the curriculum aligns with each student's unique learning style and abilities. Repetition and reinforcement are essential to me, but I vary the presentation to maintain engagement. Furthermore, I integrate functional skills into the lessons, linking academic content to practical applications. The challenge is how we set goals that we can attain in a specific timeframe that we set. Regular monitoring and assessments help too, including observations and performance-based tasks. These allow me to monitor progress and adjust teaching strategies accordingly.

I would repeated say that this is a very difficult one and if there is one phrase that may conclude this, it is that flexibility is key. For us to reach the educational goals, we must continuously modify the pace, content, and delivery to meet the diverse needs of my students, fostering a supportive and accessible learning environment.

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ESSENTIALISM in DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES and ABILITIES

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ESSENTIALISM in DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES and ABILITIES

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Essentialism can also be seen as inflexible due to its emphasis on fundamental knowledge and abilities. Nonetheless, essentialist teaching strategies can be adjusted to suit a variety of students while keeping its focus on fundamental knowledge.

Teachers can incorporate activities in various manner without compromising the essential contents of a specific subject area. Differential Integration can happen in different parts of the learning process. Teachers may opt to differentiate the content, process, or the product or output. This differentiation can not only give importance to differently abled individuals but also be relevant to individuals with different learning styles.

In today's technologically advanced world, we can utilize a variety of technologies to suit students with varying learning styles and skill levels while maintaining the core learning materials.

~ LAURIE LIEN O. MONTEHERMOSO

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Modifying Essentialist Teaching to Honor Every Learner

Essentialist teaching values structure, discipline, and mastery of core subjects. I understand its intention to provide a strong foundation for learners. But when I look at my students, I don’t just see children who need discipline. I see individuals. Each one brings something different, a rhythm, a need, a way of learning. So while I appreciate the clarity that essentialism brings, I also believe it needs to breathe.

Teaching, for me, isn’t just about imparting knowledge. It’s about finding ways to meet my learners where they are in their learning journey. That way, I'd be able to know where to start teaching them. Sometimes, that means going beyond lectures and textbooks. I’ve found that when I add visual aids, movement, or group conversations into a lesson, students who normally stay quiet start to engage. One small adjustment, like allowing them to work in pairs or use colors while brainstorming, can make a big difference. These aren’t drastic changes. They’re just human ones.

I also believe in breaking lessons down. Some learners need steps, not pressure. That doesn’t mean I lower the expectations. I just make the journey gentler. We still arrive at the goal, but we do so with care.

Choice also plays a big role. When I let students choose how they want to show their understanding, maybe by writing, maybe by drawing, maybe by presenting, their eyes light up. It becomes their learning, not just mine. And when students feel seen, they grow. Not just in academics, but in confidence.

In the end, structure matters. But so does kindness. I still believe in focus and discipline but I also believe in warmth, flexibility, and listening. Essentialism can evolve. It doesn’t have to disappear. It just needs to soften, just enough to make room for every kind of learner.

That’s the kind of teacher I’m trying to become.

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To modify essentialist teaching methods for students with different learning styles and abilities, educators can maintain the focus on core knowledge and skills while adapting delivery and activities to meet diverse needs. This can include using a variety of instructional approaches—such as visual aids, hands-on activities, and auditory explanations—to cater to visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners. Differentiating assignments by offering choices in how students demonstrate mastery (e.g., written reports, presentations, or creative projects) allows learners to engage in ways that suit their strengths. Additionally, providing scaffolding, extra support, and flexible pacing helps students with varying abilities grasp essential concepts without compromising the rigor of the curriculum. By blending structure with adaptability, essentialist teaching can remain focused on foundational content while being inclusive and responsive to all learners.