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Engaging techniques for effective teaching

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Differentiated Instruction Defined and How to Implement It

Engage the most students and create the best outcomes for entire classrooms with differentiated instruction. It's a teaching method that helps bring struggling students up to speed, enables gifted students to learn at a faster pace, and makes teacher's lives easier because learning is more effective. When you use differentiated instruction, you're steering all your students toward the same learning objectives, while giving students the freedom to choose how they get there.

What Is Differentiated Instruction and Why Is It Important?

Differentiated instruction is the process of tailoring lessons to meet each student's individual interests, needs, and strengths. Teaching this way gives students choice and flexibility in how they learn, and helps teachers personalize learning. This method also requires instructional clarity and clearly defined goals for learning, better enabling students to meet those goals.

What Are Some Differentiated Instruction Strategies?

You can differentiate instruction across four main areas: content, process, product, and environment.

To differentiate content, teachers consider the objective of a lesson, then provide students with flexible options about the content they study to meet the objective, from subject or topic to approach or presentation.

With process differentiation, teachers differentiate how students learn. Grouping students based on their individual readiness or to complement each other is one way to accomplish process differentiation. Another is varying the way concepts are taught: through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic lessons, for example.

Product differentiation applies to the types of assignments students create. A teacher might ask students to explain a concept; the product could be a written report, a story, a song, a speech, or an art project. Varying the types of assessments you give students is also an example of product differentiation.

The classroom environment also affects learning. Changing physical things in the classroom, like how desks are set up or arranged, or where students can sit (on beanbags, for example), serves as classroom environment differentiation, which can also include changes to routines and habits.

What Are the Benefits of Differentiated Instruction?

Differentiated instruction is beneficial because it helps educators connect with different learning styles. Not all students will respond to a class lecture; a game or a video may work better with other students. Some students may learn better by reading than they do using a computer. Giving students choices about how they learn enables them to meet learning objectives in the best way for them.

In some classrooms, differentiation will be required for students with disabilities and for English language learners. Differentiating instruction gives all students the opportunity to keep pace with learning objectives.

No matter what you're teaching, some students will find certain material engaging, while others won't, and students will learn the same material in varying amounts of time. Want to make whatever you're teaching more likely to resonate with each one of your students? Differentiated instruction motivates them to learn the material in a way conducive to their own interests and unique learning styles.

What Do Experts Say About Differentiated Instruction?

"We differentiate instruction to honor the reality of the students we teach. They are energetic and outgoing. They are quiet and curious. They are confident and self-doubting. They are interested in a thousand things and deeply immersed in a particular topic. They are academically advanced and 'kids in the middle' and struggling due to cognitive, emotional, economic, or sociological challenges. Many of them speak a different language at home. They learn at different rates and in different ways. And they all come together in our academically diverse classrooms." - Carol Ann Tomlinson (William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor and Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy)

"Differentiating instruction is really a way of thinking, not a preplanned list of strategies. Oftentimes, it is making decisions in the moment based on this mindset. It's recognizing that 'fair' doesn't always mean treating everyone equally. It's recognizing that all of our students bring different gifts and challenges, and that as educators, we need to recognize those differences and use our professional judgment to flexibly respond to them in our teaching." - Larry Ferlazzo (award-winning teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California, who writes a teacher advice column for Education Week)

"All teachers want their students to succeed, and all teachers try to make this happen. That is all differentiation is. We complicate differentiation by not allowing ourselves to be provisional with how we apply the foundational pieces of differentiated instruction. Instead, if we address these four questions in our instructional planning, differentiation will always be the result: What do my students need? How do I know? What will I do to meet their needs? How do I know if what I'm doing is working?" - Lisa Westman (instructional coaching, differentiation, and standards-based grading consultant and professional development facilitator)

"Differentiated instruction is dynamic and organic. In a differentiated learning space, teachers and students learn together. Students focus on learning the course content, while teachers tailor their instructional strategies to student learning styles." - Alexa Epitropoulous (media and author relations specialist at ASCD)

How to Implement Differentiated Instruction

To ensure that the same objectives are being pursued by all students (though they each take their own path to get there), differentiated instruction must be standards-based.

First steps for teachers should include diagnostic testing and learning inventories. Your goal is to set baselines for individual students. Then you can identify tactics to help each student achieve the objectives and deliver custom-tailored content.

Differentiated instruction is evident when teachers:

Offer students options to choose from in assignments or lesson plans.

Provide multiple texts and types of learning materials.

Utilize a variety of personalized learning methods and student assessments.

Customize teaching to suit multiple forms of intelligence.

For differentiated instruction to be successful, teachers must clearly explain the learning goals and the criteria for success. Differentiated learning thrives in a classroom environment where students are working toward shared goals with a growth mindset. Teachers must identify and be responsive to student needs, creating a supportive classroom culture where students embrace differentiation for themselves and their peers.

Knowing the unique needs of your students enables you to teach them more effectively, with the goal of improving cognitive and academic outcomes. Learning A-Z provides thousands of differentiated instruction resources for all types of learners. Our products make teaching easier and more effective, giving students more flexibility and learning options.

Support Differentiated Instruction in Your Classroom

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Differentiated Instruction and How to Implement It | Learning A-Z

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Our K-6 products help teachers differentiate literacy instruction and practice to meet each student's individual learning needs.

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Differentiated instruction in the classroom is a teaching strategy that involves varying lessons to meet the needs of all students.
You can differentiate a lesson in four main ways:

1. Varying Content: changing up what is taught.

2. Varying Process: changing up how it is taught.

3. Varying Assessment: changing up how it is assessed.

4. Varying Learning Environments: changing up the context of learning.

Below are 31 examples of differentiation in the classroom.

Examples of Differentiated Instruction

Varying the Content

Differentiation of content involves varying what is taught.

Examples include:

1. Providing students with different fiction books to critique depending on their interests.

2. Letting each student choose their own time in history to explore in order to meet the same history outcome in the curriculum.

3. Letting each student choose their own person to study for black history month.

4. Having students choose an 'elective' topic to study in high school so they can specialize before college.

Some people will also differentiate content by actually changing the difficulty level. This should be approached with caution as at times this can lead to lowering expectations. At other times it is appropriate for helping advanced students to progress while giving appropriate difficulty level support to intermediary students:

5. Separating students into low, medium and high ability groups for mathematics and giving each group a different level of content to study.

6. Giving a student an easier book to read than other students.

7. Letting advanced students steam ahead to do independent study while the teacher works on remedial tasks with lower and intermediate level students.

8. Providing weekly spelling or vocabulary lists at a student's ideal.

Varying the Learning Process

Differentiation of the process involves varying how content is taught.

Examples include:

9. Teaching the same underlying understandings or skills, but presenting it with different levels of complexity to each ability group.

10. Turning written material into a podcast so it can be presented through both auditory and visual learning modalities.

11. Letting students learn according to their preferred learning style, such as letting them choose between watching videos, reading books, and being told a story.

12. Mixing up learning modalities within the same lesson so students have more entry points to understanding the content. Let them learn through tactile, visual, audio, and kinesthetic methods.

13. Having extra study groups to re-teach content in an new or more guided manner for struggling learners, or to provided extended lessons for advanced learners.

14. Coming up with an individualized plan for each student so they can choose which tasks to tackle first, second and last - while they will all cover every task by the end of the unit. This can allow advanced students to steam ahead.

15. Flipped learning, where the core 'group content' is introduced via videos during homework time, and individualized active learning occurs in class. This gives the teacher additional time to spend one-on-one with their students.

16. Allowing advanced students to work alone, while using manipulatives (hands-on props) for students who need them.

17. Varying how much time you give students to complete a task depending on your assessment of their ability level. This can help them to challenge themselves to become more efficient at a task.

18. Allowing some students to progress after they have demonstrated mastery, while holding others back for more classes until they are ready to proceed.

19. Delivering content in culturally appropriate ways, and letting all students learn through their preferred cultural paradigm.

Varying Assessment

Differentiation of assessment involves changing how to test to see whether a student has achieved the task.

Examples include:

20. Letting students choose how to present their work, such as through a video, performance, essay or poster.

21. Using different assessment outcomes or assessment rubrics depending on a student's ability level.

22. Giving students a choice of whether to present their work as a group or individually.

23. Changing up when the assessment can be presented in order to ensure a student is ready before they are assessed.

Varying the Learning Environment

Differentiation of learning environments involves changing up the context in which we learn.

Examples include:

24. Developing workstations in the classroom which each has a different environment. A mixed classroom layout can be used here to encourage this sort of learning.

25. Creating quiet spaces for students with sensory processing disorders or who are vulnerable to sensory overload (such as students with autism).

26. Providing research stations and study desks where students can access computers in order to do independent research during a lesson.

27. Getting two classrooms with two different sets of rules around talking, and letting students choose which room to study in.

28. Letting students choose between studying online or in-person.

29. Providing standing and seating desks for students with different needs.

30. Allowing kinesthetic learners to learn outside or frequently do exercise to let off excess steam.

31. Placing posters and prompts on walls strategically near students who need them the most.

Final Thoughts

I hope these examples of differentiation in the classroom have helped get you thinking about some differentiation ideas for your own lesson plans.

If you need to find scholarly information on differentiation, check out my full guide on differentiated instruction. In that article, you'll find:

Scholarly Definitions of the Concept

Explanation

Pros and Cons

Good luck with your teaching!

- Prof. Chris.

References

All references are in APA style:

Dixon, F. A., Yssel, N., McConnell, J. M., & Hardin, T. (2014). Different instruction, professional development, and teacher efficacy. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 37(2), 111-127.

Tomlinson, C. A. (1995). How to differentiate instruction in mixed ability classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: responding to the needs of all students. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2000). What is different instruction? In: Callahan, C. M., & Hertberg-Davis, H. L. (Eds.). (2012). Fundamentals of gifted education: Considering multiple perspectives. (pp. 287-300). London: Routledge.

Watts‐Taffe, S., Laster, B. P., Broach, L., Marinak, B., McDonald Connor, C., & Walker‐Dalhouse, D. (2012). Differentiated instruction: Making informed teacher decisions. The Reading Teacher, 66(4), 303-314.

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31 Examples of Differentiated Instruction (2023)

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Differentiation in the classroom is a teaching strategy that involves varying lessons to meet all students' needs. You can differentiate lessons in 4 ways.

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Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual learning style. Chances are, not all of your students grasp a subject in the same way or share the same level of ability. So how can you better deliver your lessons to reach everyone in class? Consider differentiated instruction-a method you may have heard about but haven't explored, which is why you're here. In this article, learn exactly what it means, how it works, and the pros and cons.

Definition of differentiated instruction

Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and professor of educational leadership, foundations, and policy at the University of Virginia. Tomlinson describes differentiated instruction as factoring students' individual learning styles and levels of readiness first before designing a lesson plan. Research on the effectiveness of differentiation shows this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability.

Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student.

Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:

Design lessons based on students' learning styles.

Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.

Assess students' learning using formative assessment.

Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.

Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students' needs.

History of differentiated instruction

The roots of differentiated instruction go all the way back to the days of the one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher had students of all ages in one classroom. As the educational system transitioned to grading schools, it was assumed that children of the same age learned similarly. However in 1912, achievement tests were introduced, and the scores revealed the gaps in student's abilities within grade levels.

In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that children with disabilities had equal access to public education. To reach this student population, many educators used differentiated instruction strategies. Then came the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2000, which further encouraged differentiated and skill-based instruction-and that's because it works. Research by educator Leslie Owen Wilson supports differentiating instruction within the classroom, finding that lecture is the least effective instructional strategy, with only 5 to 10 percent retention after 24 hours. Engaging in a discussion, practicing after exposure to content, and teaching others are much more effective ways to ensure learning retention.

Four ways to differentiate instruction

According to Tomlinson, teachers can differentiate instruction through four ways: 1) content, 2) process, 3) product, and 4) learning environment.

1. Content

As you already know, fundamental lesson content should cover the standards of learning set by the school district or state educational standards. But some students in your class may be completely unfamiliar with the concepts in a lesson, some students may have partial mastery, and some students may already be familiar with the content before the lesson begins.

What you could do is differentiate the content by designing activities for groups of students that cover various levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (a classification of levels of intellectual behavior going from lower-order thinking skills to higher-order thinking skills). The six levels are: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete tasks on the lower levels: remembering and understanding. Students with some mastery could be asked to apply and analyze the content, and students who have high levels of mastery could be asked to complete tasks in the areas of evaluating and creating.

Examples of differentiating activities:

Match vocabulary words to definitions.

Read a passage of text and answer related questions.

Think of a situation that happened to a character in the story and a different outcome.

Differentiate fact from opinion in the story.

Identify an author's position and provide evidence to support this viewpoint.

Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson.

2. Process

Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful differentiation includes delivering the material to each style: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, and through words. This process-related method also addresses the fact that not all students require the same amount of support from the teacher, and students could choose to work in pairs, small groups, or individually. And while some students may benefit from one-on-one interaction with you or the classroom aide, others may be able to progress by themselves. Teachers can enhance student learning by offering support based on individual needs.

Examples of differentiating the process:

Provide textbooks for visual and word learners.

Allow auditory learners to listen to audio books.

Give kinesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive assignment online.

3. Product

The product is what the student creates at the end of the lesson to demonstrate the mastery of the content. This can be in the form of tests, projects, reports, or other activities. You could assign students to complete activities that show mastery of an educational concept in a way the student prefers, based on learning style.

Examples of differentiating the end product:

Read and write learners write a book report.

Visual learners create a graphic organizer of the story.

Auditory learners give an oral report.

Kinesthetic learners build a diorama illustrating the story.

4. Learning environment

The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological elements. A flexible classroom layout is key, incorporating various types of furniture and arrangements to support both individual and group work. Psychologically speaking, teachers should use classroom management techniques that support a safe and supportive learning environment.

Examples of differentiating the environment:

Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.

Allow students to read individually if preferred.

Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.

Pros and cons of differentiated instruction

The benefits of differentiation in the classroom are often accompanied by the drawback of an ever-increasing workload. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Pros

Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as students with mild to severe disabilities.

When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning.

Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons.

Cons

Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson planning, and many teachers struggle to find the extra time in their schedule.

The learning curve can be steep and some schools lack professional development resources.

Critics argue there isn't enough research to support the benefits of differentiated instruction outweighing the added prep time.

Differentiated instruction strategies

What differentiated instructional strategies can you use in your classroom? There are a set of methods that can be tailored and used across the different subjects. According to Kathy Perez (2019) and the Access Center those strategies are tiered assignments, choice boards, compacting, interest centers/groups, flexible grouping, and learning contracts. Tiered assignments are designed to teach the same skill but have the students create a different product to display their knowledge based on their comprehension skills. Choice boards allow students to choose what activity they would like to work on for a skill that the teacher chooses. On the board are usually options for the different learning styles; kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and tactile. Compacting allows the teacher to help students reach the next level in their learning when they have already mastered what is being taught to the class. To compact the teacher assesses the student's level of knowledge, creates a plan for what they need to learn, excuses them from studying what they already know, and creates free time for them to practice an accelerated skill.

Interest centers or groups are a way to provide autonomy in student learning. Flexible grouping allows the groups to be more fluid based on the activity or topic. Finally, learning contracts are made between a student and teacher, laying out the teacher's expectations for the necessary skills to be demonstrated and the assignments required components with the student putting down the methods they would like to use to complete the assignment. These contracts can allow students to use their preferred learning style, work at an ideal pace and encourages independence and planning skills. The following are strategies for some of the core subject based on these methods.

Differentiated instruction strategies for math

Provide students with a choice board. They could have the options to learn about probability by playing a game with a peer, watching a video, reading the textbook, or working out problems on a worksheet.

Teach mini lessons to individuals or groups of students who didn't grasp the concept you were teaching during the large group lesson. This also lends time for compacting activities for those who have mastered the subject.

Use manipulatives, especially with students that have more difficulty grasping a concept.

Have students that have already mastered the subject matter create notes for students that are still learning.

For students that have mastered the lesson being taught, require them to give in-depth, step-by-step explanation of their solution process, while not being rigid about the process with students who are still learning the basics of a concept if they arrive at the correct answer.

Differentiated instruction strategies for science

Emma McCrea (2019) suggests setting up "Help Stations," where peers assist each other. Those that have more knowledge of the subject will be able to teach those that are struggling as an extension activity and those that are struggling will receive.

Set up a "question and answer" session during which learners can ask the teacher or their peers questions, in order to fill in knowledge gaps before attempting the experiment.

Create a visual word wall. Use pictures and corresponding labels to help students remember terms.

Set up interest centers. When learning about dinosaurs you might have an "excavation" center, a reading center, a dinosaur art project that focuses on their anatomy, and a video center.

Provide content learning in various formats such as showing a video about dinosaurs, handing out a worksheet with pictures of dinosaurs and labels, and providing a fill-in-the-blank work sheet with interesting dinosaur facts.

Differentiated instruction strategies for ELL

ASCD (2012) writes that all teachers need to become language teachers so that the content they are teaching the classroom can be conveyed to the students whose first language is not English.

Start by providing the information in the language that the student speaks then pairing it with a limited amount of the corresponding vocabulary in English.

Although ELL need a limited amount of new vocabulary to memorize, they need to be exposed to as much of the English language as possible. This means that when teaching, the teacher needs to focus on verbs and adjectives related to the topic as well.

Group work is important. This way they are exposed to more of the language. They should, however, be grouped with other ELL if possible as well as given tasks within the group that are within their reach such as drawing or researching.

Differentiated instruction strategies for reading

Tiered assignments can be used in reading to allow the students to show what they have learned at a level that suites them. One student might create a visual story board while another student might write a book report.

Reading groups can pick a book based on interest or be assigned based on reading level

Erin Lynch (2020) suggest that teachers scaffold instruction by giving clear explicit explanations with visuals. Verbally and visually explain the topic. Use anchor charts, drawings, diagrams, and reference guides to foster a clearer understanding. If applicable, provide a video clip for students to watch.

Utilize flexible grouping. Students might be in one group for phonics based on their assessed level but choose to be in another group for reading because they are more interested in that book.

Differentiated instruction strategies for writing

Hold writing conferences with your students either individually or in small groups. Talk with them throughout the writing process starting with their topic and moving through grammar, composition, and editing.

Allow students to choose their writing topics. When the topic is of interest, they will likely put more effort into the assignment and therefore learn more.

Keep track of and assess student's writing progress continually throughout the year. You can do this using a journal or a checklist. This will allow you to give individualized instruction.

Hand out graphic organizers to help students outline their writing. Try fill-in-the-blank notes that guide the students through each step of the writing process for those who need additional assistance.

For primary grades give out lined paper instead of a journal. You can also give out differing amounts of lines based on ability level. For those who are excelling at writing give them more lines or pages to encourage them to write more. For those that are still in the beginning stages of writing, give them less lines so that they do not feel overwhelmed.

Differentiated instruction strategies for special education

Use a multi-sensory approach. Get all five senses involved in your lessons, including taste and smell!

Use flexible grouping to create partnerships and teach students how to work collaboratively on tasks. Create partnerships where the students are of equal ability, partnerships where once the student will be challenged by their partner and another time they will be pushing and challenging their partner.

Assistive technology is often an important component of differential instruction in special education. Provide the students that need them with screen readers, personal tablets for communication, and voice recognition software.

The article Differentiation & LR Information for SAS Teachers suggests teachers be flexible when giving assessments "Posters, models, performances, and drawings can show what they have learned in a way that reflects their personal strengths". You can test for knowledge using rubrics instead of multiple-choice questions, or even build a portfolio of student work. You could also have them answer questions orally.

Utilize explicit modeling. Whether its notetaking, problem solving in math, or making a sandwich in home living, special needs students often require a step-by-step guide to make connections.

References and resources

Books & Videos about differentiated instruction by Carol Ann Tomlinson and others

The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, 2nd Edition

Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau

The Differentiated School: Making Revolutionary Changes in Teaching and Learning - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Kay Brimijoin, and Lane Narvaez

Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe

Differentiation in Practice Grades K-5: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson

Differentiation in Practice Grades 5-9: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson

Differentiation in Practice Grades 9-12: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy A. Strickland

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching - Carol Ann Tomlinson

Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Susan Demirsky Allan

How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms, 3rd Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson

Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Tonya R. Moon

How To Differentiate Instruction In Mixed Ability Classrooms 2nd Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson

How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms 3rd Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson

Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom Paperback - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Tonya R. Moon

Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom (Professional Development) 1st Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Marcia B. Imbeau

The Differentiated School: Making Revolutionary Changes in Teaching and Learning 1st Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Kay Brimijoin, Lane Narvaez

Differentiation and the Brain: How Neuroscience Supports the Learner-Friendly Classroom - David A. Sousa, Carol Ann Tomlinson

Leading for Differentiation: Growing Teachers Who Grow Kids - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Michael Murphy

An Educator's Guide to Differentiating Instruction. 10th Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson, James M. Cooper

A Differentiated Approach to the Common Core: How do I help a broad range of learners succeed with a challenging curriculum? - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Marcia B. Imbeau

Managing a Differentiated Classroom: A Practical Guide - Carol Tomlinson, Marcia Imbeau

Differentiating Instruction for Mixed-Ability Classrooms: An ASCD Professional Inquiry Kit Pck Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson

Using Differentiated Classroom Assessment to Enhance Student Learning (Student Assessment for Educators) 1st Edition - Tonya R. Moon, Catherine M. Brighton, Carol A. Tomlinson

The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners 1st Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Differentiated Instruction: Examples & Classroom Strategies | Resilient Educator

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Differentiated instruction benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability. Read about classroom tips and strategies for implementation.

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Tips for starting DI in secondary classroom

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Tips for starting DI in secondary classroom

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Differentiation in middle and high school doesn't need to involve designing eight different assignments, orchestrating complex group work, or turning the physical space into a kindergarten room. At its core, differentiation simply moves all students toward and beyond common and important learning goals. Sometimes, students share a route toward those goals. Other times, ongoing assessment compels teachers to plan different routes that vary by readiness, interest, or learning preferences.

Teachers have many "entry points" to planning and implementing lessons and tasks that anticipate and respond to students' needs. Here are five:

Experiment with various groupings.

Differentiation refers to adjustments that teachers make in response to student performance-not the way students are grouped, per se. In a differentiated classroom, students work in a variety of configurations-from whole-group to individual to pairs to other small groups-for different reasons. Before giving students customized assignments that are aligned with the same goals, get them used to collaborating with others-even if it's only for a few minutes to discuss a question or two. Consider having not one seating chart, but rather various seating arrangements that differ by your purpose for the day (e.g., a small-group discussion seating chart, a Socratic seminar seating chart). Another quick strategy is to have students quickly line up according to a preference (say, how much they like hot dogs, with haters at one end and lovers at the other) or characteristic (birth month and day). Put students into groups of your desired size, or "fold" the line and group students from there. Various groupings, from more random to more purposeful, build classroom community and set the stage for targeted differentiation.

Tweak an existing task or question.

Many teachers are understandably wary of differentiation because they believe it involves creating a laundry list of options. In truth, some of the best (and most efficient) differentiation strategies simply "tweak" or adjust aspects of an assignment to create versions that certain students find more accessible, more advanced, or more interesting. This adjustment might involve varying the problem, challenge, or situation at the heart of the task; the product that students generate from the task; or the topic that students explore to make sense of a bigger concept.

Pre-assess.

Pre-assessment finds out "where" students' abilities lie relative to your goals for a unit before that unit begins. You aren't looking for ways to differentiate as much as you are gaining a general sense of how students approach the content. Pre-assessments can be efficient and powerful, as long as you design them to gauge conceptual understanding and not just facts and skills. A simple science example follows:

1. Imagine that you are designing an experiment to test [the effect of certain variables on plant growth]. Write a question that could guide your experiment.

2. Create a chart to show three variables that you could test, how you could test them, and why you would test them.

3. In this experiment you've designed, which variables are independent? Which variables are dependent? How do you know?

Such prompts can help the teacher spot significant misconceptions and skill gaps, as well as identify advanced thinking. The first few times you give a pre-assessment, focus less on discerning specific patterns among responses and more on how your findings might inform your general planning of all lessons in the unit.

Check if they're getting it

Like pre-assessment, this classroom-level formative assessment doesn't need to be complicated. Many teachers use exit slips to pose several questions at the end of a lesson to gauge individual student understanding. For example, after a lab, a science teacher might ask:

What was the independent variable in today's experiment? How do you know?

What was the dependent variable in today's experiment? How do you know?

What did you find out about the relationship between the independent and dependent variable?

Build on a familiar strategy.

Differentiation is not a set of strategies; rather, it provides a way to think about teaching and learning. This is good news, because secondary teachers can use many strategies-such as RAFT and Jigsaw-as vehicles for differentiation by keeping a few key principles in mind. No matter what, teachers should align all differentiated tasks with the same learning goals and with one another. If you feel like you need different rubrics or sets of criteria to evaluate each task, for example, there's a good chance that your lesson plan is simply different, but not differentiated. All tasks should be engaging, appealing, require high levels of thought, and equal in terms of workload and time for completion.

Because secondary teachers often teach 100+ students a day with multiple preps, you may want to focus initial differentiation efforts-including the entry points listed above-on one class period or course. As the process becomes more familiar,you can begin incorporating it into additional classes.

Ultimately, any middle or high school teacher should focus less on "doing differentiation" and more on building their skills in planning learning experiences-differentiated and otherwise-that help students meet or progress beyond goals and standards.

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Five Tips for Getting Started With Differentiation in a Secondary Classroom

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Differentiation in middle and high school doesn't need to involve designing eight different assignments, orchestrating complex group work, or turning the physical space into a kindergarten room. At its core, differentiation simply moves all students toward and beyond common and important learning goals. Sometimes, students share a route toward those goals.

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Giving students options for how they demonstrate their learning is a good way to ignite their curiosity.

How do you make learning effective, engaging, and student driven when students aren't physically in the classroom? That's been the question on our minds for quite some time now. One team of education leaders in North Carolina found a solution that drastically changed instruction throughout the state, and it's something you might already be familiar with.

As teachers and students transitioned to fully remote instruction, the English language arts (ELA) team created choice boards that teachers could copy and adjust to meet the needs of their students. The boards-which could be assigned virtually or printed out in packets-were organized by grade band and filled with standards-aligned activities as well as scaffolds that enabled children to be able to complete the work alone. Check out the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's ELA choice boards here.

Choice boards improved remote learning in our virtual classrooms, increasing student engagement and ownership, and even making our students more eager to dig into their assessments and homework.

Here are some tips to get started with implementing choice boards-whether students are in person, learning remotely, or a mixture of both-as well as some lessons learned along the way.

Choice boards add a new dimension to your classroom, offering an alternative to standard assessments and empowering students to choose how they show their mastery of a topic. Additionally, they provide educators with a variety of ways to check for student understanding. If you've ever had your eyes glaze over as you regarded the night's looming stack of 120 freshmen essays to grade, this could be the refreshing twist you're looking for.

Imagine that you're working with your middle school English class on analyzing complex characters in The House on Mango Street. You can unpack the standard with your students and create a rubric with them (or we love this idea of success criteria), then brainstorm ideas for activities.

Keep in mind, some learners do prefer traditional assessments, so leave those as an option in the choice board.

You don't have to start from scratch; there are free choice board templates available online.

Try incorporating your students into the process and get their input on how they'd like to demonstrate what they've learned. For example, students might suggest developing a movie trailer to illustrate their mastery of the standard, drafting a series of diary entries from the main character, or creating a series of podcast episodes. Allowing for student involvement in the creation of the choice boards increases their ownership and follow-through.

Choice boards can be used in place of a homework packet-giving students the autonomy to choose how they practice skills they learned during the school day.

But choice boards can also serve as a way to engage with parents and caregivers. A family homework choice board can encourage education-centered family time at home, while simultaneously informing caregivers about topics and skills their child is learning at school.

Before sending home a homework choice board, allot time to guide your students through the process-practicing it in the classroom first. Think of it as a mini-lesson.

Evaluate limitations or access issues that may arise for some students when working at home. Things to consider include access to technology, access to materials, and time asked of the parents/caregivers in assisting.

What might this look like? Let's say you are teaching a third-grade class and a parent has asked you for the homework. Share the optional homework choice board-activities might include finding three examples of this week's syllable type in books from their book bin, reading high-frequency words to a family member, or practicing the high-frequency words on an online app.

Remote learning days are far from a thing of the past. Whether these days are scheduled ahead of time in the school's calendar or utilized as an alternative to closing the building for severe weather or recurring outbreaks of Covid, schools can be proactively prepared by creating district or schoolwide choice boards that teachers can easily access.

Move from fluff to rigor by being intentional with learning outcomes and alignment to state standards. (Find tips at Aligning Curricular Decisions with Student Voice). Make sure that you aren't just creating busywork but are truly creating assignments that are standards aligned.

Get a team involved to make the lift lighter. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction had teams of educators work together to create a universal set of choice boards that could be accessed by teachers statewide-many hands make short work.

We've used choice boards not only with K-12 students but with our teachers in training as well. Offering people choice in assignments does equate to a lot more emails to answer from our graduate students. But that's something we were more than happy to take on.

Ideally, these can be tweaked by teachers themselves easily so that students can complete them over and over again. Educators can switch out the text and activities at their discretion to update them.

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Using Choice Boards to Boost Student Engagement

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Giving students options for how they demonstrate their learning is a good way to ignite their curiosity.

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Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual 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.

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At a glance

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that tailors instruction to students' different learning needs.

It lets students show what they know in different ways.

It doesn't replace the goals in a child's IEP or 504 plan.

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that tailors instruction to all students' learning needs. All the students have the same learning goal. But the instruction varies based on students' interests, preferences, strengths, and struggles.

Instead of teaching the whole group in one way (like a lecture), a teacher uses a bunch of different methods. This can include teaching students in small groups or in one-on-one sessions.

Students have "multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn," says Carol Ann Tomlinson, an educator who has done innovative work in this area.

According to Tomlinson, there are four areas where teachers can differentiate instruction:

1. Content: Figuring out what a student needs to learn and which resources will help

2. Process: Activities that help students make sense of what they learn

3. Projects: Ways for students to "show what they know"

4. Learning environment: How the classroom "feels" and how the class works together

This approach works well with the response to intervention (RTI) process used in some schools. The goal of RTI is to address learning struggles early. Students get extra support before they fall behind their peers.

About the author

About the author

Geri Coleman Tucker is a freelance writer and editor and a former deputy managing editor for

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Kylah Torre is an instructor in the department of special education at Hunter College.

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Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that tailors instruction to all students' learning needs. Read about how differentiated instruction works.

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This discussion technique gives students the opportunity to respond to questions and/or discuss information with a variety of peers in a structured manner. Students form two concentric circles and exchange information with a partner until the teacher signals the outer circle to move in one direction, giving each student a new peer to talk to.

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What Does Succesful DI look like in the Classroom?

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What Does Succesful DI look like in the Classroom?

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"Differentiated instruction"-both the term and the idea-can carry a lot of baggage in teaching circles.

But I think it's so important that we can't talk too much about it, so today's post kicks off another series on how teachers can implement it.

Two of today's contributors were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

'Give Each Student What They Need'
Andrea Castellano serves as an elementary teacher in New York City's public school system. She also supports teachers as an instructional coach and PBL curriculum writer and staff developer:
Although traditional schooling relies on one-size-fits-all instruction where all students receive the same instruction and complete the same tasks, each student is totally unique. You'd be hard-pressed to find a group that shares the exact combination of abilities, needs, and interests. Differentiation is tailoring instruction to give each student what they need. It's also the key to teaching diverse groups of learners; without it, someone will always be left out or left behind.

Even if they understand why differentiation is important, many teachers struggle to adapt lessons that include multiple learning goals, citing concerns with lack of resources, planning time, and support with classroom management. Here are some suggestions for getting differentiated instruction up and running in your classroom:

1. Establish a culture of learning through routines and clear communication.

When shifting away from the one-size model, it's important to keep in mind that students may not have much experience working autonomously. That kind of independence has to be taught explicitly via modeling, practice, and maintaining clear and consistent expectations.

In my 3rd grade class, we mix it up between whole group, collaborative small groups, and stations. In September, after the "teach" part of the lessons instead of pulling small groups as I normally would, I walk around, observing and making suggestions. I make sure to answer all questions before I send them off and always post directions in a visible location in case they forget what to do. When we finish, we have a class circle to discuss how it went and to brainstorm solutions and strategies for next time.

Over time, they learn to hold themselves and their peers accountable. Doing this consistently every day means that by October, we've evolved from a single instructional small group to multiple small groups doing multiple things. Because I set my students up for independence, I am able to assign different tasks, offer a variety of resources, and trust them to do their work while I focus on the group that's scheduled for the day.

2. Know your material and use your resources.

Knowledge of content is essential in order to differentiate instruction. But scaffolding instruction requires planning and preparation that sometimes goes beyond the parameters of the typical scripted lesson plan. Luckily, there are a plethora of resources available online, including curriculum maps, scope-and-sequence plans, and digital curriculum resources. I request access to 2nd and 4th grade resources for any program I'm mandated to teach. If students need remedial support, I should have familiarity with the prerequisite skills, including those from the grades below. If students have mastered the content and need a challenge, I have to have a deep understanding of the material as well as an ability to draw from advanced content and make it comprehensible for students as they become ready for it.

I also maintain connections with teachers in other grades in case there's something I don't know. Talking to other teachers about how they reinforce concepts in fun and engaging ways is actually one of my favorite things about lesson planning.
Get to know your students.
Regardless of class size, teachers should know their students well enough to anticipate and plan for differentiated activities. Learning about your students on a personal level can be done through beginning-of-year interest surveys, icebreaker activities, and one-on-one conversations whenever possible.

Getting to know your students on an academic level is done through a holistic series of formal and informal assessments designed to paint a picture of the individual as a learner. Once you start to notice trends, it will become easier to anticipate questions and misconceptions and choose activities that will support students in reaching the learning targets. In any given math lesson, for instance, if I know a student understands a concept but needs more practice, I'll have a worksheet printed for them in advance. Fast finishers always have a basket of multistep word problems waiting for them, and students who need a reteach know to come straight to my table and I'll have another example ready for them.

In my classroom, knowledge of my students as well as their knowledge of self is what drives the instruction throughout the lesson.

'There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Approach'
Isabel Becerra is the multilingual-services consultant for Region 10 in Texas. She was born in Bolivia and has been an educator since 1992. She is a passionate advocate for emergent bilingual learners:
Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual learning style. It's most likely that not all students learn in the same way or share the same level of ability. It is our job as educators to find ways to meet the different learning needs of our students in order to ensure that learning is happening.

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that is used to adjust curriculum and instruction to maximize the learning of all students; average learners, English-language learners, struggling students, students with learning disabilities, and gifted and talented students. Differentiated instruction is not a single strategy but rather a framework that teachers can use to apply a variety of strategies. In other words, differentiated instruction is simply tailoring instruction to meet a learner's needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for instruction.

Research says that "differentiated instruction is an instructional practice that involves a teacher who proactively plans varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they can express what they have learned in order to increase the likelihood that each student will learn as much as he or she can as efficiently as possible" (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 151).

Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may modify assignments to meet the needs of the students, assess students frequently to determine their readiness levels, use data to adjust instruction, provide a variety of scaffolds (visuals, graphic organizers, sentence stems, word banks, etc.) to support student learning, strive to make lessons engaging and meaningful, implement different grouping formats for instruction (e.g., whole class, small groups, independent instruction), and use flexible grouping.

So, what does differentiated instruction look like in the classroom? When differentiation happens in the classroom, students have constant access to learning materials of varying levels of difficulty, and students can advance their learning at their own pace by having choice in assignments and using personalized learning methods. In addition, teachers build lessons around their students' individual skills and customize teaching to suit multiple forms of intelligence. Everyone is learning in a differentiated classroom, including the teacher.

If you are like me and have a background in teaching English-language-learners in a dual-language or ESL classroom setting, you know how important it is to differentiate instruction for learning to happen. We must find effective ways to teach these emergent bilingual students in order to give them access to comprehensible content and develop English-language proficiency at the same time.

Some starting activities to differentiate instruction that are interactive, engaging, motivating, and make learning fun for students are:

1. Give instructions in several formats, such as books, videos with closed captions, worksheets, and projects. These options will accommodate their learning styles, and they will help them practice reading, writing, and listening in English.

2. Provide opportunities to use English as much as possible, such as through group work, classroom discussions, and partner sharing. The more they verbalize it, the more they will internalize the language and content.

3. Incorporate active learning with manipulatives, movement (TPR), gestures, and games. This will allow for students to remember words, concepts, and skills, as many are visual and kinesthetic learners.

4. Use leveled reading materials to help students explore the same content. You must be able to meet the students at their level to take them where they need to be by scaffolding what they need to learn.

5. Create learning centers that give students self-paced practice time in hands-on ways. Tell me and I forget; teach me, and I may remember; involve me, and I learn.

6. Form learning groups and use a tiered approach, with each group mastering content or skills at various speeds.

7. Foster a safe learning environment where students can feel included, cared for, and be opened to new learning material.

8. Allow students to choose how they'll present their work: Write a paper, give a presentation, create a video, etc. Giving students choice will help them engage in the learning process.

Implementing differentiated instruction can be challenging, but it is worth the effort. It may not be possible to apply differentiation all the time; however, what is important is to practice it often to incorporate it in daily instruction procedures so that with time, it can become second nature to all educators. Differentiated instruction in the classroom is one of the keys to success.

'It's the Approach...'
Kara Pranikoff is the author of Teaching Talk: A Practical Guide to Fostering Student Thinking and Conversation (Heinemann, 2017). She consults with schools to center student voices and ideas across inquiry-based social studies and literacy instruction:
Differentiating Instruction is a concept in education that sounds like it should have a special formula. As if you could plan a lesson, whiz it through a magical machine, and receive a plan that is ready for each individual student. Don't let that official descriptor be a boundary. Even if you are at the very start of your career, you have already differentiated on instinct. You know that you have a room full of learners who have a variety of needs and that your instruction cannot simply be one-size-fits-all. Any time you make shifts and changes in response to the learners in front of you, you are providing differentiated instruction.

Every teacher aims to connect with their students. Have you ever considered sharing content in a range of ways (video, read aloud, independent reading, etc.)? Have you provided a choice about the method by which students share their understanding (written, illustration, etc.)? Have you planned strategically when making partnerships or seating arrangements? That is differentiation.

Differentiation is not just about the students in your classroom that have identified learning needs, it's the approach you take for ALL students. It's the foundation of equity in our teaching. Everyone gets the things they need to do their very best learning. Is there any other way to educate?

As you accumulate years in the classrooms and gain experience with a wide variety of types of learners, you develop a repertoire of shifts you can make so that all students find engagement with your content. There are also professional frameworks that can help you know what to consider when differentiating curriculum.

· What are the ways our plan allows all students to have agency?

· What are the ways our plan allows all students to access content?

· What are the ways our plan allows all students to expresstheir understanding?

Remember, we are making plans that fit the needs of ALL students. So, what does this look like in action? Here is an example:
Michelle Shory is a veteran language educator with 26 years of experience in five states. She is currently an ESL teacher and instructional coach at Seneca High School in the Jefferson County public schools in Louisville, Ky. Michelle also works as an adjunct instructor for Eastern Kentucky University and Indiana University Southeast for their ESL endorsement programs:
Differentiation provides students with the agency to learn, access content, and consider how they can best express their understanding. Our flexibility in these areas creates equity. By keeping differentiation as the norm in our planning, we can create a classroom where all students can thrive. Anything that you can do to help meet the needs of your students will help them meet their goals. That's just good teaching.

Universal Design for Learning

A few years ago, my interest in UDL was sparked, significantly enhancing my understanding of student-centered differentiation. While differentiation and UDL both aim to address learner variability, I prefer UDL because of its proactive approach. By implementing UDL, I found that I was better able to plan lessons that offered choices in engagement, representation, and expression, empowering students to become proficient learners with specific goals-and flexible pathways to achieve them.

In terms of engagement, I brainstorm how to captivate student interest and establish the relevance of what they are about to learn. I incorporate various media such as images, videos, articles, or podcasts that provide background knowledge. Recognizing that each student has distinct needs and interests, I encourage them to choose the most intriguing formats and appropriate levels of complexity. One of the strategies I particularly admire, which I learned from Holly Clark, is the implementation of an Explore Board to build background knowledge. To illustrate, I've provided an example I developed specifically for English-learners.

Regarding representation, I thoughtfully assess the materials I utilize. I frequently incorporate images, translations, simplified directions, or audio to enhance accessibility. By planning for learner variability, I ensure that students can access the necessary support they require. This may involve simply providing videos or text-or spending more time modifying the text to make it comprehensible for all learners. The point is to offer the content in a range of formats and levels of complexity. Here is an example demonstrating how I adapt texts for English-learners.

My interest in UDL has changed how I approach every unit and lesson. UDL has enabled me to adopt a proactive approach, planning lessons that empower students to become expert learners with clear goals and flexible pathways. I ensure that students' diverse needs are met by incorporating choices in engagement, representation, and expression. Through strategies like Explore Boards and adapting texts for English-learners, I captivate student interest and provide accessible materials. Additionally, I prioritize student expression, allowing various proficiency levels and formats while focusing on mastery. UDL has genuinely made me a more inclusive educator.
What does "differentiating instruction" mean to you, and what does it actually look like in the classroom? Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 11 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below.
Thanks to Isabel, Andrea, Kara, and Michellefor contributing their thoughts!

Today's post is the first in a series answering this question:

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What Does Successful Differentiated Instruction Look Like in the Classroom? (Opinion)

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Many teachers struggle to adapt lessons, believing they lack resources, planning time, and classroom-management support. They don't need to.

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Differentiating Instruction: It’s Not as Hard as You Think

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Encouraging Cooperation: Card-Tower Activity | Education World

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This cooperative activity challenges students to reach a group goal by sharing ideas and working together.

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Station Rotation: Differentiating Instruction to Reach All Students

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Rotation stations allow students to learn in a range of modalities, while making differentiation manageable for one teacher.

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Example of Stations in a High School Classroom

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Gunter, M. A., Estes, T. H., & Schwab, J. H. (1999). Instruction: A Models Approach, 3rd edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Lyman, F. (1981). "The responsive classroom discussion." In Anderson, A. S. (Ed.), Mainstreaming Digest. College Park, MD: University of Maryland College of Education.

Rasinkski, T., & Padak, N. (1996). Holistic reading strategies: Teaching children who find reading difficult. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

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Think-pair-share is a cooperative learning strategy where students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading.

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Differentiated Instruction Strategies: Tiered Assignments - TeachHUB

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An effective way to differentiate instruction for different student learning levels and styles is through tiering. Learn more about tiered assignments here.

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6 Scaffolding Strategies to Use With Your Students

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Support every student by breaking learning up into chunks and providing a concrete structure for each.

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From 2004 to 2010, a team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently. Students can complete the activities in small groups, pairs, or individually.

Accompanying these Student Center Activities is a Teacher Resource Guide that offers important insights on differentiated instruction and how to use the Student Center materials.

Component

Name of the reading component: Phonological Awareness (PA), Phonics (P), Fluency (F), Vocabulary (V), or Comprehension (C). Each component is color coded: PA is purple, P is orange, F is red, V is green, C is blue.

Subcomponent

Name of the reading subcomponent, which is a subskill of the component.

Activity Name

Activity Number

The letters correspond with the reading component (PA, P, F, V, or C). The numbers are listed in ascending order within each component. The activities are sequenced from simple to more complex within each component and subcomponent.

Student Icon

The suggested number of students for the activity. One student icon indicates that students may work independently or with a small group. Two student icons indicate that the activity requires students to work in pairs. Two student icons with a plus sign indicate that the activity requires two or more students.

Objective

States the goal of the activity, which is aligned with the subcomponent.

Materials

Materials are located on the pages that follow the Activity Plan. Most materials are non-consumable to be prepared and used repeatedly (e.g., word cards can be laminated). Some materials are consumable and will need to be duplicated for each student doing the activity. Other materials, such as counters, are commonly found in most classrooms.

Activity Statement

One sentence explanation of the purpose of the activity and what students do to complete the activity.

Activity Steps

The first step describes how to setup the center. The second step begins with: The student, Students, Working in pairs, or Taking turns depending on the number of students needed to complete the activity. The second step also starts the series of steps to complete the activity. The next steps explain what the student does to complete the activity. The last step lists one of three accountability methods: Self-check, Peer evaluation, or Teacher evaluation.

Example

A visual of the activity and key materials.

Extensions and Adaptations

Suggestions that extend or provide an adaptation for additional practice on the skill addressed in the activity. Materials for the extensions and adaptations are included after the pages that align to the Activity Plan.

Users may use the FCRR Student Center Activities resources as long as modifications are not made, the resources will only be used for non-profit educational purposes, and the copyright belong jointly to the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Center for Reading Research. These resources may not be used for any commercial purposes. These resources on our site may be linked to but not reposted, reproduced, modified, or copied to other sites. For questions about the use of these resources, please contact The Florida Center for Reading Research at fcrr@fcrr.org.

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From 2004 to 2010, a team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently.

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This module discusses the importance of differentiating three aspects of instruction: content, process (instructional methods), and product (assessment). It explores the student traits-readiness level, interest, and learning preferences-that influence learning (est. completion time: 3 hours).

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2022 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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Differentiated Instruction: Maximizing the Learning of All Students

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This module discusses the importance of differentiating three aspects of instruction: content, process (instructional methods), and product (assessment). It explores the student traits-readiness level, interest, and learning preferences-that influence learning (est. completion time: 3 hours). Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.