As educators a big piece of what we do daily is differentiate instruction. We do this to meet the needs of all learners in our care. Differentiated instruction is proactive in the sense that teachers know that not every student in their classroom is going to be able to learn the same exact way. Teachers should be proactively planning lessons that provide a variety of ways to express learning. Differentiated instruction is more qualitative than quantitative. Many teachers incorrectly assume that differentiating instruction means giving some students more work to do, and others less. What it can appropriately look like, is students completing two different types of assignments that show understanding of the same learning target. 

Think back to the last time you bought a pair of jeans. You probably had a multitude of choices-  slim, relaxed, or classic fit; petite, regular, or tall; stretch fabric or plain denim—the options were likely endless. Somewhere in all those options for jeans, you found the ones that were right for you. Maybe not perfect, but something that suited you better than any of the other options. 

Buying jeans wasn’t always like that. A few decades ago, there were just a few styles, in different sizes. For those with a particular body type, that was just fine. But it meant many others were left with ill-fitting, uncomfortable choices, and they just had to make do. Manufacturers and stores eventually realized they needed to differentiate their styles to meet all their customers’ needs. Think of differentiation, just like that! Let’s make sure that all of our learners have great fitting denim! 

Differentiated instruction creates multiple approaches to content, process, product, and learning environment. 

Content- input; what students learn. For example, have students read an article, watch a video, and/or listen to a lecture on a topic.    

● Use leveled reading materials to help students explore the same content. 

● Tailor assignments as needed, i.e., have slower workers do fewer practice problems as long as they can show mastery, while advanced students can do extra or more challenging exercises. 

Process- how students go about making sense of ideas and information. There are so many ways to mix up the teaching and learning process. Accommodate different learning styles with various activities, and scaffold learning by breaking it into more manageable chunks. For example-create learning centers that give kids self-paced practice time in hands-on ways. 

● Incorporate active learning with manipulatives, movement, and games.

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

Product- output, or how students demonstrate what they have learned. It’s no secret that some kids are terrible test-takers, or that speaking in front of the class is torture for others. You can work to improve those skills, of course, but in the meantime it’s important not to punish students because they need different ways to show their mastery of a topic. For example, unless you’re specifically teaching public speaking skills, don’t force every student to do an oral book report. 

● Incorporate active learning with manipulatives, movement, and games.

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

● Doing a research project? Allow students to choose how they’ll present their findings: write a paper, give a presentation, create a video, etc. 

● Use a variety of question types in written tests, and help students learn good test-taking skills. 

● Provide “must do” and “may do” assignments. 

Learning Environment- Stroll the halls of a typical school and you’ll notice that every classroom looks and sounds different. Some have desks in rows, while in other classrooms desks are pushed together or students sit in groups around tables. One is completely silent, while another bustles with discussion. Some students adapt well to these changes, but others do better in specific environments. Try to accommodate as many as you can in your space. 

● Try out flexible seating—let students sit where and how they feel comfortable and ready to learn. 

● Let some students wear headphones and listen to music while they work, while keeping the classroom quiet for others. 

● Create calm down corners, collaborative spaces, sensory spaces, learning centers, and more. 

By differentiating these elements, teachers offer different approaches to what students learn, how they learn it, and how they demonstrate what they’ve learned. What the different approaches have in common is that they are crafted to encourage all students’ growth with established learning goals and to advance the learning of both the class as a whole and individual learners. Differentiated instruction is student centered. When students are presented with material that is on their level, they are more likely to take risks in their learning and internalize information. Teachers who differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms seek to provide appropriately challenging learning experiences for all their students. These teachers realize that sometimes a task that lacks challenge for some learners is frustratingly complex to others. Differentiated instruction IS a blend of whole-class, group, and individual instruction. There are times in all classrooms when whole-class instruction is an effective and efficient choice. It’s useful for establishing common understandings, for example, and provides the opportunity for shared discussion and review that can build a sense of community. 

Now that you know what differentiation looks like, how can you make sure that this is happening in your classroom? How can you push all learners in your class to take risks and ownership of their own learning? How can all students display what they know and what they do not understand yet? If you are feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, here are 25 ideas to get you started. 

1. Curriculum mapping 

2. Inquiry- based learning 

3. Project- based learning 

4. Sentence and discussion stems 

5. Tiered learning targets 

6. Learning through play 

7. Meaningful student voice and choice 

8. Relationship building and team building 

9. Self-directed learning 

10.Choice boards 

11. Blooms 

12.Debate- 4 Corners/ agree/disagree 

13.Mock trial 

14.Goal setting and learning contracts 

15.Game based learning 

16.RAFT assignments 

17.Groupings 

18.Learning blends 

19. Write aloud

20. Rubrics 

21.Learning Menus 

22.Jigsaws 

23.Graphic Organizers

24.Learning feedback 

25.Mentoring 

So, what does this mean for teachers? Are you expected to create an individualized lesson plan for every student in your classroom? Fortunately, that’s not necessary. What you do need to do is ensure your lesson plans include a variety of activities, and provide options when students need them. I urge all teachers to dig deep into their toolbox of skills to put differentiation to work every single day in their classroom. I encourage you to take data on the learning targets that your students master because they are met with an attainable goal. 

When we put the time into planning lessons that meet our student’s needs and interests, the commitment that we have to each one of our students will shine through. 

If you would like more information about how we can help support differentiation practices in your school or district, go to our website www.cmdi.us to set up a free discovery call.