The concept of differentiated instruction might seem straightforward. Teachers tailor instruction to meet individual needs and ensure all students have access to grade-level content. But actually finding ways to differentiate instruction can feel overwhelming. This is due in part to the enormous range of student needs that teachers are met with. Not only do learning needs differ from one student to the next, needs differ for individual students depending on the topic, task, or even day. Add to this the many ways it’s possible to differentiate instruction, and it can be hard to know where to start.
Like so many aspects of teaching and learning, the task of differentiating instruction can be simplified by breaking it into manageable chunks. This article will examine the following key components:
- The four ways to differentiate instruction
- How to implement differentiated instruction
- How to group students for differentiated instruction
- Ways to differentiate instruction by discipline and student population
What are the four ways to differentiate instruction?
When thinking about how to modify instruction, an important first step is to think about what to modify. There are four primary areas that can be targeted: differentiating by content, process, product, and learning environment.
- Content refers to what information students need to learn and how they access that information, including the materials they use. Content differentiation involves providing varied instructional materials and resources to accommodate students’ readiness levels and interests. Examples include offering reading materials at different levels, providing supplemental resources, and incorporating multimedia resources.
- Process refers to how students learn—the activities students will engage in to master the content. Process differentiation involves adjusting instructional strategies, pacing, and approaches to meet the needs of students. Examples include using cooperative grouping, hands-on activities, technology-enhanced instruction, and choice boards.
- Product refers to how students show what they have learned—the projects or activities students complete to demonstrate their learning. These activities should require creativity and challenge students of all ability levels, what educator Carol Ann Tomlinson refers to as "respectful tasks." Product differentiation involves allowing students to demonstrate their understanding in various ways. Examples include providing choices for written assignments, oral presentations, or projects, as well as using digital portfolios.
- Learning Environment refers to the physical setup of the classroom. Learning environment differentiation involves adjusting the structure of the room to create an inclusive space that best supports a variety of activities and student needs. Examples include arranging furniture to provide varied seating accommodations (with considerations for accessibility, quiet areas, and collaborative learning), flexible seating, and work zones.
How to implement differentiated instruction
There are many ways to adapt instruction to ensure all students can access learning. Choice boards, tiered assignments, personal agendas, and learning stations are some popular methods. Specific decisions will vary based on grade level, content area, and student readiness. Assessing student needs by using ongoing assessment, progress monitoring, and observation will help you determine when differentiation is needed and which strategies will be most impactful. Additionally, preparing a bank of activities that cater to different learning needs will provide you with options to choose from. Check out these 20 differentiated instruction strategies and examples for ideas about how to maximize learning for your students.
When it comes to implementing differentiation strategies in your classroom, planning is key. An effective differentiated lesson plan will outline content, activities, and assessments that are tailored to challenge and support every learner. Sometimes this means planning modifications for English language learners, gifted students, and students with individualized education plans. Sometimes it means planning how instruction will differ for whole-group, small-group, and independent learning. The needs of learners will drive the format, but in all cases, effective implementation of differentiated instruction begins with a strong lesson plan.
How to group students for differentiated instruction
In classrooms made up of students with varied needs, grouping students to better target those needs is a common practice. But not all grouping methods will yield the same results. To be effective, groups should be task-aligned, data-informed, and flexible.
In some cases, content that everyone in the class needs to know is best delivered in a whole-group setting, followed by teacher-led small groups comprised of students with similar needs as indicated by assessment data. In other cases, heterogenous groups might be the best choice so students who have already mastered a skill can guide students who haven’t. Flexible grouping ensures that groups are not static and can change according to task and topic, as well as in response to student growth.
Ways to differentiate instruction by discipline and student population
Many differentiation strategies have a wide range of applications, while others are best suited to specific use cases. To learn more about approaches targeted to different disciplines and student populations, check out the linked articles below.
Reading Instruction
One effective way to differentiate reading instruction is with learning stations set up with different literacy activities for students to rotate through. Each station should use a different method to teach a skill or concept and have clear steps. Read more about learning stations in 5 Strategies for Differentiated Reading Instruction, which also outlines how to use choice boards, task cards, tiered assignments, and varied discussion styles to meet students’ literacy needs.
Math Instruction
When differentiating math instruction, activity cards are a great way to appeal to various learning preferences. With activity cards, you come up with the math problems, tasks, or questions, and students select whether to work on them independently, with a partner, or in a small group. To learn more about activity cards, read 7 Strategies for Differentiated Math Instruction, which also explores how to use math centers, choice boards, math journals, learning contracts, math games, and digital math practice to make mathematics accessible to all students.
Science Instruction
Students with varied learning needs benefit from differentiated instructional materials. Science educators can use text, video, simulations, hands-on activities, and experiments to vary the ways that scientific concepts are delivered. What Is Differentiation in Science? talks about how to use differentiated instructional materials, science learning centers, flexible grouping, think-pair-share, graphic organizers, choice boards, and alternative assessments to support all students with scientific inquiry.
English Language Development
Targeted assignments work well for many multilingual learners. For example, students might benefit more from practicing oral fluency in a small group than in front of the whole class. Differentiated Instruction for ELL Students looks at how targeted assignments, grouping, visual aids, school-wide resources, tailored homework assignments, and building background and making connections can support the specific needs of multilingual learners.
Special Education
Differentiated instruction for special education students is the same as it is for general education students—teachers vary instructional strategies so students can access the curriculum. But when students have documented needs requiring special instruction or accommodations, there are some additional considerations. Differentiated Instruction for Special Education Students discusses how starting small for success, keeping track of outcomes, learning from colleagues, reading the research, and trusting the IEP can help you support students in your class with specific documented needs.
Advanced Learners
“Compacting” the curriculum refers to removing the parts of instruction that advanced learners already know so they can focus on more challenging tasks. To identify which areas to compact, give students tasks to demonstrate mastery. To learn more about this strategy, read 6 Ways to Deliver Differentiated Instruction for Gifted Students, which explores how to provide advanced learners with the opportunities they need to analyze, evaluate, create, and reflect. Some of the strategies outlined are: creating tiered assignments, allowing students to work at their own pace, offering open-ended or self-directed assignments and activities, delivering project-based learning, and pairing gifted students together. Note that these strategies can be effective for all learners.
Technology
Grouping students with similar needs is an important strategy for differentiating instruction. One use of technology in the classroom is to provide grouping recommendations based on assessment data and records of student progress. How to Use Technology to Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom outlines several other ways that technology can support differentiation, such as providing domain maps and learning pathways, identifying students’ zones of proximal development through computer-based formative assessment, and identifying resources targeted to student needs.
Meeting students’ learning needs
With so many ways to differentiate instruction in the classroom, it’s important to always remember the purpose: meeting students’ learning needs and providing access to grade-level content. A strong foundation of differentiation strategies, combined with knowledge of what students need—gathered through assessment, observation, and progress monitoring—will lead to effective choices when determining how to differentiate instruction.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.
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