What is Differentiated Instruction?
The differentiated instruction definition is simply put as teachers tailoring instruction to meet a learner’s needs. With a variety of needs filling our classrooms, it is important to use a variety of instructional techniques. An easy way to describe this is by saying it how it was always taught to me: “There is no one size fits all approach for instruction.”
According to Carol Ann Tomlinson, you can differentiate four classroom elements according to the student’s readiness, interest, and learning profiles. These elements are:
- Content
- Process
- Products
- Learning environment
Content refers to what the student needs to learn and how that information will be accessed. Process is the activities that the students engage in to learn and eventually master the content. Products are the projects that students use to apply and extend learning that took place within the unit of study. The learning environment is the way that the classroom works and feels.
Examples of Differentiated Instruction
Here is a differentiation instruction strategies list full of numerous examples:
Content
Learning Stations
Students are placed in groups and rotate around the room to different instruction stations. In my math classrooms, I like to use a teacher station to remediate or challenge learners working on the daily lesson or specific skill, a technology rotation where a program such as Map Skills Accelerator or Moby Max is used consistently, and a hands-on station where students use manipulatives or math games to extend learning.
Flexible Small Groups
This is a similar way to differentiating instruction through content where you can re-teach skills to struggling learners or extend the thinking and challenge the advanced learners. Keeping the groups flexible allows you to group in various ways such as by learning style, ability, and in ways to create social-emotional support.
Learning Styles
There are a variety of learning styles that fill your classroom walls, and it is important to meet the needs of the visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learners that make up your class. For example, get your kinesthetic learners moving by having students act of the scene/chapter of a story. Using manipulatives to help develop a deeper conceptual understanding of math skills is also a great way to target different learners.
For example, having second-grade students practice counting money with real coins (or even the fake ones from math kits) is a great way to increase understanding of money in a tactile manner. Presenting written and verbal directions meets the needs of your auditory and visual learners.
There are many other ways to incorporate content differentiation in your classroom such as using leveled readers, leveled spelling lists, and using leveled math worksheets. Self-directed learning can also be utilized in having the student’s set personal goals and have them monitor their progress in achieving them.
Process
Time Modifications
Time modifications can be used to support the struggling learner and encourage the advanced learner. You do not want any of your students to reach levels of frustration; this is an easy way to avoid that. For example, you can give struggling learners extended time to complete a project, and for advanced learners, you can add an extension activity to be completed in the same time frame.
Scaffolding/Tiered Instruction
Scaffolding/tiered instruction has your learners work on the same skill and content with different levels of support and complexity. Struggling learners may work through the process of solving a multi-digit multiplication problem multiple times until the students gain confidence.
You might use a variety of different strategies to solve the problems such as the traditional algorithm, area models, and partial products until you find the way the student best understands. For your higher-level learners, you may challenge them with more word problems and open-ended questions to best meet their needs.
Task Lists
Task lists can be utilized to meet the needs of individual learners. I am a big fan of using task lists in my classroom. This would include “must do” activities which are tasks that need to be completed and “may do” activities such as working on a long-term assignment (project), extension activities, or math games on the computer.
You can simply write the list on the whiteboard and identify the tasks to be completed and then what can be worked on after those tasks are complete. Another option for Google Classroom is to have a Google Slide with the same information if you have learners at home.
Product
Rubrics
These are a must! Students must understand how they are being scored on a project, writing piece, or assignment before they begin. Creating multiple rubrics for the learners in your room can be a great way to differentiate instruction. You can challenge your advanced learners and make appropriate modifications for struggling students or those with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Choices
Provide students with a choice on how to complete a project. For example, I always loved the “Wanted” project that was assigned to students. This was a project that students had to make a number (in the billions) wanted for a math crime.
They needed to include all the elements that the rubric required but were able to choose how to complete the project. I received Google Slidehows, Scratch game shows, posters, three-dimensional models, YouTube videos, skits, and more. Watching the students embrace their creativity made this one of the most fun projects to watch being presented!
Learning Environment
Learning environment is essential. Some students prefer working in a quiet setting while others embrace a bit of noise. It is important to have multiple places in your classroom (or right outside the door) that promote quiet, independent work and a place to collaborate. Routines are important within the classroom to keep it running smoothly and effectively.
Students need to understand steps to take if they need the teachers help, but the teacher is not available at that exact moment. When students interrupt me while working with another student, it disrupts the learning process for the student-at-work, and I lose my train of thought. It sets us back to square one and can be frustrating for all involved.
Differentiated instruction in the classroom is one of the keys to success. As Albert Einsten once said, “If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it is stupid.” We must meet the needs of our learners to ensure confidence, success, and learning by all.
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