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What Is Differentiated Instruction?

by Christina Yu, Knewton.com

Differentiated instruction, the tailoring of educational

experiences to meet individual learner needs, is nothing new.
Hardworking teachers have always recognized the diverse
needs of students and adjusted their instruction to account
for them. Through one-on-one coaching sessions, small group
activities, individualized course packets, reading assignments,
and projects, teachers are addressing a range of student
 levels, interests, strengths, weaknesses, and goals in their
classrooms today.

Differentiated instruction is difficult and time-consuming

work, however, and class sizes are increasing all the time,
making individualized learning harder to achieve. New
adaptive learning technology can assist teachers and
augment their efforts by recommending which concepts to
focus on with a learner or an entire class and by providing
instructors and students themselves with information about
their concept level strengths and weaknesses. These
advancements allow teachers to make the most of class time,
leaving students neither overwhelmed nor bored.

5 Examples Of Differentiated Instruction

1. Varying sets of reading comprehension questions to

answer for a given book (either chosen by the teacher or
student).

2. A personalized course packet with individualized

remediation or enrichment materials.

3. An adaptive assessment that gets easier or harder

depending on how a student is performing.

4. One-on-one coaching with a student, designed around

his/her specific challenges.
5. Students grouped into small groups, which are designed
around their strengths and weaknesses so that they can
tutor each other.

5 Non-Examples Of Differentiated Instruction

1. Assigning ‘advanced’ students to teach ‘struggling’

students.

2. Giving ‘advanced’ students no homework.

3. Grouping students into different classes based on their

ability.

4. Letting advanced students out of class early or giving

them more free play time.

5. Simply allowing students to choose their own books to

read off of a list.

As students with diverse learning styles fill the classroom, many

teachers don’t always have the time to plan lessons that use
differentiated instruction (DI) to suit their distinct aptitudes.

This can involve adjusting:

 Content — The media and methods teachers use to impart

and instruct skills, ideas and information

 Processes — The exercises and practices students perform to

better understand content

 Products — The materials, such as tests and projects, students

complete to demonstrate understanding
To help create lessons that engage and resonate with a diverse
classroom, below are 20 differentiated instruction strategies and
examples. Available in a condensed and printable list for your desk,
you can use 16 in most classes and the last four for math lessons.

Try the ones that best apply to you, depending on factors such as
student age.

1. Create Learning Stations

Provide different types of content by setting up learning stations —
divided sections of your classroom through which groups of students
rotate.

Each station should use a unique method of teaching a skill or

concept related to your lesson.

For example, students can rotate between stations that involve:

 Watching a video
 Creating artwork
 Reading an article
 Completing puzzles
 Listening to you teach

To help students process the content after they’ve been through the
stations, you can hold a class discussion or assign questions to answer.

2. Use Task Cards

Like learning stations, task cards allow you to give students a range
of content. Answering task cards can also be a small-group activity,
adding variety to classes that normally focus on solo or large-group
learning.
First, make or identify tasks and questions that you’d typically find
on worksheets or in textbooks.

Second, print and laminate cards that each contain a single task or
question. Or, use Teachers Pay Teachers to buy pre-made cards.

Finally, set up stations around your classroom and pair students

together to rotate through them.

You can individualize instruction by monitoring the pairs, addressing

knowledge gaps when needed.

3. Interview Students
Asking questions about learning and studying styles can help you
pinpoint the kinds of content that will meet your class’s needs.

While running learning stations or a large-group activity, pull each

student aside for a few minutes. Ask about:

 Their favourite types of lessons

 Their favourite in-class activities
 Which projects they’re most proud of
 Which kinds of exercises help them remember key lesson points

Track your results to identify themes and students with uncommon

preferences, helping you determine which methods of instruction suit
their abilities.

4. Target Different Senses Within Lessons

A lesson should resonate with more students if it targets visual,
tactile, auditory and kinesthetic senses, instead of only one.

When applicable, appeal to a range of learning styles by:

 Playing videos
 Using infographics
 Providing audiobooks
 Getting students to act out a scene
 Incorporating charts and illustrations within texts
 Giving both spoken and written directions to tasks
 Using relevant physical objects, such as money when teaching
math skills
 Allotting time for students to create artistic reflections and
interpretations of lessons

Not only will these tactics help more students grasp the core
concepts of lessons, but make class more engaging.
5. Share Your Own Strengths and Weaknesses
To familiarize students with the idea of differentiated learning, you
may find it beneficial to explain that not everyone builds skills and
processes information the same way.

Talking about your own strengths and weaknesses is one way of

doing this.

Explain — on a personal level — how you study and review lessons.

Share tactics that do and don’t work for you, encouraging students
to try them.

Not only should this help them understand that people naturally
learn differently, but give them insight into improving how they
process information.

6. Use the Think-Pair-Share Strategy

The think-pair-share strategy exposes students to three
lesson-processing experiences within one activity. It’s also easy to
monitor and support students as they complete each step.

As the strategy’s name implies, start by asking students to

individually think about a given topic or answer a specific question.

Next, pair students together to discuss their results and findings.

Finally, have each pair share their ideas with the rest of the class,
and open the floor for further discussion.

Because the differentiated instruction strategy allows students to

process your lesson content individually, in a small group and in a
large group, it caters to your classroom’s range of learning and
personality types.
7. Make Time for Journaling

A journal can be a tool for students to reflect on the lessons you’ve

taught and activities you’ve run, helping them process new
information.

When possible at the end of class, give students a chance to make a

journal entry by:

 Summarizing key points they’ve learned

 Attempting to answer or make sense of lingering questions
 Explaining how they can use the lessons in real-life scenarios
 Illustrating new concepts, which can be especially helpful
for data-focused math lessons

As they continue to make entries, they should figure out which ones
effectively allow them to process fresh content.
8. Implement Reflection and Goal-Setting
Exercises
An extension of journaling, have students reflect on important
lessons and set goals for further learning at pre-determined points
of the year.

During these points, ask students to write about their favourite

topics, as well as the most interesting concepts and information
they’ve learned.

They should also identify skills to improve and topics to explore.

Based on the results, you can target lessons to help meet these goals.
For example, if the bulk of students discuss a certain aspect of the
science curriculum, you can design more activities around it.

9. Run Literature Circles

Organizing students into literature circles not only encourages
students to shape and inform each other’s understanding of readings,
but helps auditory and participatory learners retain more
information.

This also gives you an opportunity to listen to each circle’s discussion,

asking questions and filling in gaps in understanding.

As a bonus, some students may develop leadership skills by running

the discussion.

This activity makes written content — which, at times, may only be

accessible to individual learners with strong reading retention —
easier to process for more students.

10. Offer Different Types of Free Study Time

Free study time will generally benefit students who prefer to learn
individually, but can be slightly altered to also help their classmates
process your lessons.

This can be done by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned solo

and team activities.

Consider the following free study exercises to also meet the

preferences of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners:

 Provide audiobooks, which play material relevant to your

lessons

 Create a station for challenging group games that teach skills

involved in the curriculum

 Maintain a designated quiet space for students to take notes

and complete work
  Allow students to work in groups while taking notes and
completing work, away from the quiet space

By running these sorts of activities, free study time will begin to

benefit diverse learners — not just students who easily process
information through quiet, individual work.

11. Group Students with Similar Learning

Styles
Heterogenous grouping is a common practice, but grouping students
based on similar learning style can encourage collaboration through
common work and thinking practices.

This is not to be confused with grouping students based on similar

level of ability or understanding.

In some cases, doing so conflicts with the “Teach Up” principle,

which is discussed below.

Rather, this tactic allows like-minded students to support each

other’s learning while giving you to time to spend with each group.
You can then offer the optimal kind of instruction to suit each
group’s common needs and preferences.

12. Give Different Sets of Reading

Comprehension Activities
Instead of focusing on written products, consider evaluating reading
comprehension through questions and activities that test different
aptitudes.

Although written answers may still appeal to many students, others

may thrive and best challenge themselves during artistic or
kinesthetic tasks.

For example, allow students to choose between some of the following

activities before, during and after an important reading:

 Participating in more literature circles

 Delivering a presentation
 Writing a traditional report
 Creating visual art to illustrate key events
 Creating and performing a monologue as a main character or
figure
Offering structured options can help students demonstrate their
understanding of content as effectively as possible, giving you more
insight into their abilities.

13. Assign Open-Ended Projects

Similar to evaluating reading comprehension, give students a list of
projects to find one that lets them effectively demonstrate their
knowledge.

Include a clear rubric for each type of project, which clearly defines
expectations. Doing so will keep it challenging and help students meet
specific criteria.

By both enticing and challenging students, this approach encourages

them to:

 Work and learn at their own paces

 Engage actively with content they must understand
 Demonstrate their knowledge as effectively as possible

As well as benefiting students, this differentiated instruction strategy

will clearly showcase distinct work and learning styles.

14. Encourage Students to Propose Ideas for

Their Projects
As well as offering set options, encourage students to take their
projects from concept to completion by pitching you ideas.

A student must show how the product will meet academic standards,
and be open to your revisions. If the pitch doesn’t meet your
standards, tell the student to refine the idea until it does. If it doesn’t
by a predetermined date, assign one of your set options.
You may be pleasantly surprised by some pitches.

After all, students themselves are the focus of differentiated

instruction — they likely have somewhat of a grasp on their learning
styles and abilities.

15. Analyze Your Differentiated Instruction

Strategy on a Regular Basis

Even if you’re confident in your overall approach, Carol Ann

Tomlinson — one of the most reputable topic thought-leaders —
recommends analyzing your differentiated instruction strategies:

Frequently reflect on the match between your

classroom and the philosophy of teaching and
learning you want to practice. Look for matches and
mismatches, and use both to guide you.
Analyze your strategy by reflecting on:
  Content — Are you using diverse materials and teaching
methods in class?

 Processes — Are you providing solo, small-group and

large-group activities that best allow different learners to
absorb your content?

 Products — Are you letting and helping students demonstrate

their understanding of content in a variety of ways on tests,
projects and assignments?

In doing so, you’ll refine your approach to appropriately

accommodate the multiple intelligences of students.

16. “Teach Up”

Teaching at a level that’s too easily accessible to each student
can harm your differentiated instruction efforts, according to
Tomlinson.

Instead, she recommends “teaching up.” This eliminates the pitfall

being stuck on low-level ideas, seldom reaching advanced concepts:

We do much better if we start with what we

consider to be high-end curriculum and expectations
— and then differentiate to provide scaffolding, to
lift the kids up.

The usual tendency is to start with what we perceive

to be grade-level material and then dumb it down
for some and raise it up for others. But we don’t
usually raise it up very much from that starting
 point, and dumbing down just sets lower
expectations for some kids.
Keeping this concept in mind should focus your differentiated
teaching strategy, helping you bring each student up to “high-end
curriculum and expectations.”

Differentiated Math Instruction Strategies

and Examples

17. Use Math EdTech that Adjusts Itself to

Each Student
Some EdTech tools — such as certain educational math video
games — can deliver differentiated content, while providing unique
ways to process it.
For example, Prodigy adjusts questions to tackle student trouble
spots and offers math problems that use words, charts and pictures,
as well as numbers.

To the benefit of teachers, the game is free and aligned with CCSS,
TEKS, MAFS and Ontario curricula for grades 1 to 8. You can adjust
the focus of questions to supplement lessons and homework, running
reports to examine each student’s progress.

Create and sign into your free teacher account here:

18. Relate Math to Personal Interests and

Everyday Examples
Clearly linking math to personal interests and real-world examples
can help some learners understand key concepts.

Working with 41 grade 7 students throughout an academic year,

a 2015 study published by the Canadian Center of Science and
Education used contextual learning strategies to teach integers
and increase test scores by more than 44%.

Striving for similar benefits may be ambitious, but you can start by
surveying students. Ask about their interests and how they use math
outside of school.

Using your findings, you should find that contextualization helps

some students grasp new or unfamiliar math concepts.
19. Play a Math-Focused Version of
Tic-Tac-Toe

Help students practice different math skills by playing a game that’s

a take on tic-tac-toe.

Prepare by dividing a sheet into squares — three vertical by three

horizontal. Don’t leave them blank. Instead, fill the boxes with
questions that test different abilities.

For example:

 “Complete question X in page Y of your textbook”

 “Draw a picture to show how to add fraction X and fraction
Y”
 “Describe a real-life situation in which you would use
cross-multiplication, providing an example and solution”
You can hand out sheets to students for solo practice, or divide them
into pairs and encourage friendly competition. The first one to link
three Xs or Os — by correctly completing questions — wins.

So, depending on your preferences, this game will challenge diverse

learners through either individual or small-group practice.

20. Create Learning Stations, without

Mandatory Rotations

Provide differentiated math learning opportunities for your students

by setting up unique learning stations across your classrooms, but
forgoing mandatory rotations.

The idea comes from a grade 9 teacher in Ontario, who

recommends creating three stations to solve similar mathematical
problems using either:
  Data — Provide spreadsheets, requiring students to
manipulate data through trial and error

 People — Group students into pairs or triads to tackle a range

of problems together, supporting each other’s learning

 Things — Offer a hands-on option by giving each student

objects to use when solving questions

Only allow students to switch stations if they feel the need. If they do,
consult them about their decision. In each case, you and the student
will likely learn more about his or her learning style.

Supplemented by your circulation between stations to address gaps

in prior knowledge, this activity exposes students to exercises that
appeal to diverse abilities.

Downloadable List of Differentiated

Instruction Strategies and Examples
Click here to download and print a simplified list of the 20
differentiated instruction strategies and examples to keep at your
desk.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

Infographic
Here’s an infographic with 16 ideas from this article, provided
by Educational Technology and Mobile Learning — an online
resource for teaching tools and ideas:
Click to expand.
Wrapping Up
With help from the downloadable list, use these differentiated
instruction strategies and examples to suit the diverse needs and
learning styles of your students.

As well as adding variety to your content, these methods will help

students process your lessons and demonstrate their understanding
of them.

The strategies should prove to be increasingly useful as you identify

the distinct learning styles and aptitudes within your classroom.

>>Create or log into your teacher account on Prodigy — a free

game-based learning platform that delivers differentiated
instruction, automatically adjusting questions
to accommodate player trouble spots and learning speeds. Aligned
with curricula across the English-speaking world, it’s loved by more
than 500,000 teachers and 16 million students.