How does differentiation work in the classroom

By setting up multiple activities, teachers provide students with the opportunity to work on the same concepts and ideas, but at different levels of proficiency. Students can therefore work within their zone of proximal development and, with the support and feedback of the teacher, gradually progress to the more challenging tasks. Multiple tasks can also be used to provide opportunities for multiple exposure, group work, targeted feedback and extension. Feedback plays a crucial role in differentiation.

Timely and actionable feedback enables students to identify the next steps required to progress in their learning.

In conjunction with clear learning intentions and success criteria, group and individualised feedback can promote self-regulation. In a Flipped Classroom the direct instruction phase of the learning happens online and often at home instead of homework. Students can access the instructional content usually in the form of videos prepared by their teachers at any time.

This model provides great opportunities for differentiation as it frees up time in the classroom allowing the teacher to spend more time working with students e.

Students can also learn to self-regulate and forge ahead or use the recorded materials to revise content that needs revision or clarification. Effective teachers use evidence of student learning readiness, learning progress, and knowledge of individual student learning profiles, to make adjustments for individuals so that all students experience challenge, success and improved learning. Our website uses a free tool to translate into other languages.

This tool is a guide and may not be accurate. For more, see: Information in your language. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. 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.

Differentiated instruction can play out differently from one classroom to the next — and from one school to the next.

But there are a few key features:. Small work groups: The students in each group rotate in and out. This gives them a chance to participate in many different groups. A group can include a pair of students or a larger group. Educators, learn more about how to use flexible grouping with small groups.

A teacher uses differentiated instruction to give every student multiple paths to learning. Instead, the teacher personalizes teaching to help kids meet those goals. Learn more about setting annual IEP goals.

Differentiated instruction is not the same as individualized instruction. That type of teaching changes the pace of how students learn. Knowing the research will enable you to select materials to read for building your own background knowledge and expanding your understanding of differentiation.

Here are some seminal books on differentiation. Continually ask, How can this information support change in my teaching practices? This question will start your differentiation journey. Create a List. List Name Save. Rename this List. Rename this list. List Name Delete from selected List. Save to. Save to:. Save Create a List. Create a list. Save Back. What Is Differentiated Instruction?

Grades 3—5 , 6—8 , 9— Recognition of diverse learners: The students we teach have diverse levels of expertise and experience with reading, writing, thinking, problem solving, and speaking. Group Work: Students collaborate in pairs and small groups whose membership changes as needed. Learning in groups enables students to engage in meaningful discussions and to observe and learn from one another. This encourages all students to explore big ideas and expand their understanding of key concepts.

Choice: Teachers offer students choice in their reading and writing experiences and in the tasks and projects they complete. Make your read alouds a common teaching text. In addition to being just for fun, read-aloud materials will become your common text, setting the stage for differentiation. You can also use them to introduce issues and invite students to respond to these issues in their journals.

Making your read-aloud your teaching text will ensure that every student has access to the information and skills they need to become a better reader. Teach with diverse materials.

Avoid using one text for the entire class. Instead, use multiple texts at diverse reading levels for your units of study. This will enable every student to gather information from books and magazines they can truly read Robb, ; Worthy et al. Organize for instruction so you meet all reading levels.

Set aside 15 to 30 minutes of class time, at least three times a week, for students to read books at their comfort levels — and these levels carry from student to student.