Category: Differentiated Instruction (Fall 2006)

Sandy Miller-Jacobs reviews the range of recent literature on DI, providing a thorough and insightful analysis for the novice and the experienced alike.

Differentiated instruction (DI) is an approach to teaching and organizing a classroom that respects each learner and provides a variety of learning opportunities, thus enabling all students to meet success. It presents multiple paths for children to access information, make sense of it, and demonstrate their learning. The differentiated classroom provides flexibility in the curriculum and a variety of instructional strategies. Everyone in the classroom is engaged in the same general content while interacting with the subject matter at his or her own level. Teachers guide the process, monitoring students’ progress and offering direct instruction, guidance and support as needed, working with small groups or individual children.

For over twenty years, differentiated instruction has been used in the area of gifted education as a way to ensure that students are challenged in the classroom. It is now being adapted as an approach to teaching the broad spectrum of diverse learners in today’s classrooms and creating effective, inclusive classrooms. In many ways, differentiating instruction is an umbrella concept, incorporating current research on the brain, learning styles, multiple intelligences, constructivism, and authentic assessment into practice in the classroom. The differentiated classroom teacher respects each student as a learner. This involves knowing each student as an individual – his or her interests, strengths, and academic challenges – and using this information as lessons and units are planned. Differentiation takes into account that children learn differently and need a variety of supports. Within a classroom, there are children who begin a unit of study already knowing many things, while others may not know very much about the topic. To be respectful of the students, the teacher considers what children know and determines how their learning can be deepened over the course of the unit, so that activities are neither too easy nor too difficult. In the process, all learners are helped to reach their potential.

According to Tomlinson (1999, 2003), there are four areas in which differentiation can occur: the learning environment, the content of the curriculum, the process whereby children engage in learning activities, and the product or demonstration of what has been learned. Curriculum differentiation is based on the student’s readiness level, interests, and learning profile through the use of a variety of instructional strategies.

Differentiating the Learning Environment

The learning environment refers to both the physical setup of the classroom and the atmosphere permeating the room, including the rules, routines and procedures that support the flow and functioning of the classroom. Overall, the differentiated learning environment supports its members, respects all students equally, and creates appropriate spaces for students to learn alone, in pairs or small groups, and meet as a whole class. As the teacher differentiates the content and process, the learning environment is changed to support the learning activities. For example, centers might be created, materials may be stored in more visible containers, and work in progress could be left for the following day’s work.

Differentiating Content

The content is the substance of the curriculum – the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be learned. The curriculum consists of a series of topics, often revisited with added depth and breadth as students grow and develop as learners. Curriculum on Israel in the younger grades might involve places to visit, developing map skills and knowledge of deserts and sea level. Revisited in the upper grades, students might study water, irrigation and the Dead Sea. Regardless of the content covered, differentiating content consists of examining the essential questions or key concepts and ensuring that all students can access the information. Examples of differentiating content include having materials available at different reading levels, putting some reading materials on tape, creating vocabulary lists, and providing an outline, PowerPoint handout or graphic organizers.

Differentiating content requires the teacher to pre-assess the learners to identify what the students know prior to teaching the unit. A simple KWL chart (What do the students Know? What do they Want to learn? At the end of the unit, what have they Learned?) is one method for such preassessment. Respecting students as learners enables the teacher to tailor the content to match what the students know about the topic with the additional content to be learned. For example, not all students will need direct instruction in reading maps; some will be able to use their already developed map skills to examine the distance between the water and the desert in Israel. In this example, all students are working on map skills but at different levels.

Differentiating Process

The process refers to the learning activities that engage students as they actively work to master the content. In the differentiated classroom, many learning activities occur at the same time, offering a variety of ways for students to learn. Teachers can be most creative when preparing learning activities for their class, knowing there are many way to achieve the unit’s goals. In studying about immigration, for example, students can read books, complete a WebQuest on the computer, check out lists of passengers who entered the United States through Ellis Island, interview people who have immigrated to America, examine art and photos about the immigrant experience, watch video clips related to immigration, and/or use software such as “Decisions, Decisions: Immigration”. Each of these approaches involves choices on the part of the student, guided by the teacher. It is in the process of the lessons, that the student’s readiness for learning, learning style, and interests are at the forefront of the teacher’s guidance.

Process refers to the activities created for students to actively engage and “mess about” with the content as they learn. It is also about the groupings used for these learning activities. Teachers can provide direct instruction for a small group of students who need additional help on specific topics, such as directions to use specific software programs. Flexible grouping is key to a differentiated classroom and is a result of the teacher’s monitoring and assessment of students’ progress. Such

flexible teaching is respectful of the students, so that those who know the software do not have to sit through the lesson and can work independently. Whole class, individual and small group lessons are implemented by the teacher according to the needs s/he observes in the classroom.

While differentiation requires a shift in thinking about how one teaches and organizes the classroom, teachers may find differentiating process the easiest entry point for creating a differentiated classroom. Teachers can be creative when brainstorming various learning activities for their students. Now, instead of choosing just one or two activities, it is possible to simultaneously offer multiple activities and present choices for students. Teachers monitor students’ choices, keeping in mind the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are the goals of the unit and the students' readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles.

Differentiating Product

It is the product that demonstrates the student’s learning. As education moves to emphasizing student outcomes rather than the teacher’s input, it is incumbent on teachers to have students demonstrate their mastery of the content. The move to high stakes testing of students in public schools across the U.S. is only one method of determining what students know about specific subjects. Use of authentic assessment or student portfolios is another approach that encourages students to demonstrate their knowledge and application of the content they studied. For example, students who studied photos about the immigrant experience might create an art exhibit, selecting their favorite pictures of the immigrant experience and writing about each one; other students might write a play or song about what they have learned; a third group might create a timeline or a board game, writing the questions and answers; another group might write a research paper or a summary of interviews completed.

Giving students some choice in the creation of their project is an important paradigm shift. If students have been working on different activities at their own levels, one test will not allow each to demonstrate all they have learned. For older students, creating contracts for grades is a helpful technique that is respectful of students’ decisions.

Students’ Readiness, Interests and Learning Profile

As the teacher observes the students working on the various learning activities provided for the class, s/he can learn many things about the students. It is through observation that the teacher determines whether the books being read are at the appropriate level, whether the work being done matches the student’s learning style, and whether the student needs additional instruction to organize his/her writing. Special educators often approach classrooms through the eyes of each student with learning issues, while classroom teachers often view their classrooms from the perspective of the curriculum to be covered. In the differentiated classroom, these two perspectives merge and it is this merger that enables the classroom to provide successful learning for all children. Here the curriculum is developed by looking at how to differentiate the content, process and product. Once the teacher begins to differentiate the classroom, s/he is able to focus on the children as learners, determining who needs extra support, where difficulties arise, and when intervention is needed to make accommodations for the student’s learning issues. When students are active learners, the teacher is free to concentrate on how each student is learning and progressing. The students' readiness to learn involves their academic reading levels, cognitive abilities, and social skills – all these affect the ability to organize themselves for learning and interacting with others. As students in our classrooms become increasingly diverse and inclusive, teachers need to be cognizant of the capabilities and challenges of each child.

Examining a student's learning style enables teachers to create learning activities targeted to the student's strength. However, it is important that teachers encourage children to expand their skills by engaging in a variety of learning activities. For example, to help develop an individual student's writing skills, a teacher may limit the number of times a student can elect to demonstrate mastery of the content through drawing. The teacher must always balance giving choices to students and guiding them to complete activities and create products that develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Multiple Instructional Strategies

Differentiated classrooms are most effective when they employ a variety of instructional strategies. Varying the complexity or types of questions asked of students is one way to enable each student to respond successfully. For example, some questions demand basic recall while others require synthesizing information. Similarly, tiered assignments involve creating tasks of different complexity, based on the students’ abilities and needs. The teacher uses flexible grouping to offer tasks targeting the students’ readiness to complete the tasks successfully. Compacting the curriculum enables students who can demonstrate their mastery of parts of the curriculum to be exempt from direct instruction and move beyond those sections.

Compacting shows respect for the knowledge students already possess and is especially helpful for gifted students, allowing them to study one aspect of the content in more depth. Students who quickly master the skills and knowledge when taught can move ahead at a more rapid pace, while students who need extra time are given additional direct instruction to support their learning.

Anchoring activities are available for students to do throughout the day. Similar to seatwork, these activities are done independently, but unlike seatwork, anchoring activities are never “busy work.” Anchoring activities can include journal writing, problem solving, or working on a specific project. The activities can be enrichment or review as long as they are respectful of the student’s time and are appropriate for their learning needs. As is true for all learning activities, anchoring activities help students achieve the curriculum goals.

Organizing the Differentiated Classroom

The differentiated classroom is organized around the active learning of the students; students are engaged in the learning process through activities geared to their readiness levels, interests and learning styles. Some teachers use learning centers as a way to organize their classrooms, with task cards targeted to students’ readiness levels, enabling them to meet with success as they learn. Flexible grouping is seen in the differentiated classroom, with groups being changed based on the lesson being taught or reviewed. While students actively work, the teacher observes and guides them. The teacher might meet with the whole class, work with individual or small groups of children, or observe students’ progress and ability to work with others.

Dr. Sandy Miller-Jacobs serves as Director of Special Education Services at the Bureau of Jewish Education for Greater Boston and isProfessor Emerita in Special Education at Fitchburg State College.

References

Bender, W.N. (2002). Differentiating Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: Best Teaching Practices for General and Special Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press and Council for Exceptional Children.

Forsten, C., Grant, J. & Hollas, B. (2002). Differentiated Instruction: Different Strategies for Different Learners. Peterborough, NH: Crystal Springs Books.

Hall, T. (2002). Differentiated Instruction. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum.

Heacox, D. (2001). Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to Reach and Teach All Learners, Grades 3-12. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

Snyder, T. (n.d.) Decisions, Decisions: Immigration. Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions [CD].

Tomlinson, C. (2000). Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest. ED 443572.

Tomlinson, C. (1995a). Differentiating Instruction for Advanced Learners in the Mixedability

Middle School Classroom. ERIC, EC Digest #E536.

Tomlinson, C. (1995b). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of all Learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Tomlinson, C. (2003). Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Willis, S. & Mann. L. (2000). Differentiating Instruction Finding Manageable Ways to Meet Individual Needs. Curriculum Update, Winter ,1-8.