1. C HAPTER 7: P REPARING S TUDENTS AND P ARENTS FOR A D IFFERENTIATED C LASSROOM Shira LeVine ED 602 Target audience: parents of high-school students

2. W HAT IS D IFFERENTIATED I NSTRUCTION ? Differentiated Instruction, or DI, is a means by which teachers can address the unique needs and talents of all students in the classroom. DI recognizes that each student develops at a different pace and that learning needs to address each student’s abilities. DI enables students to feel safe in their learning environment. Students know they are valuable, important contributors to the classroom environment. DI classroom embrace the diversity of talents, skills and knowledge, spurring each student to reach his or her goals and develop his or her abilities.

3. G RAPH Y OURSELF

4. G OALS OF DI Everyone grows in all areas Lessons are tailored to students’ needs and skills Teacher objectives for students are individualized and evolutionary, changing as the year progresses and the students expand their knowledge and talents Parental involvement and communication between parents and teacher Each student becomes an independent learner

5. F OR A DVANCED L EARNERS DI allows students to invest in their talents and abilities Struggle is part and parcel of the learning process Hard work breeds success Risks are acceptable and valid Mistakes and failure are excellent learning tools “So, why is my child’s work harder than his/her friend’s work?” Each student should stretch slightly beyond his/her comfort level The work is adjusted to challenge each child at his/her level of comfort, skills, knowledge and abilities

6. S UCCESSFUL S TUDENTS DI does encourage moving beyond one’s comfort zone and current abilities Struggle is good—it leads to greater development! However, pushing students too hard is not an objective of the system and is in fact counterproductive The goal of learning is true understanding and self-confidence in academic enterprises Not self-doubt, undue frustration or confusion

7. C OMMUNICATION DI relies on teacher-parent communication and interaction The more we connect with you, the more the overall picture of your child emerges And the more we can tailor our teaching to meet your child’s needs Together, we can help him or her find his/her wings and soar