1. The More Ways You Teach, the More Students You Reach!
Lyn Steed
University of West Georgia

2. What is Differentiated Instruction?
is an approach whereby teachers adjust their curriculum and instruction to maximize the learning of all students: average learners, English language learners, struggling students, students with learning disabilities, and gifted and talented students. Differentiated instruction is not a single strategy but rather a framework that teachers can use to implement a variety of strategies, many of which are evidence-based.

3. In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where students are, not the front of a curriculum guide. They accept and build upon the premise that learners differ in important ways. Thus, they also accept and act on the premise that teachers must be ready to engage students in instruction through different learning modalities by appealing to differing interests, and by using varied rates of instruction along with varied degrees of complexity. (Carol Ann Tomlinson)

4. Students’ needs change frequently, teachers should be familiar with two general principles or strategies of differentiated instruction: ongoing assessment and flexible grouping.
On-going assessment means assessing students before, during, and after teaching a unit to gather information critical to providing effective instruction. By frequently assessing students’ knowledge and skills, teachers can use that information to develop and refine instruction to meet the students’ shifting needs.
 Teachers use a variety of grouping methods—whole-group, small-group (usually no more than six students), or peer pairs—in addition to having students work independently.

5. Why Differentiate? All kids are different. One size does not fit all.
Response to student readiness to learn
Learning styles
Multiple Intelligences
Success for all students

6. Teachers Can Differentiate
through a range of instructional and management strategies… Source: The Differentiated Classroom, Tomlinson 1999
Content
Process
Product
According to Students’
Readiness
Interest
Learning
Profile

7. Content
Content: the same concept or skill is taught to each student; however, the curriculum used to teach the concept or skill might be different for different students.
Strategy
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
Tiered Content
Providing a Variety of Materials
Presentation Styles
Scaffolding

8. Presentation Styles
Show It Pictures/ Graphic Smart Board White Board Video Caption
Say It Lecture Discussion Questioning Read Aloud Verbal Description
Model It Demonstrate Think Aloud Act Out Build/ Construct Use Manipulatives

9. Scaffolding Before Reading Activate prior knowledge
Preteach new vocabulary
Making Predictions
KWL chart
Word cards, word webs
Using clues from story
During Reading
Address unfamiliar words
Monitor comprehension
Use mental imagery
Use graphic organizers
Look up word and record definition
Think alouds
Draw picture, role play
Story maps, time line, semantic map
After Reading
Retell or summarize
One minute retell with partner, make a diorama, poster, or collage, make a comic book version

10. Other Examples Recording test materials.
Using different spelling and vocabulary list to meet the readiness of the students.
Using reading materials at different levels of readability.
Using reading buddies
Presenting material through visual and auditory means.
Meet with small groups to reteach or enhance learning.

11. Process
Process:   Activities in which the student engages to make sense of or master the content. Examples of differentiating process activities include scaffolding, flexible grouping, interest centers, manipulatives, varying the length of time for a student to master content, and encouraging an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth.
Strategy
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
Tiered Activities
Learning Centers
Interactive Journals
Graphic Organizers
Jigsaw Activities

12. Examples
Using tiered activities through which all learners work with the same understandings and skills, but proceed with different levels of support, challenge, or complexity;
Providing interest centers that encourage students to explore subsets of the class topic of particular interest to them;
Developing personal agendas (task lists written by the teacher and containing both in-common work for the whole class and work that addresses individual needs of learners) to be completed either during specified time or as students complete other work early;
Offering manipulatives or other hands-on supports for students who need them; and
Varying the length of time a student may take to complete a task in order to provide additional support for a struggling learner or to encourage an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth.

13. Products
Products: The culminating projects that ask students to apply and extend what they have learned. Products should provide students with different ways to demonstrate their knowledge as well as various levels of difficulty, group or individual work, and various means of scoring.
Strategy
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
Tiered Products
Tic Tac Toe
Learning Menus
RAFT

14. Examples
Giving students choices of how to express the required learning standards.
Provide activities where students can work alone or in small groups on their products.
Use rubrics that match and extend the various skill levels.
Allow students to create their own product assignments as long as it has the required standards.

15. Learning Environment
Learning Environment: The way the classroom works and feels. The differentiated classroom should include areas in which students can work quietly as well as collaborate with others, materials that reflect diverse cultures, and routines that allow students to get help when the teacher isn’t available (Tomlinson, 1995, 1999; Winebrenner, 1992, 1996

16. Examples
Making sure there are places in the room to work quietly and without distraction, as well as places that invite student collaboration;
Providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures and home settings;
Setting out clear guidelines for independent work that matches individual needs;
Developing routines that allow students to get help when teachers are busy with other students.
Helping students understand that some learners need to move around to learn, while others do better sitting quietly

17. Key Guidelines Start with your instructional goals and outcomes…
What do you want the students to learn?
How is it related to the standards?
Different strategies are chosen based on
Focus of the instruction
(content, process, or product)
Focus of the differentiating
(readiness, interest, and learning styles)

18. Assessment in the Differentiated Classroom
Though students will work on different activities and demonstrate their knowledge through a variety of products, teachers can accurately evaluate student performance using one of several recommended methods.
Rubrics: A rubric is an objective set of guidelines that defines the criteria used to score or grade an assignment.  
Portfolios: A portfolio is a collection of artifacts, or individual work samples, that represent a student’s performance over a period of time.
Self-assessment: Student self-assessment is the process of students using specific criteria to evaluate and reflect on their own work.

19. Tiered Lesson Kindergarten Level
Lesson Examples
Tiered Lesson Kindergarten Level
Classify by Patterns
Students go on a nature walk and collect items to bring back to the classroom, especially leaves. Sort items by categories. Take the leaves and complete task.
Red Group: Classify leaves by color. Glue leaves on their paper (premade grid)
Blue Group: Classify leaves by shape and color. Glue leaves on their paper using the sample as a pattern.
Green Group: Find 2 ways each leaf could be classified other than color. Students decide how to show categories and content

20. Math Ticket Review Problems: Complete even numbered problems
Word Problems:
Create two word problems from the information learned in the unit.
Challenge Problems:
Solve three of the five challenge problems
Math Writing:
Explain in a clear step-by step directions how to solve the problems on the board.
Computer Task Cards:
Complete two activities from the blue folder and two from the yellow folder
Center Activity:
Choose one of the games to play with a partner.

21. Book Report Tic -Tac -Toe
Interview of the main characters in the book. Write questions and answers.
Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the beginning of the story to the end of the story.
Make a poster that shows the order of events in the story.
Write a song/ poem about one of the characters.
Draw a picture of the main character.
Dress up as a character and act out a characterization.
Create a comic book about one of the events in the story
Make a mobile about the book
Build a miniature stage setting of the book.

23. Carol Ann Tomlinson’s Wrap Up