The Basics of K-8 Differentiated Instruction
How to Vary Classroom Instruction to Meet the Needs of All Learners
Aug 14, 2009
While teachers must teach to a mandated set of instructional standards, they cannot rely on one set of instructional methods to reach all students. In order to help all students reach their full learning potential, instruction must be differentiated to suit individual strengths and needs, requiring teachers to understand what differentiation is, how assessment data is used to inform instruction, and how instructional modifications should be made.
Characteristics of Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated instruction is not the ability grouping of years ago. Rather it is an acknowledgment of the common needs of students, and at the same time, a recognition of the differences in ability, interest, and potential for growth in a particular subject area or skill. Differentiated instruction considers students as individuals, and provides the teacher with a mechanism for meeting their individual needs and challenging each to reach their full potential.
Similar to the RtI (Response to Intervention) initiative, differentiated instruction begins with a common set of instructional goals and expectations, and a general plan for teaching them. Ongoing assessment allows teachers to determine which students are in need of additional or different types of teaching, and which would benefit from accelerated or enriched instruction. Flexible grouping allows teachers to use cooperative learning or other methods that encourage peers to learn from each other.
Ongoing Assessment to Inform Instruction
Assessment is a key component of differentiated instruction because while a teacher may intuitively know which students need additional instruction, or which are ready for enrichment, without assessment data to confirm it, many students could be overlooked or erroneous assumptions made. Ongoing collection of assessment data allows teachers to make instructional decisions on a daily basis, flexibly mixing students as needed to achieve instructional goals.
Assessment should be formal and informal, integrating results from standardized (such as state achievement) and criterion-referenced (such as end-of-the-chapter) tests; anecdotal records; student work artifacts; and teacher observation. Students who demonstrate a need for additional or a different type of instruction should receive it, some in the form of a mini-lesson, others in a more ongoing fashion. Students with a potential for acceleration or enrichment should receive that opportunity in an appropriate format as well.
Planning for Instructional Modifications
Instruction may be differentiated according to content, process, or product. For example, content may be varied by using multiple sources of information on a topic or theme, designing a cooperative learning activity for group research into a topic, or varying the amount of time spent. Process may be differentiated through tiered reading or study assignments, independent research, and instructional methods geared to different multiple intelligences.
Teachers may differentiate student output or products through similar methods. Tiered assignments, independent study opportunities, and opportunities for students to express what they’ve learned in ways that reflect different multiple intelligences or that they themselves design, all are viable forms of differentiation. Flexibility is key, and students should work to their potential alongside a variety of classmates, utilizing a variety of learning methods, and demonstrating their learning in a variety of ways.
Differentiated instruction is a recommended, systematic approach to making sure that all students achieve to their full potential. Teachers can utilize ongoing assessment data to plan for instruction, and may vary their teaching methods, grouping, and daily assignments to meet the need for remediation and challenge in their students.
Further Reading
Tomlinson, Carol. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 1999.
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