Whether teaching a general education
or a special education group, it is important to adjust the content and instructional delivery to the students to optimize
learning. Not all students learn in the same manner or at the same speed, so it is imperative that there
be multiple options for acquiring, applying, and generalizing concepts. Children can take “different
roads” to the same destination. Through differentiation teachers can enhance learning by matching
student characteristics to instruction and assessment. To do this a teacher must understand each student’s
language proficiency, prior knowledge, developmental readiness, culture, learning style, interests, preferences, unique abilities,
and individual challenges. Differentiation is, therefore, responsive teaching because it considers the
individual learner rather than a single approach for the whole group.
Before differentiation can occur a
teacher must assess his/her students to identify their individual abilities and needs. This assessment may
be formal or informal, as long as it gives the teacher an accurate perspective of each student’s readiness, prior knowledge,
and experiential background. Informal observation, conversations, and interest inventories can give the
teacher further information about the students’ interests, learning styles, and unique abilities and personal challenges.
Once a teacher has a good understanding of each student’s unique abilities and needs, differentiation
can be accomplished by adjusting the following areas:
1. Content – This involves adjusting the subject matter – the major concepts, principles, and skills that
are the focus of instruction. The teacher should choose broad-based instructional concepts and skills that
lend themselves to understanding at various levels of complexity. While focusing on a selected goal, the
teacher can adjust the degree of complexity to suit diverse learners. Having tiered expectations based
on individual student abilities/needs, allows each student to achieve success in the continuum of learning. If
students demonstrate mastery during pre-assessment, they can proceed to applying the concepts to solving a problem.
This is often referred to as compacting the curriculum.
2. Process/Instructional Delivery
– This involves adjusting the activities in which the students will engage to master content. The
teacher can employ different modes of instructional delivery, use activities that vary support and complexity, and alter the
way different students access the material. Flexible grouping frequently facilitates this type of instructional
delivery. Grouping and regrouping must be a dynamic process that changes with content and on-going assessment.
Scaffolding is critical in all instructional approaches.
3. Products
– This involves varying the final product to allow individuality in the demonstration of mastering key concepts.
A teacher can give the students options to express understanding of subject matter while still adhering to essential
elements. In fact, it is sometimes motivating for the student to be offered a choice of product.
Students are actively engaged and responsible for their own learning.
4. Learning Environment
– This involves creating optimal conditions for individual learners. Students need the freedom and
opportunity to learn in a manner best suited for them without infringing on the rights of the other students.
A good teacher can organize the classroom to provide an opportunity for students who need a quite environment, yet
allow other students to collaborate and engage in more active endeavors. This also requires that a variety
of materials be available and that all students have the necessary support (teacher, assistants, classmates, etc.).
Classroom routines and procedures need to be clear for the students to feel secure and free to take risks.
Bloom’s Taxonomy allows teachers
to design instruction around the content, process, product, and environment that meets the needs of all students in the class.
It can be used to identify instructional materials that are appropriate for each student, to develop alternate routes
for learning, and to create different forms of assessment.
For instructional differentiation to
be successful there must be continual assessment and feedback to the students. The assessment must be varied
and suited to each student to demonstrate authentic learning. Pre- and formative assessments allow the
teacher to develop an appropriate selection of approaches, choices, and scaffolds for the varying student abilities and needs.
It is important to remember that differentiation is not a method, but rather a philosophy
that a teacher embraces to insure that instruction is appropriate for all students in the classroom. There
are many ways to differentiate instruction, so a teacher must develop strategies that work for him/her. Key
factors to successful differentiation include: challenging activities suited to individual students, continual assessment,
and flexible grouping. Differentiation is a dynamic process that continually changes with the subject matter,
objectives, and assessment. The teacher must have a good understanding of each student’s unique characteristics
to adjust the content, process, products, and learning environment to suit their individual needs/abilities. Differentiation
not only facilitates learning, but also helps make the students more responsible for their own learning.
