Principles of Effective Differentiated Instruction
Teachers can differentiate...
Content
Teaching practices and materials used in order for students to gain knowledge, understanding and skills
Process
How students come to make sense of key ideas, concepts, etc.
Product
Items students can use in order to demonstrate learning
According to students'...
Readiness
Interests
Learning Profile
Through a range of instructional and management strategies...
Content
Teaching practices and materials used in order for students to gain knowledge, understanding and skills
Process
How students come to make sense of key ideas, concepts, etc.
Product
Items students can use in order to demonstrate learning
According to students'...
Readiness
Interests
Learning Profile
Through a range of instructional and management strategies...
Low-Prep (strategies that tend to involve less planning time):
Choices of books Homework options Use of reading buddies Varied journal prompts Student-teacher goal setting Flexible seating Varied computer program Design-a-day Think-pair-share based on readiness, interest, and learning profile Open-ended activities Jigsaw Multiple levels of questions |
High-Prep (strategies that tend to involve more planning time):
Tiered activities Independent studies Multiple texts Alternative assignments Learning contracts Interest groups Personal agendas Literature circles Stations Group investigation Choice boards Simulations Graduated rubrics |
When beginning to implement differentiated instruction choose a couple of low-prep strategies, ones that you feel comfortable using consistently and then adding one high prep approach per unit or semester into his or her teaching practices. Once these approaches have been mastered, more high and low prep approaches can be added (Tomlinson, 2005).
References:
Tomlinson, C. (2005). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Tomlinson, C. (2005). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.