Benefits of Differentiated Instruction
- Results Are Positive. Recent research in Canada showed that differentiated instruction consistently yielded positive...
- IEPs Are Accommodated. Differentiated instruction can benefit all students, from those who are gifted to those with mild...
- Differentiated Instruction Benefits Everyone. Researchers suggest that teachers can...
How does differentiation benefit all learners?
- Children take on more of the responsibility for learning
- Differentiation effective for both high-ability students and those with a disability
- Engagement in learning tends to be stronger because it addresses the children as equal individuals
What is differentiated instruction and why is it important?
Differentiated instruction is a way of thinking about teaching and learning. It is also a model that guides instructional planning in response to students’ needs. Essentially, the aim of differentiating instruction is to maximize the growth of all students by meeting them where they are.
What does 'differentiation' in the classroom actually mean?
Differentiation refers to a wide variety of teaching techniques and lesson adaptations that educators use to instruct a diverse group of students, with diverse learning needs, in the same course, classroom, or learning environment. Differentiation is commonly used in “heterogeneous grouping”—an educational strategy in which students of different abilities, learning needs, and levels of ...
What are some strategies for differentiated instruction?
differentiated instruction is maximum student growth and individual success, and the key principles that guide differentiated instruction include flexibility in learning goals, effective and ongoing assessment, flexible grouping, “respectful” activities and learning arrangements, and collaboration between students and teacher.
Why is it important to differentiate learning for students?
Differentiated instruction allows us to give students the support they need instead of lumping them together in one big group. Smaller groups make it easier to see who has mastered the lesson goals and has acquired the skills to move on. Larger class sizes make it more difficult to zero in on individual student needs.
Why is differentiation effective?
BENEFITS OF DIFFERENTIATION Effective use of differentiation has been associated with increased learner motivation, higher academic achievement and greater collaboration among students with similar ability (McNamara and Moreton, 1997; Gentry and Owen, 1999; Hertberg-Davis, 2009).
How does differentiated instruction improve student performance?
Differentiated instruction allows students to actively practice what they've learned from course lecture components. Prompting the application of recently covered material helps students understand their studies more proficiently. Team-based learning isn't trivial.
What is designed differentiation?
Designed differentiation is the deliberate act of modifying instruction or an assignment in order to customize the effect to match the particular developmental level and skills of a student or group of students. The ideal is to provide equivalent learning activities that cater to the students' strengths but bring all of the students to the same learning objective. On one end of the spectrum is the one-size-fits-all learning activity, while on the other end is the completely individualized learning plan for each student. Although I believe it is time for the latter, realism demands that teachers deal with something that hovers around the middle of the continuum.
What is the ideal learning plan?
The ideal is to provide equivalent learning activities that cater to the students' strengths but bring all of the students to the same learning objective. On one end of the spectrum is the one-size-fits-all learning activity, while on the other end is the completely individualized learning plan for each student.
How to scaffold learning activities?
scaffold the learning activity from hard to medium to easy. compact the activity and teach only what they don't know. give them learning activities that let them perform the same learning objective with multiple mediums like summarizing a story they have read through narrative, drama, song, poetry, art, or design.
Why do postsecondary students benefit from differentiated instruction?
Postsecondary students particularly benefit from differentiated instruction because of how diverse they are . A demographic cliff is coming in higher education.
What is differentiated instruction?
Differentiated instruction is an activity-driven approach to education that guides students through a subject or course using a variety of projects, tasks, or problem-solving activities. This educational approach has been the norm in K-12 classrooms for generations.
What is the future of the college classroom?
The future of the college classroom is diverse. Universities cannot continue to rely on the passive, one-size-fits-all instructional strategies of the past. Colleges will need to bring the techniques and benefits of differentiated instruction to guide the students of the future.
How do educators divide a classroom?
In contrast, modern educators often divide a classroom by student interests, preparation, or strengths, and then create varied learning pathways for each group. Note that differentiated instruction is not the same as dividing your classroom by ability.
What is team based learning?
Team-based learning isn't trivial. Healthy, team-based learning environments are just one of the many benefits of differentiated instruction. Collaborative learning, peer mentoring, and conflict resolution skills all boost a student's overall ability to learn. Your primary role as an instructor is to design educational experiences.
What is differentiated instruction?
Connecting this way requires teachers to differentiate instruction—recognizing their students’ individuality and then planning learning experiences with the range of student needs, interests, styles, and preferences in mind . In their book, Leadership for Differentiating Schools & Classrooms, Carol Ann Tomlinson and Susan Demirsky Allan write, “Differentiation is simply attending to the learning needs of a particular student or small group of students rather than the more typical pattern of teaching the class as though all individuals in it were basically alike.”
How to differentiate in a classroom?
Differentiation is typically described as an approach that incorporates one or more of the following components: 1 Assessment —Use whatever you can learn about students to help them to connect to classroom instruction, both at the start of school and through ongoing informal and formal assessment all year long. 2 Content —Select and adapt content so students at all levels of readiness can access the same ideas and information. 3 Process —Use instructional and language scaffolds, flexible student groupings, and a range of activities that engage different learning modalities to ensure all students are appropriately supported and challenged while they work toward the same objectives. 4 Product —Provide varying opportunities and methods for students to demonstrate learning. 5 Environment —Optimize your classroom to support independent, small group, and whole group instruction and to reflect the multiplicity of students in your classes.
How can differentiated instruction help students?
How Differentiated Instruction Can Help You Reach Every Student in Class. It may seem like common sense that students perform better in class when they receive support that meets their needs. Research around differentiated instruction confirms this is true. If you can adapt your instruction to reflect your students’ needs and learning preferences, ...
How to practice differentiated learning?
But in many cases, you can practice differentiated learning by either breaking students with similar needs into groups or offering all students several options for completing an assignment. [10] Overall, the best way to practice differentiated instruction is by getting to know your students.
Why do teachers feel discouraged?
Some teachers may feel discouraged because differentiated instruction can sound like an increased workload. [2] . But differentiated instruction can make your teaching strategies more effective over time, which can help you make the most of both your students’ time and your own.
What is differentiated instruction?
Differentiated instruction is an educational strategy in which teachers adapt their instruction to meet the needs of their class. While the subject material itself remains consistent, the way you teach it to students may vary depending on their needs. [7]
How to differentiate classroom instruction?
According to educational researcher and differentiated instruction expert Carol Ann Tomlinson, there are four key ways to differentiate classroom instruction: [8] Content: How the student will access the information. Process: The method of the activities students use to understand the information.
Why are students more likely to focus on learning?
Students are also more likely to focus and be engaged in the learning process when teachers differentiate their instructional strategies. [1,6] As you provide opportunities for students to explore content based on their strengths, they’re more likely to flourish in your class.
What is process in education?
Process: The method of the activities students use to understand the information. Product: Projects or homework that ask the student to practice or apply the information. Learning environment: The space where the student is learning the information.
How does differentiated instruction help students?
There are many factors that can affect the way students receive and interpret information. In fact, every student is different. Therefore, methods such as differentiated instruction can greatly benefit a student’s classroom experience. It is frustrating for students to not understand their material and just as challenging for parents to assist them at home. Educators can prevent this issue with the right approach. In this case, differentiated instruction can change the way students comprehend and learn.
How to apply differentiated instruction in a classroom?
The best way for teachers to apply differentiated instruction in their classroom is to first understand their students. What makes each person different? Which teaching methods are the most effective for them? This process also comes with building a meaningful relationship with students. When students feel more comfortable in their classroom, they are more likely to participate and engage with others. In addition, this may mean using various techniques to teach the same material. As a class, there will be some students who understand better when engaging in hands-on activities, while others from writing the notes written on the board.
What is differentiated instruction?
From a teacher’s perspective, the concept of differentiated instruction is a means of understanding each individual student. It is an approach that tailors teaching so that every single student is able to learn classroom material. This is a great method for teachers to practice as it promotes inclusivity and honors the diversity among students. It also changes a student’s overall learning experience. Additionally, there are various ways that a teacher can implement differentiated instruction. For example, he or she can adopt unique strategies to target the most effective learning style for each student. The same way people have a love language, is the same way each student has a learning preference. Some examples of different types of student learners include:
What is effective differentiation?
Teachers who differentiate effectively use a range of data sources to pinpoint what students currently know, and what they are ready to learn next.
Implementing classroom-based strategies to support differentiated teaching
Teachers can draw upon existing sources of evidence to assess student learning needs and strengths.
Starting a conversation with colleagues
The questions below offer conversation starters for discussions in Professional Learning Communities, teaching teams, or individual conversations with learning specialists and other teachers:
Explore the latest professional practice note
A practice note has been developed to support you and your teachers in implementing differentiated teaching strategies:
What is differentiated learning?
Differentiated learning refers to a style of teaching that allows students to work more independently in the classroom and construct lessons based on their own learning styles. In other words, this style of teaching gives students the power to tailor their learning experiences in a way that best suits their unique needs.
Why do schools use one size fits all approach?
Many schools default to the traditional one-size-fits-all educational approach because of resources. Creating a lesson plan tailored to every single learning style is not as simple as writing a lecture or creating a PowerPoint. When there’s only one teacher in each classroom, it’s challenging to make sure each student gets the attention they need. ...
Why can't teachers help struggling students?
The teacher can’t help struggling students or challenge thriving ones because they constantly have to make sure the entire class is occupied. One of the ways we’ve addressed this at Whitby is with multiple teachers in the Lower School classrooms.
How do social learners learn?
In reality, social learners may learn best by working in groups that can solve problems together. A set of blocks could help physical learners visualize a mathematical concept. And solitary learners could learn best by taking practice worksheets into a quiet corner.
Why is differentiated instruction important?
Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as students with mild to severe disabilities. When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning.
How do teachers differentiate instruction?
According to Tomlinson, teachers can differentiate instruction through four ways: 1) content, 2) process, 3) product, and 4) learning environment. 1. Content. As you already know, fundamental lesson content should cover the standards of learning set by the school district or state educational standards.
What differentiated instructional strategies can you use in your classroom?
According to Kathy Perez (2019) and the Access Center those strategies are tiered assignments, choice boards, compacting, interest centers/groups, flexible grouping, and learning contracts. Tiered assignments are designed to teach the same skill but have the students create a different product to display their knowledge based on their comprehension skills. Choice boards allow students to choose what activity they would like to work on for a skill that the teacher chooses. On the board are usually options for the different learning styles; kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and tactile. Compacting allows the teacher to help students reach the next level in their learning when they have already mastered what is being taught to the class. To compact the teacher assesses the student’s level of knowledge, creates a plan for what they need to learn, excuses them from studying what they already know, and creates free time for them to practice an accelerated skill.
What is product in a lesson?
The product is what the student creates at the end of the lesson to demonstrate the mastery of the content. This can be in the form of tests, projects, reports, or other activities. You could assign students to complete activities that show mastery of an educational concept in a way the student prefers, based on learning style.
Why do teachers need to become language teachers?
ASCD (2012) writes that all teachers need to become language teachers so that the content they are teaching the classroom can be conveyed to the students whose first language is not English.
What is compacting in teaching?
To compact the teacher assesses the student’s level of knowledge, creates a plan for what they need to learn, excuses them from studying what they already know, and creates free time for them to practice an accelerated skill. Interest centers or groups are a way to provide autonomy in student learning.
What are the levels of learning?
The six levels are: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete tasks on the lower levels: remembering and understanding.
