DIFFERENTIATE BY STUDENT READINESS
Differentiating in the classroom means matching all students to the work that will push them. Whether you are addressing the needs of a beginning English Language Learner (ELL) or challenging the gifted student, pre-assessment and appropriate planning are necessary for creating meaningful lessons that extend all students one step past their comfort levels. Again, differentiation of material can be through content, process, or product. Most important is that you know the students' levels, adapt your lessons to meet them where they are, and then stretch them one step beyond that (Tomlinson, 2001).
Differentiate for the ELL
Providing a language-rich environment and plenty of visual supports are key points in supporting the ELL. Meeting the needs of the ELL's in our classrooms requires careful planning and preparation of supports such as visual aids, graphic organizers, body language, tape recordings, and simplified instructions. While these students acquire language through natural immersion in our English-speaking classrooms, teachers must differentiate instruction by providing careful scaffolding and appropriate lessons to move them to the next step.
Differentiate to Meet the Dependent Learner
Scaffolding for students means beginning where all students can be successful and all can participate. Teachers must provide opportunities for everyone to be involved at a high level of success, and then give them the skills they need to move on to the next level. Within this structure, students will perform at a higher level. As we verbalize the steps and give structure for students to use, we provide opportunities for students to succeed.
Differentiate to Extend the Independent Learner
Remember that the top students in the class need to be kept in forward motion as well. We must meet ALL students' needs to be effective teachers. Create independent work contracts, literature circles, or writing groups to extend students. Through pre-assessment you will know what they already know. Rather than requiring these students to work through meaningless practice tasks about what they already know, provide meaningful extensions using higher order thinking skills. Our responsibility is to provide a variety of activities with requirements further up the scale on Bloom's Taxonomy.
See differentiation ideas for the gifted learner.
See differentiation ideas for the gifted learner.