Many teachers
are searching for a workable solution to the difficulties
of providing instruction for a diverse population while also
meeting the demands of state standards. You may have students
at the secondary level who are reading and performing at only
the fourth grade level, in addition to large numbers of students
with exceptional needs in the inclusion setting. What is a
teacher to do? Try differentiated instruction.
Differentiated
instruction provides an opportunity to plan curriculum and
instruction that meets the needs of academically diverse learners
by honoring each student’s learning needs and maximizing
each student’s learning capacity. (Tomlinson, 1999).
There
are five key concepts for differentiated instruction:
CONTENT: What is taught; accessibility to the information
and ideas that matter.
Use
texts at varying reading levels
Provide
organizers and anticipation guides for note-taking
Use
examples and illustrations based on student interests
PROCESS:
How students come to understand and “own” the
knowledge, skills, and understanding.
Vary
the pacing of student work
Use
cooperative grouping
Develop
activities that lead to a variety of perspectives on topics
Highlight
critical content in the text
Segment
and tier large assignments and projects
PRODUCT: Student demonstration of what he or she has come to know,
understand, and be able to do.
Provide
bookmarked Internet sites at different levels of complexity
for research
Develop
rubrics for success based on grade level expectations and
individual student learning needs
Teach
students to use a range of presentation tools and products
– technology
AFFECT: Student linking of thought and feeling in the classroom.
Model
respect
Help
students develop multiple perspectives on topics and issues
Encourage
equitable participation of each student
Provide
supported practice
Allow
for choice and individuality
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT: Classroom function and feeling.
Arrangement
of furniture for individual, small group and whole group
Availability
of supplies and materials
Procedures
and management techniques for various arrangements and tasks
Regardless
of the subject/content area, employing differentiated instruction
is one way for teachers to be responsive to his or her students’
academic, social, emotional needs and level of learning readiness,
and thereby empowering the students to learn and have multiple
and varied opportunities for practice.
Tomlinson,
C. A. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding
to the needs of all learners. ASCD.
Van Garderen
& Whittaker (2006). Planning Differentiated
Multiculural Instruction for Secondary Inclusive Classrooms.
Teaching Exceptional Children 38(3).12-20.
If you have a question or suggestion,
don’t hesitate to e-mail
me.
