Differentiating Instruction in the Elementary Classroom

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Differentiating Instruction in the Elementary
Classroom

• LCSD
• Academically Gifted Program
• Teresa Atwill Kathi Downing

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Differentiating Instruction

•  Lets you effectively and efficiently reach all
  students in a heterogeneous environment

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Differentiation

• begins with assessment of student learning needs
  and interests.

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Differentiation of Instruction

• Is the teachers response to learners needs
• It requires

• Clarity of learning goals
• Respectful tasks
• Flexible grouping
• On-going assessment

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Teachers can differentiate

• Content
• Process
• Product

• According to
• Readiness
• Interest
• Learning profile (style)

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Planning and Implementing
Hall, T. (2002). Differentiated instruction.
http//www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffins
truc.html
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Content Modification

• Abstractness
• Depth
• Complexity
• Variety

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Process Modification

• higher levels of thinking
• creative thinking
• open-endedness
• group interaction
• variable pacing
• variety of learning styles
• freedom of choice

Other Processes?
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Questioning

• http//www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalt
  on.htm

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Product Modification

• How students demonstrate what they have learned
• http//www.rogertaylor.com/reference/Product-Grid.
  pdf

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Readiness Differentiation

• Varied texts by reading level
• Varied supplemental material
• Flexible time use
• Learning contracts
• Small group instruction
• Homework options
• Tiered lessons
• Compacting (fewer problems)

Other Readiness Differentiations?
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Compacting curriculum

• Is choosing to reduce the number of problems or
  the amount of work on a particular assignment a
  student has to complete.
• Compacting should be used
• When a student only needs to review a concept.
• When a student learns quickly with little review.
• When a student has a learning disability that
  makes numerous repetitions difficult.

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Differentiating for Interest

• Project choice
• Topic choice
• Method of expression (i.e. art, oral report,
  dance etc)

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Learning Profile

• Students preferred learning style or mode

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Low Prep Differentiation

• Choices of books
• Homework options
• Reading buddies
• Varied journal prompts
• Open-ended activities
• Mini-teacher led workshops to teach or re-teach
  skills
• Varied levels of discussion questions-(Blooms)

Other Ideas?
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Higher Prep Differentiation

• Multiple texts
• Spelling levels
• Literature circles
• Interest centers
• Anchor activites
• Tiered activities
• Tiered projects Cubing

Other Ideas?
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Tiered Lessons

• Create multiple paths for learning

Key Concept or Skill
Struggling with concept
Understand the Concept
Some Understanding
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Tiered Lessons

• First IDENTIFY OUTCOMESWhat should your
  students know, understand or be able to do?
• Second THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS
• What is their readiness, interest or learning
  style
• Third DESIGN ACTIVITIES
• Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

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Tiered Activities can adjust

• Level of Complexity
• Amount of Structure
• Materials
• Time/Pace
• Number of Steps
• Form of Expression
• Level of Dependence

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Tiered Activity Examples

• http//wblrd.sk.ca/bestpractice/tiered/examples2.
  html Grade 3-5 book report
• http//webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/littleriveres/ew
  illiams/tieredassignmentskindergar.htm
  Kindergarten sorting activities
• http//www.dcmoboces.com/dcmoiss/staffdev/oinit/di
  le/tact1.doc Tiered worksheet

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Anchor Activities

• are ongoing assignments that students can work on
  independently throughout a unit, a grading period
  or longer.

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Purpose of Anchor Activities

• To provide meaningful work for students when they
  finish an assignment or project, when they first
  enter the class or when they are stumped.
• To provide ongoing tasks that tie to the content
  and instruction.
• To free up the classroom teacher to work with
  other groups of students or individuals.

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Anchor Activities work best

• when expectations are clear and the tasks are
  taught and practiced prior to use.
• when students are held accountable for on task
  behavior and/or task completion.

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Some Anchor Activity Ideas

• Brain Busters
• Learning Packets
• Activity Box
• Learning/Interest Centers
• Vocabulary Work
• Accelerated Reader
• Investigations
• Magazine Articles with Generic Questions or
  Activities
• Listening Stations
• Research Questions or Projects
• Commercial Kits and Materials
• Journals or Learning Logs
• Silent Reading (Content Related?)
• http//teachers.emints.org/campbelc/morningassign/
  morning.html

Other Ideas?
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Anchor Activities can be

• used in any subject
• whole class assignments
• small group or individual assignments
• tiered to meet the needs of different readiness
  levels
• Interdisciplinary for use across content areas or
  teams

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Cubing

• Cubing description http//webtech.cherokee.k12.ga
  .us/littleriveres/ewilliams/cubing.htm
• Cube Template
• http//webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/littleriver-es/e
  williams/cube20template.htm
• Cube Example

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Differentiation Links

• http//www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffins
  truc.html