What Is Differentiated Instruction?

What Is Differentiated Instruction?

At its heart, differentiated instruction means modifying your teaching to meet the individual needs of each student. Instead of using a single method for the whole class, you provide multiple ways for students to take in information, make sense of ideas, and show what they’ve learned. This approach ensures that while everyone works toward the same learning goal, the path to get there is adjusted for each student's readiness, interests, and learning style.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Activities

Differentiated instruction involves a set of strategies and activities designed to adapt teaching to individual student needs. This approach modifies how you deliver content, guide student practice, and assess understanding to support a diverse classroom.

These strategies provide multiple pathways for students to access information and process it in ways that fit their learning styles. The corresponding activities are varied, giving students different options to practice skills and demonstrate what they have learned.

Here are some differentiated instruction strategies and activities:

• Create Learning Stations: Set up different areas in the classroom where students work on various tasks related to the same concept.
• Use Task Cards: Provide cards with specific tasks or questions that students can complete individually or in small groups.
• Interview Students: Talk with students to understand their learning preferences, which can inform how you structure lessons.
• Target Different Senses: Incorporate visual, auditory, and hands-on elements into lessons to appeal to multiple learning styles.
• Use the Think-Pair-Share Strategy: Students first think about a topic on their own, then discuss it with a partner before sharing with the larger group.
• Make Time for Journaling: Give students time to write about what they've learned, answer questions, or connect concepts to their own lives.
• Run Literature Circles: Organize students into small groups to read and discuss a text, with each member often having a specific role.
• Assign Open-Ended Projects: Allow students to show their understanding through a variety of project formats, often with clear rubrics.
• 'Teach Up': Begin with high expectations and advanced curriculum, then provide support and scaffolding to help all students meet those goals.
• Relate Math to Personal Interests: Connect mathematical concepts to students' hobbies or real-world situations to make the material more relevant.

Differentiated Instruction Benefits

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach with both potential upsides and practical challenges. While it aims to tailor learning to each student, it's important to consider how this method functions in a real-world classroom setting. Understanding these aspects can help you decide if it's the right fit for your school or district.

This student-centered method can increase engagement by offering choice, but it is also known to be time-consuming for teachers to plan. It also presents challenges in large classes and in the context of standardized testing, which requires a uniform approach to assessment.

Here are some of the reported benefits of differentiated instruction:

• Student-Centered: Focuses classroom activities on student needs rather than teacher preferences.
• Strives for Equity: Aims to provide fair learning opportunities by considering individual student needs.
• Acknowledges Difference: Accommodates variations in student abilities, interests, and existing knowledge.
• Gives Students Choice: Allows students some control over how they learn, which can affect their classroom experience.
• Increases Engagement: Lessons targeted to student needs may increase participation and reduce feelings of isolation.
• increasingly Possible with Tech & AI: Technology can help create more personalized differentiation, adapting to student learning patterns.

Differentiated Instruction Examples

Differentiated instruction can be put into practice through various strategies and activities in the classroom. These methods adapt how content is delivered and how students demonstrate their learning. The goal is to provide multiple pathways for students to access information and process it in ways that fit their learning styles.

This approach adapts teaching to student abilities, which can help more students understand core concepts. However, implementing these strategies requires significant planning time and ongoing adjustments to be effective.

Here are some examples of differentiated instruction activities:

• Learning Stations: Different areas are set up in the classroom, each offering a unique way to engage with a concept, such as through video, reading, or hands-on puzzles
• Task Cards: Students work with cards that present a range of tasks or questions, which can be adjusted for different levels and used in small groups.
• Sensory-Based Lessons: Lessons incorporate visual, auditory, and hands-on elements to appeal to various learning styles.
• Open-Ended Projects: Students are given a choice of project formats, guided by a clear rubric, to show what they have learned.
• 'Teach Up': Instruction begins with high-level curriculum, and support is provided to help all students work toward those standards.

Differentiated Instruction Best Practices

Best practices in differentiated instruction are the strategies and assessment methods used to address the varied needs, readiness levels, and interests of students. This approach involves adjusting course content, activities, and assessments rather than using a one-size-fits-all model.

Implementing these practices involves ongoing assessment and monitoring to understand student readiness and interests. The learning environment you create is also a key factor, as is the careful selection of strategies, since not all are meant to be used at once.

Here are some best practices for differentiated instruction:

• Varied Assignments: Design tasks and materials that differ in challenge, complexity, or format to match student needs
• Intentional Grouping: Form student work groups that are either similar or mixed in terms of performance, readiness, or interests
• Peer Tutoring: Create systems within groups where students can teach and support one another
• Staggered Learning Aids: Provide non-verbal cues or supports that offer just enough information to help students move to the next step in their learning.
• Student Autonomy: Offer options that give students responsibility for their learning, such as choosing tasks or project formats

Teach with TeachShare

Differentiated instruction is a powerful approach for creating the best possible learning experience, tailoring content and activities to meet the unique needs, interests, and readiness of every student. Let us help you bring these effective practices to your classroom—start creating resources with TeachShare now.