Differentiated+Instruction


 * What is differentiated instruction?**

This is an instructional strategy, which focuses on teaching all of the students based on their unique learning abilities & learning styles. This method of instruction involves teaching students an objective through a variety of different methods. Differentiated instruction allows all learners the option of achieving academic success based on their level of readiness, which means that some students enter a classroom on grade level, some are very far behind and others are ahead of their current grade level.A differentiated classroom challenges all learners to meet or exceed the expectations, which are set forth by a curriculum and it should have the goal of __**inspiring**__ and __**challenging**__ all students.


 * How can a teacher determine the different students learning abilities in a classroom?**

A teacher can gain a better understanding of their students learning ability level through a pre-assessment quiz or even a KWL chart. Once a teacher has a strong understanding of their students different ability level the teacher can begin to apply differentiated techniques in their classroom.


 * Do I have to give each student a different lesson, which would mean preparing hundreds of lessons for one subject?**

No.. If you are are correctly differentiating instruction for all learners the teacher can prepare lessons, which are prepared based on learning ability. The teacher can tier a lesson on the same objective for low level, middle level and the high level students. The most important number to remember is the number three... If you organize the students into high, middle and low groups then you are correctly grouping the students.

High School teachers can be tier their lessons by organizing their textbooks in the following way: middle school 6-8 grade textbook (low level), the general/grade level textbook (middle) and an AP or IB textbook for the high achieving students. The teacher can prepare instruction for all students in the tiered model by printing resources from these books and then having these groups work at their ability level. This structure will allow all students the opportunity to understand a learning objective at their reading/ability level.

The teacher can also tier a lesson by leveling the questions based on the students ability levels. The lesson below has leveled questions for the same textbook and it goes further with leveled projects.

Tiered questions & project for Charlemagne


 * This is a link for Middle School Social Studies, which has a leveled text series. (Tiered readings for almost every topic)**

Leveled Text Middle School Social Studies

The link below is a website, which organizes Supreme Court Cases into tiered readings and it has tiered questions. **The readings are based on ability level** and they are **marked by dots** (*)**Low** (**) Middle** and **(***) **High**.

Tiered Supreme Court Readings


 * Tips for tiering lessons.**

- Tiered graphic organizers, which should have examples with structure/detail for the low level students and less for the higher level students.

- A PowerPoint can have different warm up questions, which range in ability level. The teacher can allot time for the warm up and allow the students to select their question(s). This method will add variety to the warm up it will challenge the students at their ability level.


 * Heterogeneous grouping:** This involves grouping the students together by mixed ability. The students benefit from a mixed ability lesson because the higher level students help the lower level students. The students usually learn more from each other and this type of instruction does not hurt the higher level students.


 * Example**

Global Revolutions Broadcast This assignment includes different roles and components for the students, which are connected to areas of interest.


 * Flexo-grouping**

After the students have completed the tiered activity for their lesson they can re-group the students into mixed ability groups.

The mixed ability groups should consist of all three ability levels and these students can complete a task or project.

Tiered & then flexo-grouped lesson - This is a link for a lesson, which has reading's and questions on the same topic. The second part of this lesson has a task, which the mixed ability group must complete after the students master the reading.

Flexo-group PBL for the Inca This is another flexo-grouped lesson, which has tiered readings, but the lesson includes a project that must be completed in multi-ability level groups.

Flexo-grouping helps all students complete tasks, which are challenging. This instruction will help the lower level students improve their abilities and it will not harm the higher level students.


 * How can a teacher differentiate instruction with the variety of different learning styles in a classroom?**

The teacher can offer the students different projects, which appeal to different learning styles and interests.

Indian Removal & Trail of Tears Choices Board Example

This method of instruction will the students to express their content knowledge through their creative talents.