Hardman, Mary

October 22, 2015

Captivating a Classroom with Differentiated Instruction (Draft)

A new school year has started and teachers across the country have welcomed a brand
new group of students. Along with a new backpack, each student brings a unique mix of
experiences and abilities. All students, from the English language learner, to the gifted learner, or
the child with learning disabilities, can be engaged when their differences are respected and
accommodated for. Information about the interests, readiness, and learning styles of a class can
be used to design instruction. As Watts-Taft et al. (2012) noted, Differentiated instruction allows
all students to access the same classroom curriculum by providing entry points, learning tasks,
and outcomes tailored to students learning needs (p.303). By modifying and adapting materials,
activities, and assessments, each child can start at their current level and improve at a faster rate.
Differentiated instruction is the key to effectively educating a classroom of students with a wide
variety of needs.
Tailoring the choice of reading materials to match the abilities of each student is a prime
example of differentiated instruction. To begin this process, each student must be given a
reading benchmark assessment to determine what reading level they are on. Their accuracy and
comprehension are considered in this assessment. Once the teacher has these levels, the students
can be given appropriately material, on their level, to read when completing assignments. WattsTaft et al. (2012) gave the example of students working on identifying connections they have to a
text. When students are able to read a text on their appropriate reading level, this allows them to
focus more cognitive energy on actually making connections to the text. In this case each child is
learning the same content, making text connections, while using differentiated materials. This

also increases the confidence of the students and improves their attitudes toward reading
activities.
Tiered activities in the classroom help each student access the curriculum. Instead of
having one generic activity, there are multiple options. Struggling students and advanced
students are kept in mind when preparing to teach a concept. Loeser (2015) noted, Teachers
employ tiered activities when aiming to create opportunities for students to focus on the same
concepts, but at varying levels of complexity (p.8). To create tiered activities, the teacher will
start with one overarching skill that the students need to understand and be able to do. An
example of such a skill would be to identify the characteristics of the five senses. In a first grade
classroom tier one might require the students to name the five senses and match them to the body
parts that send signals to our brain for each sense. A tier two activity would have the students
identify the five senses and give real life examples of how the senses are used. In tier three the
students might be asked to identify the five senses and write about how a scientist would use the
five senses to observe and record an experiment. The teacher will assign the students to an
appropriate activity, allowing them to access the topic. Instead of being overwhelmed by work
that is extremely difficult or incredibly bored by work that is simplistic, each child can be
engaged and challenged to learn.
Assessment is of the utmost importance in a differentiated classroom. In order to help
each student reach their potential pre- assessments, ongoing assessments, and final assessments
are utilized. Pre-assessments can be surveys, questionnaires, or a quick pre-test. The results help
the teacher to form flexible groups for each skill or topic. Ongoing assessments such as
homework or presentations help the teacher monitor the progress of the students so that support
can be given. The final assessment is a chance to let the students show what they have learned

using a variety of products (Loeser, 2015, p.6). Differentiating the product is an important way
to respect the learning styles of each student. Some students are more visual learners and might
be more expressive if they were allowed to make a poster to illustrate what they learned.
Kinesthetic learners might want to make a model, while some students might like to give an oral
report on what they learned. Technology is passion of many students, who would be excited to
work on a final project that included using these skills. The class is allowed to report in a way
that they feel confident in. They are further motivated by the opportunity to have a choice when
reporting back.
Todays classrooms are filled with unique individuals with a wide range of readiness and
background knowledge. The differentiated classroom celebrates those differences and strives to
meet the needs of each of these students by making sure they have a way to access the
curriculum on a daily basis. It is possible to adapt materials, activities, and assessments to help
students of all ability levels reach their maximum potential.