Differentiate Instruction

Renowned educator and speaker Carol Ann Tomlinson has said that differentiation means giving students multiple choices for taking in information. Differentiating instructions means that you observe and understand the differences and similarities among students and use this information to plan instruction. Scholastic states that the following are key principle of laying a successful foundation for differentiated instruction: 1. Ongoing, formative assessments. 2. Recognizing diverse learners. 3. Group work. 4. Problem solving. 5. Choices In my classroom, my differentiation happens the most in my Guided Math and Guided Reading Stations. In my math stations, I have four rotations with various strategies and techniques to work that day's skill. My class is split into four math levels based on academic, social, and behavior levels. Here is a breakdown of my math stations: 1. Meet with Teacher: This is where I can meet with a small group for a more personalized lesson. I use interactive notebooks at this time. My students love this! 2. At your seat: This is an independent activity. It is normally a review worksheet or a Math Box page from our math series. This helps them learn how to work quietly and on their own. I also use the worksheets as an assessment tool. 3. Technology: They play a math fluency game called Reflex Math. 4. Hands-On: This could be a game or an activity with math manipulatives. For example, our station this week is Playdoh Pizza Fractions. I believe strongly in differentiation to offer more choices for my students. They love stations and look forward to it everyday! It is more work to set up, but it is worth it in the long run. By giving them choices and movement, they are more engaged in the classroom. It's important to note that differentiation can backfire if it's obvious that groups are broken down based on levels. I don't make a point to say that one group is doing harder work or say to the lower group that they can't do it because it's too hard. I DO make a point to encourage each and every one of them. I DO make a point to tell them this is what they need to succeed...that what I chose for their group is exactly what they need to do their very best in the classroom.