What is Differentiated Instruction?

Examples of How to Differentiate achievement tests were introduced, and the scores revealed the gaps in student’s
Instruction in the Classroom abilities within grade levels.

By Cathy Weselby In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), ensuring that children with disabilities had equal access to public education.
Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual To reach this student population, many educators used differentiated instruction
learning style. Chances are, not all of your students grasp a subject in the same way strategies. Then came the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2000, which further
or share the same level of ability. So how can you better deliver your lessons to encouraged differentiated and skill-based instruction—and that’s because it
reach everyone in class? Consider differentiated instruction—a method you may works. Research by educator Leslie Owen Wilson supports differentiating instruction
have heard about but haven’t explored, which is why you’re here. In this article, learn within the classroom, finding that lecture is the least effective instructional strategy,
exactly what it means, how it works, and the pros and cons. with only 5 to 10 percent retention after 24 hours. Engaging in a discussion,
practicing after exposure to content, and teaching others are much more effective
What differentiated instruction means
ways to ensure learning retention.
Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and
Four ways to differentiate instruction
professor of educational leadership, foundations, and policy at the University of
Virginia. Tomlinson describes differentiated instruction as factoring students’ According to Tomlinson, teachers can differentiate instruction through four
individual learning styles and levels of readiness first before designing a lesson plan. ways: 1) content, 2) process, 3) product, and 4) learning environment.
Research on the effectiveness of differentiation shows this method benefits a wide
range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered 1. Content
high ability.
As you already know, fundamental lesson content should cover the
Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all standards of learning set by the school district or state educational standards. But
students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to some students in your class may be completely unfamiliar with the concepts in a
deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student. lesson, some students may have partial mastery, and some students may already be
familiar with the content before the lesson begins.
Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may: What you could do is differentiate the content by designing activities for
groups of students that cover various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (a classification of
 Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
levels of intellectual behavior going from lower-order thinking skills to higher-order
 Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments. thinking skills). The six levels are: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing,
 Assess students’ learning using formative assessment. evaluating, and creating.
 Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment. Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete
 Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs. tasks on the lower levels: remembering and understanding. Students with some
mastery could be asked to apply and analyze the content, and students who have
History of differentiated instruction
high levels of mastery could be asked to complete tasks in the areas of evaluating
The roots of differentiated instruction go all the way back to the days of the and creating.
one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher had students of all ages in one
Examples of differentiating activities:
classroom. As the educational system transitioned to grading schools, it was
assumed that children of the same age learned similarly. However in 1912,  Match vocabulary words to definitions.
  Read a passage of text and answer related questions. 4. Learning environment
 Think of a situation that happened to a character in the story and a different
The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological
outcome.
elements. A flexible classroom layout is key, incorporating various types of furniture
 Differentiate fact from opinion in the story.
and arrangements to support both individual and group work. Psychologically
 Identify an author’s position and provide evidence to support this viewpoint. speaking, teachers should use classroom management techniques that support a
 Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson. safe and supportive learning environment.
2. Process Examples of differentiating the environment:
Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful differentiation  Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.
includes delivering the material to each style: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, and
 Allow students to read individually if preferred.
through words. This process-related method also addresses the fact that not all
 Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.
students require the same amount of support from the teacher, and students could
choose to work in pairs, small groups, or individually. And while some students may Pros and cons of differentiated instruction
benefit from one-on-one interaction with you or the classroom aide, others may be
able to progress by themselves. Teachers can enhance student learning by offering The benefits of differentiation in the classroom are often accompanied by the
support based on individual needs. drawback of an ever-increasing workload. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Examples of differentiating the process: Pros

 Provide textbooks for visual and word learners.  Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students
 Allow auditory learners to listen to audio books. as well as students with mild to severe disabilities.
 Give kinesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive  When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they
assignment online. take on more responsibility for their own learning.
 Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly
3. Product fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers provide
differentiated lessons.
The product is what the student creates at the end of the lesson to
demonstrate the mastery of the content. This can be in the form of tests, projects, Cons
reports, or other activities. You could assign students to complete activities that show
mastery of an educational concept in a way the student prefers, based on learning  Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson planning, and
style. many teachers struggle to find the extra time in their schedule.
 The learning curve can be steep and some schools lack professional
Examples of differentiating the end product: development resources.
 Read and write learners write a book report.  Critics argue there isn’t enough research to support the benefits of
differentiated instruction outweighing the added prep time.
 Visual learners create a graphic organizer of the story.
 Auditory learners give an oral report.
 Kinesthetic learners build a diorama illustrating the story.
Weselby, C. (2020). What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to  Putting text materials on tape;
Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom. Retrieved from  Using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students;
https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/examples-of-  Presenting ideas through both auditory and visual means;
differentiated-instruction/  Using reading buddies; and
What Is Differentiated Instruction?  Meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners,
or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners.
By: Carol Ann Tomlinson
Process
Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers
differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of Examples of differentiating process or activities at the elementary level include the
ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to following:
instruction.  Using tiered activities through which all learners work with the same
What You'll Learn important understandings and skills, but proceed with different levels of
support, challenge, or complexity;
 How to vary the level of content you present  Providing interest centers that encourage students to explore subsets of the
 How to provide a variety of learning environments class topic of particular interest to them;
 Different ways students can show what they've learned  Developing personal agendas (task lists written by the teacher and
containing both in-common work for the whole class and work that addresses
At its most basic level, differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to individual needs of learners) to be completed either during specified agenda
variance among learners in the classroom. Whenever a teacher reaches out to an time or as students complete other work early;
individual or small group to vary his or her teaching in order to create the best
 Offering manipulatives or other hands-on supports for students who need
learning experience possible, that teacher is differentiating instruction.
them; and
Teachers can differentiate at least four classroom elements based on student  Varying the length of time a student may take to complete a task in order to
readiness, interest, or learning profile: provide additional support for a struggling learner or to encourage an
advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth.
 Content – what the student needs to learn or how the student will get access
to the information; Products
 Process – activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of Examples of differentiating products at the elementary level include the following:
or master the content;
 Products – culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and  Giving students options of how to express required learning (e.g., create a
extend what he or she has learned in a unit; and puppet show, write a letter, or develop a mural with labels);
 Learning environment – the way the classroom works and feels.  Using rubrics that match and extend students' varied skills levels;
 Allowing students to work alone or in small groups on their products; and
Content
 Encouraging students to create their own product assignments as long as the
Examples of differentiating content at the elementary level include the following: assignments contain required elements.

 Using reading materials at varying readability levels; Learning environment

 Making sure there are places in the room to work quietly and without
distraction, as well as places that invite student collaboration;
 Providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures and home settings;
 Setting out clear guidelines for independent work that matches individual
needs;
 Developing routines that allow students to get help when teachers are busy
with other students and cannot help them immediately; and
 Helping students understand that some learners need to move around to
learn, while others do better sitting quietly (Tomlinson, 1995, 1999;
Winebrenner, 1992, 1996).

Excerpted from: Tomlinson, C. A. (August, 2000). Differentiation of Instruction in the

Other Sources:
Rasheed, F. (2018). The Theory of Differentiated Instruction and its Applicability: An E-
Learning Perspective. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324843878

Atkins, C. (2016). Differentiating Instruction: The Journey. Retrieved from

Natividad, J.P. (2019). Differentiated instruction. Retrieved from