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any valuable teaching time or disrupt the flow of the lesson. Students need to become fa-
miliar with work routines and use the material that is available in the classroom. It is es-
sential for students to establish the work routine individually, with their peers or in groups,
as well as with the whole classroom (Diagram 3). Also, students should be able to use the
various means that are available to support their learning style. Some of these essential
routines are: writing in notebooks, using computer software, select and use the appropri-
ate learning support, functional use of teaching aids, maths equipment etc.
Learning support has an important role in the implementation of differentiation. Learn-
ing braces can help students retrieve the essential prerequisite and fundamental knowledge
as well as help them acquire new knowledge. It is important for the teacher to be aware
when students might need additional support. The teacher may not be able to assist them
at the given time, but they could use the learning braces (which could take up different forms
e.g. bookmarks, visual aids, notebooks etc) that will enable students to work on their own,
without constantly needing the teacher’s help. The teacher, therefore, has more time to help
and support those who actually need help, thus maximizing the time for individualized teach-
ing and learning (Neophytou & Valiandes, 2015; Valiandes & Neophytou, 2017b).
Differentiation cannot be seen in the absence of assessment. Assessment is vital and es-
sential for the planning, reflection and redesign of differentiated instruction. Consequently,
further from pre-assessment, it is important to plan and design both formative assessment and
final assessment. Through formative assessment the teacher gains information regarding the
students’ level of work, difficulties they may encounter, any misconceptions they might have
and an overall idea on their progress, that allows teachers to dynamically adapt instruction.
Planning for differentiation of instruction can be concluded with the provision of final as-
sessment, not as a way to test and compare students between their peers, but as a way to
assess the level of knowledge and skills students have mastered. Final assessment may be in
the form of exit slips, which constitute a quick and informal assessment technique. Informa-
tion gathered by final assessment will support teachers’ reflection regarding their instruc-
tion and simultaneously provide the basis for designing the next differentiated instruction.

3. Strategies and techniques of differentiated instruction

There are many strategies and techniques that teachers, all around the word, employ in
their effort to implement differentiated instruction (DI) (Gregory & Chapman, 2007; Hall, Strang-
man, & Meyer 2002; Tomlinson, 1995, 2000, 2001; Valiandes & Neophytou, 2017b). Presented
here, in short descriptions and examples, are some of most the popular and functional strate-
gies and techniques of DI that can be used in mixed ability classrooms. It must be noted that in-
structional strategies tend to support the dynamic adaptation of instruction according to
student’s needs, since they do not constitute a close-end way to differentiation of Instruction.
The following strategies for DI will be presented first,
1. Hierarchical lesson structure - hierarchical lesson activities
2. Asynchronous working and learning
3. Students working routine for DI
4. Tiered Activities
5. Anchor Activities
6. Flexible grouping
7. Curriculum compacting

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And will be followed by these DI techniques:

1. Exit and Entrance slips
2. Learning Braces
3. Raft
4. Tic-tac-Toe
Many more strategies and techniques can be found in the extensive literature that is
available. Once teachers are familiar and comfortable with differentiated instruction they
can also develop their own strategies and techniques.

3.1. Strategies for Differentiation of Instruction

3.1.1. Hierarchical lesson structure and hierarchical lesson activities
The Hierarchical lesson structure constitutes the basis upon which a differentiated lesson
is designed, developed and implemented (Valiandes, 2013). Despite its importance, it is one
of the easiest and most functional strategies for effective differentiated instruction. As the de-
sign of differentiated instruction is based on the theory of constructivism, it is essential that
(further from identifying prerequisite, basic-core and transformative knowledge) all lesson ac-
tivities should be structured in a hierarchical order. The hierarchical order of activities is a
systematic and gradual transition from what is known to what is new. In this manner, stu-
dents take small and steady steps that enable them to utilize their prior knowledge for the
acquisition of the new, basic and transformational knowledge (Neophytou & Valiandes, 2015;
Valiandes, 2013). The activities within such instructional planning are prioritized from what
is known to what is unknown, from more simple to more complex ones and from those de-
manding lower cognitive skills to those demanding higher cognitive skill activities.
The teacher, according to the lesson aim and objectives, prioritizes the activities start-
ing from activities that focus on the reflection, restoration, monitoring and evaluation of
the prerequisite knowledge and skills. Then, the teacher provides students with activities
that focus on the new knowledge, starting from simple to more complex ones. Within a hi-
erarchical lesson structure, all students can work to their fullest extent by focusing on
achieving the lesson objectives according to their level of readiness.
It is important to point out that not all students are expected to work on all of the ac-
tivities, nor conquer the transformational knowledge provisioned for high achieving stu-
dents. In addition, teachers must have in mind that not all students are expected to master
the basic knowledge in the same depth and equal degree of understanding. Nevertheless,
all students are expected to have opportunities to actively engage in the learning process
so that it will enable them to move further, depending on their own personal entry point.
Designing a lesson based on a Hierarchal lesson structure provides students with the op-
portunity to work on activities that allow them to move in small steps, from one level to
another and work and in their own pace. Thus, hierarchal lesson structure is inextricably
linked with asynchronous learning activities (Neophytou & Valiandes, 2015; Valiandes,
2013). The main advantage of asynchronous activities is that they promote independent
and personalized learning which maximizes time on task.

3.1.2. Asynchronous working and learning

Asynchronous work signifies a process within a multitasking system whose execution
can proceed independently (Neophytou & Valiandes, 2015; Valiandes, 2013). In a class-

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room, this refers to the provision that each and every student can work in his/her own
pace without being dragged up or pushed down, just to fit in an inflexible predefined
timetable and framework of activities. As students work and learn on their own pace,
teachers must design and implement the lesson plans that provide opportunities for indi-
vidual work that fosters the development of a personal comfort zone for learning. Accord-
ing to a hierarchically structured lesson plan, students can work individually and move on
to the next activity in an asynchronous manner, thus differentiating from their classmates.
By establishing asynchronous work, low achievers and slow learners have more time to
work and acquire the basic knowledge and skills, whereas high achievers and quick learn-
ers can move on, develop and enhance their learning and skills further more. In this way
all students’ needs are met and students feel happy working on activities that are mean-
ingful and challenging. It is safe to say that differentiated instruction enables students to
work individually in an asynchronous manner and learn on their own pace as part of their
basic working routine. This individual work is then followed by cooperative work and the
participation of the whole classroom.

3.1.3. Students’ working routine for constructing knowledge in differentiated instruction

Each student has their own starting point and thus teachers must provide all students
with opportunities to recall any previously acquired knowledge on a given instructional
unit. In this way, students can start working from their own personal starting point and the
teacher can identify any misconceptions they may have or lack of necessary prerequisite
knowledge. While students work individually, the teacher supports their work accordingly,
thus allowing them time to work and learn individually. Upon the teacher’s signal, students
start to work in pairs or in groups to exchange ideas regarding their work. Within the group,
students can interact both with their peers and the teacher, revise and enrich their work
and when they are ready present it to the class (Diagram 4). This routine provides students
with authentic learning situations that allow deep, profound and sustainable learning for
all (Valiandes, 2013).

STUDENT TEACHER
1. Students work
Individually x Individualized help and
support
x Learning braces
x Communication and
3. Students work with support with students
2. Students work x MonitŽƌŝŶŐƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͛
the whole class
together and collaborate work
x Evaluation of task
completion and the
fulfillment of objectives

Diagram 4: Students’ work and learning routine in classroom (Valiandes, 2013)

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3.1.4. Tiered activities

Tiered activities are identified as planning strategies that can be used in a mixed ability
classroom. Tiered instruction focuses on the teaching of a concept and meeting the dif-
ferent learning needs within a group. Tasks and/or resources may vary according to stu-
dents’ learning profile, readiness levels and interests. The use of tiered activities maximizes
the likelihood that each student comes away with the understanding of key skills and that
each student is appropriately challenged.

Phases of implementation
• Develop the on-level task, according to the standards expected by the curriculum.
• Adjust the task to create a below-level task for struggling students.
• Adjust the task to create an above- level task for advanced students.

Classroom techniques
For Struggling Students
• Level: Provide more accessible readings/materials (level, vocabulary, form, etc.) on
the same topic; use recorded readings.
• Structure: Provide highlighted texts; utilize graphic organizers to direct reading and
problem solving.
• Complexity: Simplify the complexity of an assignment by providing aids (guidelines,
learning braces, etc.) that will guide them through the various steps that are neces-
sary to reach the minimum goal set for all students in the class.
For advanced students
• Level: Provide more expert-like readings/materials (level, vocabulary, form, etc.) on
same topic.
• Pace: Ask students to examine the view of the author/innovator-information or a
similar piece/problem and to look for connections/patterns.
• Creativity: Provide more open-ended assignments—give students room to experi-
ment with various options about reaching a well specified goal (same goal as the
rest of the class).
• Complexity: Increase the complexity level of an assignment.
Examples and ideas for activities and possible products regarding the 3 tiers are pre-
sented in Table 1.

Table 1: Examples and ideas for tiered activities

Tiers Questioning Cues Possible products
Tier 1 Describe, name, define, label, select, Dictionary, diagram, collage,
activities identify, write, describe, memorize, television show, newspaper,
recite, list, draw, match, illustrate, speech, graph, story, radio
explain, compare, paraphrase, program, outline
defend, predict, restate, summarize

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Tier 2 Classify, collect, produce, solve, model, Survey, questionnaire, report,

activities apply, examine, survey, distinguish model, an idea broken into
between, categorize, select, interpret, parts, mobile, painting, puzzle,
infer, separate, investigate diagram, map, illustration,
forecast, project, sculpture,
solution
Tier 3 Invent, judge, evaluate, give opinion, Set of rules, an alternate course
activities hypothesize, imagine, prioritize, of action, invention, detailed
critique, what if, recommend, plan, report, poem, experiment, cartoon,
weigh, assess, compose, develop, game, trial, self-evaluation,
role-play, create, summarize debate or group discussion,
a hypothesis formulated and
tested
Example 1: Language lesson - Completing a Character Map (Heacox, 2002)
Tier 1. Describe:
(Low) - What the character looks like
- What the character says
- How the character thinks or acts
- The most important thing to know about the character
Tier 2. Describe:
(Middle) - What the character says or does
- What the character really means to say or do
- What goals does the character have
- What the character would mostly like us to know about him or her
- What changes the character went through
Tier 3. Describe:
(High) - Clues the author gives us about the character
- Why the author gives these clues
- The author’s bottom line about this character

Example 2: Math’s tiered activity example

Division and multiplication in problem solving: Exploring the relation between division and
multiplication in solving problems
Tier 1. A. Solve the following equations 4X8= 32 : 4 =
(Low) B. Which of the 2 equations can I use to solve the following problem?
Explain.
Anna has 32 books she wants to put equal numbers of books on her 4
bookshleves. How many books must she place on each shelf?
Tier 2. A. Solve the problem
(Middle) Anna has 32 books that she must place in equal numbers on her 4
bookshleves. How many books must she place on each shelf?
B. Write your own problem in which the question should be ‘How many
roses are there in each vase?’

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Tier 3. A. Solve the problem in two different ways. Anna has 32 books that she
(High) must place in equal numbers on her 4 bookshleves.
How many books must she place on each shelf?
B. Now write you own problem that can be solved in the same way.
C. Write down your thoughts regarding the relation between multiplication
and division as you have witnest it in the above problems.

Example 3: Tiering by outcome in maths

All students use the same materials, but what they do with the materials is different.
Example: Pattern block Math
Tier 1. Identify all the ways you can group your pattern blocks.
(Low)
Tier 2. Identify all the different patterns you can make with your pattern blocks.
(Middle)
Tier 3. Create a bar graph to show all the different kinds of pattern blocks in your
(High) bag.

Example 4: Language lesson tiered activity

Writing a Persuasive Essay for 4th–6th Grade Classroom (Heacox, 2002)

Beginning Intermediate Advanced

Outcome/ Students will decide Students will decide Students will decide on a
Objective on a topic and will on a topic, state a topic, state a point of view,
write a five-sentence point of view, and and write an essay of at
paragraph with a main write two paragraphs east five paragraphs
idea, three supporting defending that point where multiple sources
sentences, and a of view. will be used to defend
concluding sentence. that point of view.
Instruction/ Students will receive Students will receive Students will review the
Activity an example of a five- an example of a per- graphic organizer for a
sentence paragraph suasive essay and a persuasive essay. Students
and explicit instructions graphic organizer that will be given explicit
on how to construct explains the construc- instructions on how to
the paragraph. tion of a persuasive locate different sources
As part of a prewriting essay. Students will and quotes to use in their
activity, students will also receive explicit essays.
list their topic and instructions on how As part of a prewriting
develop a list of at to write a persuasive activity, students will use
least three things that essay. the graphic organizer to
support their topic. As part of a prewriting organize their essay.
activity, students will Students will also compile
have to use the a list of five sources that
graphic organizer will help them defend
to plan their writing. their main point.

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Assessment Students will be able Students will be able Students will be able to
to write a five- to state a point of view write a five-paragraph
sentence paragraph and successfully essay that states a point
that successfully defend their ideas by of view, defends the point
states and supports using two paragraphs of view, and uses resources
a main idea. The that defend their to support the point of
paragraph will meet point of view, main view. The essay will meet
the criteria on the ideas and supporting the criteria on the state
state writing rubric. material. The writing rubric.
paragraphs will meet
the criteria on the
state writing rubric.

3.1.5 Anchor activities

Anchor activities (Perry, 2012; Tomlinson & Strickland, 2005; Valiandes & Neophytou,
2017b) are activities that are designed prior to the lesson for students to work on imme-
diately after finishing certain specific tasks during class time or after their class work has
been completed, so as to maximize the instructional time. These activities are intended to
review, practice or extend learning with regards to the instructional objectives. They must
never be seen or used as activities to keep students busy during class by having them do
extra work without any real learning gain. Activities may be designed for students to be
completed independently or in small groups. Students may be assigned some particular
tasks or may choose from a number of tasks provided by the teacher. All tasks should be
relevant to the concepts being developed in class, but some may be more complex or de-
mand higher thinking skills than others. The purpose of the anchor activities is to provide
meaningful work to students when they finish an assignment or a project. They provide on-
going tasks that are linked to the content (standards) and the overall instructional frame-
work. Anchor activities also develop independent group work strategies in students, which
allow the classroom teacher to work with other groups of students or individuals.

Phases of implementation
1. Create Activities: To begin, you must first create some specific activities or a set of
activities that coincide with the targeted content area and which can be used in par-
ticular phases of the lesson. Activities may vary for different skill levels, as well as in-
terests.
2. Introduce Activities: Once these activities have been created, introduce the idea of
anchor activities to students. Describe your expectations, the tasks and the time stu-
dents will have to work on the activities.
3. Assessment: Assessment of the activities can be done both during class and through
student-teacher conferences, rubrics, and student contracts.

Classroom techniques
• Used in any subject
• Individual assignments or small groups

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• Tiered to meet the needs of different readiness levels

• Interdisciplinary for use across content areas or teams
Examples for anchor activities for science:
• Write a letter to a member of the government about an environmental issue we’ve
talked about in class.
• Write a letter to a famous scientist or person who has contributed to science. Be
sure to include questions you’d really like this person to answer for you.
• Come up with a list of new “essential questions” you’d like to have answers to about
our unit of study (or future units).
• Create a perfect “habitat” for an animal of your choice. Use any format you’d like to
illustrate your habitat.
• Write an experiment you could conduct to teach others about a science concept
you’ve learned in class.
• Create a mind map/web using a school approved App or Extension on the computer
to illustrate a science concept to share with others.
• Research an important event or invention in Science. Find out what was going on
during the time that this event occurred in the rest of the world. Are there any re-
lations/connections/effects between these events?
• Make a list of what you think are the top ten environmental issues in today’s world.
Be sure to put them in order of importance.

3.1.6 Flexible grouping

Flexible grouping (Ford, 2005; Radencich & McKay, 1995) is a strategy that groups stu-
dents together in a more flexible way. This can be realized by grouping the whole class to-
gether, by creating a small group in the class, or group students with a partner. Flexible
grouping creates temporary groups that can last for an hour or a week. Groups may differ
from one learning subject to another or from a lesson to another as groups are created
based on different criteria according to the specific lesson, the activities and the student
needs. In this sense, groups are not permanent and flexible grouping is a temporary way
for students to work together in a variety of ways and formations. In order to successfully
differentiate instruction through flexible grouping, teachers must consider the students’
learning profiles, their interests, their social and collaborative skills and their readiness lev-
els. To promote maximum learning and establish a sense of collaboration within different
groups, students need to frequently change groups depending on their specific needs.

Phases of implementation
1. Ask yourself, “What is the best group formation to meet the learning outcome for
this activity?” Consider a teacher-led group (whole-class, small group, or an individ-
ual teacher-directed activity), or a student-led group (collaborative, performance-
based, or pairs).
2. Evaluate all assessment data and look over student-leaning profiles to help you form
groups.

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3. Identify the most effective group formation. For example, group students based on
their gender, previous group, student’s selection, or teacher’s selection.
4. Identify the most effective grouping formation. For example, group students by gen-
der, previous group, student selection, or teacher selection.
Classroom techniques
• Create a color-coded system or chart to help you (and students) know which group(s)
they are in.
• Give specific instructions about the tasks groups must perform.
• Write on the classroom board some specific instructions and expectations so that
you don’t have to repeat yourself.
• Model and practice routines and procedures for getting into and out of groups. De-
velop a routine so as not to leave your classroom in “utter chaos” after a group task
is completed.
• Set a specific time limit for students to complete their group work. It’s best to set an
alarm so students know when the alarm goes off, they must proceed to the next ac-
tivity quietly.
• Implement a student learning log for each group they are in. A color-coded one
works best for students to keep track and record what they completed in each group.

3.1.7 Curriculum compacting

This teaching strategy is designed to adapt the curriculum to the needs of highly gifted stu-
dents or those who demonstrate particular strengths in certain areas or topics within the
curriculum. This approach renders the curriculum more flexible and provides a process with
which the students may substitute content they have already fully assimilated, with content
they find more challenging and motivating. Students spend some time with the grade level
content, and some time with the more challenging content. This way all students are chal-
lenged, continue to learn important information and skills, and are able to progress at school
(Reis, Burns, & Renzulli, 1992). To apply compacting in the classroom, the objectives of a par-
ticular unit or learning point must first be defined. Next, the competencies, skills or content
that the student has already mastered, should be identified. Finally, these elements are sub-
stituted with new scenarios or experiences that can provide the student with opportunities
to make more productive and enriching use of their time within the educational setting.
Phases of implementation
1. Identify the aims and objectives of a given area or course.
2. Include students in the evaluation process.
3. Assess students’ competence in a specific area.
4. Propose alternatives that these students will find more challenging.
5. Prepare an Individual educational programming guide that includes:
- CURRICULUM AREAS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR COMPACTING: Provide a brief de-
scription of the basic material to be covered during this marking period and the
assessment information or evidence that suggests the need for compacting.
- PROCEDURES FOR COMPACTING BASIC MATERIAL: Describe the activities that
will be used to guarantee proficiency in basic curricular areas.
- ACCELERATION AND/OR ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES: Describe the activities that

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will be used to provide advanced level learning experiences in each area of the
regular curriculum.

Classroom techniques
• Peer tutoring (as an alternative the student may tutor other students in the class-
room)
• Cooperative learning
• Autonomous working (alone or with a partner), researching and proposing solutions
to a problem related to the content being studied (participation in activities that
serve the community).
• Provide students with assessment guidelines (rubric) to enable them to grade their
learning progress throughout a given unit.

Examples of curriculum compacting

Curriculum areas to be Procedures for compacting Acceleration and/or
considered for basic material enrichment activities
compacting
Maths Addition of fractions as part Students solve math
of a whole surface for all problems with addition
students – addition of based on a quantity
fractions as part of a (i.e. ¾ of 40).
quantity (compacting).
Language Vocabulary Students find words from
Dictation and use of more the dictionary and other
advanced and difficult resources and use them in
words on the same subject. their assignments in terms
of the subject of the unit.

3.2. Techniques for Differentiation of instruction

3.2.1. Exit and Entrance Slips
Exit and Entrance Slips (Fisher & Frey, 2004; Greenstein, 2010) constitute an informal
and quick way for a non-formal assessment that allows formative assessment to guide the
lesson process. Through exit or entrance slips teachers can have an overall picture of their
students’ readiness level, knowledge and abilities in a particular area. Information pro-
vided by the slips will support teachers’ instructional decisions towards an effective dif-
ferentiated instruction (Valiandes & Neophytou, 2017b). Both the entrance and exit slips
may be in the form of close or open ended questions/ activities depending on its purpose
and the subject area that needs to be assessed.

Entrance slips help students reflect on what they know by working and recalling the pre-
requisite knowledge needed to work and help them acquire the new knowledge. Entrance
slips are very useful to identify any students’ misconceptions or difficulties they might have
in terms of the prerequisite knowledge. This information will allow the teacher to adapt one’s
instruction in order to necessary correct any misconceptions and provide students with op-
portunities to work and learn the prerequisite knowledge. Of course this is not always the case

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since not all students are able to acquire this knowledge within such a small time span. In this
case, the learning braces must be used to help students work and learn.
Create and use of entrance slips
• After determining the prerequisite knowledge, think of activities that will help stu-
dent recall this knowledge.
• Create an entrance slip that you can present to students orally, illustrate it visually,
or present it in printed form.
• Soon after students quiet down introduce the lesson by handing out the entrance slip
that they should all work on for 2-4 minutes.
• Students may write their responses in their notebook, on a post-it note, on a blank
piece of paper or on a handout provided by the teacher.
• Students who complete their work on the entrance slip can check their work with the
students sitting next to them or their group.
• The teacher reviews student’s work and gathers information regarding their level of
knowledge and understanding on the specific topic.
• Entrance slips are not usually collected by the teacher but one might do so in cases
that the teacher wants to study them in order to get more information about stu-
dents’ individual work.

Example 1: Elementary History lesson entrance slip (Valiandes & Neophytou, 2017b)
Lesson aim: Students should be able to identify and talk about the differences between
the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras.
Prerequisite knowledge: Students should be able to identify and talk about the main char-
acteristic of the Paleolithic era. The teacher will ask students to work on the entrance slip
to evaluate their knowledge on this particular subject area.
Entrance slip
Choose and work on one of the following activities
1. Write down a few words (or sentences) that come in mind when yoy hear the phrase
Paleolithic Era?

2. Draw a picture about the Paleolithic Era and prepare to talk about it in classroom.

Example 2: Elementary maths lesson entrance slip (Valiandes & Neophytou, 2017b)
Maths lesson: Area of shapes
What do you know about the shapes below?

1. Identify the shapes below by writing the name of each shape.

2. Write their main characteristics (angles, sides) of each shape.

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Exit Slips help students reflect on what they have learned and the degree to which they can
use this new knowledge and/ or skill. This information will guide the teacher to design the
following lesson on the topic by having in mind what has already been learned and what
has to be reviewed or revisited in order to resolve any misconceptions. Exit Slips are great
to use because they take just a few minutes to be prepared by the teacher and students
can complete them very quickly.

Generalized categories and examples of exit slips (Fisher & Frey, 2004):
• Prompts that document learning,
 Write one thing you have learned today.
 Discuss how today’s lesson could be used in the real world.
• Prompts that emphasize the process of learning,
 I didn’t understand…
 Write one question you have about today’s lesson.
• Prompts to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction
 Did you enjoy working in small groups today?

Create and use of exit slips

• At the end of your lesson, or five minutes before the end of class, ask students to
complete the exit slip.
• Instructions on how to complete the “exit slip” can be provided orally, through visual
representations, or in printed form.
• Students may write their responses in their note-book, on a post-it, on a plain piece
of paper or on a printed form provided by the teacher.
• Students should turn in their exit slips as they leave the classroom.
• The teacher reviews the exit slips and determines how to best design one’s next les-
son to meet the needs of all students.
• Collect the exit slips as a part of an assessment portfolio for each student.

Example 1: EXIT SLIP for English lesson.

Objective: Assessment of students’ ability to use comparatives

Write sentences to compare the vehicles you can see in the pictures.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Name _________________________________________ Class____________

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Example 2 : EXIT SLIP 3, 2, 1-

A more general form of exit slip that can be adjusted accordingly
3 , 2 ,1 EXIT CARD
1DPH««««««««««««««««««««««««««'DWH«««««««

:ULWHGRZQ«
3 things you have learned today and how you will use them
3 __________________________________________________________________

2 ___________________________________________________________________

1 ___________________________________________________________________

2 things you want to learn more about

2 __________________________________________________________________

1 ___________________________________________________________________

1 thing you found GLIILFXOWRUGLGQ¶WOLNH

1. ___________________________________________________________________

3.2.2. Learning Braces

Learning braces, as evidenced by their name, enhance understanding, motivate and
help students work and thus promote learning (Valiandes & Neophytou, 2017b). One might
say that a learning brace is a lot like a “helping cane” for someone who finds it difficult to
walk. Students very often, despite being taught and having learned a certain concept,
knowledge or developed a specific skill, have difficulties recalling or using their “preexist-
ing” knowledge or skill. This is why it is important for teachers to provide students with op-
portunities to recall and work on the prerequisite knowledge, in an effort to evaluate their
understanding, the degree of mastering a skill or any misconceptions that may exist re-
garding this knowledge of skill. The results of this initial informal evaluation helps teach-
ers assess whether students have indeed acquired the prior knowledge and thus act
accordingly, by providing the appropriate learning brace that will support students in the
construction of new knowledge or the development of new skills.
A learning brace is identified as something that can support students’ cognitive process
and reduce the load of his/her work. It is important to make sure that any learning brace
we provide the students with is easy to understand and use. A functional brace is a useful
tool that the student can refer to when working on a specific task e.g. a bookmark, a table
of formulas, a poster. Students often need to use a brace again and again until they mas-
ter the intended knowledge.
Examples:
• Multiplication tables can be used as a learning brace for the teaching of division.
• A cardboard with adverbs can be used to support story telling.
• A list of adjectives can be used to support creative writing.

3.2.3. RAFT (ROLE, AUDIENCE, FORMAT, TOPIC)

RAFT is a writing strategy that helps students understand their roles as writers, the tar-
geted audience, the varied writing formats, and the topic they’ll be writing about (Tomlin-
son, 2003; Valiandes & Neophytou 2017b). By using this strategy, teachers encourage

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students to write creatively, to consider a topic from a different perspective and to prac-
tice writing for different audiences. It includes writing from different viewpoints. It helps
students learn important writing skills such as writing for a specific audience, expressing the
main idea, and organization. It teaches students to think creatively about writing by re-
sponding to the following questions:
Role of the Writer: Who are you as a writer? (a president, a toy, a particular character)
What is your role in the story? How would this role affect your writing?
Audience: To whom are you writing? (a schoolmate, a teacher, readers of a newspaper)
What is the appropriate language to use when addressing this particular audience?
Format: What is the format of your writing? (a letter, a poem, a speech)
Topic and strong verb: What are you writing about? Why? What’s the subject or the main point?
Phases of implementation
1. Identify the learning goals of the lesson/unit.
2. Use the assessment data and students’ profiles to determine students’ readiness
levels, learning styles, or interests.
3. Design different writing tasks by determining the role of the writer, the audience, the
format and the topic of the text.
4. Arrange the tasks on a RAFT choice board.
5. Check the following:
- Does the RAFT appeal to different learning styles?
- Is there a range of difficulty in the roles, formats, readiness levels?
- Do the roles, formats or topics appeal to a variety of students’ interests?
Classroom techniques
RAFT is a strategy that employs multiple ways for meeting the needs of all students,
based on where they are and their identified needs. Possible Ideas for a RAFT:
characters from a story, historical figures, jobs, key terms, scientists or politicians, mu-
sical instruments, diseases, geographic formations, vocabulary words, cartoon characters,
types of fabric, composers or artists, instruments or tools, shapes or colours, authors or in-
venters, business or industry person, minerals or chemical elements, cities, countries or
continents, technical terms, etc. It can also be used during a maths lesson.
Example of RAFT during a foreign language food lesson
Role Audience Format Topic
Chef Customer Menu Detailed description of all the
ingredients
Cookbook writer Cooks Recipe Instructions on food preparation
Customer Restaurant Complain Problem with food or poor
owner service
Student visiting Parents Letter Describing a typical meal you eat in
a foreign county the foreign country you are visiting
Travel writer Reader wanting Recommen- Good things to eat while in this parti-
to travel dation cular foreign country and what to avoid

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3.2.4. Tic-tac-toe
Tic-tac-toe, also known as Think-tac-toe, is a differentiation tool that offers a collection of
activities from which students can choose to demonstrate their understanding on a topic (Nun-
ley, 2006; Valiandes & Neophytou, 2017b). It is presented in the form of a nine-square grid sim-
ilar to a tic-tac-toe board and students may be expected to complete until they get “three in
a row”. The activities vary in terms of content, process, and product and can be tailored to ad-
dress different levels of student readiness, interests, and learning styles. The central square
may be left blanc for students to select an activity of their own. Tic-tac-toe activities may be
given to every student in the class, higher ability students as enrichment activities or below av-
erage performing students as review and practice activities. Involvement in this strategy en-
courages independent learning. Teachers should periodically monitor students and ask them
to keep a log of their progress. In cases of lengthy activities, the tic-tac-toe board may also be
used with shorter, open-ended questions posed at varying levels of Blooms Taxonomy.

Phases of implementation
1. Identify the outcomes and instructional focus of a unit of study.
2. Use the assessment data and students’ profiles to determine students’ readiness
levels, learning styles, or interests.
3. Design nine different tasks based on knowledge/skills that students should work and
be assessed on.
4. Arrange the tasks on a choice board by placing in the central square of the board the
task that all students should complete.
5. Students then choose and complete three tasks, one of which must be the task in the
middle square. The three tasks should complete a Tic-Tac-Toe row.
6. Students who complete one Tic-Tac-Toe row may carry on and try to complete more
activities and more Tic-Tac-Toes.

Classroom techniques
• Allow students to complete any three tasks—even if the completed tasks don’t com-
plete a Tic-Tac-Toe row.
• Create different choice boards based on students’ readiness level. (Struggling stu-
dents work with the options on one choice board while more advanced students
have different options.)
• Create different choice boards based on students’ learning styles or learning pref-
erences. For example, a choice board could include three kinaesthetic tasks, three
auditory tasks or three visual tasks.
• Create a choice board with more than 9 options (e.g. 16)
• Instead of having students complete a tic-tac-toe row, give them a board template
so that they design/colour a certain pattern inside the 3x3 square e. g.:

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Example 1: Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Board for a Book Report

Draw a picture of the Perform a ply that shows Write a song about one of
main character. the conclusion of a story. the main events.
Write a poem about two Make a poster that shows Dress up as your favourite
main events in the story. the order of events in character and perform a
the story. speech telling who you are.
Create a Venn diagram Write two paragraphs Write two paragraphs about
where you can compare about the main character. the setting of the story.
and contrast the
introduction to closing.

Example 2: Maths Tic – Tac – Toe

Place the numbers in the circles in Write the number which has: Write the number before and after
ascending order, from the smallest the given number
5 tens ʃɲɿ 3 units Æ ................
to the greatest. ........, 56, .......... ..........., 77, .........
1 ten ʃɲɿ 9 units Æ ...............
........, 18, .......... .........., 40, .........
23 56 47 29 63 18 ϰƚĞŶƐʃɲɿϱƵŶŝƚƐÆ ...............
........, 29, .......... .........., 31, .........
9 tens Æ ................
.........,50, .......... ........., 99, ..........

Write the number Find the answer Draw the beads on the abacus:
Seventeen: ....................................... ϲрϮсϮϬрϮсϰрϮс
Twenty-five: .....................................
Ninety-nine: ..................................... ϭϬрϮсϭϲрϮсϭϰрϮс
Thirty: ...............................................
ϭϮрϮсϮрϮсϭϴрϮс 37 64
Solve the problem Fill in: Pair the objects. Write the equation
A bus can carry more than 43 for each representation.
passengers and less than 56. If the
ƵŶŝƚƐ͛ ĚŝŐŝƚ ŝƐ ϳ͘ How many
1111111111
passengers can the bus carry; _____ tens and _____ units

Answer : _____________________ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ

€€€€€€
_____ tens and _____ units

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