Differentiating Instruction: Meeting students where they are.
I am committed to the success of all my students. In order for students to meet state standards, they may require appropriate, specialized instruction. Effective instruction for struggling students must be differentiated and include intensive, systematic, explicit instruction and modeling in small groups, based on the needs and skill levels of students. Materials available to students should be motivating, at the appropriate reading level, and culturally relevant.
Taking the steps to differentiate instruction:
1. Know your students
2. Have a vast array of teaching strategies
3. Identify a variety of instructional activities
4. Identify ways to assess or evaluate student progress.
Taking the steps to differentiate instruction:
1. Know your students
2. Have a vast array of teaching strategies
3. Identify a variety of instructional activities
4. Identify ways to assess or evaluate student progress.
Examples:
Popsicle Sticks:
Encourages all students to be active listeners and participants in class discussions. The sticks are especially well-suited to differentiation when they are used with open-ended questions. These questions allow all students, even the struggling students in class, to share ideas and perceptions about a lesson.
Marker Boards:
These boards increase class participation and make daily assessment easier. They provide a means for monitoring student progress. When using marker boards, you can easily see which students are struggling and which students have mastered new material.
Think-Pair-Shares:
Think-Pair-Shares provides students with the opportunity to carefully think and talk about what they’ve learned. This strategy encourages a great deal of participation from students, even reluctant students. In addition, the
strategy incorporates various learning styles which results in a greater involvement and interaction from more students.
