How the Best Teachers Differentiate Instruction

Monique Magee, Elizabeth Breaux

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781596671409
• eBook ISBN: 9781317927136
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This accessible and practical guide shows teachers how to provide their students with a variety of ways to strengthen their understanding of new material. A selection of assessments is also available to ensure that students have mastered classroom content, regardless of their individual learning styles, abilities, and needs. Contents include:

• What is differentiated instruction and why do we differentiate?
• Know your students
• Management for differentiated instruction
• 12 ways to differentiate
• And more!

Chapter 1

What is Differentiated Instruction, and Why Do We Differentiate?

We Sow before We Reap

If I can be successful on this step on which I stand
I might consider grasping onto your extended hand
For sometimes all I need is just a hand to help me rise
On ladders that reach onward into new uncharted skies.

I cannot climb the ladder without treading every rung

One leads to another, songs don’t end until they’re sung

Birds aren’t free until they’ve flown

Moons rise before they sleep

Success is built upon success

We sow before we reap.

—Elizabeth Breaux

Differentiated Instruction is often referred to as part of the “new wave” in education, but Differentiated Instruction has been around for years. Differentiated Instruction is the practice of teaching each student in a manner that will accommodate how he/she learns best.

Many teachers are reluctant to differentiate, because the old theory of “one size fits all” was, for years, commonplace in our classrooms. A close, honest look, however, will reveal that no two students are the same. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. We would never consider buying the same size shirt for all third graders and expect that all would fit. We understand that students have not all been exposed to the same types of environments. We would not assume that a student who has never ventured further than the edges of town would possess the same life experiences as one who vacationed overseas last summer.

Students learn differently. Some are more visual than auditory; most are kinesthetic in that they learn by doing (as we do in life in general); some need extended time to grasp concepts fully; some prefer a quiet, still atmosphere, while others are more open-minded when in motion. The list goes on and on. So why is it that we often rely on the same lesson plans and use the same methods of teaching for an entire class?

In the real world, we know better than that. Let’s consider two sisters. One is two years of age and the other is four. They look strikingly similar; however, their personalities are extremely different. One is independent, outgoing, and has a long attention span. The other is shy, reluctant to meet strangers, and has a short attention span. Parenting must be differentiated in order to meet the needs of both.

Parents understand the need to differentiate parenting. We know instinctively that what fosters growth in one may actually inhibit growth in another. We have not been given any manuals or worksheets to assist us in parenting. Most of us have never attended seminars on “Differentiated Parenting.” We just do what is best for each child because that is what makes the most sense. Yet we get into our classrooms and often lose our ability to think in practical, real-life, common sense terms.

Now let’s contemplate the lives of a couple who have raised three children, all of whom are unique individuals with distinct, yet exceptional, characteristics. All have faced and overcome challenges with the help of two parents who fully understood the need to raise them all as separate entities and to differentiate their parenting to meet the children’s individual needs. This was not an easy task but certainly a practical one. The following descriptions of each of the children are in the words of their mother, Denise Hebert. No one else could have given a more thorough, accurate, and heartfelt description of each child. Note that Denise is also a school teacher who has made it her mission to teach her students with regard to individual needs and differences. After reading the descriptions of her children, you’ll understand why.

Jencie Marie

Jencie was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in the fifth grade. She is really shy and has a hard time looking others in the eye. She is very kind- hearted and cries when she sees others hurt or upset. During her school years, we had to wake her at the same time every morning. She had to do things in the same order every morning (use the restroom, eat breakfast, brush teeth, dress, fix hair, come downstairs, put on shoes, etc.) If any part of her routine was interrupted, she was lost for the day. We had to allow her to “do her own thing.” Her room was a total mess (you could not even see the floor), but she was organized in her own way. She could always find anything if asked, and she also knew where all of our things and her brother’s and sister’s things were. She always had her school work. She was never late for school or practices. She struggled when it came to academics, but she worked very hard. She prepared in advance for all events. The night before a game her bag was packed and checked three times. She would get up in the morning and check it three more times. She never forgot anything. I don’t recall ever having to bring money, books, uniforms, etc., to school because she’d forgotten them. She was just super responsible. Today as always she is very creative and works well in small settings. She is currently working in the public school system in Lafayette, LA.

Andrew Joseph

Andrew is the middle child. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when he was in high school. As a child he would climb anything that was at least eight feet tall and then jump! He would hide from us in stores. He would get lost, but he always found us. (We eventually stopped taking him to stores!) He was smart but did not have good habits, and we could never train him to do things in a systematic way. He was on the honor roll until he reached junior high school and then never again until his senior year when he finally realized what he had to do to make things work. He had to find out in his own way and time. Although it was difficult we knew we had to allow him to do that. Even today he is rarely on time, and he always forgets something. He usually ends up borrowing things, or he has to call Jencie to bring things to him at school. He is always out of lunch money and ends up having to borrow from someone. When he was younger, his nickname was “Contrare” (French for “contrary”) because if we said “white” he said “black.” When cleaning his room he would remove everything from the drawers and closets, thereby creating a bigger mess before he would begin neatly replacing all items, one at a time. He questioned/challenged all rules big and small. If he decided that it was worth the consequence, he broke the rule, knowing what was ahead. He was always bigger and stronger than the other children, yet he always sided with the underdog. He was basically extremely difficult, and we constantly had to try new things to use as punishments and rewards. On the other hand, he is very musically inclined. He plays the saxophone and taught himself to play the guitar. He has always been good at anything he decided to do. He was recently awarded a full football scholarship to the University of Louisiana.

Selina

Selina is dyslexic. She has brought life to this family. She lights up a room because she is so full of life and simply loves life. She is a hard worker. Give her a list and she’ll get it done. She is the cleanest/neatest of the three children. She can get any job done in a short amount of time. She is very focused. She loves children and is very good with them. She works well with her hands. She can create new hair styles, dances, makeup, collages, etc. She would have been a hippy had she lived in the 60’s. She’s just a free bird. She packs on the morning of her events and runs around trying to get things all together, yet she rarely forgets anything. She will ask for things she needs on the day she needs them (money, supplies, gifts, etc.), but will leave early to get them and will not be late. She rarely plans anything in advance. She is not afraid to share her feelings about things. We do not need to guess with her. She is very verbal, and that sometimes gets her into trouble. She is not very good with boundaries, personal space, etc., and is repeatedly being told to “Back Up!” She has attracted people to her since she was an infant. This is wonderful to see and yet scary at the same time. She is currently a junior in high school.

“Life is never boring at home!” says Denise. “I probably needed anti-anxiety medications when I was younger, but I refused to give in and take them. So my husband Jay and the kids just call those my ‘crazy days.’ Jay has an attention deficit disorder, himself, so he often has no clue as to what is going on! Time and again we have to pull him back into the conversations. ‘Hello.. .we are talking to you!’ “

When we asked Denise how many books she’s read on “Differentiated Parenting,” she simply laughed at us. We think she and Jay should write the book!

Let’s consider yet another real-life example of differentiation, the fastpaced American society, where many of us rely on the fast-food industry. One day we are hungry and are craving fried chicken. specifically some crispy wings with fries. We go into the restaurant and are told that only one dish is being provided today. It consists of two thighs, a slice of whole wheat bread, and salad. Because we are really hungry, we eat the food, even though it is not what we were craving. Would we go back to the same restaurant, or would we prefer to go to one where the order would be tailored to our particular, individual liking?

In life, we understand that we are all different. We recognize the fact that we all have different needs, different abilities, different likes and dislikes. We accommodate for those differences by seeking and affording ourselves variety and choice in all things that matter to us. We are in perpetual search of the perfect “fit.” Without differentiation in choice, life would be a virile venture.

With that in mind, let’s explore how Differentiated Instruction works in the classroom. If we are to effectively differentiate instruction, we must change how we teach the material, how we allow students to practice and obtain the new information, and how we permit them to express their knowledge of newly processed information. The only way to effectively create and implement this type of change is to know our students. (See Chapter 2 for more detailed information.)

Differentiated Instruction offers the learner a variety of techniques which create a change in the teaching and/or learning process in one or more of the following ways:

1. It provides students with diverse methods of acquiring knowledge.

2. It provides students with a variety of strategies to aid them in deepening their understanding of the acquired knowledge and provide them different ways of retaining new materials and ideas.

3. It provides students with an array of assessments ensuring that all students within one class setting can demonstrate their level of mastery of a skill regardless of their individual differences, abilities, and needs.

Take a close look at the following list of teaching methods and strategies and some of the authentic assessments that these methods and strategies might produce. Are you familiar with all of them? Do you use them regularly in your classroom? If so, how often? Do you want to know more about them?

Differentiated Instruction
Methods, Strategies, and Assessments

Method	Strategy	Assessment
brainstorming	interest groups	write a short story
varied text	Multiple Intelligences	design a game
Curriculum	interview	write a poem
Compacting	Connect Four	create a chart
Varied Questioning	Cooperative Grouping	draw a diagram
diagrams	debate	write a skit
peer tutoring	Tiered Assignments	make a commercial
Team Teaching	hands-on activities	complete a group project
Center...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• About the Authors
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: What is Differentiated Instruction, and Why Do We Differentiate?
• Chapter 2: Know Your Students
• Chapter 3: Management for Differentiated Instruction
• Chapter 4: Twelve Ways to Differentiate
• Conclusion
• References