Definition of differentiated instruction

Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and professor of
educational leadership, foundations, and policy at the University of Virginia. Tomlinson
describes differentiated instruction as factoring students’ individual learning styles and levels of
readiness first before designing a lesson plan. 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 high ability.

Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of
instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of
difficulty based on the ability of each student.

Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:

 Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.

 Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.
 Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
 Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.
 Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.

History of differentiated instruction

The roots of differentiated instruction go all the way back to the days of the one-room
schoolhouse, where one teacher had students of all ages in one classroom. As the educational
system transitioned to grading schools, it was assumed that children of the same age learned
similarly. However in 1912, achievement tests were introduced, and the scores revealed the gaps
in student’s abilities within grade levels.

In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that
children with disabilities had equal access to public education. To reach this student population,
many educators used differentiated instruction strategies. Then came the passage of No Child
Left Behind in 2000, which further encouraged differentiated and skill-based instruction—and
that’s because it works. Research by educator Leslie Owen Wilson supports differentiating
instruction within the classroom, finding that lecture is the least effective instructional strategy,
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 ways to ensure learning
retention.

Four ways to differentiate instruction

According to Tomlinson, teachers can differentiate instruction through four ways: 1) content, 2)
process, 3) product, and 4) learning environment.

1. Content
As you already know, fundamental lesson content should cover the standards of learning set by
the school district or state educational standards. But some students in your class may be
completely unfamiliar with the concepts in a lesson, some students may have partial mastery, and
some students may already be familiar with the content before the lesson begins.

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 levels of intellectual behavior
going from lower-order thinking skills to higher-order thinking skills). The six levels are:
remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete 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 high levels of mastery could be asked to complete
tasks in the areas of evaluating and creating.

Examples of differentiating activities:

 Match vocabulary words to definitions.
 Read a passage of text and answer related questions.
 Think of a situation that happened to a character in the story and a different outcome.
 Differentiate fact from opinion in the story.
 Identify an author’s position and provide evidence to support this viewpoint.
 Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson.

2. Process
Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful differentiation includes delivering the
material to each style: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, and through words. This process-related
method also addresses the fact that not all 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 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
support based on individual needs.

Examples of differentiating the process:

 Provide textbooks for visual and word learners.
 Allow auditory learners to listen to audio books.
 Give kinesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive assignment online.

3. Product
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, 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 style.
Examples of differentiating the end product:
 Read and write learners write a book report.
 Visual learners create a graphic organizer of the story.
 Auditory learners give an oral report.
 Kinesthetic learners build a diorama illustrating the story.

4. Learning environment
The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological elements. A flexible
classroom layout is key, incorporating various types of furniture and arrangements to support
both individual and group work. Psychologically speaking, teachers should use classroom
management techniques that support a safe and supportive learning environment.

Examples of differentiating the environment:

 Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.
 Allow students to read individually if preferred.
 Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.

Pros and cons of differentiated

instruction
The benefits of differentiation in the classroom are often accompanied by the drawback of an
ever-increasing workload. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Pros
 Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as
students with mild to severe disabilities.
 When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more
responsibility for their own learning.
 Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline
problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons.

Cons
 Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson planning, and many teachers
struggle to find the extra time in their schedule.
 The learning curve can be steep and some schools lack professional development
resources.
 Critics argue there isn’t enough research to support the benefits of differentiated
instruction outweighing the added prep time.
Differentiated instruction strategies
What differentiated instructional strategies can you use in your classroom? There are a set of
methods that can be tailored and used across the different subjects. According to Kathy Perez
(2019) and the Access Center those strategies are tiered assignments, choice boards, compacting,
interest centers/groups, flexible grouping, and learning contracts. Tiered assignments are
designed to teach the same skill but have the students create a different product to display their
knowledge based on their comprehension skills. Choice boards allow students to choose what
activity they would like to work on for a skill that the teacher chooses. On the board are usually
options for the different learning styles; kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and tactile. Compacting
allows the teacher to help students reach the next level in their learning when they have already
mastered what is being taught to the class. To compact the teacher assesses the student’s level of
knowledge, creates a plan for what they need to learn, excuses them from studying what they
already know, and creates free time for them to practice an accelerated skill.

Interest centers or groups are a way to provide autonomy in student learning. Flexible grouping
allows the groups to be more fluid based on the activity or topic. Finally, learning contracts are
made between a student and teacher, laying out the teacher’s expectations for the necessary skills
to be demonstrated and the assignments required components with the student putting down the
methods they would like to use to complete the assignment. These contracts can allow students
to use their preferred learning style, work at an ideal pace and encourages independence and
planning skills. The following are strategies for some of the core subject based on these methods.

Differentiated instruction strategies for math

 Provide students with a choice board. They could have the options to learn about
probability by playing a game with a peer, watching a video, reading the textbook, or
working out problems on a worksheet.
 Teach mini lessons to individuals or groups of students who didn’t grasp the concept you
were teaching during the large group lesson. This also lends time for compacting
activities for those who have mastered the subject.
 Use manipulatives, especially with students that have more difficulty grasping a concept.
 Have students that have already mastered the subject matter create notes for students that
are still learning.
 For students that have mastered the lesson being taught, require them to give in-depth,
step-by-step explanation of their solution process, while not being rigid about the process
with students who are still learning the basics of a concept if they arrive at the correct
answer.

Differentiated instruction strategies for science

 Emma McCrea (2019) suggests setting up “Help Stations,” where peers assist each other.
Those that have more knowledge of the subject will be able to teach those that are
struggling as an extension activity and those that are struggling will receive.
  Set up a “question and answer” session during which learners can ask the teacher or their
peers questions, in order to fill in knowledge gaps before attempting the experiment.
 Create a visual word wall. Use pictures and corresponding labels to help students
remember terms.
 Set up interest centers. When learning about dinosaurs you might have an “excavation”
center, a reading center, a dinosaur art project that focuses on their anatomy, and a video
center.
 Provide content learning in various formats such as showing a video about dinosaurs,
handing out a worksheet with pictures of dinosaurs and labels, and providing a fill-in-the-
blank work sheet with interesting dinosaur facts.

Differentiated instruction strategies for ELL

 ASCD (2012) writes that all teachers need to become language teachers so that the
content they are teaching the classroom can be conveyed to the students whose first
language is not English.
 Start by providing the information in the language that the student speaks then pairing it
with a limited amount of the corresponding vocabulary in English.
 Although ELL need a limited amount of new vocabulary to memorize, they need to be
exposed to as much of the English language as possible. This means that when teaching,
the teacher needs to focus on verbs and adjectives related to the topic as well.
 Group work is important. This way they are exposed to more of the language. They
should, however, be grouped with other ELL if possible as well as given tasks within the
group that are within their reach such as drawing or researching.

Differentiated instruction strategies for reading

 Tiered assignments can be used in reading to allow the students to show what they have
learned at a level that suites them. One student might create a visual story board while
another student might write a book report.
 Reading groups can pick a book based on interest or be assigned based on reading level
 Erin Lynch (2020) suggest that teachers scaffold instruction by giving clear explicit
explanations with visuals. Verbally and visually explain the topic. Use anchor charts,
drawings, diagrams, and reference guides to foster a clearer understanding. If applicable,
provide a video clip for students to watch.
 Utilize flexible grouping. Students might be in one group for phonics based on their
assessed level but choose to be in another group for reading because they are more
interested in that book.

Differentiated instruction strategies for writing

 Hold writing conferences with your students either individually or in small groups. Talk
with them throughout the writing process starting with their topic and moving through
grammar, composition, and editing.
  Allow students to choose their writing topics. When the topic is of interest, they will
likely put more effort into the assignment and therefore learn more.
 Keep track of and assess student’s writing progress continually throughout the year. You
can do this using a journal or a checklist. This will allow you to give individualized
instruction.
 Hand out graphic organizers to help students outline their writing. Try fill-in-the-blank
notes that guide the students through each step of the writing process for those who need
additional assistance.
 For primary grades give out lined paper instead of a journal. You can also give out
differing amounts of lines based on ability level. For those who are excelling at writing
give them more lines or pages to encourage them to write more. For those that are still in
the beginning stages of writing, give them less lines so that they do not feel
overwhelmed.

Differentiated instruction strategies for special education

 Use a multi-sensory approach. Get all five senses involved in your lessons, including
taste and smell!
 Use flexible grouping to create partnerships and teach students how to work
collaboratively on tasks. Create partnerships where the students are of equal ability,
partnerships where once the student will be challenged by their partner and another time
they will be pushing and challenging their partner.
 Assistive technology is often an important component of differential instruction in special
education. Provide the students that need them with screen readers, personal tablets for
communication, and voice recognition software.
 The article Differentiation & LR Information for SAS Teachers suggests teachers be
flexible when giving assessments “Posters, models, performances, and drawings can
show what they have learned in a way that reflects their personal strengths”. You can test
for knowledge using rubrics instead of multiple-choice questions, or even build a
portfolio of student work. You could also have them answer questions orally.
 Utilize explicit modeling. Whether its notetaking, problem solving in math, or making a
sandwich in home living, special needs students often require a step-by-step guide to
make connections.

References and resources

 https://www.thoughtco.com/differentiation-instruction-in-special-education-3111026
 https://sites.google.com/site/lrtsas/differentiation/differentiation-techniques-for-special-
education
 https://www.solutiontree.com/blog/differentiated-reading-instruction/
 https://www.readingrockets.org/article/differentiated-instruction-reading
 https://www.sadlier.com/school/ela-blog/13-ideas-for-differentiated-reading-instruction-
in-the-elementary-classroom
 https://inservice.ascd.org/seven-strategies-for-differentiating-instruction-for-english-
learners/
  https://www.cambridge.org/us/education/blog/2019/11/13/three-approaches-
differentiation-primary-science/
 https://www.brevardschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?
moduleinstanceid=6174&dataid=8255&FileName=Differentiated_Instruction_in_Second
ary_Mathematics.pdf

Books & Videos about differentiated

instruction by Carol Ann Tomlinson and
others
 The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, 2nd Edition
 Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom – Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia
B. Imbeau
 The Differentiated School: Making Revolutionary Changes in Teaching and Learning –
Carol Ann Tomlinson, Kay Brimijoin, and Lane Narvaez
 Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content
and Kids – Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe
 Differentiation in Practice Grades K-5: A Resource Guide for Differentiating
Curriculum – Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson
 Differentiation in Practice Grades 5–9: A Resource Guide for Differentiating
Curriculum – Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson
 Differentiation in Practice Grades 9–12: A Resource Guide for Differentiating
Curriculum – Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy A. Strickland
 Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for
Responsive Teaching – Carol Ann Tomlinson
 Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms – Carol Ann Tomlinson and
Susan Demirsky Allan
 How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms, 3rd Edition by
Carol Ann Tomlinson
 Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson
and Tonya R. Moon
 How To Differentiate Instruction In Mixed Ability Classrooms 2nd Edition – Carol Ann
Tomlinson
 How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms 3rd
Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson
 Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom Paperback – Carol Ann
Tomlinson, Tonya R. Moon
 Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom (Professional Development) 1st
Edition – Carol Ann Tomlinson, Marcia B. Imbeau
 The Differentiated School: Making Revolutionary Changes in Teaching and Learning 1st
Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Kay Brimijoin, Lane Narvaez
 Differentiation and the Brain: How Neuroscience Supports the Learner-Friendly
Classroom – David A. Sousa, Carol Ann Tomlinson
 Leading for Differentiation: Growing Teachers Who Grow Kids – Carol Ann
Tomlinson, Michael Murphy
 An Educator’s Guide to Differentiating Instruction. 10th Edition – Carol Ann
Tomlinson, James M. Cooper
 A Differentiated Approach to the Common Core: How do I help a broad range of learners
succeed with a challenging curriculum? – Carol Ann Tomlinson, Marcia B. Imbeau
 Managing a Differentiated Classroom: A Practical Guide – Carol Tomlinson, Marcia
Imbeau
 Differentiating Instruction for Mixed-Ability Classrooms: An ASCD Professional Inquiry
Kit Pck Edition – Carol Ann Tomlinson
 Using Differentiated Classroom Assessment to Enhance Student Learning (Student
Assessment for Educators) 1st Edition – Tonya R. Moon, Catherine M. Brighton, Carol
A. Tomlinson
 The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners 1st Edition –
Carol Ann Tomlinson