Differentiated Instruction Overview
What is it? Why do we need it? What does it look like?
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Department of Exceptional Education

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What is Differentiation?
Why Do it?
Instructional Strategies
Tips For Instruction
Assessment Tools

“Ice Breaker”
 In your packet there is a Venn Diagram
 Within your group figure out how you are same and how you are different.
 Share Out: 1 same and 1 different with the group.
Same Different

Differentiating Instruction:
The Journey
"In the end, all learners need your energy , your heart and your mind . They have that in common because they are young humans . How they need you, however, differs. Unless we understand and respond to those differences , we fail many learners."
-Carol Ann Tomlinson

When a teacher tries to teach something to the whole entire class at the same time, chances are, one-third of the kids already know it; one-third will get it; and the remaining third won’t.
Lillian Katz
Willis, S (November 1993). “Teaching Young Children: Educators Seek ‘Developmental
Appropriateness.” Curriculum Update, 1-8.

• A collection of best practices , strategically employed to maximize students’ learning at every turn, including giving them the tools to handle anything that is undifferentiated.
• Highly effective teaching.
• Requires us to do different things for different students , based upon individual student needs.

• Whatever works to advance the student when the regular classroom approach doesn’t meet students’ needs.
• Designed to tap into different student readiness levels , interests, and learning profiles.
• Teaching different students the content in different ways, based on how students learn.

• All students have areas of strength .
• All students have areas of weakness .
• Every brain is as unique as a fingerprint.
• Each student brings prior knowledge and experience to a new learning situation.
• Emotions impact learning.
• Learning is a lifetime journey .
• All students can learn !
DO YOU BELIEVE?

Did you know ...
• A 5-15% increase in blood and oxygen flow to the brain is created when one stands. This also causes students to become more aroused and alert (Jensen, 1995).
• Twenty years of research have shown that movement puts learners, whether kindergarteners or college students, in an appropriate state for learning (Thayer, 1996).

Did you know …
• Music provides a valuable aid to memorization
(Sprenger, 1999).
• Long-term memory and emotion are activated by the signals that music carries (Webb & Webb,
1990).
• Music connects multiple brain sites by activating and synchronizing neurons’ firing patterns
(Jensen, 2001).

History
Analyze different historical periods through their music
Create a series of key dates in history
“raps”
Math
Learn mathematical operations through songs, jingles, & rhythmic beats
Language
Learn Morse Code
& practice communicating with it
Science &
Health
Learn to use music, rhythm, sound, & vibrations to reduce stress
Geography
Listen to & analyze different kinds of music from different cultures
Fine Arts
Learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division through drum beats
Break a set of tones and/or rhythmic patterns into various groups to learn division tables
Use different ldnds of music for different ldnds of writing
Create song/raps to teach grammar, syntax, phonetics semantics, & other language concepts
Listen to the sound
& rhythmic patterns of the environment
(humanly-created
& nature)
Try various humming patterns to see how they can alter your mood & awareness
Play musical & percussion instruments from around the world
Learn the key characteristics of music & rhythmic patterns from different cultures
Play “Guess the
Rhythm/Instrument” when listening to various musical pieces
Turn a nonmusical play into a musical or into an “old time radio show”
Practice impromptu music composition using the “stuff’ in your surroundings
Teach learn songs/music that were popular in previous eras (e.g.
Gregorian chant,
WWII_songs)
Make musical instruments from the past & compose a piece using them
Watch films about the past & focus on the sounds of history
Play the “Rhythm
Game’ to learn times tables (slap thighs, clap hands, snap fingers)
Make up sounds for different math operations & processes
Learn & practice
“phonetic punctuation” (a la
Victor Borge
Illustrate a story/poem with appropriate sounds, music, rhythms, & vibrations
Experiment with the effects of vibration on sand in a metal plate
Create a sound/tonal-based legend for a map
Assign sounds to systems you are studying such as the nervous system, circulatory systems, etc.
Learn & sing songs from nations/countries being studied
Draw, paint, or sculpt a piece of music as it plays
Make up a creative/interpretive dance to a piece of music

How to Differentiate a Reading
Passage
(Coming to our senses: Incorporating Brain Research Findings into Classroom
Instruction)
• Make a Grid
• Form a group of four
• Number off and assign 1, 2, 3, 4
• Read assigned part and take notes
• Add personal comments
• Report findings to the group
• Discuss and reflect
*Great DI strategy to use in your classrooms

“Even though students may learn in many ways, the essential skills and content they learn can remain steady. Students can take different roads to the same destination.”
-Carol Ann Tomlinson

•Preferred Learning Style
• Experiences
•Interests

• Differentiated Instruction

• Do you know your own teaching/learning style?
• Do you plan learning experiences that address different learning styles?
• Are a wide variety of activities available for students?

Naturalist Musical-
Rhythmic
Visual-
Spatial
Logical-
Mathematical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Intrapersonal
Verbal-Linguistic
Interpersonal

Intrapersonal
Naturalist
Interpersonal
• Take 10 minutes to complete the learning styles survey.
• Once you have tallied the results, choose your learning style preference group.
• Then we will share our learning style and what you think of the inventory.

Multiple Intelligences
Verbal/Linguistic Great with words, spoken or written; These individuals are typically good with reading, writing, telling stories, and memorizing words along with dates.
Logical/Mathematical People with this intelligence excel with abstract patterns, reasoning, and numbers.
Visual/Spatial
Bodily/Kinesthetic
Musical/Rhythmic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalist
These individuals have a strong visual memory and excel with mentally manipulating objects.
Involves muscular movement, i.e. getting up and moving around into the learning experience; Good with physical activities such as sports or dance.
Have a high level of rhythm and a great sensitivity to sound;
Able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music.
Interact well with others; Tend to be extroverts; Can be leaders or followers
These individuals prefer to work alone. They learn best when they are able to concentrate on the subject by themselves.
Individuals with this learning preference learn best when collecting or analyzing things close to nature.

Linguistic •Read a book and then make up addition and subtraction story problems related to the characters in the story
•Talk about fact strategies
Logical-
Mathematical
Spatial
• Create fact strategies
•Practice with puzzles, such as magic squares or magic triangles.
•Connect quantities to visual images by using dice, dominos, and other everyday objects, such as egg cartons
•Decorate fact cards
Bodily/Kinesthetic •Dramatize story problems and fact strategies
•Use counters to model problems
Musical •Clap beats to match numbers used in problems
•Create songs about facts
Interpersonal •Practice with fact buddies
•Discuss fact strategies in groups
Intrapersonal •Set personal fact goals
•Keep a journal about fact strategies
Naturalist •Find examples in doubles in nature
•Categorize facts that are best solved by particular strategies

• Wait time allows students sufficient time to process and develop a response to a question before the teacher asks a specific student to respond.
• Every 20 minutes provide a 60 second talk break for students to process information
• Give students 3-5 seconds of “wait-time”
• Some students need more than 5 seconds when the question is above their recall level
• Some boys may need up to 60 seconds to bring information up on their “screen”
• Students whose primary language is not English will need additional processing time
• Students with expressive language difficulty need more time for the retrieval of words and thoughts

DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES :
Flexible Grouping

Instructional strategies in a classroom using DI should include a mix of . . .

Student’s Learn in a Variety of Ways
Learning is based on a person’s…

•
•
•
•
•
•
Differentiated Instruction
IS…
Using assessment data
(progress monitoring) to plan instruction and group students.
Teaching targeted small groups (1:3, 1:5)
Using flexible grouping
(changing group membership based on student progress, interests, and needs).
Matching instructional materials to student ability.
Providing students with choices about what and how they learn
Tailoring instruction to address student needs.
IS NOT…
• Activities that all students will be able to do
• Getting it on your own
• All assignments are the same for every student except for the number of problems
• Allowing the early finishers computer time
• Assigning “extra” work for more advanced students
• Cooperative learning groups where the “gifted” student gets to be the leader

If the diverse characteristics of America’s children were merged into one classroom of 30 students …
• 18 would be White
• 15 would live in a single parent family at some point in childhood
• 10 would be born to unmarried parents
• 7 would be born poor
• 6 would be Hispanic
• 5 would be African
American
• 4 would be born to a teenaged mother
• 3 would never graduate from high school and live at less than half the poverty level
• 2 would have a disability
• 1 would be Asian
American
• 1 would live with neither parent

Content Process Product
According to Students’
Readiness Interest
Learning
Profile
Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners
(Tomlinson, 1999).

We know that students learn better if…
• Tasks are a close match for the skills and understanding of a topic
(readiness)
• Tasks ignite curiosity or passion in a student (interest)
• The assignment encourages students to work in a preferred manner (learning profile).

What are you already doing to differentiate instruction in your classroom?

You will have 1 hour and 30 minutes for lunch. Please make sure you return on time! See you at 12:30
Have a great lunch! 

…differentiated mathematics instruction is most successful when teachers:
• believe that all students have the capacity to succeed at learning mathematics;
• recognize that multiple perspectives are necessary to build important ideas and that diverse thinking is an essential and valued resource in their classrooms;
• know and understand mathematics and are confident in their abilities to teach mathematical ideas;
• develop strong mathematical learning communities in their classrooms;
• focus assessment on gathering evidence that can inform instruction and provide a variety of ways for students to demonstrate what they know; and
• support each other in their efforts to create and sustain this type of instruction.
Math Solutions Professional Development MATH FOR ALL: Differentiated Instruction Parker, AZ June
1, 2009

More than one way to do the same thing. Open your eyes and mind to new ways.

Think of your questioning through
Bloom’s Taxonomy…

Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
To know is to recall information that has been learned. Sample activities include telling, listening, naming and redirecting.
To comprehend is to understand. Sample activities include explaining, summarizing, paraphrasing, retelling and showing
To apply is to use what has been learned. Sample activities include demonstrating, illustrating, solving, adapting and incorporating.
To analyze is to examine an idea critically. Sample activities include comparing, categorizing, and deducing.
Means to put together in a new car or different way. Sample activities include creating, inventing, formulating, and producing.
To evaluate is to determine the worth or value based on a set of criteria. Sample activities include making judgment, predictions, decisions and estimates.

Teachers have long recognized that children operate on a variety of levels in terms of their needs for concrete models. Therefore, the types of materials available may make the difference as to whether a problem is accessible.
-Linda Dacey and Rebeka Eston Salemi

This activity allows students to work cooperatively with their classmates to solve math word problems. Students mix around the room while music is being played. When the music stops, they will solve a problem with their partner.

1 st =Read the first problem and think about how you would solve it. DO NOT write anything yet.
2 nd =I will play music and you will mingle around until you find a partner.
3 rd =Discuss the first problem with your partner, describe how to solve it and each of you write the solution on your paper. You must show your work, which could include drawing, charts, or number sentences. If you finish early you can discuss the next question with your partner, but do not write anything on your paper.
4 th =Discuss the previous question with your new partner before moving onto the next question.

Making sure students understand what the problem is asking.
• Have students read the task repeatedly , as in a choral reading format.
• Encourage students to dramatize story problems.
• Ask students to summarize the task in there own words.
• Use pictures, models, and gestures to clarify ideas whenever possible;
• Have students try out there thinking in pairs or small groups , before speaking in front of the whole class.

The combination of mathematics and literature allows children to discover mathematical concepts in a meaningful context and makes the learning experience more personal.

Marilyn Burns (2005)
Using storybooks to teach math. Instructor, 27-30.

Marilyn Burns. (2005).
Using storybooks to teach math. Instructor, 27-30.

Children’s literature:
1. provides a meaningful context for mathematics.
2. demonstrates that mathematics develops out of human experience.
3. celebrates mathematics as a language.
4. integrates mathematics into other curriculum areas.
5. fosters the development of number sense.
6. supports the art of problem posing and solving.
7. reinforces the idea that MATH IS EVERYWHERE
Marilyn Burns

Criteria for selecting Math related
Books for Children
• An engaging storyline
• A sense of wonder about the world
• A framework that meets mathematical criteria
• One that presents math concepts accurately
• Has visual and verbal appeal
• Has evidence of real-world connections-
One that builds on students prior knowledge

 Look for the learner’s positives.
 Don’t let what’s broken extinguish what works.
 Pay attention to relevance.
 Go for powerful learning.
 Teach up.
 Use many avenues to learning.
 See with the eyes of love.
Tomlinson, How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, ASCD

Hands on approaches…

Research
Did you know …
• Based on 1999 and 2000 test results, students who took studio art, art appreciation and art design scored 47 points higher in mathematics and 31 points higher on the verbal portion of college entrance exams than did students who were not enrolled in visual arts classes (College
Board, 2000).
• Drawing figures helped improve critical thinking and verbal skills in learning-disabled children
(Jing, Yuan, & Liu, 1999).

Differentiated Instruction is like a sailing adventure because the captain must identify each crew member’s specialty and talents so assignments can be made.
• Brainstorm - What is DI?
•DI is like __________ because __________.
•Illustrate and label the simile.

because
Teachers set the course for the journey to deciding how each one will travel and what each will learn along the way.

Grade Level
Elementary/
Middle/High school
Elementary/
Middle/High school
Elementary/
Middle/High school
Subject
English/
Language
Arts
Cross-
Curricular
Mathematics
Standard/
Objective
Identify an implicit main idea in a story or passage
Recall the major details of a unit of study
Activity
Students design a book jacket or cover that depicts their understanding of the major idea of a book.
Students design a poster that illustrates the major details of a specific unit concept or unit of study. Example: five characteristics of the planet Mars or 3 major landforms in the state of Georgia
Determine the necessary operation of a word problem
Students read a word problem and then draw a series of pictures that illustrate their understanding of what is actually happening in the problem. They then use the pictures to assist them in writing the numerical symbols for the word problem.

Differentiation must be an extension of … not a replacement for high quality curriculum.

Pre-Assessment
Squaring Off
Dirt Road Paved Road
Yellow Brick Road Highway

Assessment Tools
Informal
Before
1. Squaring Off
2. Boxing
3. Yes/No Card
4. Graffiti Facts
During
1. Thumb It!
After
1.
Talking Topics
2. Fist of Five
2.
Conversation
Circles
3. Face the Fact 3.
Donut
4. ABCD Cards
4.
Agree/
Disagree Cards

Assessment Tools
Formal
Before
1.
Written Pretest
2.
KWL
3.
Journaling
4.
Surveys
5.
Inventories
During
1.
Journaling
2.
Learning Board
3.
Teacher-made tests
4.
Portfolios
5.
Checklists
6.
Rubric
7.
Effective Questions
After
1.
Charts
2.
Journaling
3.
Post tests
4.
Portfolio
Conferences

• Assessment is ongoing -
– Before instruction
– During instruction
– After instruction
• Students will learn when we find out -
– What they know to begin with
– What activities engage them
– What point the skill is mastered

• Choice boards give students multiple ways of processing information and rehearsing content and skills.
• Students may work alone and/or with one or more partners.
• Students may choose three in a row from a tic-tac-toe-style choice board.
• Choice boards can have multiple choice lines, shapes, formats and options.

Structures, Processes and Responses of
Plants
Tic-Tac-Toe for Student Choice Activities
1. Draw some type of visual that differentiates the two types of reproduction in flowering plants
4. Create a lesson plan on the life cycle of a flowering plant and teach this lesson to the class.
2. Write a short essay explaining the structures flowering plants have for defense.
5. Write a newspaper article highlighting the poisonous plants common to South
Carolina (i.e. Mississippi)
3. Search the Internet for information about a plant’s response to external stimuli.
Print out what you find and summarize your information into your own outline.
6. Write a short story about the life cycle of an apple seed.
7. Create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting vascular and nonvascular plants.
8. Design a poster shows the parts of a flowering plant that function for survival.
9. Make a collage of various organisms from the five kingdoms. Label and give the characteristics of each kingdom.
Name: ________________________ I/We choose activities #____, #____, #____.
Today’s Date _________________________ Due Date ___________________

What must ALL students:
•Know
•Understand
•be able to Do

Students may have different paths to the target.

• Learning Goals: Students will…
– KNOW: Fractions show parts of a whole and can be expressed numerically.
– UNDERSTAND: Fractions represent equal sized portions or fair shares .
– Be able to DO: Use different materials to demonstrate what the fraction looks like.
Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

Turville, J. (2007)
Differentiating by
Student Interest

• Learning Goals: Students will…
– KNOW: The characteristics of insects.
– UNDERSTAND: Insects have particular characteristics and parts and are different from other kinds of bugs.
– Be able to DO: Create a product that demonstrates an understanding of characteristics that are particular to insects.
Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

Turville, J. (2007) Differentiating by Student Interest

• Homework
• After Reading or Problem Solving
• Learn a vocabulary word
• Projects for a certain topic or book
• Presentation or Demonstration
• Independent Work
• Technology Sample
• Demonstrate a Skill

Wayne Gretsky

• Get in groups by grade or interest.
• As a group decide on a skill or interest that you can make a choice board for
(essential literature, math skill, etc…) that you could use in your classroom.

• ASSIGNMENTS
• ACTIVITIES
• CENTERS & STATIONS
• LEARNING CONTRACTS
• ASSESSMENTS
• MATERIALS
• EXPERIMENTS
• WRITING PROMPTS
• HOMEWORK

Teachers use tiered activities so that all students focus on essential understandings and skills but at different levels of complexity, abstractness, and openendedness.
By keeping the focus of the activity the same, but providing routes of access at varying degrees of difficulty, the teacher maximizes the likelihood that:
1) each student comes away with pivotal skills & understandings
2) each student is appropriately challenged.

Written agreements between teachers and students that outline:
• what students will learn
• how they will learn it
• the time period for the learning experience
• how they will be evaluated

---
• help students learn to make decisions about their learning
• help students learn to manage their time
• may involve the student in curriculum planning
• can be used to support students with learning difficulties
• can be used to facilitate learning for other students
• help the teacher manage group work, individual projects or investigations, learning centers or curriculum compacting

DO:
• explain the role & function of contracts
• start small (1 or 2 day) contracts
• negotiate contracts with students whenever possible
• help set realistic deadlines
• renegotiate the contract if it isn’t working
• solicit student feedback on process
• gradually involve students in contract development

Don’t:
• expect all students to use contracts effectively at the beginning
• expect all students to like contracts.
• assume contracts can take the place of regular instruction
• use contracts without a good management system

by Peter Reynolds

T- Total Group
A- Alone
P- Partner
S- Small Group

•
Students move frequently between groups as learning objectives change, as their needs evolve, and as they gain proficiency
•
Students sometimes work in groups defined by interests and/or learning styles
•
Teachers sometimes move between groups to provide instruction

• Teacher becomes more of a “ facilitator ” of knowledge and skills
• Removes the negatives and stigma of
“ static ” groups, i.e. “ Once a buzzard, always a buzzard ” syndrome
• Students see that they can and will progress as they learn. Growth becomes a visible and expected part of the classroom culture

• Identifying similarities and differences through the use of Venn diagram
• Differentiated by learner preference
(learning styles) to make Venn diagrams in a variety of ways
• Student reflections on learning styles
• Team teaching
• Video Clip

Some Tips for Implementing
Differentiation in your Classroom
• Start slowly
• Organize your classroom space

Some Tips for Implementing
Differentiation in your Classroom
• Start student files
• Start student portfolios
• Use a clipboard
• Use of technology
• Start class with familiar tasks
• Use task cards, a tape recorder, or an overhead for directions
• Have systems for student questions

• 3 Things you already Know about DI
• 2 Things you Want to know more about DI
• 1 Thing you Learned about DI

A Day in a D.I. Class
• Predictable, not rigid.
• Procedures are defined and in placestudents assume responsibility.
• Voice and choice: students are using a variety of materials and they are doing what the have decided.
• Flexible grouping occurs regularly.
• There is daily reflection on learning.

“I like this class because there’s always something different going on all the time. Other classes are like peanut butter for lunch every single day. In this class, it’s like my teacher really knows how to cook. It’s like she runs a really good restaurant with a big menu.”
~ 7 th grader

“A teacher in a differentiated classroom does not classify herself as someone who ‘already differentiates instruction.’ Rather, that teacher is fully aware that every hour of teaching, every day in the classroom can reveal one more way to make the classroom a better match for its learners.”
Tomlinson, C.A. (2001) How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms

 They have fewer discipline issues
 Student growth is significantly increased
 Their interactions with students are more positive and productive
 Even most traditionally reluctant learners become focused and motivated when appropriately challenging tasks are assigned for them

• Start Slowly…But Start
– One subject or one class
• Where the need is greatest
• Where you feel most comfortable
– Deliberately plan to differentiate
Content, Product, or Process
– Based on your Students’ Readiness,
Interest or Learning Preference
• Don’t Bother Differentiating Fluff

• Have fun.
• Start small.
• Keep it simple.

Thanks for your time and attention!
We hope you enjoyed the presentation and learned something you can take back to your school!
Kristi Coggin
Instructional Facilitators with the Exceptional
Education Department