Differentiating Learning Centers
“It’s not about how smart they are; it’s about how they are smart.”
-Howard Gardner
Learning centers, by their very nature, are flexible, multi-level, and can
address many learning needs. With a few tweaks, most centers can
help to truly differentiate your instruction.
Differentiating for Learning Modalities and for Skill Levels
A successful restaurant owner must offer a varied menu to suit
the varied tastes of the diners. A successful classroom manager must
offer a varied menu of learning activities to satisfy the varied learning
appetites that come to that classroom. All children (and adults) learn
primarily through visual, kinesthetic, and auditory processing, but
usually one method of processing (modality) is the strongest, the
learning channel of preference.
Between the developmental ages of 4 and 7 1/2, children are still
exploring and establishing their own preferred modalities and
intelligences. Although young children from an early age give
unmistakable signs of preferred intelligences and modalities, most
eagerly explore all arenas of their world through all their senses. Like
sponges, they absorb information easily and are willing to move outside
of their own comfort zone (take a risk) to learn. In our early primary
instruction, we should be presenting the same information in a variety
of ways, engaging all the modalities as we present information, since
so many children have not yet demonstrated dominant modalities. For
skill practice and reinforcement, we should try to match children to
their strongest modality, when that modality is clear. However, most
children will joyfully embrace all activities you present, as long as those
activities are developmentally appropriate. After sampling all the foods
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
on the instructional buffet table, most will settle into those that best
satisfy their own appetites!
Whenever you teach a concept in a variety of ways, you greatly
increase the chances of reaching each student. You multiply the
chances that each student will remember what you have taught, since
you will have created many neurological pathways to access the same
information. Then, when you match the reinforcing and enrichment
activities to the child’s learning preferences, learning happens
effortlessly!
Visual learners do well with, but all learners get value from
Puzzles
Drawing
Tracing over acetate
Reading
Writing
Estimating amounts, weights
Viewing a video or a filmstrip
Big Books
Overhead projector
Visual sequencing
Memory games
Kinesthetic Learners do well with, but all learners get value from
Clay
Writing in salt, cornmeal, etc.
Using wikki stix to spell words Acting out a story
Alphabet stamping
Sign language center
Dice or card games
Experiments
Floor puzzles
Finger puppets
Auditory Learners do well with, but all learners benefit from
Books on Tape
Story retelling with puppets
Using whisper (phonics) phones Teacher instructed small group
Stretch and Say
Retelling into a tape
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
Take Stock of Your Centers!
 Survey the centers you have set up during any one day or
rotation. Are they fairly equally distributed among visual,
kinesthethic, and auditory tasks?
 Assess the recording sheets/skill sheets/wow-sheets that
children will complete. Can you tweak the directions or add
graphics or cueing information on the sheet?
 Whenever possible, design choices within a center that will
accommodate each of the modalities.
 Look at the choices you allow children when they finish a center.
Are there attractive activities to motivate each type of learner?
 Within each center, are there tools to help the struggling
learner? Are there challenges for the more confident learners?
 Have the centers been modeled and practiced, including set –up
and clean-up?
Simple Tricks for Differentiating Simple Centers
Pocket Chart centers
Name Boards/ Initial boards
Class Book pages
Sentences in Bags
Name Centers
Handwriting
Read/ Write the Room
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
Different Centers for Different Purposes
Centers for Exploration
Centers for Concept Development
Centers for Application of Skills / Abstractions of Concepts
Center Ideas To Get You Thinking!!!
Center and
Purposes
Working with
numbers:
sequencing;
adding and
subtracting;
greater than,
less than
Working with
numbers:
sequencing;
adding and
subtracting;
greater than,
less than
Making words;
Practicing
spelling lists;
sight words;
names;
vocabulary; and
fine motor
exercise
Materials
Differentiation
Paintstick and clothespins
labeled with numbers
Number stamps and non-toxic
inkpads





100+ grid
Yardsticks; dowels
Recording sheet
Right side up visual on
stamp
 Number line








Paintsticks with lettered
clothespins. Provide sets of
uppercase and lowercase
Magnetic letters, both
uppercase and lower cases
Visuals on clothespins
Underlining
Number words
Left to right cue
Number line
100+ grid
Yardsticks; dowels
Recording sheet
Equation creation
 Words lists with picture
clues
 Underlining
 Alphabet strip/pictures
 Pre-sorted
 Left to right cue

Definitions on word cards

Yardsticks and dowels

Punctuation clothespins
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
Making words;
Practicing
spelling lists;
sight words;
names;
vocabulary; and
fine motor
exercise
Egg cartons, plastic eggs,
salad tongs
Listening
Skills;
comprehension;
building
background
information
Tape recorder; headphones
(personal walkman sets are
very inexpensive…ask PTA
about donating!); books on
tape; story tapes without
books
Writing; Journals
Variety of writing
instruments; lots of paper,
lined and unlined
 Words lists with picture
clues
 Underlining
 Alphabet strip with
pictures
 Pre-sorted
 Left to right cue

Definitions on word cards
 Novelty pencil pointers
 More than one version
 Student recordings
 Rewriting/ retelllings





Various grips
Alphabet stamps
Differentiated prompts
Acetate sheets
Whisper phones
 Bookmaking
 A chapter a day
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
A Smorgasbord of Learning
Visual learners do well with, but all learners get value from
Puzzles
Tracing over acetate
Writing
Viewing a video or a filmstrip
Overhead projector
Memory games
Drawing
Reading
Estimating amounts, weights
Big Books
Visual sequencing
Kinesthetic Learners do well with, but all learners get value from
Clay
Using wikki stix to spell words
Alphabet stamping
Dice or card games
Floor puzzles
Writing in salt, cornmeal, etc.
Acting out a story
Sign language center
Experiments
Finger puppets
Auditory Learners do well with, but all learners benefit from
Books on Tape
Using whisper (phonics) phones
Stretch and Say
Story retelling with puppets
Teacher instructed small group
Retelling into a tape
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
Simple Tricks for
Differentiating Simple Centers
Number Work
Making Words Practice
Pocket Chart centers
Name Boards/ Initial boards
Class Book pages
Sentences in Bags
Name Centers
Handwriting
Read/ Write the Room
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
Basic Tenets of Differentiation
Students differ in
interests
modalities of learning
natural intelligences
backgrounds and prior experiences
levels of readiness
Individual differences greatly impact
rate of learning
support or challenge needed
motivation
response to instruction
Students learn best in environments of
low risk
moderate challenge
support from peers and adults
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
Centers for All!
1. Touch and Say Letters
2. Pin the Paintstick
3. Take-Apart
4. Name Board; Initial Board
5. Stick It On
6. Stamparama
7. Make Sense Sentences
8. Popcorn Bingo
9. It’s About Me
10. Pattern Engineers
11. Look Nook
12. Step Over to the Overhead
13. WowSheets
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
Level the Playing Field:
Designing Success for Everyone
Left to right cues
Which way is up?
Tools at their fingertips
alphabet strips
number lines
100 grid
word lists
Picture clues
Pointers
Grips
Whisper phones
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers
RELATED CITATIONS
“DIFFERENTIATING LEARNING CENTERS”
PRESENTED BY CINDY MIDDENDORF
Markova, Dawna and Powell, Anne. (1992). How Your Child Is Smart. Berkeley, CA: Conari
Press.
Marriott, Donna. (1997). What Are the other Kids Doing While You Teach Small Groups?
Huntington Beach, CA:Creative Teaching Press.
Smutny, Joan Franklin and von Fremd, S.E. (2004) Differentiating for the Young Child.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Tomlinson, Carol Ann (1999) The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All
Learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Cindy Middendorf: Differentiating Learning Centers