Motivating and
Challenging your Students with
Extension Menus
Strategies
for
Differentiating RtI
Presented by:
Sharon Maeda
Tustin Unified School District, GATE and AVID PROGRAM TOSA
smaeda@tustin.k12.ca.us
Gifted Learner “Typical” Traits
Do any of your students exhibit one or more?
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Are sensitive (to other people as well as to various issues)
Have a strong vocabulary or demonstrate fast acquisition of English
May be keenly observant
Enjoy learning new things
Only require 1-2 repetitions for mastery
Think or act above and beyond
Display ease in ability to absorb, retain, & recall information
Have an intense interest in something being studied or something not being studied
in school
Watch for the “Flipside”
Gifted Traits CAN look different than what we expect to see.
A few examples include...
Typical Traits/Demands Flipside-What it may look like
- Is friendly and outgoing
- May talk a lot or during inappropriate times
-Has lots of thoughts and ideas
-May be disorganized in thought; sloppy;
messy writing or messy desk
-Enjoys and requires unique and
new ways of learning
-May have a difficult time learning
basic facts; may have problems
returning homework; may become bored
-May have difficulty following directions
or doing what he/she is told to do
-To be creative or inventive; to
seek an unusual or unique
approach to an assignment
Many of the flipside traits can lead to or look
like lack of motivation, underachievement, or
behavioral problems…
Diamond Approach to Behavior
(Diana Browning Wright’s Classroom Needs, 1998)
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Belonging – Collaborative groups; peer support
buddies; teacher-student-peer dyad opportunities;
reinforcers from others; opportunities that recognize
differences
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Empowerment – Shared controls;
jobs/responsibilities; negotiation opportunities; privileges;
special recognition;opportunties that recognize differences
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Freedom – Choices (structured freedom); movement
opportunities; opportunities to select group or partners
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Fun – Humor; application activities; dramatic
opportunities; art/music/PE; access to desired activities
Extension Menus
What is an Extension Menu?
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An array of independent learning
opportunities
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Activities presented in a choice format
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A menu of options to enrich and extend
the curriculum
“The Menu”
Use Extension Menus to…
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Enrich or extend the essential curriculum
Challenge the abilities of students
Provide alternative activities that address the
differing abilities, interests, or learning styles of
students
Allow student choice
Promote critical and independent thinking
Enhance student motivation
WHEN to Use Menus…
Follow-up activity
 Culminating activity
 Learning center
 Group tasks
 Independent learning
 Anchoring activity
 Flexible group activities
 …endless possibilities!
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Squiggle Art…
+
Extension Menus…
…Are embedded and interwoven into the instruction
…Are not “busy work”
…Have distinct objectives and are meaningful,
engaging, and thought-provoking opportunities
…Always include teacher instruction and higher level
thinking
Computer Applications Menu
Use the Publisher
Wizard to create a
birthday card
Make 5 study
cards for the basic
Create a business toolbars and tasks
card
on Publisher
Create a board
game with questions
about Publisher
Make a magazine
cover with your
picture on the front
cover
Create an Earth
day flyer
promoting a
clean-up event
Import a template
from the Microsoft
on-line site to
create a project
History/ELA Extension Menu
Write or select
songs to
illustrate 6
major events
Create a Timeline
with 15 important
events
Draw or paint a
portrait; add
famous quotes
Answer 3
Unanswered ???’s;
use the Internet to
research
FAMOUS PERSON Write a poem
about your
RESEARCH
person’s life
Read a biography,
article and story.
Compare each and
show in an
interesting way
Create a Frame
using 4 icons + an
illustration
Compare and
Contrast a
person to 2
others living at
different time
Advantages of Extension Menus
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Strategy spans all curricular areas
Can target specific learning activities for an
individual student or small group
Allows student choice as well as challenge
Students’ choices reveal their interests, abilities
and learning styles
Promotes higher level thinking skills
Encourages the development of independent
thinking
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Multiple
Intelligences
Multiple
Intelligences
Varied Use
Multiple Intelligences
Extension Menu
Point Value Option
Using Menus in RtI
Menu for On Level
Students
Menu for
Below Level Students
Menu for Advanced
Reading Group w/
GATE Students
Vocabulary Menu
Today’s Super Helpful Tip…
 Be
sure to check your TE and
curriculum support/supplemental
materials for menu items! You
can build menus using them
very easily!
Language Arts
TE
 TE – R pages in back
 Classroom Management Handbook
 Challenge Handbook
 Teacher Resource Blackline Masters
 New Medallion materials
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Primary Grades Menu
“Build a Menu”
Helpful Websites
http://rubistar.4teachers.org
 www.teachnology.com (annual fee)
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Menus within Classroom Structure
GATE Intranet Site
Go the district homepage
 Type in tusdgate in the address bar
 Go to Teacher Resources
 Extension Menus
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Some Final Thoughts…
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Recognize the needs and challenges of all learners
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Begin the differentiated approach in small steps, but begin
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Network with others
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Understand that you may finish the first leg of your journey
with more questions than answers
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Continue to fill your toolbox with many strategies and ideas
to meet the needs of these unique learners
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Don’t be afraid to take risks! Learn and grow from how your
students respond…
Thank you!
smaeda@tustin.k12.ca.us
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