DIFFERENTIATING
INSTRUCTION
Created by
Rocio Ayala
Narrated by
Deirdre Ayala
Non-differentiated Vs Differentiated Instruction
 In the non-differentiated content area reading,
writing, and subject matter the instruction is the
same for all the students regardless their strengths or
weaknesses.
 While in the differentiated content area classroom
the instruction for the students is differentiated and
modified to fit the individual’s needs.
The following four aspects are essential in a
differentiated instruction classroom:
1. Learners deserve fair opportunities for success.
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Due to the high-stakes in educational accountability
differentiated instruction is a requirement., so all the
students accomplish the rigorous standards for literacy.
For ELLs bilingual and sheltered English programs are
available.
Special Education programs address the needs of students
with cognitive differences, emotional problems, physical, or
learning disabilities.
Special reading programs are available for students that
struggle with literacy.
Teachers in regular classrooms adjust their teaching
because they know that not all the students learn the same
way.
2. Differentiation Begins with a climate of Respect.
 The teacher establishes respect by acknowledging the
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students differences in learning and honoring them.
The teacher shows respect by having high expectations for all
of his/her students.
The students must respect their classmates
Teachers form flexible groups of three or four who are at
different levels of academic proficiency.
The students work in projects and divide the tasks equally
between themselves.
The teacher creates an environment of trust and respect
between himself/herself and his/her students.
3. Utilize Supportive People
 Instructional aides, paraprofessionals, or teaching
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assistants help students in reading, writing, and subject
matter.
Partners in flexible groups can help each other in literacy
and learning. Forming a literature circle which roles are:
Content Connector: relates the reading material to a
personal experience.
Discussion Director: ensures everybody completes their
roles.
Summary Spokes Person: summarizes the chapter
Vocabulary Virtuoso: selects and explains the meaning of
unknown words.
Other roles for a literature circle are:
 Active Participant: contributes to the group
proceedings in an active and involved manner.
 Encourager: promotes efforts to accomplish the task,
cheers on the participants.
 Mayor: leads the group’s efforts
 Record Keeper: takes notes is the scriber.
 Time Keeper: monitors the time to complete the task.
Tutors work individually with students in the
classroom or outside the classroom.
Teachers make themselves available to help students
who are struggling before or after school.
4. Provide Structured Freedom
 Structured freedom is balance between classroom
control and the students’ liberty and decision
making
 The teacher introduces the unit and work with the
students until the first standards-based outcome.
 When the students are ready to work independently
the teacher fades out.
 The teacher and the students meet at regular
intervals to monitor progress, share understanding,
and gear for future study. A whole class meets for a
culminating activity.
Planning Structured Freedom
Same
Different
Same
1
Same text,
same task
2
Different texts,
same tasks
Different
3
Same text,
different tasks
4
Different texts,
different tasks
The Same Text / Same Task
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a)
b)
c)
d)
The ways students accomplish the same text and task can
be differentiated
For example, all the students may read the same book
like Into thin Air and write a response in their reading
journals, then discuss their answers.
On the other hand , the students can read the same book,
then go to different stations such as:
Read silently to themselves
Form a group with the teacher and take turns reading
aloud
Have a partner to take turns reading and discussing the
book out-loud
Read along with an audio-taped version of the book.
Different Texts/Same Task
 The students read different books and work
towards an identical end product.
 The students could read different topic-related
novels with different levels of complexidity as a
group or individually.
 Books such as Into Thin Air, Between a Rock and a
Hard Place, Hatchet, and The Cay.
 All the students will work towards the same
culminating activity such as write a narrative with
a theme of survival.
Same Text/Different Tasks
 All the students read the same material, like Into Thin Air.
 Based on the multiple intelligences theory of Gardner, the students
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have a variety of choices while responding to a passage. Such as:
Verbal/Linguistic: write a speech to limit the access to Mount Everest.
Logical/Mathematical: create a chart of the causalities climbing the
mountains.
Visual/Spatial: produce a story book with the key elements on the
mountain
Bodily/Kinesthetic: role play a scene where someone wants to continue
to the summit, and someone else want to go back.
Interpersonal: conduct a panel to see if the team leaders acted
appropriately.
Intrapersonal: write a reflective journal recounting the thoughts of a
climber.
Musical: perform a song based on the tragic events of the story..
Different Texts/Different Tasks
 This method combines different texts and tasks with
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some minor adjustments.
The teacher provides different reading materials such as:
Into Thin Air, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Hatchet,
and The Cay.
Then the teacher could provide different tasks like:
Verbal/Linguistic: write a speech
Logical/Mathematical : prepare a chart
Visual/Spatial: produce a story book of key elements
Bodily/Kinesthetic: role play a conflict
Interpersonal: conduct a panel discussion
Intrapersonal: write a reflective journal
Musical: perform a song
Eileen Deluca states that teaching science to ELLs is like teaching a third
language. The following are some of her suggestions:
Three Levels of Vocabulary
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Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
English
oxidation
English
reproduce
eat
consume
masticate
Spanish
oxidacion
Spanish
reproductivo
food
nutrients
substance
French
oxydation
French
reproductif
skin
hide, pelt
epidermis
Portuguese
oxidacao
Kreyol
repwodiktif
.
Connecting vocabulary levels with cognates
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Recognizing cognates
English
Academic (Latin-based) English
Spanish
Tier 1
Tier 2,3
Tier 1
Home
habitat habitat
habito
Pound
lb. (libra)
libra
Vocabulary clusters
Vocabulary Cluster
All words relate to …
biology, biosphere, bionic, antibiotic, biodegradable
“life”
geology, paleontology, mammology
“principles of” or “studies of” something
cent, centennial, centimeter
“100”
oxidation, peroxide, carbon dioxide
“oxygen”
Sentences frames
Complete each sentence.
Today I learned about _______________
1.
2.
3.
The most interesting thing I learned is _______it is interesting to me because________
I want to learn more about_______________ because__________________________
English verb
Spanish verb
English noun
Spanish noun
distill
destile
distilation
destilacion
evaporate
evapore
evaporation
evaporacion
precipate
erecipite
precipitation
precipitacion