Implementing
Differentiation: Using
Tiered Assignments
Christine L. Weber, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
UNF cweber@unf.edu
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Objectives for the Workshop
• Teachers share strategies for enhancing depth and
complexity in the classroom
• Introduce tiered assignments and complete activities.
• Implement tiered strategies in a lesson or unit (working
session).
• Q&A time
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Examining Capsules of Tiered
Activities
Look at several examples of tiered lessons.
– How would you define or describe tiering?
– How are tiered assignments alike in intent
and structure?
– What do you see as essential features
tiered assignments?
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Teachers Can
Differentiate
Content
Process
Product
According to Students’
Readiness
Interest
Learning
Profile
Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 19
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OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION
To Differentiate
Instruction By
Readiness
To Differentiate
Instruction By
Interest
To Differentiate
Instruction by
Learning Profile
‫ ٭‬equalizer adjustments
(complexity, openendedness, etc.
‫ ٭‬add or remove scaffolding
‫ ٭‬vary difficulty level of text
& supplementary materials
‫ ٭‬adjust task familiarity
‫ ٭‬vary direct instruction by
small group
‫ ٭‬adjust proximity of ideas to
student experience
‫ ٭‬encourage application of
broad concepts & principles
to student interest areas
‫ ٭‬give choice of mode of
expressing learning
‫ ٭‬use interest-based
mentoring of adults or more
expert-like peers
‫ ٭‬give choice of tasks and
products (including student
designed options)
‫ ٭‬give broad access to
varied materials &
technologies
‫ ٭‬create an environment
with flexible learning spaces
and options
‫ ٭‬allow working alone or
working with peers
‫ ٭‬use part-to-whole and
whole-to-part approaches
‫٭‬Vary teacher mode of
presentation (visual,
auditory, kinesthetic,
concrete, abstract)
‫ ٭‬adjust for gender, culture,
language differences.
useful instructional
strategies:
- tiered activities
- Tiered products
- compacting
- learning contracts
- tiered tasks/alternative
forms of assessment
useful instructional
strategies:
- interest centers
- interest groups
- enrichment clusters
- group investigation
- choice boards
- MI options
- internet mentors
useful instructional
strategies:
- multi-ability cooperative
tasks
- MI options
- Triarchic options
- 4-MAT
CA Tomlinson, UVa ‘97
Time to Eat
• View video tape on “Time to Eat.”
• Use the chart to identify-– What do you see the teacher doing?
– What do you see the students doing?
A DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM – What do you see the teacher doing? What do you see
the students doing?
CONTENT (what is taught)
Simple vs. complex; small
leap vs. great leap; concrete
vs. abstract
PROCESS (how it is taught)
e.g., critical thinking;
creative thinking; problem
solving; decision making
PRODUCT/PERFORMANCE
(tangible evidence)
various levels; aligns with
objective; used for
assessment
Readiness, Interest, Learning
Profile
Flexible grouping; more
independence vs. less; more
structure vs. less; readiness;
interests; responding to
student needs
Tiered Assignments
(Lessons , Objectives, Activities,
Assessments)
• Tiered assignments are a differentiation
strategy where learning tasks and projects are
developed based on assessed student need.
• Tiered assignments are intended to provide a
better instructional match between students
and their needs.
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Students arrive with
varied
• Cultural and linguistic
backgrounds
Teachers vary
• Learning opportunities and
experiences
 TASK for different levels
• Interests
 PRODUCT appropriately to
demonstrate learning
• Readiness levels
 LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
 PROCESS for different
levels
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There are multiple methods
for designing Tiered
Assignments
Tier
by….
• Challenge
level
(Depth)
• Complexity
• Resources
• Outcome
• Process
• Product
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Grade K
Counting /Math Center
Tier 1 Find a way to count
and show how many people
are in our class.
Tier 2 Find a way to show
how many people are in our
class.
How many are absent
today?
How many are here today?
How do you know?
Tier 3 Find a way to show
how many boys are in our
class .
How many boys are absent?
How many girls are here
today?
How many girls are absent
today?
Prove you are correct.
Grade K
Patterns -Scientists classify
by patterns
Tier 1 Classify leaves
• by size
• by color
Teacher provides a grid with
categories.
Tier 2 Classify leaves
• by shape
• create a category
Teacher shows a sample grid
and students create own.
Tier 3 Find 3 ways each leaf
could be classified other
than color.
Students decide how to show
categories.
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Example of an Elementary tiered
assignment
Explain why plants and animals reproduce their
own kind.
• Tier 1: Observe and show structures of
an insect larva and of an insect adult
(mealworm, wax worm, milkweed bug,
silkworm or butterfly).
• Tier 2: Show the life cycle of a wax worm
(mealworm, milkweed bug, silkworm or
butterfly).
• Tier 3: Compare the stages of the life
cycle of a wax worm to the life cycle of
another insect.
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Example of a Middle School tiered
assignment
Describe and explain the structures, functions,
processes and relationships within organisms in
terms of cells, tissues, organs and organ
systems.
Tier 1: Describe The characteristics of Mammals.
Tier 2: Compare the characteristics of mammals
with those of another class of animal.
Tier 3: How does the environment influence the
expression (appearance) of mammalian
characteristics?
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Caution:
• Be sure that the tasks you
design are truly more
advanced and not simply
MORE work.
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Differentiation Activity
Your task is to take the following instructional objective and identify two
differentiation strategies that might be used to teach the objective.
Objective: Students will complete a report on the book Charlotte’s Web or one
appropriate for your grade level or choose another objective for your grade
level/subject area.
Identify the pros and cons of using both strategies in a class of 25 students
that includes these 5 students:
Sherry likes to be asked to do things by the teacher. She is interested in fitting in
and speaks out often in class. She has a wild imagination and loves to read, but her
comprehension skills are below grade level.
Jimmy is hyperactive and likes to dance around the room when class is near the
end. He is an audio/visual learner, is a solid reader, and enjoys excelling and being
the “best.” He gets very excited to start new books, but they don’t hold his attention
for long.
Terrance does not feel a connection to school. He is a very intelligent student, but
he “follows.” He seems to do well in every type of activity when he applies himself.
He has exhibited strong reading skills, but does not always complete work.
Jack failed reading three times. He is an expert hunter and fisherman and knows
more about the outdoors than anyone. He seems to learn best with hands-on
activities. His reading and writing skills have only slightly improved over the last 2
years.
Marie is a very quick learner. She seems to get things just by listening. She likes to
excel. She is very concerned about rules and right vs. wrong. She is a natural
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leader. Her reading and writing skills are both above grade level.
“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.”
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Implementing Differentiation
Activity
• Working from a lesson plan or unit plan,
implement tiered assignments
• Q &A time
• Complete exit card
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