Differentiating Instruction
by
Process
Definitions of Differentiating
Instruction by Process
• How students think about or make sense
of ideas and information
• The “how” of teaching
• How students engage in learning
• Often a synonym for “activities”
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
You can use process to
differentiate instruction by
adding greater complexity or
abstractness to tasks, by
engaging students in critical and
creative thinking, or by
increasing the variety of ways in
which you ask them to learn.
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Process can be differentiated by:
• Readiness:
a student’s entry point relative to a particular
understanding or skill
• Interest:
a student’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a
particular topic or skill
• Learning Profile:
a student’s ability to learn and may be shaped
by intelligence preferences, gender, culture, or
learning styles
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Strategies for
Differentiating Process
Readiness
• Use tiered activities
(activities at different levels of
difficulty, but focused on the
same key learning goals).
• Make task directions more
detailed and specific for some
learners and more open or
“fuzzy” for others.
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Strategies for
Differentiating Process
Readiness
• Provide resource materials at
varied levels of readability and
sophistication.
• Provide teacher-led mini-workshops
on varied skills at varied levels of
complexity to support student work.
• Use both like-readiness and mixedreadiness work groups.
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Strategies for
Differentiating Process
Readiness
• Use a variety of criteria for
success, based on whole-class
requirements as well as individual
student readiness needs.
• Provide readiness-based
homework assignments
• Vary the pacing of student work
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Strategies for
Differentiating Process
Interest
• Use interest-based work groups and
discussion groups.
• Use both like-interest and mixedinterest work groups.
• Use the Jigsaw cooperative strategy
to allow students to specialize in
aspects of a topic that they find
interesting.
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Strategies for
Differentiating Process
Interest
• Design tasks that require multiple
interests for successful completion.
• Encourage students to design or
participate in the design of some
tasks.
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Strategies for
Differentiating Process
Learning Profile
• Allow multiple options for how
students express learning.
• Encourage students to work
together or independently.
• Balance competitive,
collegial, and independent
work arrangements.
• Develop activities that seek
multiple perspectives on
topics and issues.
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Using these strategies,
the students will come to
understand and “own” the
knowledge, understanding,
and skills essential to achieve
success in any content area.
Differentiating Instruction by
Process
Reflection
Exit Slip
1. Name one strategy we have discussed
that you are currently using in your
classroom.
2. Name one strategy we have discussed
that you intend to implement in your
classroom.
3. In your opinion, what was the most
important part of this session?
Differentiating Instruction by
Process