This article focuses on a differentiated instruction model for high risk preschool aged

children. There are many risk factors for children to be considered a high risk population including
family poverty, low parental education, unsafe neighborhoods, etc. “Children come to preschool
with different home experiences, cultural backgrounds, readiness skills, interests, and learning
styles” (DeBaryshe, Gorecki, Mishima-Young, 2009, p.228). The purpose of the article is to show
that differentiated instruction is vital to high school preschool children. Children of all
backgrounds learn differently and at different rates and speeds, making differentiated instruction
vital for all children. The article talked about a study done on 8 different head start classrooms
using this differentiated instruction. The outcome noted that this model is a promising approach
to promoting early academic skills. “Children in our higher risk group (i.e., those who started the
year with very weak English vocabulary skills) made impressive progress in this target area,
achieving a steeper rate of change than their classroom peers” (DeBaryshe, Gorecki, Mishima-
Young, 2009, p.240). This article relates to the content from our previous units because it
discusses the importance of differentiated instruction and narrows it down further to the
importance of differentiated instruction impact on high risk preschool students. This is
interesting to me because the preschool level is the grade level that I teach and this article puts
things into a different perspective.
Differentiated Instruction is an important concept that must be taken into consideration
in the classroom. “In a differentiated classroom, commonalities are acknowledged and built
upon, and student differences become important elements in teaching and learning as well”
(Tomlinson, 2001, p.1). Using different methods of teaching and creating different opportunities
for children to learn and succeed are critical for academic success.

In unit 2, the content discusses the role of the teacher in the classroom and how teachers
can implement differentiated instruction. “Teachers who become comfortable with
differentiated classrooms would probably say their role differs in some significant ways from that
of a more traditional teacher” (Tomlinson, 2001, p.16). When using differentiated instruction,
educators are responsible for teaching each student in the way that individually works best for
them. Teachers are expected to match learning styles to their students and implement different
methods of teaching in order to cater to the needs of each student. In my own classroom of pre-
school students, I have used differentiated instruction in the way that I have made sure to teach
my lessons using different mediums and in more creative ways to help my students fully
understand the concepts. This is important because it caters to all student’s needs; those who
learn better visually, auditory, and kinesthetically.
“Classroom environment in a setting that strives for differentiation is, if anything, even
more of a factor in shaping success” (Tomlinson, 2001, p.21). Classrooms that promote
differentiated instruction have a more welcoming vibe and embrace student differences. One
strategy that can be used in the classroom are scaffolding strategies. “Scaffolding is breaking up
the learning into chunks and then providing a tool, or structure, with each chunk” (Alber, 2014).
These strategies break the lessons into different structures so that differentiated instruction can
be used for each section. This will help students to fully understand the concept of the lesson
and teachers can pinpoint any problem areas in students work. Another strategy that is effective
is called stop and jot. “This processing activity gives students the opportunity to respond to
questions in writing. Asking students to think and write about what they are learning promotes
retention and comprehension” (The Teacher Toolkit). Students can note any problems they are
having with the material or take the time to connect the material together. This is effective
because it breaks up the lesson and allows the student’s time to reflect and connect ideas. This
also gives educators the opportunity to look at the notes their student’s took and note the
problem areas.
Overall, differentiated instruction is an important tool for educators to utilize in their
classroom to promote academic success. All students have different capabilities and learn more
effectively in different ways and it is important to embrace these differences. The mentality that
learning has to be uniform and that all students will succeed in the classroom with the same
techniques used every time and for each student only hinders our students from succeeding. An
idea that I would like to further learn about is more effective strategies for educators like me to
utilize in the classroom to help my students achieve academic success. I have used many different
techniques that I have learned, but I am always looking to update my teaching strategies because
every new student that walks into the classroom is different.

References

Alber, R. (2014). Scaffolding strategies to use with your students. [Web log]

Stop and Jot. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/stop-

and-jot

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms.

Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

DeBaryshe, B. D., Gorecki, D. M., & Mishima-Young, L. N. (2009). Differentiated instruction to

support high-risk preschool learners. NHSA DIALOG, 12(3), 227-244.