Chapter 1

Foundations
Differentiated Instruction
A Guide for
Elementary School Teachers
 What is differentiated
Instruction?
• Variety of classroom practices to
address different learning styles,
interests, prior knowledge,
socialization needs and comfort
zones of students.
• Help students reach a balance
between content and competencies
expectations, while helping them
learn in a meaningful way
 Theory of Constructivism
• Belief that learning happens when
the learner makes meaning out of
information.
• First step in differentiated
instruction:
-knowing what understanding
means.
 Some Myths about
Differentiated Instruction
• Abandoning basic skills
• Reinventing the wheel
• Back to where we started
• Consist of students doing workbook
exercises
• Are for students with learning deficits
• Means that teacher does not present
information
• Brighter students used to teach others
 Values of Differentiated
Instruction
• Way we treat students
• Design curriculum
• Establish rules
Requires:
• Planning
• Patience
• Organization
• Communication
• Reflection
 Values…
• Choice- students experience real
learning when allowed to have a choice
of what they learn and to show how
they know it.
• Learning how to learn-making students
aware of how they learn and what they
learn
• Ritual/Variety-Ritual establishes
expectation and variety brings
enjoyment and excitement to learning.
 More values….
• Variety in assessment-allows for a road
spectrum of abilities and modes of
expression to demonstrate knowledge.
• Collegiality-collaboration contributes to
shared learning experiences that
encourages creativity, while fostering
learning.
• Student talk-Students doing most of the
talking, they are doing most of the
learning.
 More values cont…..
• Multiple learning modes-durable learning
increased through the use of inquiry,
facts, multi-sensory methods, technology,
etc.
• Open-Endedness-Thinking leads to more
questions.
• Connections-Between self, world and text
help make learning more meaningful.
• Different Teaching Styles-Adapt to
different teacher strengths.
 Points of Reflection
What does your Class Look
Like?
• Writing on board
• Holding conferences with small
groups
• Explaining and modeling a task
• Reading aloud
• Explaining a visual
• Helping students plan a presentation
• Off-task behaviors
 Points of Reflection
What the Students are
Doing?
• Copying notes from board
• Constructing something
• Asking open –ended questions
• Telling personal anecdotes
• Organizing information
• Listening to peers
• Finding information
• Off-task behaviors
 Learning Differentiated
Instruction
• How to teach in more than one
informed way
• Open to reflection
• Open to adjustment
• Focus on solutions rather than
problems
• Clarify content, process and product
• Know students diverse needs
 Happy
Learning!