What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom
Teaching Strategies
Differentiated instruction is a method of designing and delivering instruction to best reach each student.
Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student. Formative assessment is an essential ingredient of this method.
Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:
– Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
– Group students by shared interest, topic or ability for assignments.
– Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
– Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.
– Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.
History of differentiated instruction
The roots of differentiated instruction go all the way back to the days of the one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher had students of all ages in one classroom. As the educational system transitioned to grading schools, it was assumed that children of the same age learned similarly. However in 1912, achievement tests were introduced, and the scores revealed the gaps in student’s abilities within grade levels.
In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that children with disabilities had equal access to public education. Educators used differentiated instruction strategies to reach this student population. The passage of No Child Left Behind in 2000 further encouraged differentiated and skill-based instruction.
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