
As the educational system transitioned to grading schools, it was assumed that children of the same age learned similarly.

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.

Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may: Research on the effectiveness of differentiation shows this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability.ĭifferentiating 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. Tomlinson describes differentiated instruction as factoring students’ individual learning styles and levels of readiness first before designing a lesson plan.

Definition of differentiated instructionĬarol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and professor of educational leadership, foundations, and policy at the University of Virginia. In this article, learn exactly what it means, how it works, and the pros and cons. So how can you better deliver your lessons to reach everyone in class? Consider differentiated instruction-a method you may have heard about but haven’t explored, which is why you’re here. Chances are, not all of your students grasp a subject in the same way or share the same level of ability. Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual learning style.
