Four Ways to Differentiate Instruction
Before beginning the process of differentiation the teacher gains an understanding of each student’s abilities prior to beginning instruction. Knowledge of other factors such as learning styles is gained over time.
Harle (2005) provides additional recommendations for the preparation and planning of differentiated instruction:
- Practice forming effective, broad questions and clear objectives for the lesson.
- Take small steps. Start with just one unit.
- Schedule time to constantly review and reflect on progress.
- Seek out colleagues for support and collaboration.
- Remember there is no single perfect example of differentiated instruction.
If you have solid data about how your students are learning in your classroom, you can then begin to adjust your instruction based on how they learn rather than on how you would like to teach.”
(Jeffrey Bradbury, 2016)
You can begin differentiating your instruction in four areas: Content, Process, Product, and Environment. The table below provides a comparative view of differentiating instruction in these four areas.
| What is Being Differentiated | Explanation |
| Content or Topic | Content comprises the knowledge, skills, and attitudes we want students to learn. The teacher pretests students so that those who already know the concept can move on. This strategy includes compacting curriculum. Students of higher ability can be allowed to work on more sophisticated applications of the materials. |
| Process/Activities | Differentiating the processes means varying learning activities or strategies to provide a range of appropriate methods for students to explore the concepts. |
| Product | Students express their knowledge in many different ways. The teacher may vary performance expectations based on their knowledge of their students’ abilities. |
| Environment | Environments are adapted to ensure that students with varied learning patterns and strengths are challenged and supported. This approach incorporates differentiation based on learning styles as well as multiple intelligences. It also emphasizes the need for teachers to understand what each student already knows and how he or she can successfully move forward from that point. |
Click on each of the bars below to read more about each area.
Differentiating content is best accommodated by pretesting students using objective-referenced tests or performance-based assessments, in order for the teacher to identify students who do not require as much direct instruction. Students who demonstrate a strong understanding of the concepts can skip the instruction step and move directly to applying the concepts in solving a problem. This strategy is often referred to as compacting the curriculum. Another way to differentiate content is simply to permit students of higher-level ability to accelerate their rate of progress. They can work ahead of other class members on independent projects because they have the ability to cover the content faster than their peers.
Differentiating the process involves varying the learning activities or strategies to provide appropriate methods for each student or group of students to explore the concepts. When differentiating the process, it is important to provide alternative ways in which students can manipulate the ideas embedded within the concepts. Students may use graphic organizers, diagrams, charts, or other materials to display their comprehension. Varying the complexity of the tools or materials can effectively facilitate different levels of cognitive processing for students of differing abilities.
Differentiating the product means varying the complexity of the product that students create to demonstrate mastery of the concepts. Different products can be categorized under Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. For example, linguistic products might include writing a letter to the editor or participating in a debate, while kinesthetic products might include making a collage or conducting an experiment.
Students identified as working below grade level may have reduced performance expectations, while students above grade level may be asked to produce work that requires higher-level thinking. Offering students a choice among a few different products within a category may help to engage and motivate students around the learning, particularly among older students with more defined specific interests.
Differentiating the learning environment accommodates the different learning styles of students. In a learning environment where students have choice and some perceptible level of control of their learning, independent learning is fostered. Students are encouraged to support each other in learning groups. However, not all students can work collaboratively and learn at the level they need. Some students will need to have distractions removed or limited. Working at a desk away from their group may be the best option. The goal of differentiating the environment is to support each student’s learning style so they can be successful in a multi-ability classroom.
As you become more proficient, differentiation can occur in all four areas simultaneously. This is especially appropriate for students who need less instructional support, and are more self-directed in their learning approach. More advanced students can work on activities that have greater complexity and require higher-level thinking. Other students with specific needs can be presented with learning activities that offer opportunities to develop needed skills, as well as opportunities to demonstrate their strengths.
While learning outcomes and essential curricula may be the same for all students, the complexity of the content, learning activities, and/or products can vary so that all students are challenged in relation to their individual ability.