5 Most Common Questions about Differentiation Answered

Differentiation can be considered both a philosophy and a set of practices. It is the philosophy of addressing each student’s academic and social-emotional needs to help them achieve their full potential, and is also the move from “one-size-fits-all” curriculum and instructional practices to what each child needs to reach academic goals. This article tackles the top five “what” and “how” questions about differentiation in today’s diverse and distractable classrooms and offers a checklist to support differentiation practices for advanced learning.  

Differentiation as a Component of Transformation 

Much has been published recently about the pros and cons of differentiation. Experts volley back and forth the merits of classroom practices intended to increase student achievement and ensure all students reach their potential. 

Today, in American classrooms there are many students living in poverty, and many have a home language  other than English. Add to that the constant distractions of media and technology, as well as the pervasiveness of the desire for instant gratification, and we see that the teaching and learning process must transform in order to address these changes. Differentiation of curriculum and instruction is a significant component of that transformation.

Questions about the Philosophy and Practices of Differentiation 

As in any vocation, personal philosophies and beliefs guide practice. Differentiation is both a philosophy and an array of practices that have merit in today’s widely diverse classrooms. These are the top five questions I am asked regarding the philosophy and practices of differentiation. Each answer contains ideas and strategies to consider in transforming your classroom.

What is “differentiation”?

Differentiation is the philosophy of addressing each student’s academic and social-emotional needs to help them achieve their full potential. It’s the move from “one-size-fits-all” curriculum and instructional practices to identifying what each child needs to reach academic goals. Differentiation considers various avenues for learning and addresses different formats for assessment. It can be thought of in “whats” and “hows.”

Here is what can be differentiated:

Environment is the “where and when of learning.” Some students do well in quiet places, while others do well in spaces with more sound. Some students work well near windows, while others work well in enclosed spaces. Some students enjoy working online, while others need face-to-face interactions.

Content is the “what we teach for learning.” While all students should accomplish national, state, or locally-set standards, some may reach them earlier (meaning there is a need for enrichment, extensions, or enhancements to the core content), while others need more time (meaning compacting content to the essentials or offering additional materials to support reaching the goal). Content is what we want our students to know (factually), do (procedurally), and understand (conceptually).

Process is the “how students come to own the learning.” Some students enjoy working in groups while others like to learn alone. Some students need more scaffolds or practice to develop skills while others need less time and practice. The process includes the learning activities students engage in to acquire skills and develop conceptual understanding.

Product is the “showing what the student has learned.” While all students should be assessed on standards, there are many ways a student can represent what they know, can do, and understand. Some will enjoy demonstrations while others want to write about their learning. While all students will be tested in the same way on local, state, and national tests (most likely through a paper and pencil format), these forms of assessments may not always represent what a student has learned. Therefore, product differentiation is a useful tool in the learning process.

Here are how these four “whats” can be differentiated:

Readiness

Readiness can be measured in how prepared the student is for learning. Some students come to school with a great deal of skill development and background knowledge, while others have had limited experiences and need more options and support throughout the learning process.

Interest

Every child has an interest in something. Finding out what students are interested in can attach them to the learning. Additionally, getting students interested in learning can have a significant effect on their desire to achieve academic goals.

Learning Style

Each of us learns in different ways. Some people enjoy reading about new topics, while others would rather have someone tell them about it. Some students enjoy learning in a group, while others succeed at doing things independently. Considering how the students like to learn and perform can be an effective way to engage and motivate them..

Why differentiate?

As stated at the beginning of this post, our classrooms are becoming more diverse and distractible. We also have significant neurological evidence that supports the fact that we all like to learn in different ways. If we approach learning from only one direction, we are most likely not going to address the learning needs of the majority of our students. Planning for the differences in your classroom by offering options, choices, varied structures, and different ways of doing and showing can significantly increase student motivation and achievement.

Won’t differentiation take me a lot of time?

In the world of ever-changing standards, curriculum, and expectations, teachers do not have additional time on their hands to write lessons for each individual child. However, by analyzing the evidence of varied needs among your students, you can target specific strategies to improve their achievement. It’s the combination of focused instruction and curricular necessities that make differentiation work. However, you will not differentiate everything all the time. You differentiate when you know you have a need to close gaps in learning, extend knowledge beyond the core, or motivate and engage your students in the content.

If I have students doing different things in the classroom, won’t they wonder why or want to do what the others are doing?

Teaching must be considered a profession like medicine. When the student (patient) comes to us, we must find out what they know and don’t know (diagnostic assessment). When we are fully aware of their needs, we prescribe specific treatments to address them. Not every patient comes to the doctor’s office to receive the same treatment, so we shouldn’t be providing the same treatment in the classroom. Making students fully aware of their varied needs and the ways these are addressed is a component of the differentiated environment.

Where do I begin? Or, What do I do next?

I always say, start small and think big! Differentiation will require a considerable time investment. However, the more you do it, the more you will see your overall efficiency increase. The first step is to create the right mindset for yourself and your students. We all should focus on whatever it takes to get our students to be proficient in what we want them to know, be able to do, and understand. Start small by working on one idea at a time, develop your expertise, share ideas with others, and build your knowledge base. Every hour you invest now in planning and implementation will save you an hour in the future—and will enable your students to succeed.

Differentiation is not easy. It takes time, forethought, planning, analysis, and reflection to make the philosophy and practice work. By asking questions about differentiation and seeking the answers, you can ensure that your planning and implementation address the diverse needs of the students in your classroom so that all students can succeed.