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##  Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest.        

In most elementary classrooms, some students struggle with learning,            others perform well beyond grade-level expectations, and the rest               fit somewhere in between. Within each of these categories of                    students, individuals also learn in a variety of ways and have                  different interests. To meet the needs of a diverse student                     population, many teachers differentiate instruction. This Digest                describes differentiated instruction, discusses the reasons for                 differentiating instruction, discusses what makes it successful, and            suggests how teachers can start implementing it. WHAT IS                      DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION?At its most basic level,                         differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to               variance among learners in the classroom. Whenever a teacher reaches            out to an individual or small group to vary his or her teaching in              order to create the best learning experience possible, that teacher             is differentiating instruction. 
Teachers can differentiate at                 least four classroom elements based on student readiness, interest,             or learning profile: (1) content--what the student needs to learn or            how the student will get access to the information; (2)                         process--activities in which the student engages in order to make               sense of or master the content; (3) products--culminating projects              that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she              has learned in a unit; and (4) learning environment--the way the                classroom works and feels. 
Content. Examples of differentiating               content at the elementary level include the following: (1) using                reading materials at varying readability levels; (2) putting text               materials on tape; (3) using spelling or vocabulary lists at                    readiness levels of students; (4) presenting ideas through both                 auditory and visual means; (5) using reading buddies; and (6)                   meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for                      struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced            learners. 
Process. Examples of differentiating process or                     activities at the elementary level include the following: (1) using             tiered activities through which all learners work with the same                 important understandings and skills, but proceed with different                 levels of support, challenge, or complexity; (2) providing interest             centers that encourage students to explore subsets of the class                 topic of particular interest to them; (3) developing personal                   agendas (task lists written by the teacher and containing both                  in-common work for the whole class and work that addresses                      individual needs of learners) to be completed either during                     specified agenda time or as students complete other work early; (4)             offering manipulative's or other hands-on supports for students who             need them; and (5) varying the length of time a student may take to             complete a task in order to provide additional support for a                    struggling learner or to encourage an advanced learner to pursue a              topic in greater depth. 
Products. Examples of differentiating                 products at the elementary level include the following: (1) giving              students options of how to express required learning (e.g., create a            puppet show, write a letter, or develop a mural with labels); (2)               using rubrics that match and extend students' varied skills                     levels; (3) allowing students to work alone or in small groups on               their products; and (4) encouraging students to create their own                product assignments as long as the assignments contain required                 elements. 
Learning Environment. Examples of differentiating                   learning environment at the elementary level include: (1) making                sure there are places in the room to work quietly and without                   distraction, as well as places that invite student                              collaboration; (2) providing materials that reflect a variety of                cultures and home settings; (3) setting out clear guidelines for                independent work that matches individual needs; (4) developing                  routines that allow students to get help when teachers are busy with            other students and cannot help them immediately; and (5) helping                students understand that some learners need to move around to learn,            while others do better sitting quietly (Tomlinson, 1995, 1999;                  Winebrenner, 1992, 1996). WHY DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION IN THE                ELEMENTARY GRADES?A simple answer is that students in the                   elementary grades vary greatly, and if teachers want to maximize                their students' individual potential, they will have to attend to               the differences. 
There is ample evidence that students are more               successful in school and find it more satisfying if they are taught             in ways that are responsive to their readiness levels (e.g.,                    Vygotsky, 1986), interests (e.g., Csikszentmihalyi, 1997) and                   learning profiles (e.g., Sternberg, Torff, & Grigorenko, 1998).                 Another reason for differentiating instruction relates to teacher               professionalism. Expert teachers are attentive to students' varied              learning needs (Danielson, 1996); to differentiate instruction,                 then, is to become a more competent, creative, and professional                 educator. WHAT MAKES DIFFERENTIATION SUCCESSFUL?The most                  important factor in differentiation that helps students achieve more            and feel more engaged in school is being sure that what teachers                differentiate is high-quality curriculum and instruction. For                   example, teachers can make sure that: (1) curriculum is clearly                 focused on the information and understandings that are most valued              by an expert in a particular discipline; (2) lessons, activities,               and products are designed to ensure that students grapple with, use,            and come to understand those essentials; (3) materials and tasks are            interesting to students and seem relevant to them; (4) learning is              active; and (5) there is joy and satisfaction in learning for each              student. 
One challenge for teachers leading a differentiated                  classroom is the need to reflect constantly on the quality of what              is being differentiated. Developing three avenues to an ill-defined             outcome is of little use. Offering four ways to express trivia is a             waste of planning time and is unlikely to produce impressive results            for learners. 
There is no recipe for differentiation. Rather, it              is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that values the                individual and can be translated into classroom practice in many                ways. Still, the following broad principles and characteristics are             useful in establishing a defensible differentiated classroom: 
*               ASSESSMENT IS ONGOING AND TIGHTLY LINKED TO INSTRUCTION. Teachers               are hunters and gatherers of information about their students and               how those students are learning at a given point. Whatever the                  teachers can glean about student readiness, interest, and learning              helps the teachers plan next steps in instruction. 
* TEACHERS WORK            HARD TO ENSURE "RESPECTFUL ACTIVITIES" FOR ALL STUDENTS. Each                   student's work should be equally interesting, equally appealing, and            equally focused on essential understandings and skills. There should            not be a group of students that frequently does "dull drill" and                another that generally does "fluff." Rather, everyone is continually            working with tasks that students and teachers perceive to be                    worthwhile and valuable. 
* FLEXIBLE GROUPING IS A HALLMARK OF THE             CLASS. Teachers plan extended periods of instruction so that all                students work with a variety of peers over a period of days.                    Sometimes students work with like-readiness peers, sometimes with               mixed-readiness groups, sometimes with students who have similar                interests, sometimes with students who have different interests,                sometimes with peers who learn as they do, sometimes randomly, and              often with the class as a whole. In addition, teachers can assign               students to work groups, and sometimes students will select their               own work groups. Flexible grouping allows students to see themselves            in a variety of contexts and aids the teacher in "auditioning"                  students in different settings and with different kinds of                      work (Tomlinson, 1995, 1999). WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BEGIN                   DIFFERENTIATION?Teachers are as different as their learners.                Some teachers naturally and robustly differentiated instruction                 early in their careers. For other teachers, establishing a truly                flexible and responsive classroom seems daunting. It is helpful for             a teacher who wants to become more effective at differentiation to              remember to balance his or her own needs with those of the students.            Once again, there are no recipes. Nonetheless, the following                    guidelines are helpful to many teachers as they begin to                        differentiate, begin to differentiate more proactively, or seek to              refine a classroom that can already be called "differentiated": 
*             Frequently reflect on the match between your classroom and the                  philosophy of teaching and learning you want to practice. Look for              matches and mismatches, and use both to guide you. 
* Create a                 mental image of what you want your classroom to look like, and use              it to help plan and assess changes. 
* Prepare students and parents            for a differentiated classroom so that they are your partners in                making it a good fit for everyone. Be sure to talk often with                   students about the classroom--why it is the way it is, how it is                working, and what everyone can do to help. 
* Begin to change at a             pace that pushes you a little bit beyond your comfort zone--neither             totally duplicating past practice nor trying to change everything               overnight. You might begin with just one subject, just one time of              the day, or just one curricular element (content, process, product,             or learning environment). 
* Think carefully about management                  routines--for example, giving directions, making sure students know             how to move about the room, and making sure students know where to              put work when they finish it. 
* Teach the routines to students                carefully, monitor the effectiveness of the routines, discuss                   results with students, and fine tune together. 
* Take time off                from change to regain your energy and to assess how things are                  going. 
* Build a support system of other educators. Let                       administrators know how they can support you. Ask specialists (e.g.,            in gifted education, special education, second language instruction)            to co-teach with you from time to time so you have a second pair of             hands and eyes. Form study groups on differentiation with                       like-minded peers. Plan and share differentiated materials with                 colleagues. 
* Enjoy your own growth. One of the great joys of                 teaching is recognizing that the teacher always has more to learn               than the students and that learning is no less empowering for adults            than for students. FOR MORE INFORMATIONCsikszentmihalyi,                  M. (1997). FINDING FLOW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ENGAGEMENT WITH EVERYDAY             LIFE. New York: Basic Books. 
Danielson, C. (1996). ENHANCING                  PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: A FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING. Alexandria, VA:                Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. ED 403                  245. 
Sternberg, R. J., Torff, B., & Grigorenko, E. L. (1998).                 Teaching triarchically improves student achievement. JOURNAL OF                 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, 90(3), 374-384. EJ 576 492. 
Tomlinson,                C. (1995). HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION IN MIXED-ABILITY                    CLASSROOMS. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and                     Curriculum Development. ED 386 301. 
Tomlinson, C. (1999). THE                 DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM: RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS.              Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum                      Development. ED 429 944. 
Vygotsky, L. (1986). THOUGHT AND                     LANGUAGE. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 
Winebrenner, S. (1992).                   TEACHING GIFTED KIDS IN THE REGULAR CLASSROOM. Minneapolis, MN: Free            Spirit. Winebrenner, S. (1996). TEACHING KIDS WITH LEARNING                     DIFFICULTIES IN THE REGULAR CLASSROOM. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.            ED 396 502. 
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ERIC/EECE Digests are short reports on topics            of current interest in education. Digests are targeted to teachers,             administrators, parents, policy makers, and other practitioners.                They are designed to provide an overview of information on a given              topic and references to items that provide more detailed                        information. Reviewed by subject experts who are content specialists            in the field, the digests are funded by the Office of Educational               Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of                       Education. 
All ERIC/EECE Digests are available free in original               printed form directly from the clearinghouse. For additional                    information on this topic, please contact ERIC/EECE directly at                 [email protected] or 1-800-583-4135.                                         **Title:** Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest.        **Document Type:** Guides---Non-Classroom Use (055); Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** For full text: http://ericece.org.                                           **Descriptors:** Classroom Environment,  Classroom Techniques, Curriculum                        Development,  Diversity (Student), Educational Change, Educational              Strategies, Elementary Education, Heterogeneous Grouping, Individual            Differences,  Individualized Instruction,  Student Needs, Teacher               Expectations of Students, Teaching Methods                                   **Identifiers:**  Curriculum Differentiation, ERIC Digests                                    
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