| name | differentiated-instruction | ||
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| version | 1.0.0 | ||
| description | Differentiated Instruction (Carol Ann Tomlinson) — a proactive approach to teaching that adjusts content, process, product, and learning environment based on students' readiness, interest, and learning profile to maximize growth for every learner. | ||
| user-invocable | false | ||
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"Fair isn't always equal, and equal isn't always fair." — Rick Wormeli
Differentiated Instruction (DI) is a teaching philosophy and set of strategies developed by Carol Ann Tomlinson that systematically addresses the reality that students in any classroom vary in readiness, interest, and learning profile. Rather than teaching to the middle and hoping for the best, DI proactively plans multiple pathways to the same learning goals. The teacher is like a coach who adjusts training for each athlete while keeping the same high standards for all.
Differentiation operates on two axes: WHAT you differentiate and WHY (based on what student characteristic).
| Element | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Content | What students learn and the materials they use to access it | Different reading levels of the same topic; varied complexity of source materials; choice of subtopics |
| Process | How students make sense of the content (activities, thinking) | Tiered activities; varied time allocations; different levels of scaffolding; choice of learning modality |
| Product | How students demonstrate what they've learned | Choice of output format; varying complexity of performance task; different rubric tiers |
| Learning Environment | The physical and affective conditions for learning | Flexible seating; quiet vs. collaborative zones; classroom norms that honor differences |
| Characteristic | Definition | How to Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Readiness | A student's current knowledge, understanding, and skill relative to the learning goal | Pre-assessment, formative assessment, observation, prior work |
| Interest | What topics, questions, and activities a student finds engaging | Interest surveys, conversation, observation, student choice patterns |
| Learning Profile | How a student learns best — influenced by learning style, intelligence preferences, culture, and gender | Learning preference inventories, observation, student self-report |
Before differentiating, clarify what ALL students must achieve. KUD ensures the learning goals are clear:
Facts, vocabulary, dates, formulas, definitions — the declarative knowledge base.
- "Students will know the three branches of government"
- "Students will know the formula for calculating area of a triangle"
Big Ideas and generalizations — transferable truths that endure beyond the unit.
- "Students will understand that governments create systems of checks and balances to prevent concentration of power"
- "Students will understand that area measures the space inside a 2D shape and is always expressed in square units"
Verifiable, observable skills — what students can perform.
- "Students will be able to analyze a primary source for evidence of governmental checks and balances"
- "Students will be able to calculate the area of composite shapes by decomposing them into known shapes"
Differentiation principle: The KUD stays the SAME for all students. The pathway to get there is what changes.
Same essential learning goal, different levels of complexity, abstractness, or scaffolding.
How to tier:
- Identify the KUD (same for all tiers)
- Design the "on-grade" version (middle tier)
- Create a more scaffolded version (approaching tier) — add structure, reduce steps, provide models
- Create a more complex version (advanced tier) — add open-endedness, require transfer, increase abstraction
Example: Analyzing a historical event
- Tier 1 (Approaching): Complete a guided graphic organizer identifying causes and effects using provided sources
- Tier 2 (On-grade): Analyze 3 primary sources to identify causes and effects; write a paragraph explaining one key cause
- Tier 3 (Advanced): Analyze multiple sources, identify causes and effects, evaluate which cause was most significant and defend your position with evidence
Critical rules:
- All tiers address the SAME understanding (KUD)
- All tiers are equally engaging (the "easy" tier should not be boring)
- All tiers are equally respectful (no "smart group" and "slow group")
- Assignment is based on pre-assessment data, not permanent labels
- Students can move between tiers as readiness changes
A formal agreement between teacher and student that grants independence in exchange for accountability.
Components:
- Learning goals (from KUD)
- Required tasks (non-negotiable — core learning)
- Choice tasks (student selects from a menu)
- Timeline and checkpoints
- Quality standards
- Student and teacher signatures
Best for: Students who are ready for independence; building self-regulation; freeing the teacher to work with students who need more support.
Meaningful, ongoing tasks that students work on independently when they finish early or during transitions. NOT busywork.
Effective anchor activities:
- Independent reading (self-selected)
- Journaling or creative writing
- Problem-of-the-week challenges
- Learning center rotations
- Portfolio organization and reflection
- Passion projects connected to course content
- Peer tutoring
Rules:
- Anchors must be genuinely educational
- Students must know expectations and procedures
- Anchors should not require teacher assistance (teacher is working with other students)
- Anchors can be differentiated by readiness or interest
Grouping students differently for different purposes — no permanent "ability groups."
| Grouping Type | When to Use | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Readiness groups | Tiered instruction, targeted skill practice | Must be fluid — reassess regularly; never label |
| Interest groups | Research projects, exploration of subtopics | Ensure all groups address core KUD |
| Learning profile groups | Processing activities (visual/verbal/kinesthetic) | Avoid rigid learning style labels |
| Mixed groups | Peer teaching, collaborative problem-solving | Structure roles to ensure all contribute |
| Random groups | Building community, exposure to diverse perspectives | Keep it fresh — different groups each time |
| Student-choice groups | Autonomy, motivation | Monitor for exclusion or off-task behavior |
The key principle: No student should ALWAYS be in the "low" group. Grouping is a tool, not an identity.
Students choose from a structured menu of options to demonstrate learning. All options address the same KUD but offer different modalities, interests, or levels of complexity.
Think-Tac-Toe Example (Grade 5 Ecosystems):
| Verbal/Linguistic | Logical/Mathematical | Visual/Spatial |
|---|---|---|
| Write a diary entry from the perspective of an organism in your ecosystem | Create a food web diagram showing at least 8 organisms and their relationships | Draw/paint a detailed illustration of your ecosystem with labels |
| Write a persuasive letter to a local official about protecting your ecosystem | Design an experiment to test how removing one species would affect the ecosystem | Build a 3D model of your ecosystem using recycled materials |
| Create a glossary of 15 key terms with definitions and example sentences | Analyze population data for 3 species in your ecosystem; create graphs showing trends | Create an infographic showing energy flow through your ecosystem |
Student must complete 3 in a row (like tic-tac-toe) — this ensures coverage while providing choice.
For students who already know the material: pre-assess, document mastery, and replace redundant instruction with enrichment or acceleration.
Process:
- Pre-assess: What does the student already know?
- Document: Record which objectives are already mastered
- Replace: Eliminate instruction on mastered objectives
- Provide: Alternative, more challenging work in the same domain or a related area
Compacting is NOT:
- Giving the student more of the same work
- Assigning them to "help" other students (occasional peer teaching is fine; permanent tutoring is exploitation)
- Free time (the student should be doing meaningful, appropriately challenging work)
Physical or virtual locations where students work on different tasks. Stations can be differentiated by readiness, interest, or learning profile.
Structure:
- 3-5 stations, each with clear instructions and materials
- Students rotate on a schedule or at their own pace
- At least one station is teacher-led (small group instruction)
- Other stations are independent or collaborative
You cannot differentiate effectively without knowing where students are. Pre-assessment is NOT graded — it is diagnostic.
Pre-assessment methods:
| Method | Speed | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| KWL chart | Fast | Surface |
| Entrance ticket (3-5 questions) | Fast | Targeted |
| Concept map | Medium | Structural |
| Pre-test (mirror of post-test) | Medium | Comprehensive |
| Student self-assessment | Fast | Subjective |
| Interview/conference | Slow | Deep |
What to do with pre-assessment data:
- Sort students into readiness groups (for initial instruction only — groups are flexible)
- Identify students who need compacting (already proficient)
- Identify common misconceptions to address
- Plan tiered activities that match the range of readiness in the room
- Teach routines explicitly at the start of the year
- Students must know: what to do when they finish, how to get help, how to move between activities
- Anchor activities prevent "I'm done, now what?"
- Differentiated classrooms are active, not silent
- Teach and practice "productive noise" vs. "disruptive noise"
- Use signals for attention (countdown, chime, raised hand)
- Flexible seating supports different groupings
- Not all students finish at the same time — plan for this
- Anchor activities absorb time differences
- Some activities are self-paced; others have clear time boundaries
Students may ask: "Why does she get to do something different?"
Response: "Fair means everyone gets what they NEED to learn and grow. A doctor doesn't give everyone the same medicine — they give each patient what THEY need. I do the same with learning."
Establish this norm early and reinforce it throughout the year.
| DI Is NOT | DI IS |
|---|---|
| Individualized instruction for every student | Responsive teaching with intentional grouping and flexible options |
| Chaotic — everyone doing something different all the time | Structured — routines, clear expectations, purposeful design |
| Lower standards for some students | Same high standards, different pathways |
| Permanent ability grouping (tracking) | Flexible grouping that changes with the task and the data |
| More work for fast finishers | Different work — more complex, not just more |
| A single strategy | A philosophy supported by multiple strategies |
| Something only for "struggling" students | Responsive to ALL learners — including advanced |
- Teaching to the middle — Ignoring the top and bottom of the readiness range
- Permanent groups — Labeling students as "high," "medium," "low" for the entire year
- More of the same — Giving fast finishers 20 more problems instead of different/deeper work
- Differentiating everything — Trying to differentiate every lesson leads to burnout; be strategic
- Lowering standards — Differentiation adjusts the PATH, not the DESTINATION
- Differentiating without data — Guessing instead of pre-assessing
- Ignoring interests — Differentiating only by readiness misses a major motivational lever
- Making it visible — If students can easily identify "the easy group," the differentiation is stigmatizing
- No anchor activities — Without meaningful independent work, the teacher cannot work with small groups
- Doing it alone — Differentiation is sustainable when teachers collaborate, share resources, and plan together
- Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (2nd ed.). ASCD
- Tomlinson, C. A. (2017). How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms (3rd ed.). ASCD
- Tomlinson, C. A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design. ASCD
- Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom. Stenhouse
- Sousa, D. A., & Tomlinson, C. A. (2011). Differentiation and the Brain: How Neuroscience Supports the Learner-Friendly Classroom. Solution Tree
- Heacox, D. (2012). Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom. Free Spirit Publishing