Curriculum and Differentiation

There are three aspects of the curriculum teachers have to look at as they determine how to differentiate instruction:

Lewis and Doorlag (2011), and McLeskey et al. (2010) explain that, in a differentiated classroom, special and general educators:

• Assume that students with diverse learning needs educated in inclusive classrooms have differing needs. As such, a variety of instructional strategies need to be used in presenting information students have to learn;
• Adjust the nature of assignments given in relation to students’ learning styles and needs;
• Evaluate-teach-evaluate their students’ performance and ability to engage in ongoing classroom activities, thereby collecting data they can use to modify instruction as needed and help students reach their full potential;
• Use more than one instructional technique or approach to analyze the curricular information to be taught (content), determine the best way to present the skills covered (process), and identify the best way to evaluate their students’ understanding of concepts taught (product);
• Ensure instruction provided in the classroom is student-centered, interesting, engaging, and relevant; 
• Use more than one grouping strategy to enhance their students’ learning and ability to work collaboratively; and
• Continuously talk and work collaboratively with their students, parents, teachers, and related service personnel in providing the services students in inclusive classrooms require.

In addition, special and general educators in differentiated classrooms also:

• Group students for instruction based on their readiness or ability level, thereby simplifying the complexity of concepts being taught and the instructional activities students have to do by allowing some students to work on assignments that are less complex than those attempted by more advanced students;
• Allow students whose reading level is below grade level to read with a buddy or listen to books on tape;
• Use curriculum compacting as a strategy for accommodating differences in students’ ability or readiness levels. As readiness changes, students are allowed to move between different groups (see flexible grouping);
• Adjust the questions students have to answer by directing higher-level questions to the students who can handle them and lower-level questions to the students with greater needs. This way all students answer important questions that require them to think, but the questions are targeted toward the student’s ability or readiness level;
• Put posters on the classroom wall with key words that identify the varying levels of thinking. These posters are then used by students when they are required to develop their own research questions;
• Assign specific questions for each group of students when giving a written exam. Students answer the same number of questions, but the complexity required varies from group to group;
• Use tiered Assignments. Tiered assignments are a series of related tasks of varying complexity. All of these activities relate to essential understanding and key skills that students need to acquire.  Teachers assign the activities as alternative ways of reaching the same goals taking into account individual student needs;
• Accelerate or decelerate the pace of instruction, thereby enabling students who demonstrate a high level of competence to work through the curriculum at a faster pace, while students who are experiencing difficulties move at a slower pace in order to experience success;
• Use flexible grouping strategies to allow students to move from one group to another as needed;
• Use peer teaching to help students who need one-on-one instruction get additional assistance in the classroom;
• Design and use learning centers in their classroom. The activities at each center are varied by complexity, taking into account different student ability and readiness;
• Use students’ learning styles to deliver instruction in the classroom. Auditory (learns best by hearing information), visual (learns best through seeing information in charts or pictures), tactile (learns best through touch and hands-on activities), or kinesthetic preferences (learns best by using concrete examples, or may need to move around while learning) or through personal interests;
• Assign students with reading problems reading buddies;  and
• Use learning contracts. A learning contract is a written agreement between the teacher and student that helps students set daily and weekly work goals, which helps them develop management skills. It also helps the teacher to keep track of each student’s progress. The actual assignments will vary according to specific student needs.