This Plan Book Belongs To Planner: Modalities of Learning, Bloom's Taxonomy, Tiered Instruction

This plan book Planner
belongs to Contents
Student Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Name
Differentiated Instruction: An Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
School Elements of Differentiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Modalities of Learning, Blooms Taxonomy, Tiered Instruction
Room Number Tools for Differentiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Getting Parents on Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Address Parent Survey
Building a Differentiated Classroom From Day One. . . . . . 10

Using the Daily Planning Plan Grids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
E-mail The Year at a Glance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Week at a Glance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Phone
Daily Lesson Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
School Year References and Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
COMPANION FOLDER CONTENTS

Student Information Pages Modalites of Learning Checklist Multiple Intelligences Checklist
Blooms Taxonomy Planner Parent Survey The Year at a Glance The Week at a Glance
Daily Lesson Plan Templates Information for the Subsitiute Teacher
To customize and save the files in the Companion Folder, you will need to download Adobe Reader, version 7.0 or higher.
This download is available free of charge for Mac and PC systems at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.
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permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Cover Design by Jason Robinson, Interior Design by Brian LaRossa, Written by Cindy Middendorf, Edited by Sarah Longhi
ISBN 13: 978 0 545 11263 5, ISBN 10: 0 545 11263 X. Copyright 2009 by Scholastic. All rights reserved. Pubished by Scholastic Inc. Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
The Scholastic Differentiated Instruction Plan Book Scholastic Teaching Resources

Student information
Student Birthday Parent/Guardian Phone Home/E-mail Address
2 The Scholastic Differentiated Instruction Plan Book 2009 Scholastic Teaching Resources
Student information
Student Birthday Parent/Guardian Phone Home/E-mail Address
Scholastic Teaching Resources 3

Differentiated Instruction
An Overview
Not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or an equal motivation,
but children have the equal right to develop their talent, their ability,
and their motivation. John F. Kennedy
Classroom Learners Teacher

Is arranged to allow for a variety of learning formats, Work independently and with peers, Understands and uses research based practices
including learning stations, small group instruction, accomplishing the same objectives in a variety to drive instruction. Uses a variety of teaching
student group work, and individual work. Offers of ways. Identify their personal strengths and strategies and styles. Adjusts content, process,
students easy access to self help tools (posters, weaknesses. Understand goals and expected and product to meet student needs,
word walls, reference materials). outcomes for activities. interests, and readiness levels.
Learning Environment Principles

Is respectful, with both teacher and Everyone learns in different ways.
peer support. Allows learners to engage Differentiated
Everyone has unique strengths.
in independent, small group, and whole
group activities. Communicates high
Instruction
Students must be active participants
expectations for all learners. in learning.
Assessment Content
Is ongoing, and often informal and Addresses concepts and major themes as
observational. Helps teacher make prompt reflected in standards. Is often tiered, or leveled,
and targeted modifications to instruction to for individual learners. Is delivered through
best meet student needs. Takes on a engaging, meaningful, and challenging
variety of formats. options for all learners.
Elements of n Customi e
and print
lesson-planning
checklists
for learning
modalities
A modality of learning is a sensory channel through which a learner gathers and and multiple
intelligences!
processes information. All modalities are important for learning, but over time
most learners show an affinity for one modality more than the others.
Engaging Engaging Engaging Kinesthetic

Visual Learners Auditory Learners and Tactile Learners
Use highlighting tape in text Read aloud often Use role playing
Draw attention to posters and Make a listening center available Provide props for retelling
peripherals in room Put directions on tape Supply cla and other simple building materials
Show filmstrips or videotapes Record passages or chapters so students for making models
Use graphic organizers can listen and read along Slide skill sheets into page protectors and
Use pointers during whole group instruction Use music to teach skills let students complete the exercises with a
Vary the pitch and tone of your voice water based pen that can be erased when
Point out details in illustrat ons theyre finished
Use expressive gestures and body language Encourage peer discussions
Allow a walk and talk format for peer discussion
Display word walls Ask for retellings
Incorporate ene gizing movement regularly
Use Readers Theater
Visual learners do very well with, Kinesthetic and tactile learners do very well with,
and all learners benefit from Auditory learners do very well with, and all learners benefit from
Puzzles Drawing Tracing over sheet protectors and all learners benefit from
Working with clay and other malleable materials
Writing Estimating amounts, weights Books on tape Story retelling with puppets Using pointers during independent reading Acting out
Big books Viewing a video or a filmstrip Using whisper phones Teacher led small group a story Using number and letter stamps Learning sign
Presentations using PowerPoint or other graphics instruction Recording an oral r telling Headphones language Dice or card games Experiments
based digital media Visual sequencing Memory (with wires cut off) to eliminate distractions Floor puzzles
atching games Marking answers in text with Acting out character roles
highlighting tape
Multiple Intelligences: Different Ways We Are Smart

In addition to the three modalities of learning, multiple intelligences (Gardner, 2000)
Verbal Linguistic (page 63) Logical Mathematical (page 65) Musical (page 67)
or ways we can demonstrate and build intelligencealso play an important role
Int rpersonal (page 69) Intrapersonal (page 71) Bodily Kinesthetic (page 73)
in differentiation. Learn to identify and offer students opportunities to use
Visual Spatial (page 75) Naturalistic (page 77)
these learning strengths:

Customize Elements of Differentiation
Blooms Taxonomy
and print a
lesson-planning
form geared
to Blooms
Taxonomy.
Understanding Blooms Taxonomy (Bloom, 1956) will help you focus on moving all students
toward higher levels of thinking, processing, and questioning. Initial instruction should focus
on knowledge and comprehension. As students become competent with basic skills, our
goal is to move students to more complex tasks (those that require thinking
at higher levels), instead of simply more difficult tasks (those that require
more time, skills, or knowledge).
Levels of Thinking Processing Skills Assessments/Products

I remember.
Knowledge I know. Make a list, label a picture, fill in the blanks,
(I know.) I recall. match, write an article, recite, do a timeline.
I define.
I reword or retell.
Cut out or draw pictures to illustrate a
Comprehension I summarize.
concept, role play, retell, give examples,
(I understand.) I explain.
write a summary as a news report.
I paraphrase.
I research.
Construct a model or diorama, write headlines,
Application I demonstrate how.
teach a lesson, design a brochure,
(I use what I know.) I solve a problem.
give a demonstration.
I perform.
I compare and contrast.

Write a commercial, design a questionnaire,
Analysis I note relationships.
make a compare/contrast chart,
(I break down information.) I reason that . . . .
create a flowchart.
I categorize.
I justify.
Write a rubric, conduct a debate,
Evaluation I recommend.
compose persuasive arguments,
(I form and support opinions.) I predict.
give recommendations.
I critique.
I plan.
Synthesis Design a structure, create an invention,
I infer.
(I use knowledge and skills to create something new.) draw a cartoon, devise an experiment,
I propose.
write a song, poem, or story.
I invent.
Note: The order of levels of thinking listed above reflects a revision that places Synthesis at a higher level than Evaluation. Another model by Krathwohl (2002) renames the levels as active verbs
and sets the first three in a hierarchy from lowest to highest: remember, understand, and apply. The three higher-order levels are grouped together: analyze, evaluate, and create.
Elements of Differentiation
Tiered Instruction
Tiered instruction allows all students, regardless of background knowledge or readiness, to
move toward the same learning outcomes and essential understandings. For each objective we
teach, some students need concrete tasks to provide basic levels of understanding (knowledge,
comprehension, and application from Blooms Taxonomy). Others are ready for more abstract
activities that require more complex thinking (analysis, evaluation, synthesis).
Get started with tiered activities by designing two or three assignments for a learning
objective. Each assignment will require comparable effort toward demonstrating an essential
understanding, but will vary from the other assignments in the levels of thinking required or the
complexity of the task. An excellent resource for tiered instruction is Chapter 7 of
Differentiation in Action by Judith Dodge (2005).
Steps for tiered instruction What can be tiered?

Assignments Center activities Homework
Match students to the Learning contracts Lessons
tiered tasks. Projects Materials (e.g., leved books)
Enrich the task

Modify the What should we keep
for higher level
thinking to offer
task for more
concrete thinking in mind when tiering?
to allow success
challenge for
for struggling
stronger stu ents.
students. Advanced students are not doing more work. They are doing more com
plex work (see Blooms Taxonomy, page 6).
Design a solid, on grade level task, activity, assignment, or Stude ts must be comfortable with the concept of different strokes for
center that equires students to use the identified skill, different folks. This attitude must be established early in the year. Rick
knowledge, or essential understanding. Wormeli (2006) recommends using an explanation like this: Fair is not
always equal. Fair is always getting what you need. As your teacher, its
my job to know what you need to succeed.
Reflect on students, or preassess
to determine readiness and background knowledge.
Students must be comfortable moving in and out of groups, collaborat
ing with different peers for different activities. or flexible grouping
Identify specific skills, knowledge, and essential understandings for a lesson. strategies, see Chapter 6 of Differentiation in Action (Dodge, 2005).

Tools for Differentiation
Tools for Independent Reading Support Tools for Auditory Support
Pointers Use individual pointers to track print during independent reading. Whisper phones Provide a basket of commercially made or homemade
In addition to more focused visual processing, this allows movement. Younger phonics phones for your students (especially auditory learners) to use during
students like decorated craft sticks, seasonal eraser caps, novelty pens and independent reading, editing and revising, and counting out sets in math.
pencils, and the slip on fingertips available at Halloween. Older students
needing support in developing fluency can use novelty pens and pencils, their
index finger, or a colorful chenille stem wound around their fingertip.
Framers Give the option of applying word framers to block out surrounding Headsets Cut the wires off old headsets. When working independently,
print (often a distraction for focused reading). Cut a long, narrow window from students can put on headsets to block out auditory distractions or to help with
the middle of a 3 x 5 index card. Model how to slide the card from left to right to concentration.
track print. Make larger math framers from 5 x 8 cards for students to show only
one math problem at a time on a sheet with many.
Highlighting tape Allow students to highlight vocabulary words, answers to end Tools for Handwriting Support
of chapter questions, or keywords in questions. Younger students can highlight Writing utensils Offer a wide variety, both with and without grips, to allow
high frequency words in Big Books. Older students can mark key words or students to find the pen or pencil that best fits them. We know that fine motor
phrases in text. control is developmental, and that differing levels of finger strength, dexterity,
Wikki Stix Outline important phrases in text or make shapes, letters, and and flexibility require different writing utensils.
numbers with easy to remove, wax covered yarn lengths. Older students can use Graph paper Model how to set up math problems on graph paper to keep
these in dioramas and models. Tactile learners love Wikki Stix! columns straight, or turn lined paper horizontally to make columns. Visual
Sticky notes Younger students can cover sight words in Big Books and write the learners will thank you!
word on the sticky note. Teach older students to use sticky notes to mark text
for later reference, or to jot a question related to text. As a teaching/editing tool,
write your comments on the sticky note rather than on the student work.
Tools for Management
Sand timers Encourage learners who struggle with staying on task to use a sand
timer and set small goals. Timers also offer a great visual for letting students
know when youll be starting clean up time or changing activities.
Fidgets Acknowledge that some students may need to keep their hands busy
while you are doing whole group instruction. Younger students do well with
lengths of satin ribbon to wind around fingers, or with small stuffed animals.
Older students can use koosh balls or balls of clay. Make rules clear and concise:
If your fidget keeps you or others from focusing, you lose the privilege!
Getting Parents on Board
Research is clear: Student achievement is improved when families are
involved in their childs day to day learning, understand and support
classroom go ls, and feel valued as partners in their childs education.
Cultivate parent support early in the school year and often!
Parent Survey
Students name ________________________________
Start with the knowledge and conviction that your students will benefit
when you and their families are mutually supportive. Dear Families,
Explain to parents the basics of differentiation and your commitment to
You are your childs first, best, and most powerful teacher! I will be your partner this
honoring the uniqueness of each child. Comparing classroom learning year in providing an enriching year of growth and learning. I believe that every child can
to the highly individual way students learn and excel at sports and music learn, but that not all children learn in the same way. Any insights you can share will
(see the analogies for students, page 45) may help assure parents that help me tailor my instruction to serve your child in the way he or she best learns. Please
use this informal survey to answer only those questions for which you are comfortable
their child is not just another student but a unique learner who will
sharing information with me. I will not share this information with others, but I will apply
succeed given the right environment, materials, and encouragement. it in my daily planning to make sure your child gets the unique and specific instruction
Parent input is valuable in building background on each childs strengths that will make this a great year! Use the back or extra sheets if necessary.
and needs. Start the year off by asking families to fill out a parent survey,
Thank you,
such as the one provided here, Markovas How Your Child is Smart
(1992), or a survey of your own design. Use their responses to expand ________________________________
your student profiles, identify special areas of need or strength that
you can tap into during lessons, and address their concerns at parent 1. How do you describe your childs personality?
conference time or earlier, as needed.
Communi ate regularly. Prepare frequent newsletters to send home.
Use a Web site to post upcoming events, assignments, and class news. 2. Tell me about any special interest, hobbies, or outside activities that your child has.
(Not all families have computer access, so send home hard copies
of everything!) Provide students with an academic planner of the
weeks assignments and ask parents to sign each block as they see 3. What do you consider your childs strengths?
the completed work. Make phone calls at the first sign of academic or
behavioral struggles.
Plan for flexibility. Not all parents can attend a parent conference during 4. What do you feel your child needs help with?
the school day. Arrange for early morning, evening, or home conferences
if necessary, or set up a time for a phone conference.
Be sensitive to families that do not speak English. Whenever possible, 5. When not in school, how does your child spend most of his or her time?
have a language facilitator available for conversations with non English
speaking families. Ask for help to have our new letters translated and
typed before sending home. 6. Does your child have siblings? Do they get along?
Include snippets of current findings on brain research, effective
parenting tips, and reminders of the influence of family in your
newsletters. Include resources or references for parenting issues. 7. Are there allergy, health, or behavioral issues you want me to know about?
Remind parents of the hours for the local public library or museum, and
about free concerts and other family events.

Building a Differentiated
Classroom From Day One
Behind the Scenes: Recognize your past successes. Whether your
last teaching assignment was student teaching
Be sure to have alphabet charts, number lines, color
words, calendars, and handwriting prompts posted.
Before Students Arrive or your twentieth year in the classroom, reflect Put up cards showing the names of special classes
carefully upon what you accomplished. All engaged, and their scheduled times in both analog and digital
Like any classroom, a differentiated classroom motivated teachers have, at some point, instinctively form. (Including a photo of the specialist teacher
requires careful planning long before the first differentiated. Did you discover a hidden talent in with his or her name below provides additional visual
eager student arrives. Whether you are new a shy student? Light a spark that inspired a student reinforcement, as well as a sense of community.) For
to differentiation or have been differentiating to independently learn more about something? other supportive tools for differentiation, Tools for
for a while, the weeks before school begins are Use music, art, or physical movement to introduce, Differentiation, page 8.
important for creating the physical environment, reinforce, or extend instruction? Offer learners
general unit and theme plans, and your own can choices in assignments or materials? You are already
do attitude! differentiating! Build on your strengths to add more Plan for informal assessment. Create a personal, easy
opportunities for differentiation. to use system for making quick daily notes as you notice
behaviors, hear comments, and observe students
Self-assess your philosophy of teaching and learning. struggles or successes. Your informal assessment tool
Teachers who successfully differentiate instruction are Consider the physical arrangement of your classroom. may be a set of colored index cards, one for each
committed to these basic principles: Ideally, student seating would be in clusters. However, if student, on an O ring. It also may be a clipboard with
you are new to collaborative, student centered learning, sticky notes individually labeled with student names,
All children can learn.
or are not yet ready to give up the traditional desks in a notebook that will never be far from your reach, or
Every child deserves teachers who will discover rows model, you might consider having an arrangement even a small pocket tape recorder that allows you to
and nurture his or her strengths. where rows can be easily moved into clusters for part take spoken notes about what you want to remember
of the day or for specific activities. Even students who later. Have your method in place and ready to record
Active, engaged learning means that students are move around to several workstations during the day observations on Day One.
moving often, talking with one another, and not all need to have a home base.
working on the same thing at the same time. Think about how your students will move around
the room. Set up a smooth traffic flow for students
S
tudents must accept responsibility for their
to get to materials, learning centers, and group work
learning.
areas. Designate areas for finished projects, or work in
Understanding multiple intelligences and progress (see Catch Up Cupboard, page 47).
modalities of learning is an important piece of
assessing and planning instruction.
Equip the classroom with tools and resources. Seeing
their name and the names of their new classmates on
Be patient with yourself. Rome wasnt built in a day. a Name Wall when they arrive on the first day gives
No one can differentiate every lesson for every student young students an immediate sense of belonging and
every day, nor is it necessary. Choose one learning serves as an ongoing resource for writing names of new
center, one unit, or even a single lesson for the first friends. Older students benefit from seeing illustrations
month that you will consciously differentiate. Prepare or posters describing units that will be covereda
two or three tiered activities (see page 7) for that great way for them to begin to collect and process
center, unit, or lesson. Start small, see what works, and information, since the visual pathways send the brain
modify your structure and approach as you go. more than 80 percent of all information we absorb
(Jensen, 1998).

classroom routines for taking attendance, handing in Understanding what your students already know will
homework, preparing for lunch, returning to the room help you build on prior knowledge and target necessary
after specials, distributing materials, and moving in and skills or content for instruction.
out of groups. Efficient transitions save you teaching
time!
Complete one differentiated activity. Consciously
target for differentiation during the first month of
Set the tone for differentiation. Use the first month school. Choose one activity, one learning center, or
to build the attitude that its okay that were working one unit (if youre feeling confident!) and design two
on different things. On Day One talk the talk of or three levels of tasks that address different interests,
differentiation. Explain to your students, in an age readiness levels, or intelligences. Explain your purpose
appropriate manner, how each of us has unique way to your students.
of learning, personal strengths, and unique abilities.
Clearly state your expectations that they will take
responsibility for their own learning (see Teacher Sets Use groups flexibly and often. As soon as possible,
the Tone, page 45). arrange for students to work in groups. Be crystal clear
about what the group is to do and the role of each
person in the group. Make sure that the composition
Teach self-help strategies. The sooner students learn of the groups changes often, so that everyone
to be independent, the earlier you will be able to focus understands they will work with different peers on
on instruction rather than management. Use the first different days. (Remember to introduce group work in
Create student work folders. Decide how and where month to establish procedures in your classroom for pairs with young students.)
you will collect and file student work samples. Whether solving daily problems, such as:
you use expandable folders, manila folders, mailbox Borrowing pencils and other supplies
cubicles, a stack of pizza boxes, or hanging files in a milk
crate, the system needs to be orderly and accessible. Using peer support while you are working with a
Keep a camera in your desk for those assignments that small group
are best recorded in photographs.
Locating clean up supplies
Knowing how and whom to ask for he p
Prepare to include families. Think about getting
parents on board as quickly as possible. For tips and a (See Teaching Students to Manage Themselves,
model parent survey, see page 9. page 87.)
Cultivate teamwork. Begin to brainstorm ideas with Begin building a profile for each student. During
special area teachers, such as art, music, P.E., and the first month, gather as much information as you
libr ry teachers, who will be valuable resources for can about students strengths, skills, and interests
reinforcing and expanding student learning outside the by observing, talking with, and assessing each child.
walls of your classroom. Younger students will give you clues through their
conversations, choice of stories, and the manner in
which they complete tasks. Older students can fill out
interest surveys or write about themselves.
The First
Thirty Days Assess what your students know. Use the student
profile (above), screening data, informal observations,
Establish routines, routines, routines. Begin on Day pretests, and information from former teachers
One to start and end each day in the same way. Make to pinpoint student needs and identify strengths.
expectations clear and have students practice the

Using the Daily Planning Grids
Whether you fill in the planning pages in this book by hand or create digital files of
your planning pages with the forms available in the Companion Folder (see next page),
you can customize your plans to meet the needs of your students and your
schedule. Below youll see two examples of plans that reflect different
focuses for differentiated instruction.
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Example 1
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* n d ^ > d ; ai d gY Z eaZ j [d d a K @
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together. A Y h^ 8 n Ld ` h d 8 n d `
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iered ct tie or re e ach ro p J a > V D H X` Hd nH V c
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p 1 h r h d
Gro p 2: r te quest ons ati e
mer ca wo d ha e
ro p o p r o trast o mbu tr p This first-grade teacher is beginning a unit on Careers and Community Helpers. He is just
T
ho e Gro p: Present/disc ss f ndings beginni g to consciously differentiate, and has chosen to focus on providing instruction that
Who e Gro p rainstorm l st of addresses all the modalities of learning. He knows he is a strong visual learner, and wants to
ocabu ar wor re e ant to rm u t
make sure he is not teaching primarily to his own strongest modality. Following is an excerpt
T
i t ( ho ce
r a e c p i from his plan book showing several subject areas that reflect the Careers and Community
at least 10 words.
- e at least in conte t al sentences. Helpers theme. This teacher has carefully analyzed the modalities addressed in each lesson.
- e trat o to d at ast
For his own self-assessment, he makes notes in bold ink labeling auditory (A), visual (V), and
- r p r r th t
c p e 10 kines het c (K) strategies.
W
h Gr ch R
Sa e aton ay by ate aters
( cho a t c 1 9
i
Example 2
This fourth-grade teacher has been using differentiated strategies in her classroom
for several years. Based on her state social studies standards, this Monday through
Thursday social studies plan represents the second week of a Pilgrim unit. Because she is
TH
h Gr p (10 w a h
ocabu ary words comfortable with differentiation, this teacher uses tiered activities for instruction and also
ork in Lear tat o incorporates multiple intelligences in assignment choices and in learning stations.
How to Use the Files in the Folder to
Customize Your Own Lesson Plans
You may choose from three formats to create digital files of your daily lesson
plans, which can be saved and updated for future use. Customize, print, and
three hole punch the completed grids for a binder ready copy.
Small Daily Small Daily

Large Daily Plan Grid Plan Grid 1 Plan Grid 2
(daily_plan_large.pdf) (daily_plan_rows.pdf) (daily_plan_columns.pdf)
THE WEEK OF THE WEEK OF
Keep
Time
subjects
M T W TH F THE WEEK OF
in Mind
Modalities
of Learning
M subjects
Auditory
Visual
M
T
K nesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
T
Verbal Linguistic
W
Logical

Mathematical
Visual Spatial
Musical
Bodily Kinesthetic
W
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal TH
TH
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
Comprehending
F
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
F
This planning grid offers the same design This simple This simple planning grid has
used for reproducible pages 1695. planning grid has the days listed horizontally.
(Prints on legal sized paper.) the days listed (Prints on 8.5 x 11 inch paper.)
vertically. (Prints on
8.5 x 11 inch paper.)
To customize and save the files in the Companion Folder, you will need to download Adobe Reader, version 7.0 or higher.
This download is available free of charge for Mac and PC systems at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.

The Year at a Glance
August September October
November December January
February March April
May June July
For lists of monthly themes and observances, check out online resources such as www.holidays.net and www.web-holidays.com.
The Week at a Glance
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Logical Mathematical
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
What the
Experts Say
Your Students May
Not Learn Like You
Judith Dodge, author of Differentiation in Action (2005),
reminds us that instruction should be about the learner,
not about the teacher:
We must first recognize that the way we learned
the information we plan to teach is not neccessarily
the way our students will learn it. The challenge is to
stretch beyond our own comfort zone in teaching style
and provide choice and options for students who do not
learn the same way we do. Gayle Gregory and Carolyn
Chapman (2002) use a powerful metaphor of baiting
the hook with what the fish likes, not what the fisherman
likes, suggesting that teachers seek teaching and learning
strategies that appeal to their students, not neccessarily
to themselves. Ultimately, the way we teach must extend
beyond our own preferences and beyond the way we
remember being taught (p. 12).
This week, carefully assess your own learning style
and personal strengths. Your teaching style most likely
reflects the way you learn and will also suit some of your
learners. however, many will have learning preferences
different from yours. Make a conscious attempt to vary
your style to include other modalities and intelligences.
Customize!
Keep a digital file of your
daily lesson plans that you
can edit and save for future
use. See the templates
available on the companion
folder as well as ideas for
using the forms on page 13.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
What the
Experts Say
Hard Work Feels Good
When It Leads to Success
A renowned expert on differentiated instruction,
Carol Ann Tomlinson puts forth the basic tenets of
differentiation in The Differentiated Classroom (1999):
In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where
students are, not at the front of a curriculum guide. They
accept and build upon the premise that learners differ in
important ways. In differentiated classrooms, teachers
ensure that a student competes against himself as he
grows and develops more than he competes against
other students.
In differentiated classrooms, teachers provide
specific ways for each individual to learn as deeply as
possible and as quickly as possible, without assuming
one students road map for learning is identical to anyone
elses. These teachers believe that students should be
held to high standards. They work diligently to ensure
that struggling, advanced, and in between students
think and work harder than they meant to; achieve
more than they thought they could; and come to believe
that learning involves effort, risk, and personal triumph.
These teachers also work to ensure that each student
consistently experiences the reality that success is likely
to follow hard work (p. 2).
This week, target one high achiever and one
struggling learner. Design an activity for each around one
of your lessons that will be challenging but doable. Are
there other students who would also benefit from these
activities? You have created a tiered lesson! (See Tiered
Instruction, page 7.)
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
What the
Experts Say
Good Teaching
Has Always Been
Differentiated
Patti Drapeau, in Differentiated Instruction: Making It
Work (2004), validates what effective teachers have
always known:
Clearly, differentiated instruction can be a loaded
term when misunderstood in theory or misconstrued
in practice. But when really examined and recognized
for what it is, it turns out that differentiated instruction
is what effective teachers do all the time. It involves
responsive teaching and scaffolding students learning.
It may include cooperative groupings and alternative
assessments. When you differentiate instruction, you
operate with the premise that all children learn at
different paces and in different ways.
Our curriculum standards tell us what to teach, but it
is differentiation that guides us in how to teach how to
modify the standards or curriculum objectives in order to
meet all students needs (pp. 1112).
This week, describe in your own words how you are
differentiating in your classroom. Include that summary in
your parent newsletter or on your classroom Web site.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
What the
Experts Say
Give the Learners
a Buffet From Which
to Choose
In Teaching With the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen (1998),
an expert in brain based instruction, reminds us of the
power of student choice in learning:
Since whats challenging for one student may not
be challenging for another, this makes a tremendous
argument for choice in the learning process, including
self paced learning, and more variety in the strategies
used to engage learners better. Examples of choice
include the students option to select the complexity or
type of a project. In addition, choice may include student
decisions about computers, partners, seating, and the
final format of the expected end result.
Variety means that regardless of what students
choose, its the educators imperative to expose them
to a wide variety of methodology. This means rotating
individual and group work, drama, music, presentations,
self directed work, computers, guest speakers, and travel
to new locations, even if its just to another classroom in
the school (p. 39).
This week, consider where you can allow student
choice of materials or end product.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
What the
Experts Say
Build Intrinsic Motivation
In Differentiation in Action (2005), Judith Dodge
addresses our role in helping students nurture a love
of learning:
Glassers choice theory (1998) points out that
in addition to the need for survival, there are four
psychological needs that drive all human endeavors: the
need to belong, the need for power, the need for freedom,
and the need for fun.
When you allow students the choice of working
alone or working with others, you address their need for
belonging. When you put students in charge of choosing
which activity to complete, you address their need for
power and freedom. When you offer students creative
ways to show what they know, you address their need
for fun. The more we address these needs, the more we
foster intrinsic motivation in learners (p. 51).
This week, think about nurturing the sense of
belonging in your classroom. In addition to making
opportunities to work with peers, establish a class
routine for opening the day, ending the day, or giving
affirmation to peers such as a high five or a class cheer.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
What the
Experts Say
Provide Clear Directions
In Differentiating for the Young Child, Smutny and von
Fremd (2004) remind us of the importance of clear,
concise directions:
Many teachers find work cards (Heacox, 2002, pp.
9697) a helpful tool. They can be the size of an index
card, and some teachers color code and laminate them
for future use. These cards provide clear directions on
assigned work for a group, pair, or individual and may
also have criteria for quality performance and sometimes
a checklist of all the steps students need to take. Work
cards significantly increase students autonomy and
reduce the number of times they have to run to the
teacher for guidance.
If youre a kindergarten teacher, there are other ways
to make sure your students understand what theyre
supposed to do. Have them repeat back to you what you
said. Have them show you what the directions mean by
demonstrating it. You could also assign a student the job
of explaining the process to other students (p. 58).
This week, prepare one work card for a group activity.
Use words and/or pictures to describe the task and the
finished product. If appropriate, add a rubric for self
assessment. (See Differentiated Assessment: Generalized
Rubrics, page 55.)
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Building on
Brain Research
The Brain Needs Choices
for Engaged Learning
When a learner has options in his or her learning process
or product, the brain more readily learns (Diamond &
Hopson, 1998). Allowing student choices in projects,
materials, time spent, and partners is brain friendly and
crucial for differentiation. Our job is to provide a variety
of choices within each skill level while addressing the
required curriculum.
If you are concerned that some students will
consistently make choices that result in too little (or too
much) challenge, then structure the choices: Table 1
may today choose an activity from the red basket. Table
2, your choices are in the purple basket. Table 3, look
through the green basket for your choices.
Be sure to mix up learning groups regularly based
on your ongoing assessments. The number of groups you
have will also vary from lesson to lesson. Remember that
flexible grouping is a core tenet of differentiation.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Building on
Brain Research
The Physical Environment
Affects Learning
Its no secret that where we learn influences how well
we learn. Learners thrive in an orderly environment with
minimal clutter. Natural, indirect sunlight is optimal, so
consider turning off the overhead lights occasionally and
putting up the shades.
The brain functions best when room temperature is
between 68 and 72 degrees with circulating air (fresh air,
if possible). Slightly cooler is better than slightly warmer,
because the brain becomes noticeably less efficient in
uncomfortably high temperatures. Fresh green plants,
especially spider plants, ficus, and dracaenas help keep
the air oxygenated.
Motivational posters, pictures, and other visuals are
also good for the brain. Because so much learning is at
the subconscious level, it makes sense to surround our
learners with upbeat, positive peripherals.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Building on
Brain Research
Specific Feedback
Supports Learning
Immediate, specific feedback is powerful for learning
because the brain is designed to learn based on
feedback from each experience. Make sure your students
have frequent, concise feedback. Instead of saying,
Your paper looks great, notice one specific detail and
comment on it: Your handwriting has great slant today,
or Wow! You used a lot of purple in that drawing, or
Hooray! You remembered to put your name on it! Your
comments dont always have to be full of praise. When
you notice and comment on something specific, your
students will perceive your words as sincere and honest,
and interpret your message as genuine feedback.
With one of you and a roomful of learners, its difficult
to be the sole feedback provider. Give your students
other ways to get immediate feedback: answer keys in
folders at centers, on the spot correcting of quizzes,
predetermined personal goals or contracts that students
can check against, and strategies for eliciting peer
support. Let students help you create rubrics for tasks
that can be self checked, and keep those rubrics posted.
Encourage self evaluation with a coding system so that
students can let you know how they feel they did by
putting a symbol by their name when they turn in
a paper.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Building on
Brain Research
Every Brain
Needs Downtime
In our zeal to teach so much in so many ways to so many
students, we often forget that the brain is not designed
for constant, focused, engaged attention. Most learning
must be processed, and that requires downtime (Jensen,
1998). The brain continues to digest information long
after the lesson. If we want the new learning to embed in
our students brains, there is no substitute for downtime.
After a very focused, information and activity
packed lesson, use a relaxed processing activity. For
example allow a few minutes for a beanbag toss where
students remember one fact from the lesson when
they catch the beanbag; a walk outside with a partner
while discussing the lesson and applying keywords or
class generated questions; free journaling, drawing, or
writing about information just presented; or just informal
chatting with classmates. This time spent in purposeful
reflection will greatly improve the quality of learning.
Pushing more content into each minute is
counterproductive for learning. We now know that
down time may actually be the most important up
time for learning. The younger the learner, the more
frequent the brain breaks should be.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Building on
Brain Research
The Brain Thrives
on Challenge
At any age, and at any stage of learning, the brain thrives
on challenge (Jensen, 1998). In a differentiated classroom,
challenges and enrichment are not solely for the high
achieving students. Consider carefully the tasks you
provide, because a challenge that is too ambitious will
result in anxiety and frustration; a challenge that is really
not a challenge at all will result in boredom and apathy.
An appropriate challenge is a task for which a learner
possesses enough background information to
get started
has access to resources that to support
deeper learning
can succeed with reasonable effort
Be ready to provide modifications: What challenges one
student may cause another to give up.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Management
Tips
Level the Field
for Your Lefties!
For many left handed children, the right handed world
presents frustrating challenges. Unlike teachers of
generations past, we now know that we should never
force conversion to right handedness, and that a lefty
should be allowed to slant his or her paper at whatever
angle makes writing most comfortable.
Ten percent of the general population is left handed,
and this group includes more boys than girls. Because
the left side of the body is predominantly right brain
driven, our left handed students often benefit most from
differentiated instruction. The right side of the brain
thinks in more creative, spontaneous, out of the box
ways, so left handed students are likely to appreciate
learning (and demonstrating what they have learned)
through music, drama, and art. We also know that left
handed people are twice as likely to quality for Mensa,
the exclusive high IQ society (Selim, 2002).
Today, many practical tools are available to make
the classroom user friendly for our left handed learners.
Non smudge pencils and pens with quick drying ink
make handwriting easier. Unless scissors are universal,
provide scissors specifically designed for lefties. Left
handed rulers that have inches marked off from right
to left keep left fingers from covering the numbers.
Left handed notebooks, bound on the right, as well as
stenographer notebooks allow smoother note taking.
Left handed materials are available through

www.thelefthand.com
www.lefthandzone.com
www.anythingleft handed.co.uk

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Management
Tips
Give the Directions Once
Optimize your instructional time, and student time
on task, by guaranteeing that students understand
directions the first time you give them. Command
everyones attention by ringing a chime, playing a kazoo,
strumming a xylophone, or sending any other auditory
message that says, Eyes and ears this way, please!
Slow the pace as you direct students and be
intentional about using precise, clear language in
your directions. Ask students to turn to a partner and
paraphrase the directions, checking that their partner
understands. Or, prompt students to show understanding
by repeating key words or phrases in this way (teacher
prompts in italics):
You need to get a skill sheet from the .
You point to the green basket and students respond,
green basket! Then you will make sure your
. You point to the name line and students
respond, Name is on it! Youll need to read each
. You point to items on the sheet and
students respond, Sentence! Go back and look at the
underlined . You point to an underlined
word and students respond, Word! Then you write
an in the . You point to the
first example and students respond, Antonym! Blank!
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Management
Tips
Music for Mood
and Memory
Music is always a safe bet with your auditory learners and
students with strong musical intelligence. But music is a
powerful classroom tool for all your students, especially
when used in carefully planned ways.
Music is an effective energizer and mood maker in
the brain. Play soothing Celtic, classical, harp, or piano
melodies in the background as your students arrive
each morning to subtly reduce heart rates, moderate
breathing, and create a calm start to the day.
Music is also an incredible memory maker and can be
used to enrich cognition (Jensen, 1998). We remember
almost anything that is embedded through song. A wealth
of content and skill rich songs that teach are available
from such talented early childhood musicians as Dr. Jean
Feldman, Sharon MacDonald, Dr. Maggie Allen, Jack
Hartman, MaryAnn Harmon, Steve and Greg, Mr. Al, and
others.
Challenge your students to make up songs or create
songs by putting facts to the tune of well known (or
brand new) melodies that they can teach to their peers.
Musical intelligence will blossom all over your classroom!
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Management
Tips
Teacher Sets the Tone
For successful differentiation in your classroom, you
must personally believe that not all children learn best by
doing exactly the same lesson at exactly the same time
as everyone else. To create a supportive environment
where differentiation can thrive, your students must also
accept and champion your vision. One way you can help
them buy into differentiated instruction is through an
analogy, such as one of the following:
When our school band plays, every musician has
to focus on his or her own instrument. To become
excellent at their instruments, some will do more
finger exercises, some will do more breathing
exercises, and others will have to practice reading
music more than their friends. Just like musicians, we
all have some things we need more practice in than
others. As your teacher, I am like the band leader,
and I must help you practice in the ways that are
best for you.
If you watched our high school soccer team at
practice, you would see some players running to build
up strength, some would be working on passing the
ball smoothly, some would be doing bending and
stretching exercises. As your teacher, I am the coach
who will help you be the best player you can be. I
may ask you to do different things than some of your
classmates are doing, because its my job to help you
be your very best! (Middendorf, 2007)
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Management
Tips
The Catch-Up Cupboard
A natural consequence of differentiation is that students
are often not finished with a task when you call the whole
group back together. Provide a consistent, accessible
place for students to deposit those papers and projects
that need further attention. Sometimes the work will be
unfinished assignments, but often it will involve pieces
that students are doing as free choice sponge or anchor
activities (I didnt finish making the sign that I want to go
on my clay model).
By providing a designated place for these
treasures, you validate that their projects, papers, and
efforts are important. In addition, you are helping them
learn organizational skills (a place for everything, and
everything in its place!) and responsibility for their own
materials.
Sometimes a student will be working on a free
choice activity that is physically impossible to save for
later, such as an elaborate tower of magnetic blocks
or a clay sculpture of a colonial village. When it is
inconvenient or unwieldly to save a project, take a digital
picture. Print it out later (no need to use expensive
photo paper) or e mail it to the students home.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Management
Tips
Replace Rewards
With Celebrations
A teacher in a differentiated classroom encourages
students to celebrate their own and their classmates
achievements. We are all born with internal reward
systems. Our brains are instinctively motivated to learn.
Constant and trumpeted overuse of bribes, prizes,
and rewards erode our natural desire to learn for the
sake of learning. Over the long term, tangible rewards
reduce higher order thinking and short circuit the love of
learning (Jensen, 1998).
Use tangible rewards sparingly. Its best if
students are surprised: I was proud of how you listened
at todays assembly. You should feel good about
yourselves. Im going to give each of you a sticker to
celebrate!
To develop and reinforce intrinsic motivation, model
the joy of learning. Make it a habit to use phrases and
praises that help students feel good about their learning:
You really mastered that subtraction process. You
must feel great about that! Or, Jill, pat yourself on the
back and say, Wow, I got all but three problems right!
Encourage and model acknowledging each others
accomplishments.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Differentiated
Assessment
Instruction and
Assessment Go
Hand-in-Hand
The captain of a ship keeps one alert eye on all the
gauges and the other on steady forward progress
toward the destination. By doing so, the captain can
make minor adjustments in rudder direction, speed, and
other calculations that keep the ship on course. Like
ship captains, teachers need to monitor the gauges
and make subtle, continual changes in course to keep
all learning afloat. While we cant waver from forward
progress, we can adjust the course for individual
students.
In a differentiated classroom, assessment is
ongoing, often informal, and is used to modify and plan
instruction. Dont think of assessments as only the end
of week or end of unit tests. The materials and tasks
you assign tomorrow should be determined by students
progress today.
For assessment that helps modify instruction, we
need to determine students level of understanding
and skill before we begin instruction (preassessment),
track learning throughout the instruction (to guide the
learning path for each student), and determine whether
the learning objectives have been reached at the end
of the process (through unit tests, final projects, and
presentations).
Helpful resources include:

25 Quick Formative Assessments
(Grades 38) by Judith Dodge (2009)
35 Must Have Assessments & Record Keeping Forms
for Reading (Grades 48) by Laura Robb (2001)
35 Rubrics and Checklists to Assess Reading and
Writing (Grades K2) by Adele Fiderer (1998)
Assessment First (Grades 15) by Deborah White
(2007)
Differentiating Assessment in the Writing Workshop
and Differentiating Assessment in the Reading
Workshop (Grades K2) by Karin Ma and Nicole
Taylor (2009)

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Differentiated
Assessment
Quality, Not Speed
Every class has them: the students who equate success
with quick completion of tasks. We have to consistently
and vigorously remind students that accuracy,
thoughtfulness, and pride in ones work are the true
measures of success. Point out to students the specific
differences in work that has been carefully done and
work that was rushed, providing examples that youve
created or examples from other years and other classes.
Be clear about expectations. Provide rubrics whenever
possible.
Teach students to consciously self assess before they
declare an assignment complete. A younger student can
put a smiley face in the corner of his or her paper if it
truly is a paper that makes me proud. If you disagree
with his or her assessment, confer with the student
about the specific quality that makes the assignment
less than stellar. It might be the neatness, the accuracy,
or creativity. Raise the bar, expect excellence, and help
children identify the gold standard!
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Differentiated
Assessment
Generalized Rubrics
A teacher friendly guide for developing rubrics is
available at http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/rubric.
htm. This one size fits all rubric maker allows you to
assess up to ten skills and to convert rubric scoring to
percentage scoring.
You can also use these generic rubrics for

quick assessment:
Level 4
Demonstrates skills or can discuss concepts
without error.
Shows total knowledge, instant recall, and
comfortable application of content, skills, or
concepts.
Answers all questions correctly, clearly,
and in detail.
Level 3
Demonstrates skills or can discuss
concepts adequately.
Shows strong knowledge, recall, and application
of content, skills, or concepts.
Answers most questions correctly, clearly,
and in detail.
Level 2
Demonstrates some skill or can discuss some
concepts, although inadequately.
Shows incomplete knowledge, recall, and application
Answers few questions correctly, clearly, or in detail.
Level 1
Demonstrates very little skill; cannot discuss
concept logically.
Shows minimal or no knowledge, recall, or application
Answers most questions incorrectly and
without detail.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Differentiated
Assessment
Lots of Ways to
Help Them Show
What They Know
Differentiated instruction goes hand in hand with
differentiated assessment. In order to get a better
picture of students understanding, youll need a variety
of waysbeyond pencil and paper tasksto help
students can demonstrate what theyve learned. The
list below suggests assessment activities that support
different learning modalities, but it is not exhaustive! For
quick analysis and scoring, develop a rubric with two to
four areas of criteria and rate each on a score of 14
(see page 55).
Do a chart, poster, or diagram.

Write and/or perform a skit.
Present a news story.
Lead a lesson.
Create a photo essay.
Make a model.
Design a learning center.
Make a scrapbook or collage.
Create a quiz.
Draw cartoon or illustration.
Write a song.
Make a storyboard.
Create a diorama.
Engage in a debate.
Make a game.
Create a bulletin board.
Give a demonstration.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Differentiated
Assessment
Look at the Big Picture
In a differentiated classroom, we see each student as a
sum total of his or her social, emotional, physical, and
learning being, not simply as a collector of skills and
information.
To see the big picture, gather as much information
as possible to create a learning profile that will give
evidence of readiness, strengths, needs, and interests, as
well as how those evolve over time in your classroom.
A learners profile should include:

Informal teacher observation that you have noted as
youve watched the student work and/or play
Parent input (see the Parent Survey on page 9)
Feedback from other adults who interact regularly
with the student (coach, music teacher, aide,
librarian, nurse)
Formal assessment results
Dated samples of student work (portfolio
assessment)
The last piece, portfolios, is the best evidence

of a students growth, but also the most unwieldy to
assemble and store. Save pieces that truly represent
both strengths and weaknesses and that allow you (and
the student) to measure his or her achievement by
comparing todays work to work produced many weeks
before.
If youre just getting started with portfolios, focus
on one specific area or task (e.g., essay writing or math).
Sometimes the students best pieces are logistically
impossible to store (clay models, dioramas, bulletin board
creations). In that case, taking a photograph of the work
will allow you to add it to the portfolio. You might also
save those photos on a disc for each child.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Differentiated
Assessment
Parent-Teacher
Conferences
When we confer with families, we gain powerful insight
into what makes our students tick. Youve worked hard
in your differentiated classroom to build a collaboration
of learning among you, the student, and the family. Make
sure the conference is also a conversation, not a one
sided filibuster.
For a successful conference:

Sit with the parents at a table or cluster of desks,
not behind your desk. This is a partnership!
Start by asking the parent(s), What is Jonah saying
about school?
Before voicing concerns about the childs skills or
behavior, target specific positive characteristics and
skills youve noticed. Say, Here are some things I
really enjoy about Jonah, or Let me tell you what I
see as Jonahs strengths.
Have work samples at your fingertips, along with
rubrics of how you assessed this particular project or
paper. Sometimes parents want to see what a work
sample that meets grade level expectations looks
like. For this purpose, keep a folder of photocopied
work that demonstrates grade appropriate skills and
objectives. Be sure to cover student names that may
appear on the work samples.
If behavior is a concern, give specific incidents.
Instead of saying, Jonah is mean to the other
children, give identifying instances: Yesterday
Jonah grabbed another students lunch bag and
began tossing it around. Last week he told another
student that her shirt looked ugly. Today he made fun
of a student who spilled her milk.
Dont overwhelm parents with the students
shortcomings. Choose two or three areas to discuss
with the family.
Offer suggestions of activities to do at home, parent
resource books, or behavior strategies for any
concerns that you have.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Verbal-Linguistic
Intelligence
Students with strong verbal linguistic intelligence usually
do well in any classroom. They have strong oral language
skills, like to talk, and have good aural comprehension.
They like word games, word searches, and debating.
Telling and retelling stories, giving verbal or written
explanations, and reading come easily to these word
smart students.
Students with strong verbal linguistic intelligence
choose careers that involve reading, writing, speaking
and listening. Think of news anchors, authors, politicians,
editors, teachers, and motivational speakers.
Strategies that foster verbal linguistic intelligence:

P
lay word games like Scrabble, Pictionary,
Boggle Junior.
Rewrite the ending of a story, song, or joke.
Make a crossword puzzle.
W
rite a story from a different characters
point of view.
Defend an opinion.
Explain an idiom, pun, or joke.
Memorize a poem.
Write a mini dictionary for vocabulary words.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Logical-
Mathematical
Intelligence
Logical mathematical intelligence is sometimes referred
to as scientific thinking, because people with strengths
in this area understand cause and effect and logical
consequences. Strong logical mathematical students
are quick to learn math, can easily sort and classify, and
create and extend patterns. The ability to reason both
inductively and deductively makes these students good
problem solvers. They think in patterns and therefore
can easily recognize abstract relationships.
Logical mathematical intelligence is important
for careers in science, medicine, architecture, and
engineering.
Strategies that foster

logical mathematical intelligence:
Create and interpret graphs.
Create a timeline.
Design real life math problems.
Develop a scale model.
Make up a strategy game.
Invent a device that will make some task easier.
Play number games.
Solve logic puzzles.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Musical
Intelligence
Students with strong musical intelligence are able to
easily hear patterns in rhythm and speech, to remember
tunes, to replicate them, and to recognize familiar tunes.
These children can easily keep a beat. They react not
only to music, but also to rhythm and inflection in a
human voice, as well as to the sounds of nature.
Students with strong musical intelligence may
choose to become singers, dancers, poets, disc jockeys,
impersonators, composers, music therapists, and
conductors.
Strategies that foster musical intelligence:

Make and play a musical instrument.
Compose and perform a rap song.
Write lyrics to put to a familiar tune.
Create a dance that tells a story.
Write a poem.
Memorize and recite a poem.
Write a cheer.
Deliver a dramatic recitation.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Interpersonal
Intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence is demonstrated through a
students interaction with others and ability to work with
others. These students are socially comfortable, show
empathy for peers, have lots of friends, are tolerant and
understanding, and often become leaders. Interpersonal
intelligence fosters a strong sense of fairness and justice.
Students with strong interpersonal intelligence grow
up to make great neighbors! They choose careers such
as administrators, managers, psychologists, nurses, social
workers, teachers, and salespeople.
Strategies that foster interpersonal intelligence:

Plan and execute a group project.
Be a peer coach or tutor.
Read with a buddy.
Learn about other cultures.
Discuss a topic of interest with three classmates.
W
rite a journal from the perspective of another
person or character.
Write an advice column.
Participate in role playing.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Intrapersonal
Intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence relates to knowing oneself,
being able to recognizes ones own strengths and
weaknesses, and acknowledging ones feelings. This
intelligence grows stronger as a person matures.
Although some young students are introspective and
good at identifying and controlling their own emotions,
most have not yet developed strong intrapersonal
intelligence. This is an important intelligence for us
to foster in our classrooms because it nurtures self
motivation, cultivates self management, and builds self
esteem. Students with strong intrapersonal intelligence
often choose to work alone. They are usually resilient
after disappointments and spend a lot of time in thought
and contemplation.
Because intrapersonal intelligence leads to
understanding of self, students with this strength often
choose careers that allow them to work independently
of others, or that help others become introspective.
A student with strong intrapersonal intelligence
may become a pastor, a theologian, a therapist, an
entrepreneur, or an author.
Strategies that foster intrapersonal intelligence:

Keep a journal.
Develop a hobby.
Read independently.
Create a personal collage.
Design your perfect bedroom.
Make lists of positives and negatives
about a decision.
Keep a scrapbook of your year.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Intelligence
Students with bodily kinesthetic intelligence show
physical coordination, balance, and dexterity in both fine
and gross motor control. These students like working
with their hands, and have good body spatial awareness
and eye hand coordination. Bodily kinesthetic students
choose movement games over board games.
Students with well defined bodily kinesthetic
intelligence grow up to be effective actors, mechanics,
carpenters, dancers, athletes, and craftsmen.
Strategies that foster bodily kinesthetic intelligence:

Use charades to practice vocabulary words.
Act in a skit.
Use manipulatives to solve problems or represent
scenarios.
Learn sign language to practice spelling.
Build a replica of .
Write on magic slates, dry erase boards, or sleeve
protectors.
Walk with a partner to discuss an assigned question
or problem from the lesson.
Create an educational cheer.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Visual-Spatial
Intelligence
Visual spatial intelligence allows a student to visualize
an object and create mental pictures and images. These
students can visualize what a room would look like
with a different arrangement. They are good at judging
distances and have a sense of what fits where. A
student with visual spatial intelligence quickly develops
a sense of direction and easily interprets pictorial
representations.
Students with strong visual spatial intelligence
choose careers that require a lot of mental imagery. This
intelligence is important to engineers, architects, interior
designers, photographers, and pilots.
Strategies that foster visual spatial intelligences:

Read or create a map.
Use or design a graphic organizer.
Construct a story map.
Design and build a model.
Paint an illustration.
Create and interpret a graph.
Solve a maze.
Learn to play chess.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Know Your
Students
Naturalistic
Intelligence
Students with naturalistic intelligence are sensitive
to plants, animals, and seasons. They notice natural
traits and can easily categorize things in nature. They
usually have good observation skills and appreciate the
environment. These students love to get up close and
personal with nature.
Because they are intrigued by nature, students with
naturalistic intelligence often choose careers that keep
them outside or in touch with nature: meteorologist,
farmer, forest ranger, logger, astronomer, botanist, or
landscaper.
Strategies that foster naturalistic intelligence:

Compare and contrast animal characteristics.
Keep a weather graph.
Represent an animals habitat.
Care for a pet.
Grow a garden or care for plants.
Make a topographical map.
Use binoculars, microscopes, or magnifying glasses
to examine natural items.
Observe tadpoles, caterpillars, ants, or salamanders
in the classroom.
Log on to science Web sites designed for students:
www.planetpals.com (earth and space science),
www.kidshealth.org/kid/htbw (human body and
systems), http://nationalzoo.si.edu (animals).
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Questioning
Strategies
Wait Time Makes
a Difference
Waiting a few extra seconds after asking a question
will guarantee more thinking from more students. We
know that boys often formulate verbal answers more
slowly than girls. ESL students and students with limited
background experience also need more wait time.
Furthermore, high achieving students benefit from longer
wait times because their thought processes may be more
complex (Kingore, 2004). Given more time, they can
come up with deeper thoughts than when answering off
the top of the head.
Most teachers wait less than three seconds after
asking a question before calling on a student to answer.
Thinking is not a knee jerk reaction. Let students know
you expect everyone to have a response: Think about
what other choices that character could have made. Ill
think for a few seconds, too. After 810 seconds, ask for
hands. After calling on one or two students, ask everyone
to share answers with classmates around them: Turn to
your neighbors and tell them your ideas. Your students
soon learn that when you ask a question, you expect
everyone to focus on that question.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Questioning
Strategies
Ask the Spicy
Questions
Be sure to feed your students a regular diet of spicy
questions! A spicy question is one that goes beyond
the literal, factual material and makes students expand
their thinking, use prior knowledge, make inferences,
and evaluate. (For a review of levels of thinking and
questioning, see Blooms Taxonomy on page 6.) As
students gain more understanding of a topic, our
questions should move from simple, right or wrong basic
recall (bland questions) to more complex, open ended
questions requiring interpretation and application (spicy
questions).
Bland questions:
When did the Pilgrims come to America?
What was the name of the ship they came on?
Where did they land?
Why did they leave Europe?
What hardships did they face?
Spicy questions:
Name all the things youd be excited about if you
were a Pilgrim coming to America.
How is traveling across the ocean today by boat
different than when the Pilgrims came?
How was life in America different from what the
Pilgrims might have been expecting?
What were the most important things the Pilgrims
brought with them to help them live here?
If the Pilgrims had a second chance to start all over
leaving from Europe, what do you think they would
have done differently?

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Questioning
Strategies
Everybody Gets to Ask
In a differentiated classroom, the questions are equally
(and sometimes more) important to answers, especially if
the questions come from the students. In fact, when we
guide students to ask thought provoking questions we
show them how to be life long learners.
Student created questions can be related to text or
content that the class has read or studied and can be
used to review, reinforce, and extend learning. Reading
comprehension is richer and deeper when students
must generate questions from the text for their peers.
Partners can pair up to share their questions and discuss
answers.
Model and practice having students ask spicy
questions of their peers. (See Ask the Spicy Questions,
page 81.) Have a wall chart of question starters as a
resource. Encourage students to start with questions that
require recall of facts, but to evolve to questions that
evoke higher order thinking from their peers.
Some sample question starters:

How is related to ?
What did mean when he or she
said ?
What would happen if ?
Find an example to prove this statement:
How would it have changed if ?
Describe the picture in your head from
this passage:
Does remind you of anything?
What is your opinion of ?
Use peer questioning after read alouds, after class

discussions of content, and after videos and guest
speakers.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Strategies for
Differentiation
Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning focuses on collaboration, not
competition. Small groups of students work together
on specific learning tasks, supporting and depending
on each other. Three decades of research concludes
that cooperative learning, when planned well and used
effectively, improves student achievement, raises the
levels of thinking skills, causes students to have more
positive feelings about school, allows more time on task,
and promotes social skills (Silver, 2003).

In a cooperative classroom:
Learners are actively engaged with one to four
partners.
Students initiate discussion.
Peers encourage and affirm one another.
Materials are shared.
All group members are responsible for individual and
group learning.
Group members are assigned roles: material
manager, leader, scribe, time manager.

In the early grades, cooperative learning should be
introduced as teamwork for two students. Once children
are comfortable working in pairs, introduce groups
of three. Pairs can be combined to form a group of
four. Keep in mind that young students need lots of
experiences with cooperative learning, plenty of time
to work within their pair or group, and (initially) specific,
teacher directed tasks to process in their group.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Strategies for
Differentiation
Teaching Students to
Manage Themselves
In a differentiated classroom, students must become
very self directed. The time and effort you put into
practicing routines and building independence will pay
huge dividends in time on task, fewer interruptions of
teacher directed small group work, and increase in peer
tutoring. Consciously work on teaching students to be
self managed:
Where else in the room can I look for help? Help
children learn to use all the resources in the room:
alphabet charts, word walls, number charts, unit
vocabulary posters.
Do I already know how to handle this? Practice
the procedures that will take care of the common
interruptions: where to find a pencil, bathroom policies,
location of supplies and materials.
Is there a classmate who can help? Build the
team attitude early to guarantee that your learners
feel comfortable asking one another for help. Post
Emergency Lists of students who have agreed to be
math mentors, shoe tying friends, or coaches for reading
(social studies, science).
I can sign up for help! Have a specific procedure in
place for when students have exhausted all the selfhelp
possibilities and need teacher assistance. Designate a
spot on a clipboard or dry erase board where they can
sign up for help, or use a pocket chart where a student
can put his or her name card. One glance will show you
who is waiting for you.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Strategies for
Differentiation
Compacting
the Curriculum
Compacting the curriculum allows students who already
have mastery of content to engage in alternative
activities. In order to compact the curriculum, the
teacher must preassess students before beginning a unit
or teaching a skill. This can be done through a pretest of
basic knowledge, or through a performance assessment.
Before beginning a unit on your states geography, you
might give the students a blank map of your state along
with a list of cities, rivers, and landmarks, and ask that
they label the map with as many specifics as they can.
Students who show mastery to a level that you have
determined adequate (usually 7585 percent) might move
on to tiered lessons that relate to natural or famous
landmarks in each area, while other students receive the
core geography instruction. (For more detail on tiered
instruction, see page 7.)
Through compacting, content and/or skill instruction
can be accelerated or eliminated for some learners as
they move beyond what they already know in the areas
of their strengths. It is not a strategy reserved solely for
the gifted. For example Jackie may need extra support
in reading but may be quite proficient in math and would
benefit from compacting math assignments. By pretesting
with a range of problems from the new math material,
Jackies teacher can have him work on only the areas of
the new content in which he still needs practice, move on
to more advanced levels of the material, or work on an
independent project related to math and spelled out in a
learning contract.
NOTES

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Strategies for
Differentiation
Incorporate Levels
of Learning
When planning, teachers need to address the specific
levels of learning for their students in each subject area:
1. Learners need to know facts. Facts are the data and

pieces of information that are important to the subject
at hand. In teaching young children about birds, they
need to know facts about birds, such as birds have
feathers, birds lay eggs, and birds have beaks or bills.
2. Learners need to develop concepts, or generalizations,
that help them categorize facts. Concepts from a bird
unit might include not all birds fly, birds can be plant
or animal eaters, and birds can be found in diverse
habitats.
3. Learners need to know principles, which are rules that
organize concepts, such as predatory birds have sharp
beaks and claws, migratory birds follow specific routes,
and birds play a role in the food chain.
4. Learners develop skills that allow the learner to put
all the facts, concepts, principles, and attitudes to
work in his or her world. Facts without the concepts
and principles that build meaning are useless. A useful
activity would be to have students classify a random
list of birds according to habitats, food, migratory
routes, or nesting habits.

As you plan your lessons, consider what students must
know (facts), what students must understand (concepts
and principles), and what they must be able to do (skills).
Paying attention to the levels of learning will ensure that
students are connecting with the material and making
meaning from content.

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Strategies for
Differentiation
Anchor Activities
In a differentiated classroom, anchor activities are
available for students who finish classwork early. Instead
of turning to busywork, engage students in anchor
activities that are self paced, relevant, and content
driven. These activities can be completed independently
in short periods or over the course of several days, and
could easily be part of a learning contract (see Learning
Contracts, page 95).
Anchor activities:
Crossword puzzles or word searches with content
vocabulary
WebQuest research
Content related Internet activities
Listening center activities
Logic puzzles
Creating a bulletin board
Crafting a word puzzle
Designing a diorama
Tangram puzzles
Lego models related to content
Drawings and illustrations
Students can help with ideas for anchor activities. Older

students can use their interests to propose an anchor
activity. For younger students, create three or four
well defined anchor activities that are purposeful and
productive. For more anchor activities for older students,
see Chapter 1 of Strategies for Differentiating in the
Content Areas (Strayer & Strayer, 2007). For ideas to
anchor younger students, see pages 6272
of Differentiating Instruction in Kindergarten
(Middendorf, 2007).

THE WEEK OF
Key Questions to
Time
Guide Your Planning
M
What needs to
be learned?
What do students
already know?
How will you reach
all learners?
How will you assess
students learning?
Keep in Mind
Modalities
T
of Learning
Auditory
Visual
W
Kinesthetic
Tactile
Multiple
Intelligences
Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Musical
TH
Bodily Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Hierarchy
of Learning
Knowing
F
Comprehending
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Synthesizing
Strategies for
Differentiation
Learning Contracts
When a learner sets a specific goal, his or her attention
is focused on the task at hand. Furthermore, verbalizing
and committing to a goal increase the chances of
accomplishing that goal. Contracts for all students may
include the same learning objectives, but students should
set daily or weekly goals. Thad may commit to using
each of his spelling words in a well written sentence by
Thursday, but Sheila may commit to using ten words to
make a crossword puzzle for her peers, while Owen and
Bradley agree to practice spelling the words to each
other for 15 minutes each day this week.
As teachers, we are ultimately responsible for making
certain our students learn. Therefore, especially in the
younger grades and early in the year, we need to direct
the structure and timing of contracts. Students need to
know specific expectations of working conditions such
as time constraints, behavior, proof of learning required,
homework, and criteria for acceptable completion and
quality.
For very young students (Pre K2), learning
contracts should be little more than a concise, definitive
sentence or two where children can fill in a blank or
circle a word or phrase to complete the sentence.
My name is . This week I know I can
(learn to write the letter g; get my
jacket on the hook every morning; count to 20 without
skipping any numbers, etc.). Make sure, of course, that
the materials, practice, and teacher support needed to
accomplish those goals are readily available.
NOTES

Resources and References
0-439-24121-9 0-439-92920-2 0-439-87029-1 0-590-13102-8

0-439-65091-7 0-545-02122-7
0-439-51778-8 0-545-08742-2
Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: McKay.
Diamond, M., & Hopson, J. (1998). Magic trees of the mind. New York: Dutton Books.
Dodge, J. (2005). Differentiation in action. New York: Scholastic.
Dodge, J. (2009). 25 Quick formative assessments. New York: Scholastic.
Drapeau, P. (2004). Differentiated instruction: Making it work. New York: Scholastic.
Fiderer, A. (1998). 35 Rubrics & checklists to assess reading and writing. New York: Scholastic.
Gardner, H. (2000). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books.
Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory in the classroom. New York: HarperPerennial. 0-545-05397-8 0-545-05398-6
Gregory, G. H., & Chapman, C. (2002). Differentiated instruction strategies: One size doesnt fit all. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Heacox, D. (2002). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom: How to reach and teach all learners, Grades 312. Minneapolis: Free Spirit.
Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Kingore, B. (2004). Differentiation: Simplified, realistic, and effective. Austin, TX: Professional Associates.
Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Blooms taxonomy: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(4), 212218.
Ma, K., & Taylor, N. (2009). Differentiating assessment in the writing workshop. New York: Scholastic.
Ma, K., & Taylor, N. (2009). Differentiating assessment in the reading workshop. New York: Scholastic.
Markova, D. (1992). How your child is smart: A life-changing approach to learning. Berkeley, CA: Conari Press.
Middendorf, C. (2007). Differentiating instruction in kindergarten. New York: Scholastic.
Robb, L. (2001). 35 Must-have assessment & record-keeping forms for reading. New York: Scholastic.
Selim, J. (2002). The biology of handedness. Discover Magazine. Accessed September 5, 2008, from http://discovermagazine.com/2002/jan/featbiology.
Silver, D. (2003). Drumming to the beat of a different marcher: Finding the rhythm for teaching a differentiated classroom. Nashville: Inventive Publications.
Smutny, J. F., & von Fremd, S. E. (2004). Differentiating for the young child: Teaching strategies across the content areas. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Strayer, B., & Strayer, T. (2007). Strategies for differentiating in the content areas. New York: Scholastic.
Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandra, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
White, D. (2007). Assessment first. New York: Scholastic.
Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair isnt always equal: Assessing and grading in the differentiated classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
To purchase a copy of any Scholastic title above, visit www.Scholastic.com/teacherstore or call 1-800-SCHOLAS(TIC).
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The Scholastic Differentiated Instruction Plan Book Scholastic Teaching Resources

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Classroom Learners Teacher

Learning Environment Principles

Engaging Engaging Engaging Kinesthetic

Multiple Intelligences: Different Ways We Are Smart

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Levels of Thinking Processing Skills Assessments/Products

I compare and contrast.

Steps for tiered instruction What can be tiered?

Enrich the task

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Small Daily Small Daily

THE WEEK OF THE WEEK OF

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November December January

February March April

May June July

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Left handed materials are available through

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Helpful resources include:

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You can also use these generic rubrics for

Scholastic Teaching Resources 55

Do a chart, poster, or diagram.

Scholastic Teaching Resources 57

A learners profile should include:

The last piece, portfolios, is the best evidence

Scholastic Teaching Resources 59

For a successful conference:

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Strategies that foster verbal linguistic intelligence:

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Strategies that foster

Scholastic Teaching Resources 65

Strategies that foster musical intelligence:

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Strategies that foster interpersonal intelligence:

Scholastic Teaching Resources 69

Strategies that foster intrapersonal intelligence:

Scholastic Teaching Resources 71

Engaging Engaging Engaging Kinesthetic

1. Learners need to know facts. Facts are the data and