Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 1

Differentiated Instructional Strategies

Shannon D. Cook

Troy University

Dr. Kenneth Johnson

ILA 6664 – Practicum II

T5/2017
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 2

Differentiated Instructional Strategies

Review of Assessment Data

3rd Grade

English Math Reading

2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016

R: 55% R: 64% R: 68% R: 31% R: 29% R: 24% R: 19% R: 24% R: 15%
C: 38% C: 33% C: 22% C: 45% C: 48% C: 46% C: 21% C: 34% C: 24%
N: 7% N: 2% N: 10% N: 24% N: 22% N: 27% N: 60% N: 41% N: 59%

Writing Science Notes

2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016:

R: 0% R: 6% R: 2% R: 24% R: 16% R: 17%
C: 62% C: 64% C: 46% C: 10% C: 29% C: 20%
N: 38% N: 30% N: 46% N: 67% N: 53% N: 56%

4th Grade

English Math Reading

2014 2015 2016: 2014 2015 2016: 2014 2015 2016:

R: 54% R: 54% R: 49% R: 20% R: 30% R: 33% R: 22% R: 16% R: 31%
C: 34% C: 36% C: 45% C: 63% C: 62% C: 51% C: 30% C: 42% C: 18%
N: 12% N: 10% N: 5% N: 17% N: 8% N: 16% N: 47% N: 42% N: 51%

Writing Science Notes

2014 2015 2016: 2014 2015 2016:

R: 11% R: 23% R: 9% R: 19% R: 14% R: 20%
C: 61% C: 62% C: 56% C: 24% C: 34% C: 33%
N: 28% N: 15% N: 29% N: 58% N: 52% N: 47%

5th Grade

English Math Reading

2014 2015 2016: 2014 2015 2016: 2014 2015 2016:

R: 50% R: 62% R: 56% R: 14% R: 18% R: 24% R: 14% R: 13% R: 16%
C: 40% C: 35% C: 38% C: 71% C: 65% C: 48% C: 26% C: 38% C: 26%
N:10% N: 3% N: 4% N: 14% N: 18% N: 28% N: 60% N: 49% N: 58%

Writing Science Notes

2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016

R: 22% R: 6% R: 24% R: 17% R: 12% R: 10%
C: 41% C: 41% C: 42% C: 40% C: 34% C: 30%
N: 37% N: 53% N: 30% N: 43% N: 55% N: 60%
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 3

Based on the 2015-2016 ACT Aspire test results, the area in the biggest need of

improvement is reading in all grade levels. The highest percentage of students fall in the “Needs

Improvement” area in reading in all three grade level. One way to increase student achievement

is to use various differentiated instruction strategies so that all students are receiving instruction

at their level. These educational techniques accommodate each student’s learning style,

readiness, and interest. Differentiated instruction strategies use a variety of educational methods

to teach students the same information. These techniques may also require teachers to teach

content at varying levels based on students’ readiness. The goal of differentiated instruction

strategies is to ensure that all students are engaged in the learning process by providing tasks that

match each individual’s needs (Cox).

Teachers can differentiate instruction in three ways: 1) content, 2) process, and 3)

product.

Content

The teacher may differentiate content by designing activities for groups of students that

cover various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson may be

required to complete tasks on the lower levels: remembering and understanding. Students with

some mastery may be asked to apply and analyze the content, and students who have high levels

of mastery may be asked to complete tasks in the areas of evaluating and creating.

Process

Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful differentiation includes

delivering the material to each style: visual, auditory and kinesthetic and through words. Not all

students require the same amount of support from the teacher, and students could choose to work
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 4

in pairs, small groups or individually. While some students may benefit from one-on-one

interaction with a teacher or classroom aide, others may be able to progress by themselves.

Product

The product is what the student creates at the end of the lesson to demonstrate the

mastery of the content. This can be in the form of tests, projects, reports or other activities.

Teachers may assign students to complete activities that show mastery of an educational concept

in a way the student prefers, based on learning style.

Examples of differentiating the product: learners who can read and write can write a book

report; visual learners can create a graphic organizer of the story; auditory learners can give an

oral report; and kinesthetic learners can build a diorama illustrating the story (Wesley, 2014).

Implementation

Implementation looks different for each student and each assignment. Before beginning

instruction, teachers should do three things:

1. Use diagnostic assessments to determine student readiness. These assessments can be

formal or informal. Teachers can give pre-tests, question students about their background

knowledge, or use KWL charts (charts that ask students to identify what they

already Know, what they Want to know, and what they have Learned about a topic).

2. Determine student interest. This can be done by using interest inventories and/or

including students in the planning process. Teachers can ask students to tell them what

specific interests they have in a particular topic, and then teachers can try to incorporate

these interests into their lessons.

3. Identify student learning styles and environmental preferences. Learning styles can be

measured using learning style inventories. Teachers can also get information about
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 5

student learning styles by asking students how they learn best and by observing student

activities. Identifying environmental preferences includes determining whether students

work best in large or small groups and what environmental factors might contribute to or

inhibit student learning. For example, a student might need to be free from distraction or

have extra lighting while he or she works.

Teachers incorporate different instructional strategies based on the assessed needs of their

students. Throughout a unit of study, teachers should assess students on a regular basis. This

assessment can be formal, but is often informal and can include taking anecdotal notes on student

progress, examining students' work, and asking the student questions about his or her

understanding of the topic. The results of the assessment could then be used to drive further

instruction.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Reading

Differentiation strategies applied to reading can be designed to help students learn a

range of skills including, phonics, comprehension, fluency, word prediction, and story

prediction. The chart below offers a variety of strategies that can be used (Access Center, 2004).

Focus of
Strategy Definition Example
Differentiation

Tiered assignments are

designed to instruct students
on essential skills that are
provided at different levels of
complexity, abstractness, and
Tiered
Readiness open-endedness. The
Assignments
curricular content and
objective(s) are the same, but
the process and/or product are
varied according to the
student's level of readiness.
Students with moderate
comprehension skills are
asked to create a story-
web. Students with
advanced
comprehension skills are
asked to re-tell a story
from the point of view of
the main character.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Interest centers (usually used
with younger students) and
interest groups (usually used
Interest
with older students) are set up
Centers or Readiness
so that learning experiences
Interest Interest
are directed toward a specific
Groups
learner interest. Allowing
students to choose a topic can
be motivating to them.
Students work as part of
many different groups
depending on the task and/or
content. Sometimes students
are placed in groups based on
readiness, other times they
are placed based on interest
and/or learning profile.
Readiness
Flexible Groups can either be assigned
Interest
Grouping by the teacher or chosen by
Learning Profile
the students. Students can be
assigned purposefully to a
group or assigned randomly.
This strategy allows students
to work with a wide variety
of peers and keeps them from
being labeled as advanced or
struggling.
Choice boards are organizers
that contain a variety of
activities. Students can
Readiness choose one or several
Choice
Interest Learning activities to complete as they
Boards
Profile learn a skill or develop a
product.
Choice boards can be
organized so that students are
6
Interest Centers:
Centers can focus on
specific reading skills,
such as phonics or
vocabulary, and provide
examples and activities
that center on a theme of
interest, such as outer
space or students'
favorite cartoon
characters.
Interest Groups: For a
book report, students can
work in interest groups
with other students who
want to read the same
book.
The teacher may assign
groups based on
readiness for phonics
instruction, while
allowing other students
to choose their own
groups for book reports,
based on the book topic.
After students
read Romeo and
Juliet, they are given a
choice board that
contains a list of possible
activities for each of the
following learning
styles: visual, auditory,
kinesthetic, and tactile.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 7

required to choose options Students must complete

that focus on several different two activities from the
skills. board and must choose
these activities from two
different learning styles.

Tiered Assignments

Tiering assignments is a fair way to differentiate learning. It allows teachers to meet the

needs of all students while using varying levels of tasks. It's a concept that can be inserted into

homework assignments, small groups, or even learning centers. Make it a point to tell students

that each group is using different materials or completing different activities so they can share

what they learned with the class. Be neutral when grouping students—use numbers or colors for

group names, and be equally enthusiastic while explaining assignments to each cluster.

Also, it’s important to make each tiered assignment equally interesting, engaging, and fair in

terms of student expectations. The more flexible groups and materials you use, the more students

will accept that this is the norm.

There are six main ways to structure tiered assignments: challenge level, complexity,

outcome, process, product, or resources. It is the teacher’s responsibility—based upon the

specific learning tasks that are being focused on—to determine the best approach.

 Challenge Level

Tiering can be based on challenge level where student groups will tackle different

assignments altogether. Teachers can use Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guide to help them

develop tasks of structure, or questions at various levels. For example:

1. Group 1: Students who need content reinforcement or practice will complete one

activity that helps build understanding.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 8

2. Group 2: Students who have a firm understanding will complete another activity

that extends what they already know.

 Complexity

When you tier assignments by complexity, you are addressing the needs of students who are

at different levels using the same assignment. The trick here is to vary the focus of the

assignment based upon whether each group is ready for more advanced work or simply

trying to wrap their head around the concept for the first time. You can direct your students

to create a poster on a specific issue—recycling and environmental care, for instance—but

one group will focus on a singular perspective, while the other will consider several points of

view and present an argument for or against each angle.

 Outcome

Tiering assignments by differentiated outcome is vaguely similar to complexity—all of your

students will use the same materials, but depending on their readiness levels, will actually

have a different outcome. It may sound strange at first, but this strategy is quite beneficial to

help advanced students work on more progressive applications of their learning.

 Process

This differentiated instruction strategy is exactly what it sounds like—student groups will use

different processes to achieve similar outcomes based upon readiness.

 Product

Tiered assignments can also be differentiated based on product. Teachers can use the Howard

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences to form groups that will hone particular skills. For example,

one group would be bodily/kinesthetic and their task is to create and act out a skit. Another

group would be visual/spatial and their task would be to illustrate.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 9

 Resources

Tiering resources means that you are matching project materials to student groups based on

readiness or instructional need. One flexible group may use a magazine while another may

use a traditional textbook. As a tip, you should assign resources based on knowledge and

readiness, but also consider the group’s reading level and comprehension (Cox).

Interest Centers or Interest Groups

Much like a menu offers patrons a variety of options to satisfy their appetite, interest

centers expose students to a variety of strategies and choices that address many learners’ needs.

Interest centers are fluid and can span multiple levels. This gives both students and teachers

insight as to how a particular individual learns best. These centers offer students the opportunity

to learn independently while keeping them engaged in the process.

The Difference between Traditional and Differentiated Centers

For many teachers, centers are a staple in their classroom. There is a significant difference

between traditional centers and centers used to differentiate instruction.

 Teachers base differentiated centers on student assessment data, whereas a traditional

center is based on whole-group instruction.

 In a differentiated center, students work within multilevel resources, whereas traditional

center resources are not differentiated.

 Differentiated centers have tiered assignments, which include varied student responses,

whereas a traditional learning center only has one level of response for all.

 Differentiated centers have tiered activities, whereas traditional centers do not (Cox).
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 10

Differentiated Literacy Center Materials

Reading materials, activity sheets, graphic organizers, and other learning materials such

as word cards all need to be differentiated for the three levels of activities. Reading materials

should be provided at each student’s independent reading level (95–100 percent accuracy rate for

fiction, 97–100 percent for nonfiction). In this way, you modify tasks while still allowing

students to participate in the same activity as their peers. These modifications maintain students’

self-esteem and support their engagement and motivation (Southall, 2017).

Flexible Grouping

Flexible grouping is a term that covers a range of grouping students for delivering

instruction, such as whole class, small group, and partner. How and when to group students is a

strategy employed to differentiate instruction after reviewing relevant student evaluation

information and considering learner profiles. To promote maximum learning, the teacher should

ensure that assessment is frequent, that high-quality instruction is always provided, and that the

students are frequently moved into appropriate instructional groups according to their needs. In

order to differentiate instruction, teachers can group students who do not understand a concept or

skill and find time to reteach the concept or skill in a different way, providing additional practice.

At the same time, those students might be participating with a more heterogeneous mix of

students in other classroom activities. In another setting, teachers may learn that a number of

students in a grade who have mastered the standards for that grade, and are ready to go on to the

standards for the next grade, benefit by being grouped together for as long as the grouping meets

their needs and to provide the needed accelerated instruction.

There are a number of instructional benefits to flexible grouping. Teachers use this

strategy because it’s a great way to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of each
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 11

student, and it allows the teacher to zero in on any specific needs of one student. It allows

students to have the opportunity to work with, and learn from, their peers in a way that lets them

feel comfortable contributing. When students work in a variety of groups, they learn to work

independently and cooperatively with a variety of personalities.

Flexible grouping means a lot of preplanning. Teachers need to look at assessment data,

test results, student needs, and abilities in order to determine the group size. It’s essential when

grouping students to not place them in the same group for every activity. The key to successful

grouping is to be flexible so you can meet each individual’s needs. Here are a few things to

consider as you create your flexible groups:

 Ask yourself, “What is the best type of configuration to meet my learning outcome for

this activity?” Consider a teacher-led group (whole-class, small group, or an individual

teacher-directed activity), or a student-led group (collaborative, performance-based, or

pairs).

 Evaluate all assessment data and look over student-leaning profiles to help you form

groups.

 Identify the most effective grouping design. For example, group students by gender,

previous group, student selection, or teacher selection.

 Differentiate engaging activities for each group.

Flexible grouping is a strategy that is developed over a period of time. To ensure successful

grouping and promote maximum learning, it is essential that assessment is frequent, and that

students are moved into appropriate groups regularly. To avoid any classroom chaos and

disruptions, effective classroom management skills must be set into place.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 12

Flexible Grouping Patterns for Differentiation

Homogeneous/Ability/Cluster Grouping

 Groups of students of similar abilities, readiness, learning style or interest.

 Based on some type of pre-assessment such as prior school performance, teacher observation,

or standardized test scores.

 Use for remediation, acceleration and enrichment.

Heterogeneous Grouping

 Groups of students of differing abilities, levels or interests.

 Use to help students understand different points of view.

 Works best when reading level or math proficiency is not involved.

 Good for group projects promoting creativity.

 Those who have learned the material can mentor those who have not. (Use sparingly!)

Individualized Instruction/Independent Study

 Facilitates the management of many achievement levels.

 Self-paced learning at each student’s performance level.

 Good for exploring each student’s interest areas.

 Teaches independent learning, organizational skills, time management and the development of

individual responsibility.

 Must be monitored and appropriately evaluated.

Pairs/Partners

 Can be based on ability, skill or interest.

 Works well with both homogeneous and heterogeneous pairs.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 13

 Assures a student is not going to get “lost” in the group setting.

 More focused learning than in a larger grouping.

Choice Boards

Choice boards have become extremely popular with students because they are given the

option to choose how they will learn a concept. Teachers love this technique because choice

boards keep students more engaged. These boards—in large part because they are given free

choice—also seem to let students challenge themselves more. Furthermore, choice boards give

teachers the opportunity to tap into their students’ interests, find out how they like to learn, and

how best to reach them in future lessons.

Choice boards are activities or assignments that give students the option of choosing what

they will do to meet the teacher’s requirements. As a general rule, these boards outline a variety

of instructional options that are targeted towards a specific academic goal. The teacher directs

the choice board, but the students are given control over their choices and may select the

option(s) that appeal most to them.

Benefits of using Choice Boards

Choice Boards provide students with the power to choose “how” to learn a particular

subject or concept. This freedom encourages them to be more responsible, accountable and

independent in their learning. It also allows them to work on the activities at their own pace. The

boards are useful for teachers as it enables them to identify and use student interests and

preferences to stimulate active learning and student engagement.

Setting up Choice Boards

Choice boards can be set up in a variety of different ways: By ability, intelligences,

learning style, student interest, readiness, learning preference, or even questioning. As a tip, it’s
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 14

best to focus on just one of these types when creating your board. As far as appearance is

concerned, a choice board is essentially a graphic organizer that mimics a game of tic-tac-toe—a

nine-square grid with activity choices in each row. Students should complete one activity from

each row, depending on their interest. Much like the tic-tac-toe game, the goal here is to select

adjacent or diagonal tasks to complete. Each exercise should vary in content, product, and

process, and can be tailored to address different levels of academic performance.

Adapting the Choice Boards

Here are ways to adapt choice board activities to better support students in your

classroom:

 Allow students to choose which three activities they want to complete even if they do not

complete a Tic-Tac-Toe row.

 Work with students to determine specific tasks based on their abilities and learning needs.

 Design different choice boards based on learning style (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, and

auditory learners each get their own boards, or one choice board can include three tasks

from each category) or type of student population (e.g., English Language Learners,

students with special needs, gifted and talented learners).

 Create choice boards based on the three learning domains (cognitive, affective, and

psychomotor) so students can develop skills and knowledge in each area.

 Add additional spaces to your choice board to increase the number of opportunities

students have to demonstrate their learning and practice skills (Using Choice Boards..).

To introduce students to choice boards, start small with just three or six boxes and expand it

slowly throughout the year. Be sure to teach students the routine, then practice and provide

immediate feedback as students complete squares.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 15

Formal and Informal Assessments

There are two general categories of assessments: formal and informal.

Formal assessments (summative assessments) have data which support the conclusions

made from the test. We usually refer to these types of tests as standardized. These tests have

been tried before on students and have statistics which support the conclusion such as the student

is reading below average for his age. The data is mathematically computed and summarized.

Scores such as percentiles, stanines, or standard scores are mostly commonly given from this

type of assessment.

Informal assessments (formative assessments) are not data driven but rather content and

performance driven. For example, running records are informal assessments because they

indicate how well a student is reading a specific book. Scores such as 10 correct out of 15,

percent of words read correctly, and most rubric scores are given from this type of assessment.

The assessment used needs to match the purpose of assessing. Formal or standardized

measures should be used to assess overall achievement, to compare a student's performance with

others at their age or grade, or to identify comparable strengths and weaknesses with peers.

Informal assessments sometimes referred to as criterion referenced measures or performance

based measures, should be used to inform instruction.

The most effective teaching is based on identifying performance objectives, instructing

according to these objectives, and then assessing these performance objectives. Moreover, for

any objectives not attained, intervention activities to re-teach these objectives are necessary

(Weaver, 2017).
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 16

Formal (Summative) Assessments

Summative Assessments are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what

students know and do not know. Many associate summative assessments only with standardized

tests such as state assessments, but they are also used at and are an important part of district and

classroom programs. Summative assessment at the district/classroom level is an accountability

measure that is generally used as part of the grading process.

Although there are many types of summative assessments, the most common examples

include:

 State-mandated assessments.

 District benchmark or interim assessments.

 End-of-unit or -chapter tests.

 End-of-term or -semester exams.

 Scores that are used for accountability for schools (AYP) and students (report card

grades).

The key is to think of summative assessment as a means to gauge, at a particular point in

time, student learning relative to content standards. Although the information that is gleaned

from this type of assessment is important, it can only help in evaluating certain aspects of the

learning process. Because they are spread out and occur after instruction every few weeks,

months, or once a year, summative assessments are tools to help evaluate the effectiveness of

programs, school improvement goals, alignment of curriculum, or student placement in specific

programs. Summative assessments happen too far down the learning path to provide information

at the classroom level and to make instructional adjustments and interventions during the

learning process.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 17

Informal (Formative) Assessments

Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into

classroom practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they

are happening. In this sense, formative assessment informs both teachers and students about

student understanding at a point when timely adjustments can be made. These adjustments help

to ensure students achieve, targeted standards-based learning goals within a set time frame.

Formative assessment helps teachers determine next steps during the learning process as the

instruction approaches the summative assessment of student learning.

Formative assessments require student involvement. Students need to be involved both

as assessors of their own learning and as resources to other students. There are numerous

strategies teachers can implement to engage students. In fact, research shows that the

involvement in and ownership of their work increases students' motivation to learn (Garrison &

Ehringhaus, 2016).

Types of informal (formative) assessments include:

 ABC  Demonstration  Exit Cards

Brainstorming Stations  Fist of Five

 Analogies  Discussions  Four Corners

 Checklists  Double Entry  Graffiti Wall

 Choral Response Journals  Graphic Organizers

 Cloze Procedures  Drawings  Individual

 Concept Maps  Email Questions Whiteboards

 Conferences  Examples/Non-  Inside-Outside

 Computer Surveys examples Circle

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 18

 Learning Logs  Problem Solving  Think-Pair-Share

 List 10 Things  Questionnaires  Three Facts and a

 Matching Activities  Questioning Fib

 Observations  Quick Writes  Three Minute

 One Minute Essays  Reflection Journals Pause

 One Minute  Repeat Pre-  Three Things

Fluency Assessments  3-2-1

 One Sentence  Response Cards  Thumbs Up,

Summary  Self-Assessments Thumbs Down

 Open-Ended  Sentence Prompts  Traffic Light

Questions  Show of Hands  Turn and Talk

 Paper Pass  Student Composed  Whip Around

 Peer Assessments Questions

 Placemats  Teach a Friend

Most formative assessment strategies are quick and easy to use and fit seamlessly into the

instruction process. The information gathered is never marked or graded. Descriptive feedback

may accompany a formative assessment to let students know whether they have mastered an

outcome or whether they require more practice.

Deciding on what type of formative assessment strategy to use will depend on a number of

factors. Teachers need to determine what aspect of student learning they want to measure. They

then need to consider the learning preferences of their students. Formative assessment strategies

can be given to students individually, as partners, in small groups, or as a class. The type of

grouping used for the formative assessment will also influence the choice of strategy. Teachers
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 19

should not rely on one type of assessment strategy. A variety of individual and group formative

assessment strategies should be used. Individual strategies allow teachers to get a clear picture of

each student and their understanding of the concept or skill being measured. Group strategies

provide teachers with general information about student learning that can be used to plan

instruction. Students can also use formative assessment information to make changes to their

learning (Reiger, 2012).

Predicted Impact on Student Achievement

Test scores in reading continue to fall below average on state testing even with changes

made to teachers and curriculum. Teachers know they should differentiate instruction in order to

meet each student’s needs but they are not confident in how they should differentiate effectively.

After presenting these strategies to teachers and helping them implement them in the classroom,

I feel that the teachers will become more confident which will strengthen their instruction

practices which will increase student achievement. After learning the differences between

formative and summative assessments and being given examples of both, teachers will have

concrete information to guide them in their classrooms. I will continue to work with the teachers

and model how to use the various forms of assessments to guide instruction and intervention

practices. Students will become more actively engaged in the learning process which will also

help increase student achievement.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 20

Annotated Bibliography

Access Center. (2004). Differentiated Instruction for Reading. Washington D.C.: Author.

This article provides a thorough explanation of what differentiation is, how it is implemented in

the classroom, and strategies that can be used in the classroom during reading instruction. It

would be very informative to a beginning teacher who needs a quick overview of what

differentiation is and how to begin to implement it in their classroom.

Coil, C. (2005). Teaching Tools for the 21st Century – Third Revised & Expanded Ed. Saline,

MI: McNaughton & Gunn Inc

This article describes the various types of flexible groupings. It gives descriptions for the

following groups: Homogeneous/Ability/Cluster Grouping; Heterogeneous Grouping;

Individualized Instruction/Independent Study; Whole Class Instruction; and Pairs/Partners.

Cox, J. All about differentiated instruction with menus. Retrieved from

http://www.teachhub.com/classroom-management-differentiated-instruction-menus

Cox explains how choice boards are used to differentiate instruction. She gives step-by-step

instructions on how to set up the choice board system in the classroom. She also provides

examples of activities for multiple intelligences, reading, and science to place on the choice

boards.

Cox, J. Differentiated instruction strategies: Tiered assignments. Retrieved from

http://www.teachhub.com/differentiated-instruction-strategies-using-tiered-assignments

Cox explains how differentiated instructional strategies are used in a classroom to reach all

students based on their individual needs. She focuses on how to use tiered assignments in

reading to help students. She discusses the six ways you can structure tiered assignments:

challenge level, complexity, outcome, process, product, or resources.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 21

Cox, J. Differentiated instruction strategies: Learning stations. Retrieved from

http://www.teachhub.com/differentiated-instruction-strategies-using-learning-stations

Cox discusses how to use interest groups or learning stations in the classroom to differentiate

instruction. She focuses on the differences between traditional centers and interest centers that

are used to address student needs.

Cox, J. Flexible grouping as a differentiated instruction strategy. Retrieved from

http://www.teachhub.com/flexible-grouping-differentiated-instruction-strategy

Cox explains what flexible grouping is and how it is unlike other differentiated instructional

strategies. She discusses the benefits of flexible grouping and how to create groups based on

data and student needs. She gives tips on how to create groups and rules to guide the activities in

the groups.

Cox, J. Implementing differentiated instruction strategies. Retrieved from

http://www.teachhub.com/top-ways-implement-differentiated-instruction-strategies

Cox explained the meaning of differentiated instruction and provided various strategies for

teachers to use in their classrooms. Some strategies that were discussed were: flexible grouping,

learning centers, independent study, tiered assignments, adjusting questions, and choice

activities.

Differentiate learning with choice boards. Retrieved from

http://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/how-to-use-choice-boards-in-the-classroom/

This article explains why you should use choice boards in your classroom, the benefits of using

choice boards, and how to set up a choice boards system. It also explains how to differentiate

activities by using choice boards.

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Flakes, S. (2015). Using choice to motivate and differentiate. Retrieved from

http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/using-choice-to-motivate-and-

differentiate/education

Flakes describes how choice is one of the biggest motivators in setting up a differentiated

classroom. She explains how giving students choices in their learning creates an environment

where students want to learn. She provides links to examples of choice boards and gives an

illustration of how to provide students with multiple ways to demonstrate their mastery of

content through using a choice board.

Flexible groupings. Retrieved from http://edpd593finalproject.weebly.com/flexible-

groupings.html

This article has lots of information on flexible groupings. It describes what flexible groups are,

the background of using flexible groups, and how flexible groups are currently being used in

classrooms. It explains the benefits of flexible grouping and provides additional resources on

flexible grouping.

Formative and summative assessments. Retrieved from http://www.holscience.com/wp-

content/uploads/2014/11/Formative-and-Summative-Assessments.pdf

This article defined formative and summative assessments. It then explained the teacher’s and

student’s role in each. It provided examples of both to show how they were used in the

classroom.

Garrison, C. & Ehringhaus, M. (2016). Formative and summative assessments in the classroom.

Retrieved from https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/

ArtMID/888/ArticleID/286/Formative-and-Summative-Assessments-in-the

Classroom.aspx
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 23

Garrison and Ehringhaus defined informal and formal assessments and how both are used in the

classrooms by teachers. They explained the purposes of both and gave examples of each. They

provided references and resources to teachers for further information on how to use informal and

formal assessments in their classrooms.

Heacox, D. (2002). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free

Spirit Publishing Inc.

Heacox provides specific activities for each way you are able to structure tiered assignments.

She also provides additional resources on using tiered assignments and websites for teachers to

visit for additional information.

Reiger, C. (2012). Book two: 60 formative assessment strategies. Retrieved from

http://www.stma.k12.mn.us/documents/DW/Q_Comp/FormativeAssessStrategies.pdf

Reiger begins by explaining how assessment fits into instruction. She then focuses on the use of

formative assessments and how to determine which assessment to use based on what is being

assessed by the teacher. She also discusses how both teachers and students can use the

assessment results to improve student achievement. She provides 60 formative assessment

strategies and an explanation of how to use each in the classroom. She also provides additional

resources for teachers to use if they need additional information.

Southall, M. (2017). Differentiated learning centers. Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/

teachers/articles/teaching-content/how-does-differentiation-work-literacy-centers/

Southall explains the difference between traditional centers and learning centers. She also

discusses the three core literacy centers that can be used to develop skills in key literacy areas:

comprehension, fluency, and word study. She also explains how differentiated centers support

large group instruction.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 24

Tomlinson, C. (2000). Reconcilable differences? Standards-based teaching and differentiation.

Educational leadership, 58(1), 6-11.

Tomlinson explains what differentiated instruction is and its relationship with standards based

teaching. She provides positive and negative examples of how standards based teaching and

differentiated instruction were applied in classrooms and school districts. She also provides

guiding questions that help ensure that grading practices are productive for all students.

Using choice boards to increase student ownership. (2016). Retrieved from

https://www.advancementcourses.com/blog/choice-boards

This article explains how to set up choice boards in your classroom and how to make adaptations

to them based on individual student needs. It also provides links to examples of ELA, History,

Math, and Science choice boards.

Weaver, B. (2017). Formal v. informal assessments. Retrieved from

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/formal-vs-informal-

assessments/

Weaver explained what formal and informal assessments are and then explained how they differ

from one another. She discussed the purpose of using each and how the scores of each should be

used to help students.

Weselby, C. (2014). What is differentiated instruction? Examples of how to differentiate

instruction in the classroom. Retrieved from http://education.cu-

portland.edu/blog/teaching-strategies/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/

Weselby explained the definition and history of differentiated instruction. She described ways to

differentiate instruction in the classroom. She gave examples of how to differentiate instruction

based on content, process, product, and learning environment. She also described the pros and
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES 25

cons of using differentiated instruction in the classroom. A link to related resources was also

provided in the article.

Valentino, C. (2000) Flexible grouping. Retrieved from http://www.eduplace.com/science/

profdev/articles/valentino.html

Valentino explains the concept behind flexible grouping and how teachers can apply the strategy

in their classrooms to address deficits in learning. She discusses the various ways that students

can be grouped together and the differences between teacher-led groups and student-led groups.