Differentiated instruction is an approach to teaching that recognizes and responds to students' varying backgrounds, readiness, and learning preferences, aiming to maximize each student’s growth and success. It encompasses four key elements: content, process, product, and learning environment, each offering various strategies for adaptability. The goal is to provide a student-centered, flexible, and proactive learning experience for all learners, challenging the misconception that differentiation is primarily for struggling students or requires individualized lesson plans.

1. Differentiating Instruction
TED 406 Teaching Secondary Reading
Jill A. Aguilar
(Adapted from Tomlinson, 1995, 1999; Winebrenner, 1992, 1996)

2. What is Differentiated Instruction?
• To differentiate instruction is to recognize
students varying background knowledge,
readiness, language, preferences in learning,
interests, and to react responsively.

3. What is Differentiated Instruction?
• Differentiated instruction is a process to
approach teaching and learning for students
of differing abilities in the same class.

4. What is Differentiated Instruction?
• The intent of differentiating instruction is to
maximize each student’s growth and
individual success by meeting each student
where he or she is, and assisting in the
learning process.

5. What is Differentiated Instruction?
Learning
Environment

6. 4 Elements to
Differentiate
• Content – what the student needs to learn or
how the student will get access to the
information;
• Process – activities in which the student
engages in order to make sense of or master
the content;
• Product – culminating projects that ask the
student to rehearse, apply, and extend what
he or she has learned in a unit; and
• Learning environment – the way the
classroom works and feels.

7. Content
Examples of differentiating content:
1. Using reading materials at varying readability levels;
2. Putting text materials on tape;
3. Using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of
students;
4. Presenting ideas through both auditory and visual means;
5. Using reading buddies; and
6. Meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for
struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or skills of
advanced learners.

8. Process
Examples of differentiating process:
1. Using tiered activities;
2. Providing interest centers;
3. Developing personal agendas (task lists written by the
teacher and containing both in-common work for the
whole class and work that addresses individual needs of
learners);
4. Offering manipulatives or other hands-on supports; and
5. Varying the length of time a student may take to
complete a task.

9. Product
Examples of differentiating product:
1. Giving students options of how to express required
learning;
2. Using rubrics that match and extend students' varied
skills levels;
3. Allowing students to work alone or in small groups on
their products; and
4. Encouraging students to create their own product
assignments as long as the assignments contain
required elements.

10. Learning Environment
Examples of differentiating learning environment:
1. Making sure there are places in the room to work quietly and
without distraction, as well as places that invite student
collaboration;
2. Providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures and home
settings;
3. Setting out clear guidelines for independent work that matches
individual needs;
4. Developing routines that allow students to get help when teachers
are busy and cannot help them immediately; and
5. Helping students understand that some learners need to move
around to learn, while others do better sitting quietly

11. Full Range of Students
• Students with identified special needs (IEP);
• Struggling readers;
• English learners;
• Speakers of non-standard Englishes;
• Gifted students;
• Who else?

12. 12
What Differentiation Is NotWhat Differentiation Is Not
• Class centeredClass centered
• Mainly for students with learning problemsMainly for students with learning problems
• A tracking system by abilitiesA tracking system by abilities
• A recipe for learningA recipe for learning
• A different lesson plan for every studentA different lesson plan for every student
• Whole-group drill and practice or any singleWhole-group drill and practice or any single
structure or activitystructure or activity
• Fact-based learning aloneFact-based learning alone

13. 13
What Differentiation Is NotWhat Differentiation Is Not
• Unmanageable or undisciplinedUnmanageable or undisciplined
• Modifying the instruction up or down inModifying the instruction up or down in
difficultydifficulty
• A method you will need all new materialsA method you will need all new materials
forfor
• Cost freeCost free
• Just about learning stylesJust about learning styles
• A set of strategies and activitiesA set of strategies and activities

14. 14
What Differentiation IsWhat Differentiation Is
• Student centeredStudent centered
• For all studentsFor all students
• For heterogeneous groupsFor heterogeneous groups
• A change in philosophy about how learningA change in philosophy about how learning
should take placeshould take place
• Multiple approaches or options for content,Multiple approaches or options for content,
process, and productprocess, and product
• A mix of whole-class, group, andA mix of whole-class, group, and
independent learningindependent learning
• More about quality than quantityMore about quality than quantity

15. 15
What Differentiation IsWhat Differentiation Is
• Flexible and variedFlexible and varied
• Proactive in the planning stageProactive in the planning stage
• Rooted in assessmentRooted in assessment
• Based on continual reflection andBased on continual reflection and
adjustment to help students learn welladjustment to help students learn well
• A belief system that says all learners comeA belief system that says all learners come
to the classroom with potential ready to beto the classroom with potential ready to be
accessedaccessed

16. Let’s Try It Out…
Learning
Environment
Content
Product
Process
Curriculum
Student