This document discusses differentiation in education. It defines differentiation as varying instructional approaches to create the best learning experience for each student by incorporating different learning styles. The document explains that differentiation is important because student abilities and interests vary greatly, and differentiating lessons increases student engagement, learning, and enjoyment of learning. It notes that differentiation can be used with all types of students and classrooms. The document advises that differentiation is appropriate whenever a class has a range of abilities and learning styles, and suggests that teachers pace themselves and seek support from colleagues when differentiating to balance their own needs with those of students.

1. Differentiation: The 5 W’s
Dawn Nachtigall
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2. Differentiation- what is it?
“… Differentiating instruction means “shaking up”
what goes on in the classroom, so that students
have multiple options for taking in
information, making sense of ideas and
expressing what they learn. In other words, a
differentiated classroom provides different
avenues to acquiring content, to
processing or making sense of ideas, and
to developing products.”
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
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3. What exactly is differentiation?
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 Differentiated Instruction occurs anytime
an educator varies his/her instruction to
create the best possible learning
experience for all the individual learners in
the class.
 It is the effort of a teacher to incorporate
all the different learning styles of the
students into one lesson or a series of
lessons.

4. Why is differentiation important?
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 Student ability and interest varies greatly. If
teachers want to maximize their students’
potential, they cannot ignore this fact.
Instead they must attend to it.
 If we create lessons that address our
students needs, they will become more
engaged. They will learn better. They will
become less frustrated. They will enjoy
learning more.

5. So who needs to differentiate?
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 Differentiation can be used with
learners at ALL levels: inclusion,
advanced, mixed ability classes, etc.
 Instruction can vary in depth,
complexity, novelty and acceleration or
pacing.

6. When is it appropriate to differentiate?
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 Most classrooms have students with a range
of abilities.
 Whether the class is honors, mainstream or
inclusion class, not all students in that class
learn in the same way.
 Differentiating helps educators reach all
levels of ability and all styles of learning.

7. Where do teachers get the time and resources to create a
differentiated classroom?
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 As a classroom teacher it is important to
balance your own needs with those of the
students. Therefore, if you are trying to
create a differentiated classroom, pace
yourself. You don’t have to differentiate every
lesson.
 Seek out professional support from
colleagues, administrators and other
professionals. Work with others and share
ideas/ lessons.