differentiated instruction in early childhood education

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Differentiation in Preschool

Once teachers get to know preschool students well, it’s possible set up learning experiences that keep them all appropriately challenged.

Pre-school children play with blocks wearing masks

Differentiated instruction allows us to tailor our teaching to the needs of individual students. Is it possible to offer very young children differentiated learning contexts and challenges? Does it involve too much extra planning, materials, or space?

From my experience, it’s not only possible but absolutely necessary to give these young students the chance to enjoy the learning experience fully. We need to offer learning contexts, tasks, and activities that carry the appropriate challenge and involve the child’s interests. We must also set reachable skills development goals, so that every child can participate in the learning experience feeling self-assured.

How to Begin

To decide when and how to differentiate your teaching approach, techniques, and strategies, you need to get to know your learners and, from there, plan your lessons accordingly. Here are some guidelines:

First, decide on the learning context. For example: Will all the children be in the same space—the playground, the classroom, the science lab? Will you ask them to sit at tables, on a carpet, or will you allow them to walk around?
Second, observe the children carefully. Notice the decisions they make while playing and, when possible, ask them why they’ve made a particular decision or choice. Also observe how they relate to one another. If they’re playing with another child, how are they playing? If not, why? For example, is one child “teaching” the other how to play? Or are they both learning from each other and making decisions together? Also, watch how they interact with the learning environment and the materials—if they use the materials with proper care, if they creatively give the materials different uses. Lastly, notice how they use their oral language and how they react to written language, if applicable.
Once you’ve collected enough information to make a decision about how to approach each child, start planning the differentiation process.

2 Examples of Differentiation

3-year-olds using blocks in the classroom: Offer the children construction blocks and observe them playing. Ask them questions like these as they play: Why are you making this tower? How many blocks have you used? What colors have you used? Why?

Some children will struggle to make a tower of more than five blocks. Others may start putting different towers together to make a large wall. Allow them to do this, and even offer them other materials and toys for them to integrate if they choose.

Some children may not be interested in building walls or towers. In that case, offer them other ways to work with blocks:

Counting: Ask the students to make groups of two blocks, three blocks, four blocks, and so on. See what number they can reach grouping the blocks.
Counting and attributes: The grouping might also be two blocks of the same color or three blocks of the same size. Ask, How do you know the size of a block? Is this block bigger or smaller than this other block? How do you know?
Storytelling: Using a tower you build with a learner, or a small group of learners who seem ready for this step, start a story and let the child develop it—for example, “Many years ago, in this tower, lived a ___ (witch, fairy, girl, boy, monster, robot... let the child choose)”—and then provide prompts for them to continue expanding on the story.
Use the blocks to construct beds for dolls, or assign the blocks different roles—turn them into microphones or mobile phones, or even make a family with the blocks.

5-year-olds using planting materials and tools in the playground or classroom: A good question to get started working on this topic is, How do we know if a plant needs a bigger pot or a bigger spot to live in? Invite the learners to observe plants in pots in the classroom or outside on the grounds and figure out if the plant needs to be transplanted to a bigger place. This gives you the chance to work on the different parts of a plant and their functions, what a plant needs to grow and why, and what each resource provides the plant. You can also teach about the soil—the texture, smell, and color, and even the composition.

To differentiate the tasks you offer the learners, it’s important to interact with them while they walk around and observe the plants.

Ask the learners interested in the topic to touch the plant and name the different parts they can see. Then ask what part of the plant is in the soil (roots), what those are for, how big they are, and what color they are.
If a number of students show that they know enough about the parts of the plant, ask them to choose a label (that you’ve prepared beforehand) with the name of each part of the plant, and ask how they were able to read the labels, to check if they're aware of their decoding and reading process.
Some children may not be interested in manipulating the plant and the soil, but they might want to draw a diagram of the plant or make a representation using modeling dough or clay. Later, the other children who were able to read the labels can place them on the diagram and show their peers how to determine where to put each label.
For those who might be ready for deeper research work, ask them, What color is the plant? Why do you think this is? And from there, make a list of the different hypotheses the children come up with and develop an inquiry-based project.
Children love to connect their learning with music, so ask them to come up with a simple song that includes, for example, the parts of the plant, the needs of the plant, and how to take care of the plant.

Differentiating learning opportunities so that children can have an effective and inspiring developmental experience shows the commitment of the school and the teachers in respecting the children and addressing their needs, interests, and skills development with equity.

While differentiation isn’t as difficult as it may seem at first, it’s a good idea to start small. Choose a task or one part of a task to differentiate the activities or questions. Give yourself the chance to learn how to handle this together with the children. They will guide you. Trust yourself and trust your learners.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Early Childhood Education

March 7, 2024
Dr. Nancy Harding

differentiated instruction in early childhood education

Differentiated instruction is a philosophy of teaching and learning that recognizes and responds to student differences in readiness, interests, and learner profiles. It includes planning, teaching, and arranging the classroom environment to take into account each child’s unique needs and interests.

Differentiating learning for young children keeps them engaged in their learning, scaffolds individual needs, and develops their identity as successful learners. Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) may be a child’s first teacher outside the home, contributing to their positive sense of identity as learners and laying the groundwork for their future success as students. As ECEs, we want each child to maintain their natural curiosity, feel confident as learners, and trust the adults in their lives to support their learning.

ECEs typically know their students very well, an essential first step to differentiated instruction. However, since young children change and develop quickly, this can be a challenge for ECEs. A child’s needs in September may differ from what they need a few months (or even weeks) later. In addition, learning is not linear, and children will have different needs on different days. When meeting each child’s needs, a teacher uses all the tools in their toolbox. The challenge is picking and choosing the right tool for each child at the right moment.

Here are six processes that can help ECEs structure differentiated instruction for their students.

1. assessment.

Knowing where the children are in their learning is necessary before you can plan how to support them and the next steps. Some Early Childhood Centers include assessments as part of their program, and some do not. As teachers, one of the best assessment tools is the ability to observe the children in your class. Anecdotal Observations are a great tool for teachers.

Tips for Anecdotal Observation

Choose a method to take brief notes as you observe a child. Notebooks, post-its, index cards, whatever works for you. Jot notes, documenting what you see as if you are describing a picture. Be concrete with enough details to help you plan the next steps. Eliminate evaluative language. For example, let us take the scenario of a child building with blocks. “The child is on task” doesn’t describe a behavior. However, “A student sat in the block area and stacked X number of colored blocks vertically while narrating her actions to herself. You would jot down some of the words and phrases that you hear. When the blocks fell, the student began again without pausing between tries.” This gives you a lot of information and how to build this child’s learning.

2. Planning

Once you know your learning objective and how are you going to teach, plan a variety of ways that you can teach to provide differentiation. If, for example, the learning objective is observation skills (Scientific Inquiry), differentiation ranges from teaching vocabulary for what they see to developing more complex and descriptive language. A rock becomes a big rock, a grey rock, a big grey rock with lines in it, skills include using their five senses as observation tools and perhaps creating representations of what they observe. Knowing where your students are and how your students best learn tells you where to begin and how to meet each student’s needs.

3. Demonstrating Understanding

Young children’s methods of demonstrating understanding vary greatly, from pointing to using short phrases to using full sentences to representation using paper pencil or three-dimensional objects. Acknowledging how each child demonstrates understanding gives them confidence to share what they know and understand.

4. Flexible Grouping

Flexible grouping of students means that you adjust groups to the learning tasks; in some instances, whole group instruction while at other students will be working in small groups or individually to complete tasks to their levels of readiness, interests, and learning preferences. These groups continuously change and are the opposite of grouping for ability.

5. Environment

A differentiated classroom environment includes a combination of learning centers. Centers are designed to address various interests, energy levels, and types of learning. They include self-directed play, guided play, and direct instruction. Materials are available to children to maximize opportunities for children to choose the materials.

6. Teacher Reflection

Reflection is a crucial part of differentiating for your students. Thinking about what worked and what can be improved informs your next steps. Is what you are seeing your students do divergent from what you expected? What surprised you? What can you build upon? Where might you need to pull back or find a different method of delivery? A journal is a helpful tool for reflecting on your students. It does not have to be formal; this is for you to help you better differentiate for your students.

All of these processes take time, and as you master them, you become more efficient at implementation. If you are new to differentiating learning for students, start with one child.

I’m here to help you create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all your students.

Elevate your understanding of early childhood education and child development with my engaging preschool education workshops tailored for both teachers and parents. These workshops provide valuable insights, practical strategies, and effective tools to enhance your role in nurturing young minds. Whether you’re an educator or a parent, these sessions aim to empower you with the knowledge and skills essential for fostering a positive learning environment. Dive deeper into the world of preschool education and child development by exploring my workshop offerings . For more valuable content and updates, follow me on Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn . #EarlyYearsConsult

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“ We are a little piece of continual change, looking at an infinite quantity of continual change.” — BKS Iyengar

Embracing Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood Education

Differentiated instruction, far from being a mere pedagogical trend, emerges as a vital framework for fostering inclusive, responsive, and engaging learning environments. This approach, rooted in the understanding that each child is a unique learner with distinct needs, interests, and abilities, has reshaped my educational practices over the years and is driven by a deep belief in its power to not only enhance academic outcomes but to kindle a lifelong love for learning in every child. I hope that my personal reflection on differentiated instruction would reveal its practicality, efficacy, and the profound joy it brings into the early learning spaces we cultivate.

Misconceptions and Realizations

Initial reservations about differentiated instruction could be the perceived necessity to tailor lessons for each individual child, which seemed incredibly time-consuming. However, as we come to understand and appreciate the multifaceted approach of differentiated instruction, it is not as daunting as it initially appeared.

Differentiated instruction, as outlined by Tomlinson & Edison (2003), is about tailoring instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners through various strategies—altering content, process, product, affect, and the learning environment based on a pre-assessment of the children’s readiness, interests, and learning profiles. This approach allows educators to identify commonalities among children, grouping them accordingly therefore making differentiated instruction both realistic and manageable in a school setting. Partnered with careful planning and preparation, differentiated instruction not only becomes feasible but also time-efficient in the long run by minimizing the need for remediation and fostering engagement and learning at every child's developmental level.

Incorporation of technology in differentiated instruction has made differentiated instructions manageable. Initially sceptical about its role, fearing it might overshadow the human aspect of learning, I've since recognized its strategic importance. Technology can streamline the collection and management of assessment data, making it easier to tailor instruction effectively. This realization requires us to step out of our comfort zone and engaging deeply with the subject, understanding the value of technology as a supportive tool rather than a replacement.

Beyond Academic Achievement: Fostering Flourishing Learners

The perspective of differentiated instruction in Singapore, often seen through the lens of academic performance—lifting those who struggle while pushing high achievers further—has broadened for me. Influenced by Carey & McDevitt (2019), I now view differentiated instruction as a celebration of diversity within the classroom, aiming not just for academic success but for every child to flourish uniquely. This approach aligns with the understanding that children need to experience positive emotions, function well psychologically and socially to truly thrive.

Schools play a crucial role as a key social environment for children, where they spend significant time interacting, learning, and shaping their self-identity. Implementing differentiated instruction means recognizing and respecting each child's needs, interests, and readiness, thereby fostering joy in learning, motivation, and engagement. Moreover, it supports social development, encouraging children to appreciate differences, embrace similarities, and learn cooperative skills through mixed-group activities. Thus, differentiated instruction is more than a teaching strategy; it's a message of respect and individual value.

Implementation and Communication

Sometimes, the challenge isn’t in the application of differentiated instruction but in articulating its effectiveness and justifying its implementation to different stakeholders. This requires a robust pre-assessment to ensure that instructional modifications are appropriate and beneficial. Pre-assessment is crucial, as it equips educators with insights into each child’s starting point in terms of prior knowledge, skills, and interests, guiding instructional decisions towards successful learning outcomes. Here again, technology proves invaluable for gathering and analysing information efficiently. Additionally, technology allows us to engage parents as they offer further insights, and we share our findings, enhancing the effectiveness of differentiated instruction.

Differentiated instruction, understood and implemented thoughtfully, is a powerful framework that aligns with the core values of early childhood education—respecting and nurturing each child's unique path to growth and learning. By overcoming initial misconceptions and embracing the strategic use of technology and thorough pre-assessment, educators can create learning environments where every child has the opportunity to flourish. This journey of discovery has not only reshaped my teaching practices but also reinforced my commitment to support other educators in fostering an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic classroom for all learners.

Debbie is a seasoned professional in early childhood education, with an expansive career that encompasses teaching, school leadership, curriculum leadership and various corporate roles within the sector. She is also the founder of FaithXWorks. Debbie holds a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood from Monash University and a Master of Education in Curriculum & Teaching from the National Institute of Education. As a skilled trainer and coach, she is deeply committed to ensuring quality care and education by mentoring the next generation of educators and leaders, focusing on both professional and personal development. She is dedicated to provide developmentally and needs-appropriate learning experiences to marginalised communities both locally and overseas, aiming to impact the lives of these children.

Differentiated Instruction in the Early Childhood Setting

== Why take this course? ==

The goal of differentiated instruction is to make certain that everyone grows in all key skills and knowledge areas, encouraging student to move on from their starting points and to become more independent learners.
In a differentiated classroom, the teacher closely assesses and monitors skills, knowledge levels, interests to determine effective ways for all students to learn; the teacher's lesson plan is drawn up with those various skills, levels, and interests in mind.
Differentiated lessons reflect the teacher's best understanding of what will best help a child to grow in understanding and skill at a given moment. That understanding evolves as the course continues, as the child develops, and as parents contribute to teachers' understanding.
When parents come to school and talk about their children, they share their perspectives with the teacher. The teacher views the student more broadly, specifically in relation to students of the same age and in light of developmental benchmarks. The parent, on the other hand, has a deeper sense of the student's interests, feelings, and changes over time. The combination of the wide-angle lens viewpoint of the teacher with the close up lens of the parents results in a fuller picture for everyone.

Who is this course for?

What will I learn?

== Unit Outline & Curriculum Map ==

Unit 1 objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to

Define differentiated instruction.

Discuss the misconceptions related to the widely used educational term.
Identify what differentiated instruction is and what it is not through an activity.
Map out the sequence of learning units and activities to achieve the defined objectives.

Unit 2 objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to

Discuss how Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences is related to differentiated instruction.
Discuss possible strategies to accommodate various learning styles.

Unit 3 objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to

Identify strategies for differentiating instruction.
Create a lesson or activity that incorporates differentiated instruction while keeping the theory of multiple intelligences in mind.
Discuss their specific classroom goals for differentiated instruction.

How will I learn?

So, how do i begin.

Below are the links to the three units of this mini-course. Simply begin with unit 1 and make your way through! (At the bottom of each unit page is a section similar to this, with links to past and future units as well as this page!)

Unit 1- Understanding Differentiation : What is differentiation and why is it important?

Unit 2- Differentiation Strategies : How can you differentiate?

Unit 3- Apply to your Classroom : When and how can you create differentiated instruction?

Individualized/differentiated teaching
Early learning
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Differentiated Instruction: A Primer

How can a teacher keep a reading class of 25 on the same page when four students have dyslexia, three students are learning English as a second language, two others read three grade levels ahead, and the rest have widely disparate interests and degrees of enthusiasm about reading?

What is Differentiated Instruction?

“Differentiated instruction”—the process of identifying students’ individual learning strengths, needs, and interests and adapting lessons to match them—has become a popular approach to helping diverse students learn together. But the field of education is filled with varied and often conflicting definitions of what the practice looks like, and critics argue it requires too much training and additional work for teachers to be implemented consistently and effectively.

Differentiated Instruction Definition

The process of identifying students’ individual learning strengths, needs, and interests and adapting lessons to match them

Differentiation has much in common with many other instructional models: It has been compared to response-to-intervention models, as teachers vary their approach to the same material with different students in the same classroom; data-driven instruction, as individual students are frequently assessed or otherwise monitored, with instruction tweaked in response; and scaffolding, as assignments are intended to be structured to help students of different ability and interest levels meet the same goals.

Federal education laws and regulations do not generally set out requirements for how schools and teachers should “differentiate” instruction. However, in its 2010 National Education Technology Plan , the U.S. Department of Education lays out a framework that places differentiated teaching under the larger umbrella of “personalized learning,” instruction tailored to students’ individual learning needs, preferences, and interests. This framework assumes that all students in a heterogeneous classroom will have the same learning goals, but:

“Individualization” tailors instruction by time . A teacher may break the material into smaller steps and allow students to master these steps at different paces; skipping topics they can prove they have mastered, while getting more help on those that prove difficult. This model has been used in iterations as far back as the late Robert Glaser’s Individually Prescribed Instruction in the 1970s, an approach which pairs diagnostic tests with objectives for mastery that is intended to help students progress through material at their own pace.
“Differentiation” tailors instruction by presentation . A teacher may vary the method and assignments covering the material to adjust to students’ strengths, needs, and interests. For example, a teacher may allow an introverted student to write an essay on a historical topic while a more outgoing student gives an oral presentation on the same subject.

That distinction is accepted by some, though far from all, in the field.

The ambiguity has led to widespread confusion and debate over what differentiated instruction looks like in practice, and how its effectiveness can be evaluated.

For example, a 2005 study for the National Research Center on Gifted and Talented, which tracked implementation of “differentiation” over three years , found that the “vast majority” of teachers never moved beyond traditional direct lectures and seat work for students.

“Results suggest that differentiation of instruction and assessment are complex endeavors requiring extended time and concentrated effort to master,” the authors conclude. “Add to this complexity current realities of school such as large class sizes, limited resource materials, lack of planning time, lack of structures in place to allow collaboration with colleagues, and ever-increasing numbers of teacher responsibilities, and the tasks become even more daunting.”

Evolution of the Concept

Differentiated instruction as a concept evolved in part from instructional methods advocated for gifted students and in part as an alternative to academic “tracking,” or separating students of different ability levels into groups or classes. In the 1983 book, Individual Differences and the Common Curriculum , Thomas S. Popkewitz discusses differentiation in the context of “Individually Guided Education, … a management plan for pacing children through a standardized, objective-based curriculum” that would include small-group work, team teaching, objective-based testing, and monitoring of student progress.

Carol Ann Tomlinson, a co-director of the Institutes on Academic Diversity at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, and the author of The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners , 2nd Edition (ASCD, 2014) and Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom (ASCD, 2013) argues that differentiation is, at its base, not an approach but a basic tenet of good instruction, in which a teacher develops relationships with his or her students and presents materials and assignments in ways that respond to the student’s interests and needs.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

In theory—though critics allege not in practice—differentiation does not involve creating separate lesson plans for individual students for a given unit.

Ms. Tomlinson argues that differentiation requires more than creating options for assignments or presenting content both graphically and with hands-on projects, for example. Rather, to differentiate a unit on Rome, a teacher might consider both specific terms and overarching themes and concepts she wants students to learn, and offer a series of individual and group assignments of various levels of complexity to build those concepts and allow students to demonstrate their understanding in multiple ways, such as journal entries, oral presentations, creating costumes, and so on. In different parts of a unit students may be working with students who share their interests or have different ones, and with students who are at the same or different ability levels.

Illustration of school children at their desks

During the 1990s, teachers were also encouraged to present material differently according to a student’s “learning style”—for example, visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. But while there have been studies that show students remember more when the same material is presented and reinforced in multiple ways, recent research reviews have found no evidence that individual students can be categorized as learning best through a single type of presentation.

Rick Wormeli, an education consultant and the author of Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom , instead suggests in a 2011 essay in the journal Middle Ground that teachers differentiate based on “learner profiles” : “A learner profile is a set of observations about a student that includes any factor that affects his or her learning, including family dynamics, transiency rate, physical health, emotional health, comfort with technology, leadership qualities, personal interests, and so much more.”

Impacts of Technology

Differentiated and personalized instructional models have also evolved with technological advances, which make it easier to develop and monitor education plans for dozens of students at the same time. The influence of differentiation on school-level programs can be seen in “early warning systems” and student “dashboards” that aim to track individual student performance in real time, as well as initiatives in some schools to develop and monitor individualized learning plans with the student, his or her teachers, and parents.

Advocates of hybrid education models, such as the “flipped classroom” —in which students watch lectures and read material at home and perform practice that would normally be homework during class time—have suggested this could help teachers differentiate by recording and archiving different lectures that students could watch and rewatch as needed, and providing more one-on-one time during class.

Professional Development

By any account, differentiation is considered a complex approach to implement, requiring extensive and ongoing professional development for teachers and administrators.

It required teachers to confront and dismantle their existing, persistent beliefs about teaching and learning ...

In the 2005 longitudinal study that found no consistent implementation of differentiation, researchers noted that “many aspects of differentiation of instruction and assessment (e.g., assigning different work to different students, promoting greater student independence in the classroom) challenged teachers’ beliefs about fairness, about equity, and about how classrooms should be organized to allow students to learn most effectively. As a result, for most teachers, learning to differentiate entailed more than simply learning new practices. It required teachers to confront and dismantle their existing, persistent beliefs about teaching and learning, beliefs that were in large part shared and reinforced by other teachers, principals, parents, the community, and even students.”

In the 2009 book, Professional Development for Differentiating Instruction , Cindy A. Strickland notes that most schools do not provide sufficient training for new and experienced teachers in differentiating instruction.

Ms. Tomlinson said that teachers can begin to differentiate instruction simply by learning more about their students and trying to tailor their teaching as much as they find feasible. “Every significant endeavor seems too hard if we look only at the expert’s product. ... The success of all these ‘seasoned’ people stemmed largely from three factors: They started down a path. They wanted to do better. They kept working toward their goal.”

Including students of disparate abilities and interests also requires the teacher to rethink expectations for all students: “If a teacher uses flexible grouping lesson by lesson and does not assume a student has prior knowledge because he is a ‘higher’ student but really assesses and groups, based on need sometimes and other times by interest, the students will get what they need,” Melinda L. Fattig, a nationally recognized educator and a co-author of the 2008 book Co-Teaching in the Differentiated Classroom , told Teacher magazine that year.

In practice, differentiation is such a broad and multifaceted approach that it has proven difficult to implement properly or study empirically, critics say.

In a 2010 report by the research group McREL, author Bryan Goodwin notes that “to date, no empirical evidence exists to confirm that the total package (e.g., conducting ongoing assessments of student abilities, identifying appropriate content based on those abilities, using flexible grouping arrangements for students, and varying how students can demonstrate proficiency in their learning) has a positive impact on student achievement.” He adds: “One reason for this lack of evidence may simply be that no large-scale, scientific study of differentiated instruction has been conducted.” However, Mr. Goodwin pointed to the 2009 book Visible Learning , which synthesized studies of more than 600 models of personalizing learning based on student interests and prior performance, and found them not much better than general classroom instruction for improving students’ academic performance.

Both in planning time and instructional time, differentiation takes longer than using a single lesson plan for a given topic, and many teachers attempting to differentiate have reported feeling overwhelmed and unable to reach each student equally.

In a 2010 Education Week Commentary essay , Michael J. Schmoker, the author of the 2006 book, Results NOW: How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching and Learning , says attempts to differentiate instruction frustrated teachers and “seemed to complicate teachers’ work, requiring them to procure and assemble multiple sets of materials” leading to “dumbed-down” teaching.

Likewise, some advocates of gifted education, such as James R. Delisle, have argued that advanced students still are not challenged enough in a differentiated environment, which may vary in the presentation of material but not necessarily in the pace of instruction. He argues that “differentiation in practice is harder to implement in a heterogeneous classroom than it is to juggle with one arm tied behind your back.”

“There is no one book, video, presenter, or website that will show everyone how to differentiate instruction. Let’s stop looking for it. One size rarely fits all. Our classrooms are too diverse and our communities too important for such simplistic notions,” Mr. Wormeli said in an interview with Education Week blogger Larry Ferlazzo .

“Instead, let’s realize what differentiation really is: highly effective teaching, which is complex and interwoven; no one element defining it.”

A version of this article appeared in the February 04, 2015 edition of Education Week

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How Differentiated Learning Supports All Forms of Early Learning

Oct 5, 2021 | Differentiated Instruction

Carol Ann Tomlinson, an author and educator, is credited with pioneering differentiated instruction. Since its inception, differentiated instruction has gained massive popularity. In many ways, it is connected to all forms of modern early learning approaches. Differentiated learning is often used interchangeably with differentiated instruction. They are one and the same.

In a survey of 601 teachers, 98% said they differentiate their instruction weekly. Of that 98%, 86% say that differentiation is extremely effective.

In this article, we will define the term differentiated instruction, clarify what it means for early learners, highlight differentiated instruction strategies, and make the connection to other learning approaches for young students. We will conclude with a word on the future of differentiated instruction.

Differentiated Instruction. The Clearest Definition.

Differentiated instruction is described in many ways. We’ve chosen the following definition:

Differentiated instruction is a planned teaching approach that recognizes the differences and similarities among students and adapts accordingly.

In other words, it acknowledges the diversity of learning needs, styles, and backgrounds of the student, and accordingly modifies instruction for each student.

Differentiated instruction is ready to help every early learner by knowing as much about them through assessments. It is also willing to modify instruction based on student responses at the onset of the school year, or at any other time during the school year.

From the student’s perspective, it’s called personalized learning, but from the teacher’s perspective it is differentiated instruction.

What Exactly Is Differentiated?

Having understood what differentiated instruction is, the best way to delve deeper into its nature is to highlight what exactly educators can differentiate to adopt such a teaching approach.

There are four things that can be differentiated to provide a unique learning experience.

Content refers to the knowledge, understanding and skills that young students have to learn.

A school curriculum defines content for young learners. Curriculum mapping is the process by which teachers plan their instruction throughout the school year. This ensures the goals, objectives, learning materials and course assessments all align to what is being taught to the students.

Example of differentiated content: Leveled readers, optional mini-lessons, text materials that are digitized through audio or video.

Process refers to the activities or practices by which students understand content.

By internalizing, practicing and by associating with the teacher and other students, the students figure out what they have learned and its applications beyond the classroom.

Example of differentiated process: Different pace of instruction, different support, customized groups of students.

Product refers to the outcome of the process and content. When a process is applied to certain content, learning occurs. The students then get to demonstrate this learning via assessments or other means.

Example of differentiated product: Different check-in points, formative assessments and holistic assessments, different criteria for success.

Environment

Environment refers to the set and setting where content, process and product happens. It accounts for the student’s feelings on what they were able to learn as a result of following a process on particular content.

Example of differentiated environment: Outdoor learning, individual instruction, centre-based learning.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

The four modifiable differentiation components offer many opportunities to tailor an educational pathway that is personalized for the young learner.

It’s best to have learning strategies available that reflect all four components. Here are key examples:

Project-based Learning

Project based allows teachers to differentiate by teams. It’s a great way to cluster students according to their reading level, or other strengths, interests, or social skills such as collaboration and empathy.

Formative Assessments

Formative assessments are used to monitor learning and provide ongoing feedback. They are distinct from summative assessments in that they are conducted throughout the school year, and not only at certain times of the year.

They allow educators to take corrective action quickly when they see skills are not progressing as they should. Formative assessments were specifically designed as a tool for differentiated instruction in the classroom.

Learning Stations

Customizing learning stations is an effective teaching strategy. Stations are set up with different content and purpose in terms of the student in each group. Teachers can also rotate students between stations so everybody has a chance to learn from each experience.

Learning Profiles

A learning profile looks at a student’s interest and readiness in various subject matters to accurately capture and support their learning strengths, needs and challenges.

It allows teachers to focus on any learning gaps and optimize teaching based on what the students have a natural inclination towards.

Differentiated Instruction’s Relationship to Early Learning Approaches

There are other very popular approaches to early learning. We explore the connection between differentiated instruction and these other learning approaches.

Play-based Learning

Also known as active learning or experiential learning, play-based learning is when young children learn through interactions with people, objects and the environment that they are in.

By engaging with what is around them, they exercise their impulse to play and understand the world. It is self-chosen and usually led by the child.

Relationship to Differentiated Learning: Play-based learning is a powerful way to differentiate the process of learning.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

SEL teaches young students how to develop self-awareness, social-awareness and interpersonal skills.

It leads to better academic performance, positive behavior and healthier life choices that influence the quality of life in future years. By better understanding their emotions, children are able to better manage themselves and make responsible decisions.

Relationship to Differentiated Learning: SEL is all about the interaction with others and giving space to feelings. As such, it’s an extremely useful method to support those learners who are more social or affective.

Inclusive Learning

Inclusive learning recognizes that all children have the right to a learning experience that respects their unique situation or circumstance. It enables all students to participate by removing all barriers to learning for anyone with a different background.

Relationship to Differentiated Learning: Differentiated learning is inclusive by nature. It ensures that no one is kept from reaching their potential simply because the content, process, product or environment was not right for them.

Personalized Learning

Personalized learning is an educational approach that modifies the lesson plan based on each student’s unique skills, abilities, needs and interests. The focus is on one student and it is from the student’s perspective. From the teacher’s perspective, it is called individualized instruction.

Relationship to Differentiated Learning: Individualized instruction deals with one student at a time. Rather than assigning the same group of students to an activity or assignment, each student is shuffled according to their pace of development and learning needs. It can be part of an overall differentiated instruction strategy, which deals with groups of students.

Is Differentiated Instruction the New Normal?

Research conducted on differentiated instruction demonstrates its effectiveness as a teaching strategy for students with varied needs. In a three year study, researchers found that differentiated instruction yielded positive results for several groups in mixed ability K-12 classrooms in Alberta.

To demonstrate its sway on the culture, there are now courses that offer early childhood development with differentiated instruction .

But as differentiated instruction can be resource intensive and time consuming, it has not become the norm just yet. The industry, the government and academia are working together to introduce new solutions that make it easier to apply differentiated instruction across classrooms in North America.

When differentiated instruction is added to a program, early learners often show significant gains in oral language vocabulary, print knowledge, phonological awareness, and math. The ubiquitous nature of technology has definitely helped to propel the advancement of differentiated instruction.

Vince Hill, former principal at Grasslands School Division, states how over half of teachers surveyed say that technology helps them individualize their classroom instruction. Collaborating with Sprig Learning has helped him to apply differentiated instruction at his school, which has a mix of students from varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. He stresses the importance of collecting data in a safe and secure way to account for the learning needs of all and to measure the progress of such a diversity of students.

Holistic Learning–The Epitome of Differentiated Instruction

One of the best ways to create a strong foundation for early learners is through holistic learning . It makes use of holistic assessments that support differentiated instruction by not only looking at the student, but also their parents and the community they live in.

Similarly to differentiated instruction, holistic learning has links to all other types of learning. It considers play, sociability, emotions, inclusiveness and personalization.

Furthermore, holistic learning compliments Indigenous learning perspective where equal emphasis is given to the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual areas of development. This opens up many doors to learning such as visual learning, auditory learning, kinesthetic learning and of course reading and writing..

But to get to the level where early learners can build the foundational literacy and numeracy skills, early development such as oral language and problem solving is crucial! Holistic learning is thus key, where more than one mode of learning is available to the young student.

Differentiated Instruction as a Way of Thinking

Certain events can force you to think about differentiation. For example, alternate modes of learning such as e-learning, could have been seen as a differentiation tactic in the past, but the pandemic forced all schools to think about it regardless.

Approximately four of ten school districts reported last year that they do not have the ability to provide e-learning for students, even for a single day. So when thinking about differentiated learning, it helps to be prepared so you will be able to serve different students based on their situation at the time.

But even beyond contingency plans, it is important to see differentiated instruction as a concept, and not as a tool or tactic.

We hope this article sparks your interest in differentiated instruction. When you understand the fundamental concept of differentiated instruction, you can’t help but notice it in teaching methods and strategies already used in the classroom. If you ever need to brainstorm ideas, here is a list of 50 strategies to differentiate learning. But as educator and teacher advice columnist Larry Ferlazzo says “Differentiating instruction is really a way of thinking, not a preplanned list of strategies”.

Because differences are our greatest strength

What is differentiated instruction?

By Geri Coleman Tucker

Expert reviewed by Kylah Torre

A teacher helps students with their schoolwork.

At a glance

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that tailors instruction to students’ different learning needs.

It lets students show what they know in different ways.

It doesn’t replace the goals in a child’s IEP or 504 plan.

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that tailors instruction to all students’ learning needs. All the students have the same learning goal. But the instruction varies based on students’ interests, preferences, strengths, and struggles.

Instead of teaching the whole group in one way (like a lecture), a teacher uses a bunch of different methods. This can include teaching students in small groups or in one-on-one sessions.

Students have “multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn,” says Carol Ann Tomlinson, an educator who has done innovative work in this area .

According to Tomlinson, there are four areas where teachers can differentiate instruction:

Content: Figuring out what a student needs to learn and which resources will help

Process: Activities that help students make sense of what they learn

Projects: Ways for students to “show what they know”

Learning environment: How the classroom “feels” and how the class works together

This approach works well with the response to intervention (RTI) process used in some schools. The goal of RTI is to address learning struggles early. Students get extra support before they fall behind their peers.

Dive deeper

How differentiated instruction works.

Differentiated instruction can play out differently from one classroom to the next — and from one school to the next. But there are a few key features:

Small work groups: The students in each group rotate in and out. This gives them a chance to participate in many different groups. A group can include a pair of students or a larger group. In all cases, it’s an opportunity for students to learn from each other.

Reciprocal learning: Sometimes students become teachers, sharing what they’ve learned and asking classmates questions.

Continual assessment: Teachers regularly monitor students’ strengths and weaknesses (in both formal and informal ways) to make sure they’re progressing in their knowledge and mastery of schoolwork.

Educators, learn more about how to use flexible grouping with small groups.

Differentiated instruction and special education

A teacher uses differentiated instruction to give every student multiple paths to learning. That includes students with Individualized Education Programs ( IEP ) or 504 plan .

Differentiated instruction doesn’t replace the goals in an IEP or a 504 plan. Instead, the teacher personalizes teaching to help kids meet those goals.

Learn more about setting annual IEP goals .

How it compares to other approaches

Differentiated instruction is not the same as individualized instruction. That type of teaching changes the pace of how students learn. It also requires an individual approach for each student, which isn’t the case with differentiation.

Differentiated instruction is also different from personalized learning. With personalized learning, students have their own learning profiles and paths to follow.

Find out more about personalized learning and the difference between individualized instruction and differentiated instruction .

What to watch out for

Critics say differentiated instruction doesn’t work in every classroom. If there are too many students in a class, or if the teacher isn’t experienced with the approach, the classroom can get distracting and chaotic. It can also be time-consuming for teachers.

Other critics say that differentiated instruction is a reaction to students’ needs. They say educators should use Universal Design for Learning to proactively create an environment that suits all students’ needs.

Discover more about Universal Design for Learning .

Explore related topics

Master's resources

Preschool Learning: How to Approach Differentiated Instruction

October 29, 2021

Home Educators Blog

Research has consistently shown that from birth to five years of age, a child’s brain develops most. Differentiated instruction programs and early childhood education programs alike value this research. It has been stated that children’s brains are like sponges during this period, soaking up everything that is presented to them. This stage allows them to function as explorers, in that they manipulate the world around them through sight, touch, and sound to satisfy their curiosity of how things work.

Very seldom will you find a toddler who is afraid to grapple with new content and learn new things. In fact, I would assert that under the right circumstances, it is during this phase of development that we are most likely to see the most significant similarities among children as it pertains to learning academic content. When we explore the nurture in terms of academics that each child receives before enrolling in a preschool program, the largest disparities in learning are revealed.

Based on the value that is placed on academics in the home, preschoolers enter school highly prepared, adequately prepared, barely prepared, or not prepared at all. Therefore, teachers must address the differences in learning that these groups of students will have as they enter their preschool classrooms. Time has revealed the best method of managing varying learning abilities and achievement levels among students is through differentiated instruction.

What is Differentiated Instruction?

Differentiated instruction is presenting a curriculum utilizing varying teaching strategies and styles to meet individual learning needs. It is the method used when the goal is to ensure that all learners are growing academically. One of its most important functions is leveling the playing field by meeting learners and growing them to a level of concept mastery. In essence, every academic lesson that is deemed effective should be heavy-laden with differentiated practices to meet the needs of each learner.

How Are Preschool Students’ Learning Needs Different from Elementary Students’?

“Typical” preschool students are still at a point in their lives where they are working on language acquisition. Their learning needs are varied, sometimes as simplistic as letter and number recognition and expanding to broader concepts such as word and object association and counting as far as they can go. Expanding their vocabulary and associating names with everyday items are major components of learning in preschool.

In addition, they are discovering how to effectively communicate their needs and wants in acceptable manners. Therefore, being in learning environments designed to increase exposure to numbers, letters, and academic vocabulary is critical to a preschooler’s language development. It is imperative that they are exposed to terminology that supports becoming productive learners and citizens.

On the other hand, typical elementary-age students have developed linguistic skills to communicate clearly. While they need support in advancing their vocabulary , they have surpassed the emergent stage of first language acquisition. Elementary students examine spelling patterns, develop complex writing pieces, orally defend their academic decisions, and read and analyze leveled text . In addition, they have surpassed number recognition to solve basic equations.

The need to develop independence is also part of the growth process for preschool-age children. Preschool students must learn to independently complete tasks such as using the restroom alone, preparing their snacks and lunch for consumption, fixing their clothing, and transitioning between teacher-directed lessons. They must learn that the adults in the classroom serve in the capacity of a guide. In elementary school, the teacher is less likely to hold the student’s hand while they discover independence in the learning environment.

Elementary students are at a different phase in their learning needs. They are comfortable transitioning between tasks and taking care of their personal needs, such as meals and restroom breaks. Taking ownership of their learning is expected and consistently reinforced. The expectation to submit assignments promptly, keep up with due dates, and do their part in collaborative groups is the norm. During the elementary learning process, students begin to transition from learning to read to reading to learn.

Although the aforementioned learning targets are where the “typical” learners are in their development, students in each group surpass expectations and others struggle to meet them. The difference in performance levels among students dictates the necessity for differentiated instruction. It is a must to ensure that our preschool students are prepared for the demands of learning in the elementary setting.

How to Approach Preschool Curriculum with Differentiated Instruction

Know where they are.

The first step teachers should take is to find out where their students are academically. Differentiation instruction in preschool cannot occur if you assume all students are on the same level. Just as students enter into preschool with differing socio-economic backgrounds and life experiences, they also have a variety of exposure to learning academic content. Therefore, teachers should not begin a lesson indicating their students’ knowledge on the topic.

It is necessary to conduct a formative assessment to determine which students have mastered the concept and those that struggle. Once the level is determined, place the students into groups with peers who match their skill level and instruct from there.

Tap into Their Interests

Preschoolers are energetic and like movement while learning . Once each child’s skill level has been determined, the teacher should use the teaching strategy of utilizing materials that interest the learners. Placing children into groups without incorporating engaging teaching techniques has proven to be futile for most early learners.

The utilization of dance, singing, and art to reinforce skills have historically been effective with preschoolers. Find out which of these mediums most interest your students and incorporate it into your small group lesson. In addition, allow them to tackle the content by using their interests to display their learning.

Know Their Early Learning Preferences

A major component of teaching is knowing your students’ learning preferences. Often, teachers interchangeably use the idea of learning preference and interests when they are planning for instruction. The problem with this is that our interests do not always align with how our brain best processes information.

For this reason, it is necessary to observe the students in the learning environment. Teachers should take antidotal notes on how their learners process and retain information. This information can be utilized in conjunction with students’ interests to plan effective, targeted lessons for preschool curriculum.

Want to make an impact on preschoolers in the classroom? Explore our early childhood education programs and begin today!

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No Time For Flash Cards

preschool activities, preschool crafts, and preschool books.

January 16, 2018 | 2 Comments

What is Differentiation? Why is it important for preschool?

No Time For Flash Cards - What is Differentiation?

Differentiation means adjusting or changing the lesson and its goals based on the specific needs of the learner. In a playful preschool environment, differentiation is subtle and takes some practice to do really well, but once you get in the habit, it’s second nature.

Differentiation in preschool no time for flash cards

Why differentiate?

“…just because there is a predictable pattern to growth, and a predictable season for blooming, doesn’t mean that every flower on the plant will bloom on the same day. Each flower opens at its own rate within the growing season. For a flower, the season for blooming may be a matter of weeks or months. In child development, some seasons may even last a few years.” – Amanda Morgan Not Just Cute

Amanda Morgan beautifully paints the picture of how development works and I will break it down bluntly; children are simply not ready for the same things at the same time. As preschool teachers, we should be meeting our students where they are at with an eye to the next stage. Our job is to be thinking of how we can support, not force them to get there. In any preschool class no matter what school, geographic area, or socioeconomic class you will find a wide range of abilities, this is normal. Differentiation allows you to provide a rich experience for all of your students.

Differentiation may seem like a lot of work, but it makes your job easier, I promise. When the materials and activities are differentiated, they fit your students’ needs. And that fit equals better engagement, less frustration, and less boredom. You can probably guess what this means… WAY better behavior, giving you as a teacher more time to focus on connecting with the students through play.

How to Differentiate in A Preschool Classroom

Let me explain; before you can effectively differentiate you need to know your students. The best way to create a connection with your students is to get on the floor and play. Talk with (not at) your students and more importantly listen and you will learn not only what they are capable of but also what they love and what makes them tick. When you have that knowledge, you can better choose activities, themes, even books that will better engage the children in your classroom.

Differentiation in preschool no time for flash cards (1)

Play shouldn’t just be a tool for creating connection it should also be the vehicle for learning. When young children play they naturally differentiate that play to fit their developmental level. I shared this story in a post about Developmentally Appropriate Practice but it is my favorite explanation, so I’ll share it again:

One morning in my classroom I put out the play dough and added letter tiles to the table. Nearly all my students who were 2.75 years – 3.5 years at the time spent some time at the table exploring. Some children ignored the letter tiles completely. They were uninterested in letters and used the play dough and other tools at the table to squish and create. Other children hid the letters in the play dough and identified them (some correctly, some not). Some used the tiles to spell invented words, and one used them to correctly spell her name. I didn’t tell any of the children how to use these materials; instead, I played with them, scaffolding their learning when they were open to it .

I knew that this little girl could recognize the letters in her name, but I didn’t know that she could spell it. I learned that by playing play dough with her that day. Truly, I can’t stress enough how important ample play is for a successful preschool classroom.

Flexible Materials

When you chose the materials for your classroom ask yourself can all my students use this? It’s OK if the answer is no but consider who will be able to and how they could potentially use it. Brainstorming how children can use the materials is a big part of differentiation in this age group, but it’s worth your time. Once you have explored the materials when they are out in your classroom, you can easily shift a child who needs some extra support to succeed or on the flip side an extra challenge to stave off boredom. As you circulate during playtime, you can help both those children once you have a good handle on all the different ways you can use the materials.

All our thematic units are filled with flexible materials and lessons. Learn more about them here!

Assessment’s Role in Differentiation

Depending on your school structure you may have to do formal assessments during the school year. But what I am referring to here is informal assessment in your preschool classroom. As early childhood educators, one part of our brain should always be assessing our students. I am not suggesting testing any child. I am speaking of observing where they are, what they are capable of, and what the next steps may be. This happens consistently during play. For example; when you see that Gretchen can hold scissors properly and is adept at cutting play dough take note and maybe the next day offer her paper with lines to cut. Or if Henry has been building tall Duplo towers and offering classmates a hand when blocks are stuck together take note and bring in some small Lego. Sit and play with him to see if his fine motor skills have progressed enough to use them without frustration.

What About Whole Group Lessons?

The focus of a whole group lesson in preschool should rarely be about learning facts; if you have a whole group time, it should be about building community. Giving your students a chance to practice the task of participating in a group. Differentiation in this setting is more about realistic expectations and helping students succeed. Keeping your group time very short, allowing children movement, and providing activities that do not have a right or wrong outcome are all ways to achieve this. Read more about circle time here.

Differentiation is key for an equitable and positive preschool experience for all our students, practicing how to do it will help make it second nature and help you provide the best education possible for your students.

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12.1: Introduction
12.2: Differentiation vs. scaffolding
12.3: Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design for Learning
12.4: Components and features
12.5: References

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Differentiated instruction in early childhood.

Beth E. Ackerman , Liberty University Follow

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Disciplines

Presented at ACSI Early Childhood. PA & VA. Mar. 2011.

Recommended Citation

Ackerman, Beth E., "Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood" (2011). Faculty Publications and Presentations . 174. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/educ_fac_pubs/174

Since May 16, 2011

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Sanguine Consulting - Professional Development for Educators

Workshop Title

Differentiated instruction has been a highly regarded topic in education for many years now yet it remains a struggle for teachers to confidently and intentionally design standards-based instruction to fit the needs of each child in the classroom. With the great diversity in classrooms there is a demand for differentiated instructional practices. These differences in the classrooms result from students coming to us with different ability levels, different experiences as well as different cultural values and practices. A teacher must reach out in a variety of ways to address those different levels, abilities and perspectives. Beyond acknowledging and honoring these differences, a teacher must then use that knowledge to tailor instruction to maximize the potential of each learner. There lies the real challenge of differentiated instruction.

In this workshop, participants will discover a practical and intentional process for the planning and implementing differentiating instruction. Participants will have tools to use assessment for decision-making and manage the multiple needs within a classroom. Based on research, participants will gain strategies to meet the needs of both highest performing students and struggling students within one lesson. Participants will gain new teaching practices that extend from the theories and research into practice.

Objectives At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

Describe the critical role of standards in the practice of differentiating
Apply appropriate accommodations for different learner needs
Identify strategies to increase challenge for high achieving learners
Identify different assessment practices aligned to different purposes
Apply research-based strategies to differentiate instruction to address different levels of learners
Apply the practices and purposes associated with multiple types of assessments
Implement intentional decision-making steps to use in planning instructional delivery and in responding to each learner

Outline Session 1: Foundations

Introduction to differentiated instruction
The importance of standards in differentiation
Analyzing content, the learner, and the instructional delivery
The importance of assessment and its purposes
Intentionality within differentiation
Developing accurate schema and pre-teaching strategies

Session 2: The Relationship of Content, Students and Instruction

Providing accommodations in multiple stages of the learning process
Pre-Assessments: Purposes, development and guidelines
Types of pre-assessments
Increasing depth and complexity
Accommodating in multiple areas of instruction
Using technology as a tool for differentiating
A critical look at supporting vs. enabling

Session 3: Intentional Implementation

Differentiation vs. Universal Design Principles
Whole group differentiation
Tiered lesson planning
Small group instruction
Individualized instruction
Practical application
A full model walk through
Participant concerns
Summarizing and wrap up

Trainer’s Profile

With over 23 years as a teacher and administrator of general education, special education and gifted education, Jodi specializes in professional development for educators in the area of differentiation for students from ages 3-adult. She is a former Director of Special Education, President of the Florida Association for Gifted and is the Past President for the Family Network on Disabilities. She has worked with student populations from ages 3 to Adult. She has multiple publications with her first as a contributing writer in the Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul (2002). Her first book on her own, Beyond Differentiated Instruction (Corwin, 2010) is being sold internationally and is used at several university programs. She has also written a set of books- titled RtI and Differentiated Instruction- A Teacher’s Guide (Corwin, 2011) and is currently working on a new publication . She has presented at state, national and international conferences and workshops in the US, Asia and Australia as a presenter and keynote speaker. Jodi has worked as a consultant with several International Schools throughout Asia. Jodi currently resides in Florida, USA.

Methodology

This interactive workshop will reflect the process of differentiating instruction through the use of modeling, questioning, discussions, reflective activities, and coaching feedback.

Zoom A Zoom account is not required if you are strictly joining Zoom Meetings as a participant. An email invite will be emailed to you prior to the live workshop. Before joining a Zoom meeting on a computer or mobile device, you can download the Zoom app from the Download Center . Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link.

Download Zoom Mobile Apps for iPhone or Android Download Zoom Client for Meetings

Target Audience

Early Years Educators (2 to 6 years old)

Fees SGD390.00 (USD295.00)/person for all 3 sessions E-certificate will be issued

Other Details Duration: 3 days, 9 hours Closing Date: 17 Apr 2022 20 Apr 2022

Salem-Keizer Public Schools

Pre-k, teacher 2024-25 – early childhood education.

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Primary Function

To plan, organize and implement an appropriate instructional program, as designated by the School District, in a learning environment that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential.

Supervised By

School Administrator(s)

Essential Functions

Standard – Learner Development

Understands how learning occurs—how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop disciplined thinking processes –and knows how to use instructional strategies that promote student learning.
Understands that each student’s cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development influences learning and knows how to make instructional decisions and adjustments that take these factors into account.

Standard – Learning Differences

Makes appropriate provisions (e.g., variations in time, task demands, communication, assessment, and response modes) for individual students who have particular learning differences or needs.
Incorporates tools of language development into planning and instruction, including strategies for making content accessible to English language learners and for evaluating and supporting their development of English proficiency and academic English.
Accesses appropriate services and resources to meet specific learning differences or needs of students.

Standard – Learning Environments

Organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, and attention to actively and equitably engage students in learning.
Communicates in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds students bring to the learning community (e.g., appropriate use of eye contact, interpretation of body language and verbal statements, acknowledgement of and responsiveness to different modes of communication and participation).
Understands the relationship between engagement and learning and creates learning experiences using strategies that build student self-direction and responsibility for their own learning.
Commits to working with students to establish positive and supportive learning environments.

Standard – Content Knowledge

Engages students in learning experiences in the discipline(s) they teach that encourage students to understand, question, and analyze ideas from diverse perspectives.
Helps students to understand and use academic language meaningfully.
Applies major concepts, assumptions, debate, and processes of inquiry that are central to the discipline(s) s/he teaches.
Integrates culturally relevant content to build on students’ background knowledge.
Maintains working knowledge of student content standards in the discipline(s) s/he teaches.

Standard – Application of Content

Engages students in applying disciplinary knowledge to real world problems.
Implements relevant learning experiences and authentic assessments incorporating tools and resources to maximize content learning in varied contexts.
Develops students’ communication skills in disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts by creating meaningful opportunities to employ a variety of forms of communication that address varied audiences and purposes.
Builds student capacity to collaborate in face-to-face and virtual environments through applying effective interpersonal communication skills.
Develops and implements supports for student literacy development across content areas.
Models collaboration as an essential learning strategy.
Facilitates open and flexible learning environments that encourage student exploration, discovery, expression, and collaboration.

Standard – Assessment

Designs and/or utilizes formative assessments that match learning objectives with assessment formats to engage learners in demonstrating knowledge and skills.
Works independently and collaboratively to examine tests and analyze performance data to understand students’ progress and guide planning.
Engages students in understanding and identifying quality work and provides them with effective descriptive feedback to guide their progress toward that work.
Models and structures processes that help guide students in examining their own thinking and learning as well as the performance of others.
Effectively and ethically uses multiple and appropriate types of assessment data to identify student learning needs and develop differentiated learning experiences.
Prepares all students for the demands of particular assessment formats and appropriately modifies assessments or testing conditions for English language learners, students with disabilities, and students who are above or below grade level.
Takes professional responsibility for administering all assessments in an ethical manner.
Takes professional responsibility for aligning learning goals with instruction and assessment.

Standard – Planning for Instruction

Selects and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum standards, relevant to learners, and based upon research-based principles of effective instruction.
Plans how to achieve student learning goals, by choosing appropriate strategies, resources, and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of students; developing appropriate sequencing of learning experiences; and allowing multiple ways for students to demonstrate knowledge and skill.
Evaluates, develops, and implements short- and long-range goals and planning to systematically adjust instruction to ensure successful student learning.
Draws upon cross-disciplinary skills to engage students purposefully in applying content knowledge.
Accesses and integrates human resources to support student learning (e.g., field and educational experts, curriculum specialists, exceptional education specialists, language specialists, and community organizations).

Standard – Instructional Strategies

Evaluates how to achieve student learning goals and uses appropriate strategies and resources to adapt to the needs of individuals and groups of students.
Monitors student learning, engages students in assessing their progress, and adjusts instruction in response to student learning needs.
Varies his or her role in the instructional process (e.g., instructor, facilitator, coach, audience) in relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of students.
Engages students in using a range of learning skills and technology tools to access, interpret, evaluate, and apply information.
Listens effectively to students in order to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions and responds appropriately to them.
Uses a variety of instructional strategies to support and expand learner communication through speaking, listening, reading, writing, and other media.
Asks questions to stimulate discussion that serves different purposes, for example: probing for learner understanding, helping students articulate their ideas and thinking processes, promoting risk-taking and problem-solving, facilitating factual recall, encouraging convergent and divergent thinking, stimulating curiosity, and helping students to question.
Uses appropriate strategies to differentiate instruction and engage all students in complex thinking and meaningful tasks.
Collaborates with learners, colleagues, families, and the larger community in the design and implementation of learning experiences that are linked to instructional goals.

Standard – Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

Engages in meaningful and appropriate learning opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging curriculum and learning experiences based on local and state standards.
Uses, independently and in collaboration with colleagues, a variety of data to evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning and to adapt instructional planning and practice.
Reflects on his/her personal biases and accesses resources to deepen his/her own understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences to build stronger relationships and create more relevant learning experiences.
Advocates, models, and teaches safe, legal, and ethical use of information and technology, including the appropriate documentation of sources and respect for others in the use of social media.
Understands laws related to learners’ rights and teacher responsibilities, including those identified in the Standards for Competent and Ethical Performance of Oregon Educators (e.g., educational equity, appropriate education for learners with disabilities, confidentiality, privacy, appropriate treatment of learners, reporting situations of possible child abuse).

Standard – Leadership and Collaboration

Takes an active role on the instructional team, giving and receiving feedback on practice, examining learner work, analyzing data from multiple sources, and sharing responsibility for decision making and accountability for each student’s learning.
Works with other school professionals to plan and jointly facilitate learning on how to meet diverse needs of learners.
Works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
Seeks appropriate opportunities to model effective practice for colleagues, to lead professional learning activities, and serve in other leadership roles.
Maintains open lines of communication with all District staff to establish and support a positive, professional, and productive work environment.

Additional Functions

Upon request, assists in the selection of books, equipment, and other instructional materials.
Takes precautions to provide for the health and safety of all students.
Takes precautions to secure and protect District material, equipment, and facilities.
Participates in activities which are related to school functions and/or the educative process which occur outside the regular school day, in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

A valid and current Oregon Teaching License
Appropriate endorsement(s) for assigned subject(s) and level(s)
Knowledge of child growth and development at each level of instruction
Oral and written English language proficiency Work Environment Subject to inside and outside environmental conditions with routine exposure to the weather including seasonal heat and cold. Subject to frequent loud noises in the environment.

Physical Requirements

Hearing and speaking to exchange information; seeing to perform assigned duties; sitting, standing and walking for extended periods of time; dexterity of hands and fingers to operate equipment; kneeling, bending at the waist, and reaching overhead, above the shoulders and horizontally, to retrieve and store files and materials, and lifting light objects. Strength: Sedentary/Medium – Exert force to 10-25 lbs. frequently, and up to 10 lbs. constantly or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull or move objects.

Type: Licensed FTE: .5 Status: Temporary, August 27, 2024 – October 13, 2024 Salary is prorated based on FTE: $50,111 – $98,436 Application Procedure: Apply online

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Differentiated Instruction
Benefits of Differentiated Instruction in Early Learning—The
What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate
Benefits of Differentiated Instruction in Early Learning—The
Differentiation in the Classroom in 2021
Differentiated instruction

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Differentiating Instruction: How to Facilitate Mixed-Ability ESL Classes
Ho-Chunk language instruction, part 1
Differentiated Instruction for Young Learners
implementing differentiated learning
Differentiated Instruction
Stimulating the Differentiated Instruction Focused on Differentiating Content

COMMENTS

How to Differentiate Instruction in Preschool
You can also teach about the soil—the texture, smell, and color, and even the composition. To differentiate the tasks you offer the learners, it's important to interact with them while they walk around and observe the plants. Ask the learners interested in the topic to touch the plant and name the different parts they can see.
Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Early Childhood Education
Differentiated instruction is a philosophy of teaching and learning that recognizes and responds to student differences in readiness, interests, and learner profiles. It includes planning, teaching, and arranging the classroom environment to take into account each child's unique needs and interests. Differentiating learning for young children ...
Benefits of Differentiated Instruction in Early Learning—The
Differentiated instruction is aware of the current inequity in education. Based on this understanding, it attempts to provide students a high-standard quality of education so students have the opportunities and resources to excel regardless of their background or circumstances.
Embracing Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood Education
Embracing Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood Education. Differentiated instruction, far from being a mere pedagogical trend, emerges as a vital framework for fostering inclusive, responsive, and engaging learning environments. This approach, rooted in the understanding that each child is a unique learner with distinct needs ...
Differentiated Instruction in the Early Childhood Setting
Unit 3 objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to. Identify strategies for differentiating instruction. Create a lesson or activity that incorporates differentiated instruction while keeping the theory of multiple intelligences in mind. Discuss their specific classroom goals for differentiated instruction.
12.3: Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design for Learning
Teachers, based on characteristics of their learners' readiness, interest, learning profile, may adapt or manipulate various elements of the curriculum (content, process, product, affect/environment). These are illustrated in Table 12.3.2 12.3. 2: below which presents the general principles of differentiation by showing the key elements of ...
PDF Preschool Through Third Grade Alignment and Differentiated Instruction
kindergarten through grade 3 (K-3). The U.S. Department of Education's Policy and Program Studies Service commissioned this systematic literature review, which focuses on two specific approaches: (1) preschool and K-3 alignment, and (2) differentiated instruction in kindergarten and first grade. Background
Differentiated Instruction: A Primer
Differentiated Instruction Definition. The process of identifying students' individual learning strengths, needs, and interests and adapting lessons to match them. Differentiation has much in ...
How Differentiated Learning Supports All Forms of Early Learning
In many ways, it is connected to all forms of modern early learning approaches. Differentiated learning is often used interchangeably with differentiated instruction. They are one and the same. In a survey of 601 teachers, 98% said they differentiate their instruction weekly. Of that 98%, 86% say that differentiation is extremely effective.
What is differentiated instruction?
Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that tailors instruction to all students' learning needs. Read about how differentiated instruction works. ... The goal of RTI is to address learning struggles early. Students get extra support before they fall behind their peers. ... Differentiated instruction and special education
Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood Education
ResourcesEducation Week. "Differentiated Instruction: It's Not as Hard as You Think". Youtube video. September 11, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7-D...
how-to-create-learning-environments-that-support-differentiated-instruction
This calls for the creation of an environment that supports differentiated instruction. While the task may seem daunting, according to educator and differentiated learning expert Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, it is possible to keep the learning triangle balanced while creating a community of dynamic learners. Some of her best practices for creating ...
Preschool Learning: How to Approach Differentiated Instruction
Shemmicca Moore. Research has consistently shown that from birth to five years of age, a child's brain develops most. Differentiated instruction programs and early childhood education programs alike value this research. It has been stated that children's brains are like sponges during this period, soaking up everything that is presented to ...
PDF Differentiation: Implementing approaches that respond to children's
quality early childhood education. With the implementation of two years of funded kindergarten, educators will continue to work to support children's diverse interests, capabilities and needs, and design programs that extend their learning and development. Educators who use individualised or differentiated
What is Differentiation? Why is it Important for Preschool?
Assessment's Role in Differentiation. Depending on your school structure you may have to do formal assessments during the school year. But what I am referring to here is informal assessment in your preschool classroom. As early childhood educators, one part of our brain should always be assessing our students. I am not suggesting testing any ...
Early Childhood Development Degree (Differentiated Instruction)
The online Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Development with Differentiated Instruction degree from the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) will teach you how to support learning and early development for diverse learners. Be the difference in the life of a child by earning your early childhood development degree online from UAGC.
PDF Differentiated Instruction in The Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom
Differentiated instruction, inclusion, early childhood education, teacher development, special education, response to intervention. ARTICLE HISTORY Received: 04/09/2023 Accepted: 26/11/2023 ... Differentiated instruction is useful in any classroom, however, no more so than the early childhood classroom. Early childhood classrooms are frequently ...
(PDF) Differentiating Instruction in Early Childhood Care Education
Differentiated instruction, which uses theories that include the social constructivist approach is not only a learning and teaching strategy, but it can be considered a philosophical process in ...
Differentiating in an Early Childhood Inclusion Classroom
Created for a special education graduate school class, this video explores instructional and behavioral strategies for differentiation in early childhood cla...
12: Differentiated Instruction
Early Childhood Education Instructional Methods Strategies and Technologies to Meet the Needs of All Learners (Lombardi) 12: Differentiated Instruction ... 12.3: Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design for Learning; 12.4: Components and features; 12.5: References;
ERIC
The Digest notes that teachers can differentiate at least four classroom elements based on student readiness, interest, or learning profile: (1) content--what the student needs to learn or how the student will get access to the information; (2) process--activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content; (3 ...
"Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood" by Beth E. Ackerman
Home > School of Education > Faculty Publications > 174 . Faculty Publications and Presentations. Title. Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood. Author(s) Beth E. Ackerman, Liberty University Follow. Publication Date. 3-2011. Document Type. Conference Presentation. Disciplines. Education. Comments.
Implementing Differentiated Instruction (Early Years)
Other Available Sessions. Adaptive Teaching: Meeting the Needs of Students in Today's Classroom - 18 Jul 2024 - 19 Jul 2024 - 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm - Online. Implementing Differentiated Instruction in Classrooms (Early/Elementary) - 12 Nov 2024 - 13 Nov 2024 - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm - Hong Kong. 25 to 27 Apr 2022 Discover a practical and intentional ...
Early Learning Home Page
05/19/2021. Newsletter. ED's Early Learning newsletter provides monthly updates to subscribers on early learning initiatives led by the Department and our partners across agencies and in the field. Printable view. Last Modified: 03/15/2024. Early Learning at the U.S. Department of Education and beyond.
Pre-K, Teacher 2024-25
Pre-K, Teacher 2024-25 - Early Childhood Education. Recruitment began on June 14, 2024. Expires July 14, 2024. Part-Time Education & Training. Apply Now. Primary Function. To plan, organize and implement an appropriate instructional program, as designated by the School District, in a learning environment that guides and encourages students to ...

Differentiation in Preschool

How to Begin

2 Examples of Differentiation

Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Early Childhood Education

Here are six processes that can help ECEs structure differentiated instruction for their students.

Tips for Anecdotal Observation

2. Planning

3. Demonstrating Understanding

4. Flexible Grouping

5. Environment

6. Teacher Reflection

I’m here to help you create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all your students.

Embracing Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood Education

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Differentiated Instruction in the Early Childhood Setting

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Differentiated Instruction: A Primer

What is Differentiated Instruction?

Differentiated Instruction Definition

Evolution of the Concept

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

Impacts of Technology

Professional Development

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How Differentiated Learning Supports All Forms of Early Learning

Differentiated Instruction. The Clearest Definition.

What Exactly Is Differentiated?

Environment

Differentiated Instruction Strategies

Project-based Learning

Formative Assessments

Learning Stations

Learning Profiles

Differentiated Instruction’s Relationship to Early Learning Approaches

Play-based Learning

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

Inclusive Learning

Personalized Learning

Is Differentiated Instruction the New Normal?

Holistic Learning–The Epitome of Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated Instruction as a Way of Thinking

What is differentiated instruction?

At a glance

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Differentiated instruction and special education

How it compares to other approaches

What to watch out for

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Preschool Learning: How to Approach Differentiated Instruction

What is Differentiated Instruction?

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How to Approach Preschool Curriculum with Differentiated Instruction

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Know Their Early Learning Preferences

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The Role of Parents in Elementary School

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What is Differentiation? Why is it important for preschool?

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How to Differentiate in A Preschool Classroom

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