What is Differentiated Instruction?

Linda Jenkins

ET

Robb, L. What is differential instruction? Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/what-differentiated-instruction.


Summary:

 

This article by Laura Robb is really an excerpt from her book, Differentiating Reading Instruction: How to Teach Reading to Meet the Needs of Each Student.  Although most of the article focuses on reading, the beginning of the article defines differentiated instruction which can be used for any subject.  Differentiated instruction requires the teacher to know each student well enough to be able to plan and provide instruction in a way that each child “has experiences and tasks that will improve learning.”  The teacher’s goal is to maximize learning in every student using various teaching methods to reach the goal. 

Ross also describes a few key principles which are the basis for differentiated instruction.  She states 1) teachers must have continuous assessments to identify the strong and weak areas of each student. 2) There is a wide range of “expertise and experience with reading, writing, thinking, problem solving, and speaking” amongst the students. 3) Students should collaborate in small groups which allows learning through discussion and observation. 4)  Instruction should be based on “issues and concepts rather than the book or chapter.” And 5) Students should have choices in their reading, writing, tasks and projects, since everyone has different skill levels and interests.

The article also gives an example of what Ross would do in a differentiated reading class along with her nine practices to be used with this type of teaching.

 

Evaluation / Opinion:

This article was very informative. I think it would be beneficial if all subjects were taught using differentiated instruction. Every student should be able to be taught in a way that would maximize their learning.