Differentiated Instruction

Education news, analysis, and opinion about techniques and adaptations to instruct students with diverse learning needs in the same classroom

Explainer

In this 2014 photo, 6th graders Willyum Oliver and Michael James (from left) discuss a math performance task during class at Whittemore Park Middle School in Conway, S.C.. The software students are using helps teachers at Whittemore Park differentiate instruction.
Differentiated Instruction: A Primer
Definitions vary for differentiated instruction, a popular approach for teaching children with a range of academic strengths and interests.
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BRIC ARCHIVE
Teaching Opinion Differentiated Instruction Doesn't Need to Be a Heavy Lift
Sometimes adapting instruction is just about making decisions in the moment to reach all students, regardless of their gifts or challenges.
Larry Ferlazzo, July 22, 2022
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3 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion Q&A Collections: Differentiating Instruction
Posts and videos from the past 10 years offering practical suggestions on differentiating instruction.
Larry Ferlazzo, August 3, 2021
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4 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion Four Favorite Physical Education Instructional Strategies—Recommended by Teachers!
Differentiated instruction is among the favorite strategies three educators employ in teaching physical education.
Larry Ferlazzo, July 24, 2021
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9 min read
Education Opinion Q&A Collections: Differentiating Instruction
All Classroom Q&A posts on Differentiating Instruction (from the past nine years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post.
Larry Ferlazzo, August 1, 2020
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4 min read
Teaching Opinion Five Ways to Differentiate Instruction in an Online Environment
Examples from two educators include giving students the time to take physical breaks as well as pausing academic presentations to give students time to think.
Larry Ferlazzo, May 4, 2020
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6 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Robert Nuebecker for Education Week
Teaching Opinion What Differentiated Instruction Is Not: A Teacher's Perspective
Taking differentiation to mean "everything all the time" isn’t a sustainable model, warns English teacher Chad Towarnicki.
Chad Towarnicki, November 22, 2019
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4 min read
Education Opinion Q&A Collections: Differentiating Instruction
All Classroom Q&A posts offering advice on Differentiating Instruction (from the past eight years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post.
Larry Ferlazzo, August 22, 2019
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3 min read
Abigail French
Abigail French
Classroom Technology How These 4 Educators Are Using Ed Tech to Transform Their Teaching
Learn how four teachers used new ed-tech tools to improve student engagement, differentiate learning, deploy better assessments, and communicate more effectively with parents.
Madeline Will & Sarah Schwartz, April 23, 2019
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9 min read
Teaching Opinion Everything You Wanted to Know About Differentiation, But Were Afraid to Ask
New videos, along with many other resources, on differentiated instruction!
Larry Ferlazzo, February 10, 2019
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1 min read
English Learners Differentiated Instruction for English-Learners: A Visual Guide
In a nearly three-minute video, a pair of veteran ELL teachers outline advice on how educators can identify students' individual strengths, needs, and interests and develop lesson plans that are accessible to all English-learners.
Corey Mitchell, February 7, 2019
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1 min read
Curriculum How to Differentiate Instruction (Without Losing Your Mind)
Differentiation doesn't have to mean spending hours creating separate lessons for every student. In these two videos, veteran educators Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski describe techniques they use to meet students where they are in a multi-ability classroom.
Liana Loewus, February 6, 2019
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1 min read
Collection 020619 Diff Instruction
Lindley Taylor for Education Week
Teaching Series Differentiated Instruction
In this series of videos, two veteran teachers explain what it means to differentiate instruction for students of all levels.
February 6, 2019
Teaching Video Differentiating Instruction: How to Plan Your Lessons
Some students finish tasks quickly, others slowly. Some understand the concept on the first try, and others need more practice. How can a teacher plan ahead for all these scenarios? In this video, veteran teachers Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Synieski discuss the various strategies they keep in their back pockets for accommodating all types of learners during a single lesson.
February 5, 2019
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3:19
English Learners Video Differentiating Instruction: A Guide for Teaching English-Language Learners
Veteran teachers Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Synieski offer tips on differentiating instruction for English-language learners. By using techniques such as pairing up students and enhancing background knowledge, teachers can make a lesson accessible to every student in the class, regardless of language proficiency. “Not everybody will get the same exact text or use the same strategy,” Hull Sypnieski explains, “but it’s fair because you’re meeting every student where they are.”
February 5, 2019
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2:43
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