Introduction

0 What do we mean when we use the term multiple

access points?
In groups of 2-3, take a few moments to look at the
picture of a building you are given. With your group
identify as many entrances in the building as you can.

What is differentiation?
Differentation is a process by which instruction is tailored
to meet individual needs. There are a variety of ways to
differentiate instruction which fall into four main
categories.
Content

Process

Product

Learning Environment

Content
What does the student need to learn? Think: What is the
Common Core Learning Standard that your lesson is
based on?
What specific concepts/ideas/skills do your students
need to access the information you are teaching?
Think: What is your aim/learning objective for your
lesson?
Ex. In an 8th grade ELA classroom a student is learning
how to write a paragraph. The teacher must gather
information to determine what his students already
know about writing paragraphs.

Process
How will my student(s) make sense of or master
content? How will students go about learning new
material. Think: What is your lesson hook? What activity
will students be completing or engaging in during your
lesson?
Ex. In a 4th grade math lesson the learning objective is:
students will be able to recognize fractions for and .
Some students in the class require support accessing
written information. Therefore, the teacher creates
flexible skill groups where one group is using visual
supports (picture representations of and ).

Product
What culminating project(s) are you asking students to
practice, apply or extend in your lesson? Think: What is my
assessment for the lesson? What evidence will I collect to
determine if my student(s) met my aim/learning objective?

Ex. In a 10th grade social studies class students have been

learning about global history. For the final project, students
are given the option to write a 5 page essay, create a 5-7
slide power point, or give a 10 minute presentation after
meeting with their teacher to determine which project best
meets their instructional needs.

Learning Environment
How does the classroom work and feel for students? Think:
What supports am I providing to create a space that
encourages student learning and participation? What
instructional choices should I make to create this space?

Ex. In a 2nd grade classroom during a guided read aloud the

teacher supports a calm and safe learning environment by
asking students to use hand motions (touching head,
touching nose, wiggling fingers) instead of giving verbal
responses during the story.

Putting it all Together

Differentiation is a thoughtful process. Sometimes it helps to
break it into steps.
Step 1: Plan the lesson you are teaching for your class.
Step 2: Think about a specific student(s) or use assessment to identify: Readiness
level, Interests and Learning Profile. Sometimes referred to as information
gathering about students.
Step 3: Create an activity for your lesson plan for the whole group (or small group
you are teaching). Using the information you have gathered choose an activity
that meets your student(s) instructional needs.
Step 4: Adjust the activity accordingly for students who benefit from
individualized instruction. Think is this a student who requires support
accessing curriculum (or the content), process, product or learning environment?

Some examples
Flexible grouping
Based on skill
Based on interest
Based on anything really

Cooperative Learning Structures

Jigsaw
Group Investigation
Think-Pair-Share
Numbered Heads Together
(see Differentiating Instruction hand out)

Some more examples

Exit Cards
At the end of a lesson use flexible grouping to assign
a question or task before the student(s) leave the
classroom.
Graphic Organizers
Aides comprehension, concept development and
learning. Provides an organized, visual display of
knowledge

Sources and References

Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The differentiated classroom:
Responding to the needs of all learners. ASCD:
Alexandria.
Thousand, J.S., Villa, R.A., Nevin, A.I. (2007).
Differentiating instruction: Collaborative planning and
teaching for universally designed learning. Corwin Press:
California.