When teachers differentiate content, they teach the same concept or skill to each student, but they may use different curricula to teach the concept or skill to different students. The following are a few strategies that teachers can use to differentiate content:
Tiered Content
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One way to differentiate content for heterogeneous classrooms is to tier content. When teachers tier content, all students complete the same type of activity, such as a worksheet or a report. However, the content varies in difficulty. Typically, students are divided into three groups based on readiness levels. The activities assigned to the low, middle, and high groups (groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively) differ in terms of complexity.
Providing a Variety of Materials
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Teachers can differentiate content based on readiness level, interests, or learning profile by offering a variety of materials. This allows students to access the information in the way that works best for them. Teachers might consider offering:
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A range of textbooks: In addition to the grade-level text, the teacher can provide texts one or two grade levels below and above the grade-level text. This allows students who are struggling with the reading level or the complexity of the skill to access the content at the level that is best for them. It also allows students who know the content or quickly master it to have the opportunity to work on more advanced skills.
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Supplemental materials: These materials might include internet resources, magazines, newspapers, books on CDs, videos, and computer games.
Presentation Styles
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When presenting content, teachers should utilize a variety of presentation styles; that is, they should provide learners with a variety of media and formats that allows students to choose what works best for them. Multiple media and formats also allow students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts by providing opportunities to interact with those concepts in a variety of ways.
Scaffolding
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For students who struggle with learning a new skill or content, the teacher can provide instructional scaffolding , a process through which a teacher adds supports for students in order to enhance learning and aid in the mastery of tasks. The teacher does this by systematically building on a student’s experiences and knowledge as he or she learns a new skill. As the student increasingly masters the task, the supports are gradually removed. The teacher may need to consider different ways to scaffold for those who have difficulty reading and understanding text and for those who have difficulty mastering a new task.
Learning Contracts
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A learning contract is an agreement between the teacher and student that specifies in writing the work the student will complete in a given amount of time. A learning contract allows teachers to differentiate the curriculum based on the student’s readiness level or learning profile. When negotiating the contract, the teacher and student need to specify the task to be completed, when it will be completed, the quantity and quality of the work, the criteria by which it will be evaluated, and when appropriate the resulting grade. The contract might also include the consequences for not having meeting the terms.
Compacting
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To differentiate instruction for advanced learners who have already mastered certain content or skills, teachers may want to consider compacting the curriculum. Doing so allows students to skip content they know or to proceed quickly through content. This strategy targets students’ readiness levels, and it can be applied to any subject and at any grade level. Compacting the curriculum involves three steps:
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Assess student knowledge: Prior to the lesson or unit, the teacher assesses the student. Students who score 90% or higher on the pretest might be compacted out of the entire unit, whereas students who score 80–89% (partial mastery) might be compacted out of a portion of it.
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Create plan for mastering all parts of the curriculum: The teacher creates a plan to make sure the student learns any content not yet mastered.
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Create plan for enrichment activities: Because students are excused for some or all of the related lessons and assignments for content they have mastered or will learn quickly, the teacher and the student design a plan for how the student will spend his or her free time. To make the student accountable for this work, the teacher may want to present this plan in writing in the form of a compacting agreement (i.e., a specialized learning contract).
Adjusting to these instructional elements often requires teachers to change their approach to instruction. Differentiating instruction is not about changing what you teach; it's about changing how you teach.
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