Balancing the learning requirements of all pupils in the classroom can sometimes be a challenge for teachers but that's exactly where differentiated instruction, an essential strategy in today’s diverse classrooms, comes into play.
As school staff encounter students with a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and learning styles, it's more important than ever to ensure that all students receive tailored support to succeed.
In this blog, specialist education recruitment agency, Spencer Clarke Group, are exploring what differentiated instruction is, why it matters and how teachers can effectively implement it into the classroom.
What is differentiated instruction?
Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that tailors teaching methods, materials and assessment strategies to meet the diverse needs and abilities of all students in the classroom.
Differentiated instruction acknowledges that students learn in different ways and teachers using this approach provide multiple paths to learning. In order for differentiated instruction to be effective, learning leaders should adjust what and how different pupils learn.
Rather than using a one-size-fits-all method, differentiated instruction ensures that all students are receiving the right level of support and have equal opportunities to succeed academically.
Why is differentiated instruction important?
Differentiated instruction is important because it allows students with diverse learning needs, such as neurodivergent, cognitive impairment and global developmental delay to learn in a way and at a pace that works best for them.
By tailoring teaching methods to individual strengths, such as learning through visual activities, or challenges, such as struggling to understand reading material, students are more likely to reach their full potential and succeed academically.
Additionally, differentiated instruction enables educators to identify learning gaps and make necessary adjustments, ensuring that all students stay on track.
When students are thriving, school staff often experience greater job satisfaction as they see meaningful progress in their classrooms.
How to differentiate instruction for diverse learning needs
How to differentiate learning for diverse learning needs:
- Get to know your students.
- Use flexible grouping.
- Offer choice in classroom tasks.
- Use a tiered structure.
- Encourage student self-reflection and goal setting.
Get to know your students
The first step to differentiating instruction is to get to know your students. It’s important for teaching staff to understand their students' backgrounds, interests, strengths, weaknesses and learning preferences. By doing so, teachers can build meaningful relationships with students and learn about their unique needs and experiences, which they can then use to tailor instruction in a meaningful way.
For example, identifying that a student struggles with reading but excels in storytelling, allows educators to offer alternative ways to demonstrate understanding. They could ask students to retell a story in their own words or even act it out, rather than just relying on written work. This way, the teacher is still checking for understanding but in a way that plays to the student’s strengths.
Use flexible grouping
Using flexible groupings is a great way to differentiate instruction for diverse learning needs by allowing students to work with different peers for different tasks. Instead of keeping students in fixed ability groups, change groupings based on the activity, learning goal or student interest.
This approach helps to build social skills and gives students the chance to take on different roles within a group. It also gives students the opportunity to work with others and learn from them. For example, teachers might group students by similar skill level during a writing lesson then regroup them by learning style in a hands-on science lesson.
Offer choice in classroom tasks
Offering students choice in classroom tasks is an effective way to meet diverse learning needs as it allows them to develop their learning using methods that align with their interests and strengths.
Some students may find it easier to express ideas through writing whereas others may prefer using visuals like presentations or videos. By providing multiple options for completing a piece of work, teaching staff encourage students to take ownership of their own learning and learn in ways that are accessible to them.
Use a tiered structure
Using a tiered structure is an effective way to differentiate instruction by creating tasks at varying levels of complexity, while maintaining the same overall learning objective for the whole class. This means that all students are working towards the same academic goal, but the task is adjusted to match their level of understanding and skill.
This ensures that all students are challenged fairly and receive the necessary support. Using a tiered structure allows all students to access the same learning in a way that suits their individual needs.
Encourage student self-reflection and goal setting
Allowing opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning and set goals is a worthwhile way to differentiate instruction. Self-reflection gives students the opportunity to become more aware of their preferred learning style, what they find challenging and potential strategies to help them succeed in the classroom.
Self-reflection and goal setting also helps teachers better understand student needs and adjust their lessons and support accordingly.
Spencer Clarke Group is a specialist education recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Operating nationwide, they help schools to find experienced teaching and support staff on a daily, temporary, temp-perm or permanent basis.
After growing exponentially since they launched in 2017, Spencer Clarke Group was named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the 2024 Recruiter Awards.
