Differentiated Instruction

in my kindergarten classroom

Sarah Pike EDU 610

Differentiated Instruction is
Differentiation allows students multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they have learned. A differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquiring content, to processing or making sense of ideas, and to developing products so that each student can learn effectively.
~ Carol Ann Tomlinson

My Planning and Instruction

is based on differences in students
Readiness Interest Learning Profile

Learning

Readiness

Interest

Profile

What is the students skill level and background knowledge?

What will motivate the student?

How does the student prefer to learn?

The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching them all the same subjects in the same way.
~ Howard Gardner

Why differentiate instruction?

All students are different

Enhances motivation for learning

It provides all students access to all curriculum

Helps foster independence

How do I differentiate instruction?

through

content process

product

Content: what students learn

strategies include

Learning letters and sounds through

music and movement

Writing Workshop mini-lessons in a small-group setting

Process: making sense of information

strategies include

Learning Centers
with parent volunteer support

Turn-and Talk Buddies

Themes

Celebrating 50th day of school 1950s style

outdoor exploration during

Tree Unit
Learning about Day and Night through centers

Product: how students demonstrate

what they learn
strategies include

Rubrics

a rubric for story illustrations

Product Choices based on:

Readiness

Interest
Learning Profile

Assessment
is a road map for thinking and planning in my classroom

It is:
on-going

drives my instruction allows me to determine my learners readiness, interests and learning profile

Pre-Assessments
are tools or techniques used to measure which objectives students have mastered prior to instruction.

Determines which students have/have not achieved mastery of specific content/skill

allows me to form flexible groups

ie: Large or small group, Partner or Individual

Pre-Assessment: Kindergarten Screening

Assessing a students readiness in the areas of: Basic literacy and math concepts Visual motor/adaptive skills

Language and cognition

Gross-motor skills

We use this data to form heterogeneous classes and as a base for planning our curriculum for the year

Other Assessment Techniques

Observations: using checklists and anecdotal notes

Other Assessment Techniques

Teacher-student conferences

Status checks
(thumbs up / thumbs down / thumb to-the-side)

Technology and Differentiation

builds problem-solving skills a powerful motivator more student-directed

How does technology impact student learning?

encourages exploration

reaches diverse learning styles

its engaging fosters critical thinking skills

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Using Technology
SMART board

Morning Message and Question of the Day

Using Technology continued

Computers and the Internet

United Streaming

http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/

Favorite Websites
(often used as anchor activities)

Storyline Online http://www.storylineonline.net/

Storybird http://storybird.com/

Favorite Websites
(often used as anchor activities)

Starfall http://www.starfall.com/ Ms. Pikes diigo page http://www.diigo.com/user/mspike

Parents: ACCESS from home!

In Closing
A Chinese proverb states:

Tell me, Ill forget Show me, Ill remember Involve me, Ill understand

THE END

Resources
Chapman, C., & King, R. (2005). Differentiated assessment strategies. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc.
Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.