The Importance of Differentiation in the Classroom

 What is the role of differentiation in teaching and learning?

There’s a clear reason restaurants offer multiple options on a menu: diners have diverse needs. Food allergies, lifestyle choices, and dietary restrictions all factor into a person’s selection. The same discerning approach must be taken in the classroom, where students’ learning needs are just as diverse as their palettes.

I appreciate how Carol Ann Tomlinson perfectly encapsulates this philosophy: “Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.”

My own K-12 schooling experience in the late '80s and early '90s felt largely one-note. The only level of academic differentiation I observed was the introduction of "advanced math" classes in middle school. Even then, classroom instruction within those tracks rarely varied. The opportunity for genuine choice was typically limited to selecting the subject for a biography report.

I vividly remember the excitement when I was first offered choice for an end-product. This happened in my sophomore English class, where we were given a menu of projects to demonstrate our writing abilities. English Language Arts wasn't my favorite subject, but it became much more appealing when I realized I could incorporate my love of creativity into the required projects.

In her article, “What Is Differentiated Instruction?”, Carol Ann Tomlinson defines the four key elements for differentiation:

• Content: What the student needs to learn.

• Process: How the students will learn the information.

• Products: How the student will show what they know.

• Learning Environment: The way the classroom works and feels.

Applying these four elements supports students’ individual needs and interests, fostering a more engaging and approachable learning environment.

I see significant opportunities for differentiation in my current placement. I am observing two distinct periods: the first consists of students fluent in English, and the second is for students in the ESL program who possess varying levels of English reading, speaking, and comprehension skills.

Currently, both periods are taught with the same content and products. Differentiation in process is only occasionally employed by slowing down audio or reducing the quantity of notes required.

I observe that this lack of process differentiation for the first-period students may be stifling their ability to fully engage with and master the content. Because the process isn't challenging them to fully digest and explain what they know, we aren't pushing them toward deeper understanding. A student's frustrated cry in class the other day—"When are we going to do something other than just writing?"—perfectly underscores the need for differentiation in process or product to introduce variety and engagement.

I'm encouraged that during my upcoming two-week unit on soil, I've been able to plan two hands-on activities that will utilize microscopes and graphing. This differentiation from the traditional paper-and-pencil work will hopefully increase engagement and allow students to demonstrate their learning in a more authentic way.