6 Effective Differentiated Instruction Strategies For Teachers

By Jessica Wright


Every teacher is required to handle students with varying learning styles. If the outcomes are to be achieved, instructions must also be delivered differently. This calls for adoption of differentiated instruction strategies. The tactics require modification of content delivered, the process of delivery and product being delivered. Since a single strategy cannot work on all topics and subjects, you have to identify the most appropriate for each case.

Set up learning stations within the class environment. The stations are defined by different forms of delivery. One could involve reading while another focuses on watching video. Loud reading and discussions, among other delivery forms can be included in different stations. Students are required to spend time on one station before moving to the next. By the end of the lesson, they will have experienced the concept in multiple forms. This will enhance understanding.

Learn what students want or prefer in class. You will need to interview them to understand these preferences. Ask questions regarding their best type of lesson, favorite activity in class, a project that they are proud of and exercises that jog their memory, among other leading questions. From the answers given, you can tune your lessons to fit majority of your students.

Prepare content that appeals to multiple senses. The common approach is lecturing through the lesson. However, engaging them in artistic presentation, role play, watching videos, preparing graphics and such other engagement forms makes the content memorable because it accommodate different learning styles.

Use the Think-Pair and Share strategy. The strategy allows a student to study a concept or idea in three layers. Ask your students to brainstorm a topic. Pick students who chose the same concepts and pair them or group them for a discussion on their chosen concept. They will then be required to share their conclusions with the rest of the class. During the plenary session you will affirm their ideas or redirect those that could be misguided.

Journal keeping helps the class to keep track of what has been learnt. In fact, it is broadened to include setting goals at the beginning of a session and then monitoring how well these goals were achieved at the end. It can be done collectively or each student may be required to do it alone. List the activities and expected outcomes in brief then see how well they were achieved at the end of the session.

Set aside free lessons where each student picks his or her preferred learning material. Some will go for audio books while others form discussion groups. Some will turn to art forms to express their ideas and understanding. You can walk around and provide clarification as well as monitor the direction of learning. You will understand the preferences of individual students and also guide them on areas where they need assistance.

Monitor all the strategies you use in your class to know what is effective and what is not. You need to know what each student is comfortable with and reinforce that. Such knowledge helps you to identify ways of accommodating the minority group in your teaching sessions. Even the best strategy requires variation from time to time to avoid boredom.




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