
Differentiated Instruction - MS
Focusing on the Needs of Gifted Learners
What it is, and what it is not:
Regular Differentiation Tools and Practices:
- Increase the Lexile of the material used to better match student ability
- Increase the requirements for projects based on student ability
- Change the process to a teacher-defined higher-level process
Tools and Practices for Gifted Differentiation
- Provide appropriately leveled text, based on Lexile or text complexity
- Allow time for deeper thought on deeper concepts of the content
- Allow students to extend (expand to larger discipline), enrich (dig deeper into the lesson), or enhance (take the big ideas of the unit and expand upon them)
- Provide rubric on which assignments will be graded and components needed for assignments, then let the gifted learner find their own way to get there: formative rubric, summative rubric
- Scaffolding for gifted learners usually only requires helping them get started and providing focused feedback prior to completion of the final product.
- Allow gifted learners to work through content at their own pace, with checkpoints along the way for accountability between the student and teacher
- Look at different ways to interact with the content, including the Study Guide Plan, Tiered Lesson Planning, GRASPS (McTighe), teach to a higher standard, rigorous extension menus, 3 E Extension Menu
Compaction and Study Guide Resources
- Why should we allow a student to "compact out" of content teaching? Compaction Rationale
- How do teachers implement compaction? Compaction Protocol
- How do teachers manage compaction or study guide independent learning? Independent Study Agreement, Study Guide Contract
- How can teachers grade diverse projects? Design Your Own Rubric
Tiered Lesson Plan Example (ELA 6)
Entry/Proficient
Task:
Students will read Eating Poetry by Mark Strand. You may wish to listen as the poem is recited: Audio
After reading, the students will re-read the poem and complete a 3-column chart that addresses what themes, meanings, and tone are revealed by author’s word choice in the poem.
Supports:
Students will complete the assignment with assistance from the instructor.
Advanced
Task:
Students will read Eating Poetry by Mark Strand. You may wish to listen as the poem is recited: Audio
After reading, the students will re-read the poem and complete a 3-column chart that addresses what themes, meanings, and tone are revealed by author’s word choice in the poem.
Supports:
Students will complete the assignment after the instructor points out some phrases important to the analysis. They then work in small groups to complete the assignment.
Most Challenging
Task:
Students will read Mother to Son by Langston Hughes. You may wish to listen to the author read the poem: Audio
Langston Hughes is part of the Harlem Renaissance movement in the arts. Learn what you can about this movement. Re-read the poem and address the following:
What is the main theme of this poem?
How is the theme connected to the life experiences of African-Americans during Hughes’ lifetime?
How does Hughes’ word choice affect the tone of the poem?
Create a visual to explain the poem to 5th grade students.
Supports/Adjustments:
Students will be provided with materials to use to create their visual. They should be able to complete the assignment independently, but may ask peers questions. They should be permitted to start earlier than the rest of the class, or have a later due date.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Use a pretest to determine level of mastery. You can use the CUA you plan to use at the end of the unit, and still use it as the CUA. Another form of pre-assessment is "Most Difficult First." In "Most Difficult First," students are asked to complete a task that requires demonstration of all concepts within the unit or sub-unit.
Q: What if the student demonstrates knowledge of part of the unit but not all of it?
A: They should join the class for the knowledge base they did not demonstrate and should be provided with an alternative assignment in place of class work on the knowledge base they were able to demonstrate (see tools above).
Q: Won't the gifted learners be OK just doing what everyone else is doing, but using the regular differentiation tools I already use?
A: If the class content is not in their area of strength or interest, then the answer is probably. If the content is in their area of strength or interest, then more needs to be provided.
Q: When do I need to pre-assess students?
A: One to two weeks before you plan to begin the unit.
Q: Do I need to use a formal pretest?
A: No. Pre-assessment can be via white-board challenge, class discussion, backchannel chat, Google Question, or other means at your disposal.
Q: What if the student does not demonstrate mastery but seems to "get it" after I introduce the concepts?
A: Provide the student with a "Most Difficult" assignment after your introduction to see if they truly "get it." Often gifted learners understand content or acquire skills with one instruction. They retain that understanding and are able to recall and interact with the content readily. The case could even be that they already had the skill and knowledge but did not realize it until you completed your introductory lesson.
Q: With everything else I have to do, how can I incorporate this into my instruction?
A: Contact the Gifted Intervention Specialist for help. It is what she lives for.
Source:
Heacox, Diane. Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going beyond the Basics. Free Spirit Publishing Inc., 2020.