How to Differentiate a Lesson
There are 3 Ways to Differentiate Lessons
1. Modify the student independent practice. For example:
- Add sentence starters to open response questions.
- Change how students are required to demonstrate mastery - multiple choice, open response, illustration, and dramatic performance.
- Provide word banks to written response questions.
- Provide texts on students' reading level whenever reading a text is a requirement for the student independent practice.
2. Modify how you teach the lesson. For example:
- Add or revise visual scaffolding during the lesson, such as charts or graphic organizers.
- Teach the lessons in small groups.
- Vary the allotted lesson time by breaking up the lesson into two days, focusing on more modeling examples in day one.
- Allow students to preview the text used for the lesson before the lesson.
3. Modify the content used to teach the lesson. For example:
• Choose a text for the lesson that is at the reading level of your students.
• Add supporting learning objectives to the lesson to help students master the original learning outcome.
See Related Materials at right to see two examples of differentiated lessons.
Do you want to learn more about how to tailor lessons to the needs of your students? See the Six Rules of Differentiating.
