Differentiating Instruction:
Information and Ideas for working with individual differences

Whether you teach first grade or AP Calculus, your class is certain to have a variety of learners. Perhaps you have some ESL/ELL students, some learning support, some emotional support, some gifted, and some very “average.” TeachersFirst has resources to help you understand and adapt for student differences.

Using Technology to Help

TeachersFirst members can use their teacher home page as a differentiation tool by listing a range of Favorites (web reources) for varied student ability levels and strengths. This page can also provide information on current class activities and assignments for learning support teachers and parents in order for them to better help struggling students. See specific suggestions and tips for using Favorites and your home page itself as differentiation tools at Why Make a TeachersFirst Home Page?

Understanding and Working with ESL/ELL students

Top Ten Tips for Working With ESL/ELL Students Grade K to 12
Teaching ESL./ELL students in your regular classroom can be a challenge. You feel great empathy for the children who enter your room, bewildered, but you have the rest of the class to think of, too. TeachersFirst offers these Top Ten Tips for Teachers working with ESL/ELL students to help you find appropriate ways to differentiate instruction and make minor adjustments for the individual student and maximize the benefit of having these new students in the class.

Adapt-a-Strategy Grade K to 12
Adapt your existing lesson plans using these simple strategies to help ESL students. Click on the activity type you have planned and find suggestions and resources to help your ESL/ELL students be successful with the lesson. Some of the same strategies may help with students with IEPs for speech and language or learning support.

Web resources for ESL/ELL
Resources of all kinds, from visual dictionaries to specific lesson plans to build language and cultural understanding for student success.

Understanding Special Education

Special Ed regulations change frequently, and many are specific to your state or country. TeachersFirst tries to maintain accurate, helpful information for practicing teachers. We are not, however, to be considered legal advisers.

Autism and Aspergers: Find resources specifically for working with these increasing populations. We will continue to supplement these listings on TeachersFirst as teachers continue to seek ideas and new research reveals new approaches.

E-READY Special Education Professional Resources: This section provides teachers and other education professionals with information and resources about teaching students with disabilities. Some of the content will be of use to any classroom teacher. Other topics may be more appropriate for special education teachers or specialists working with disabled students.

ADHD
Hearing Impairment
Learning Disabilities
Vision Impairment
Reference Materials

Other Resources for Special Ed: Reviewed resources and lesson ideas for understanding and meeting the needs of special ed students.

Understanding and Working with Gifted Students

These resources can help you define and understand giftedness, and most, importantly, web resources that are especially appropriate to use with these students (many offerings will actually have the ability to adapt to multiple levels and types of intelligence).

Gifted & Talented Resources - From the TeachersFirst E-READY collection.

More Web Resources - about giftedness and gifted students.

Multiple Intelligences

M.I. Definitions and Examples: Resources to help you understand and recognize multiple intelligences and plan activities that will address more than your own strengths. (link to search result multiple intelligences)

Examples of ways to differentiate:

Ideas that Work: Reviewed activities and lesson plans that provide practical ways to adjust for different students in the same class.

Can’t find the help you need?

Why not try posting a request for suggestions in our Teachers Share area?  Your peers from around the globe may have just the idea you need. Our editors also monitor this area to find out what teachers are looking for.

If you know if a sure-fire strategy that works in a diverse classroom, be sure to stop in and share it with others.