Examples of ways to differentiate instruction

TeachersFirst's Thinking Teachers who write our resource reviews often have suggestions that have worked in their classrooms. Open the reviews to the "more" view to see ideas for using specific resources as tools to differentiate for a variety of learners. Alternatively, use the keyword search tool at the left of this page to search for a curriculum topic and the term "differentiate." For example, search fractions differentiate (with "all the words" selected for the search).
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Copyright & Creativity for Ethical Digital Citizens - Copyright & Creativity.org
Grades
K to 12tag(s): copyright (44), digital citizenship (85)
In the Classroom
Utilize the free curriculums offered on this site to teach students (and yourself) about the proper use of copyright. If you are unable to download the videos, this site recommends viewing the videos using View Pure, reviewed here, to remove all of the annoying "extras" included with YouTube videos. As you teach lessons and ask students to brainstorm ideas or compare and contrast information, use a graphic organizer tool such as Popplet, reviewed here, to create and save visual displays of students' ideas that include both text and images. Ask students to include a link to their Popplet organizer on Seesaw, reviewed here, along with original drawings, recordings, or other materials created during your unit. As a final project, extend learning by asking students to create a tutorial about copyright based upon their knowledge. Provide a variety of resources for creating the tutorial as a way to differentiate learning. Examples of some tools to include are Book Creator, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, or create an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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eduflow - Eduflow
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (83), Learning Management Systems (20), Online Learning (36), remote learning (54), Teacher Utilities (189)
In the Classroom
Use eduflow's features to deliver blended learning opportunities to students in a variety of teaching settings. Differentiate learning by ability or student interest. Offer remote learning opportunities for students who are away from school for an extended time. Offer additional support and collaboration opportunities for students using Padlet, reviewed here. Create a Padlet that includes links to online resources used during your course or as a collaboration tool for students to share ideas and resources. Instead of written reports, extend learning and ask students to create explainer videos using Clipchap, reviewed here, and have them share a link to their video as part of their response within eduflow.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft Whiteboard - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (93), iwb (31), Whiteboard (10)
In the Classroom
Use Microsoft Whiteboard to collaborate with students to share and organize information instantly. Use the whiteboard through Microsoft's Teams to differentiate instruction with groups of students. Allow students to create collaborative drawings as responses to literature. They can map out the plot or themes, add labels, create character studies, and more. Share the finished products on an interactive whiteboard, projector, or your class website. Have a group of students create a drawing so that another group can use it as a writing prompt. Use the whiteboard as a brainstorming or sketching space as groups (or the class) share ideas for a major project or for solving a real-world problem. Use this site in a computer lab (or on laptops) to create a drawing of the setting in a story as it is read aloud. As an assessment idea, have students draw out a simple cartoon with stick figures to explain a more complex process such as how democracy works. If you are lucky enough to teach in a BYOD setting, have a blended classroom, or are distance teaching, use Microsoft Whiteboard to demonstrate and illustrate any concept while students use the chat and drawing tools to interact in real-time. If you are studying weather, have students diagram the layers of the atmosphere and what happens during a thunderstorm, for example. Introduce this tool to students who are working on group projects. Alternatively, have students use this to work as partners or as a small team to complete complex math problems or equations. Give students a question by typing it on their whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids in Motion Math Collection - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 8tag(s): addition (129), counting (60), fitness (39), multiplication (122), subtraction (110)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free activities shared in this math collection to practice and reinforce math facts through physical activity. Consider sharing lessons with your school's physical education teacher as a way to incorporate math instruction as a cross-curricular approach. Incorporate lessons from the site into your current math activities. Use a tool such as Curipod, reviewed here, to deliver blended math lessons that include ideas from this site along with videos, quizzes, and additional materials. Differentiate tasks easily within Curipod by creating activities for different levels of learners. After completing lessons from the collection, ask students to create their own math learning games. Share instructions for student-created games using Clipchamp, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Dewey Decimal Rap - Mr. Scooter
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): classification (22), media literacy (107), Research (85)
In the Classroom
Include this video along with your other lessons on the Dewey Decimal system using ActivelyLearn, reviewed here. Differentiate instruction easily using AcitivelyLearn to create assignments based on student interests and abilities. Challenge students to create their own presentations to teach the Dewey Decimal systems using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, and share on TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SplashLearn - StudyPad, Inc
Grades
K to 5tag(s): addition (129), alphabet (53), blended learning (36), decimals (85), division (98), equations (119), fractions (161), game based learning (195), geometric shapes (135), Learning Management Systems (20), measurement (123), multiplication (122), number sense (70), place value (34), preK (269), sight words (23), spelling (98), subtraction (110)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free games and activities to provide practice and support with your math and reading curriculums. Differentiate learning based on student ability and confidence. Assign content based on students' learning goals. Share this site with parents to provide practice and support for math and ELA concepts at home. Use SplashLearn's reports and assessment results to guide your lesson planning and make adaptations to adjust to students' learning needs. Share this site with other practice activities using a bookmarking tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here. Share your Symbaloo link with parents and on classroom computers for easy access to all learning tools shared. Use activities found in SplashLearn as part of a blended learning experience using Pear Deck, reviewed here. Include a link to the site along with videos and other learning activities found online or uploaded from your computer.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Grades 3-5 ELA Resources for Teaching Remotely on Short Notice - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 5tag(s): differentiation (83), Formative Assessment (73), independent reading (83), professional development (385)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the tools included in this collection to differentiate instruction both in-class and during remote learning. Use Freckle, reviewed here to create a class account and assign lessons based on student interest and ability across subject areas. Use Voki, reviewed here, as recommended in this collection, to have students create animated characters. Have students create a Voki to discuss a book they read, share a solution to a math problem, or to discuss a science concept.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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K-2 Social Studies Resources for Teaching Remotely on Short Notice - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 2tag(s): animals (295), careers (141), communities (33), preK (269)
In the Classroom
Use the Scholastic Listen and Read activities, reviewed here, to provide a variety of reading options to your students. Differentiate instruction based on ability levels and types of activities. Use Voki, reviewed here, to have students role-play a community member found in the reading activities. Share student Vokis on your class website for all to see.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: A Year Down Yonder - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): 1900s (72), commoncore (74), great depression (30)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). Consider using the historical information and primary sources from the book to have students create timelines of the important events during the Great Depression. Class Tools, reviewed here has an easy to use timeline creator or choose from other timeline creation tools located here. Use Curipod, reviewed here to share additional information and activities related to the Great Depression. Include videos, links to primary source documents, and websites appropriate for your students' grade level. Differentiate learning by customizing Curipod activities to match your students' interests and ability levels.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Molly of Denali Podcast - PBS Kids
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): alaska (22), native americans (108), podcasts (105)
In the Classroom
Molly of Denali is perfect for including with any lessons or units on Alaska or Native Americans. Listen to podcasts together as a class pausing throughout the episode as needed to identify important information such as different modes of transportation used in Alaska, weather and climate indicators, and geographic locations referenced. Before beginning your unit, engage students by asking them to brainstorm what they know about Alaska or Native Americans using Padlet, reviewed here, where you can add columns for wildlife, transportation, weather, etc. Build upon students' knowledge and address misconceptions based on your brainstorming activities. Consider creating activities within a learning management system such as Actively Learn, reviewed here. Add videos and articles based on your students' ability levels and comprehension. Enhance learning further using Symbaloo, reviewed here, to share bookmarks for further learning and additional activities. To differentiate learning, create two or more Symbaloo's based upon student interest and/or ability levels. Extend learning by participating in a virtual field trip. Choose from several different options found at Gez.la, reviewed here, and then ask students to to choose and create their own podcasts featuring any destination using Molly of Denali as a model. Spotify for Podcastors (was Anchor), reviewed here, is one of several free podcasting services suitable for classroom use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Johnnie's Math Page - Operations - Johnnie Wilson
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (129), division (98), multiplication (122), operations (72), problem solving (231), subtraction (110)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this math page to find and share engaging games for practicing math facts. Share a link to selected games on classroom computers for student use during math centers. Share this math page with parents as an at-home practice and review site. Due to the variety of activities, this site is an excellent choice for providing differentiated learning opportunities to meet the needs of all students. Extend learning even further by asking students to share tips with their peers on some of the more challenging activities. Use a video response tool like Gravity, reviewed here, and ask students to share their suggestions for learning math facts or how they apply problem-solving skills when faced with difficult math problems.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Washington: Open Educational Resources - Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): OER (43), Online Learning (36)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many resources shared on this site to supplement your current classroom instructional materials. Use these materials to find and differentiate learning for students, especially when working with gifted students as you look for content and resources to meet their educational needs that aren't available within your current curriculum. Offer students a variety of options using those found on this site. Share available student choices using Padlet, reviewed here. Enhance learning by encouraging students to collaborate in the learning process using Notejoy, reviewed here. Notejoy offers tools for collaborative note-taking and sharing of ideas through chats, shared images, and more. Ask students to demonstrate their understanding of topics learned by asking them to create a multimedia project sharing their knowledge. Suggestions for multimedia tools include Sway, reviewed here, Wakelet, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. These multimedia tools present the opportunity to enhance or extend student learning depending on teacher requirements for the project or even student ability; most allow for adding narration, video, text, and links to help explain what certain parts of the content are about.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OER Commons - OER Commons and ISKME
Grades
K to 12tag(s): business (52), OER (43), preK (269), Problem Based Learning (12), Project Based Learning (23), Teacher Utilities (189)
In the Classroom
Bookmark OER Commons to use as your first stop in lesson planning. Take advantage of the search filters to narrow down the content and grade-level information to suit your needs. This website is also an excellent resource for finding materials to differentiate instruction. Use higher-level activities to challenge gifted students, and search for content to use for remediation. As you gather resources into a collection or lesson plans, be sure to think about ways to incorporate technology in meaningful ways to enhance and extend learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LibreTexts - LibreTexts
Grades
10 to 12tag(s): business (52), careers (141), cells (83), communication (129), differentiation (83), ecology (102), electricity (62), elements (34), engineering (127), environment (246), evolution (89), financial literacy (91), genetics (81), geology (61), gifted (66), literature (221), logic (161), magnetism (38), mental health (47), nutrition (137), oceans (147), OER (43), organisms (15), periodic table (46), plants (147), professional development (385), psychology (65), religions (94), sociology (23), space (217), spanish (108), statistics (120), STEM (290)
In the Classroom
LibreTexts is a bonanza for AP and teachers of gifted students. Take advantage of the free texts, course outlines, and homework resources to differentiate instruction and provide lessons for advanced students. Choose resources from LibreTexts for use in any classroom to supplement current materials. As part of career-planning activities, ask students to browse through topics that interest them. Encourage students to collaborate with others with similar career interests, both in the classroom and globally. Extend learning by suggesting that students participate in Ted-Ed Clubs, reviewed here. These Clubs allow participants to share in global meetings with peers that have a common interest. As students learn more about their chosen field, encourage them to interact with members of your community to ask questions and perhaps job shadow as a way to understand the career through personal experience. If using course materials and textbooks found on LibreTexts, this is the perfect opportunity for students to ask clarifying questions from their mentor. Enhance learning by making students the experts. Ask them to present their career findings using a multimedia tool like Sway, reviewed here, to share the information learned with peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FluentKey - Fluentkey, LLC
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chinese (45), DAT device agnostic tool (146), french (75), german (49), multilingual (73), sign language (10), spanish (108), Teacher Utilities (189)
In the Classroom
Use FluentKey to easily differentiate world language lessons for students and allow them to progress at their own speed. Help ENL/ESL students master English using videos and quizzes based on their knowledge level. This is also an excellent tool to provide language learning experiences based on student interests. Even if the language isn't included with the videos on the site, find and upload videos for student use and add quizzes along with additional content. As students become proficient in a new language, encourage them to share their knowledge using a variety of multimedia tools. Annotate images using Google Drawings, reviewed here, create an audio recording of conversations, or use PhotoCollage, reviewed here, to create the collage. As students become more proficient in their new language, ask them to record short podcasts with a podcast creation tool like Podcast Generator, reviewed here, and share tips and advice with their fellow students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classkick - Andrew Rowland and Peter Do
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (144), collaboration (93), Learning Management Systems (20), Teacher Utilities (189)
In the Classroom
Use Classkick in class, for blended learning or remote learning since you can see all students working from anywhere. Use Classkick to differentiate instruction based on students' current performance. Many students are motivated to learn at their own pace using online tools, and Classkick is an option providing lessons in a different format than currently available. If not using Classkick whole - class, it provides many options for helping and enhancing learning for individual students, use for homework, or as a temporary option for providing instruction to home-bound or remote learning students. As students learn through this type of management system, ask them to use a portfolio tool such as Majara, reviewed here, to document and reflect upon their learning process.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Construct3 - Construct.net
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): coding (85), game based learning (195), gamification (80), STEM (290)
In the Classroom
Include Construct3 with your other options for teaching coding to students. Take advantage of the included levels to differentiate learning based on knowledge of coding. If you are uncomfortable with coding, enlist students to become technology coaches in your classroom to teach and share their knowledge with others. Use and share Google Forms to create how-to guides for students to get started including images with tips and suggestions. Ask "in-the-know" students to enhance their learning and create one-page websites using Jimdo, reviewed here, sharing advice for individual games included in Construct3. As students become familiar with coding, have them use FlexClip, reviewed here, to extend their learning by creating simple explainer videos detailing how to build and share personalized games.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Write and Improve - Cambridge English
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): creative writing (124), descriptive writing (42), differentiation (83), letter writing (19), persuasive writing (58), process writing (37), writers workshop (31), writing (324)
In the Classroom
Feedback on this site is based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) scale, learn more about it here. Include this site with your other resources for practicing and teaching writing as you challenge students to improve feedback scores. Take advantage of the different levels to differentiate practice for all students. Ask students to analyze their writing before hitting the feedback button as a self-reflection tool. As students improve writing, use a digital portfolio tool like Seesaw, reviewed here, and upload all revisions. Also, use Seesaw for students to share their thoughts on their writing and individual progress.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Periodic Videos - Periodic Videos and The University of Nottingham
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Include this resource with your other materials for teaching about the periodic table and chemical elements. Customize any of the lessons within TED-ED to meet your lesson objectives. Register for a free account, then follow the steps to duplicate and edit the lesson to meet your needs and share with students. Be sure to share this site with students to use as part of their review and learning activities. Share all of your bookmarked sites with students using a bookmarking tool like Raindrop.io, reviewed here. Raindrop.io includes tools for collaborating and sharing online resources and provides the ability for you or your students to add notes and comments to shared resources. Include this site and others to provide differentiated learning activities for your students using Nearpod, reviewed here. In addition to web resources like Periodic Videos, Nearpod provides options for including quizzes, uploading documents, and more to create an entire unit in one place. Instead of a final assessment using a paper and pencil quiz, ask students to modify their learning by creating explainer videos about elements using Clipchamp, reviewed here. If you are unsure about how to assess multimedia projects, find many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Tech - Glenn Wiebe
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): back to school (55), branches of government (64), digital storytelling (153), game based learning (195), maps (218), politics (117), primary sources (117), social media (48), teaching strategies (50)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to reference throughout the school year. Use the keyword search option to find ideas for specific units or technology tools to use. Use a bookmarking tool like Wakelet, reviewed here, to collect and share information from this blog along with your other resources. As you gather lesson ideas and create your unit, use Nearpod, reviewed here, to create differentiated lesson activities for your students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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