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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Read Theory - Read Theory (Tanner)
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): blended learning (29), differentiation (87), guided reading (32), Online Learning (34), reading comprehension (145), remote learning (32)
In the Classroom
Take your students to the next level in their reading and reading skills! Sign up students yourself (assigning a password and username). Students can sign up for themselves if they have an email (and school policies permit). The first task is to provide the reading level. Use this site to differentiate reading levels for your students. Use this tool in a blended or remote learning classroom to allow students time to read at their own pace, or set up a learning center for use during your L.A. block. This will allow you one-on-one time to begin the program. In a learning support or remedial reading class, especially at upper levels where "reading" is no longer a regular subject, this tool will allow students some autonomy in improving their skills. It will also let them see progress. Discuss with individual students the questions they answered and where the answers were in the reading, etc. Be sure to save this site in your class favorites and list it on your class website for students to access both in and out of the classroom. If students cannot have their own email accounts, consider using a "class set" of Gmail subaccounts, explained here; this describes how to set up Gmail subaccounts for any online membership service. Using Gmail subaccounts will provide anonymous interaction within your class.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Math Fact Cafe - Math Fact Cafe
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (137), counting (66), division (109), money (113), multiplication (133), preK (316), problem solving (269), subtraction (118), time (94), worksheets (70)
In the Classroom
This site offers many customization options, so it is easy to differentiate for ability levels within your class. Use worksheets from Math Fact Cafe in learning centers. Share a link to the site on your class website or newsletter for parents to use at home. Use Math Fact Cafe for review before quizzes and tests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachingEnglish - BBC
Grades
K to 12tag(s): vocabulary (248), vocabulary development (100), word study (58)
In the Classroom
You may want to complete some of the selections with a projector or your interactive whiteboard for the whole class. You could also differentiate by having small groups of students working on various activities at their individual independent levels. Make a shortcut to the activity on your classroom computer. Share a link to this resource on your class website or blog.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diagnostic Questions - Craig Barton and Simon Woodhead
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): angles (51), area (54), assessment (139), charts and graphs (194), data (210), decimals (94), equations (132), exponents (40), fractions (179), functions (59), geometric shapes (151), median (17), order of operations (32), statistics (128), time (94), vectors (16)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use to find a question of the day to begin lessons. Share or embed questions on your class website. Have students prepare a question of the day to include with your quizzes. See the "About" page to find questions for class discussions. Though they suggest using mini whiteboards or a large card, think about using computers or tablets and a student response system, such as Socrative, reviewed here. Using a student response system, you will be able to keep a record of the responses without having stacks of paper. It will help you to differentiate and know whom to focus on with some immediate extra help.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Freckle Education - Sidharth Kakkar
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): collaboration (110), differentiation (87), independent reading (80), inquiry (32), reading comprehension (145), Research (82), Teacher Utilities (205), writing (308)
In the Classroom
After creating your classroom account and adding rosters, introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. If you are lucky enough to have a class set of mobile devices, allow students to use Freckle while you work directly with individuals or small groups of students. Freckle is a great way to supplement instruction for both gifted and special needs students. Use in your blended learning class, when you want to differentiate, or when teaching remotely. Visit the FAQ section for ideas for implementing Freckle in your math, ELA, social studies, or science classroom. Be sure to share login information with parents for student practice at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Math Learning - OnlineMathLearning.com
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): parents (51), worksheets (70)
In the Classroom
OnLineMathLearning is a nice supplement to your classroom. Use the videos on your interactive whiteboard to begin instruction. Differentiate your math instruction by student need and assign individually. Use the worksheets, games, and activities for extra practice and reinforcement. Allow students to see the ideas listed before they start their science fair projects. Recommend this website to parents so they can understand the "new way" of doing math. Be sure to list as a resource for extra practice on your class website. Keep the videos on this site in mind for using as models when assigning students to make their own videos. Be sure to include in your math parent night. Use as enrichment for your advanced students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oppia - Oppia.org
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): coding (106), computational thinking (45), cooking (34), electricity (60), equations (132), fractions (179), homonyms (8), homophones (6), india (32), latin (23), light (56), logic (162), politics (124), puzzles (159), quadratics (28), ratios (52), statistics (128), STEM (353), Teacher Utilities (205)
In the Classroom
Assign Oppia explorations to gifted students as part of your differentiated learning lessons. Use Oppia explorations as part of your flipped classroom. Have students complete explorations and then discuss in class. Add links to (or embed) Oppia explorations on your class website or blog for students to explore at home as a review tool or as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson. Join the Oppia Users Group to collaborate with others to create your own Oppia explorations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Spell Up - Google Chrome
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): spelling (94), vocabulary (248)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate HOW to use this website on your interactive whiteboard or projector (with your mike nearby!). Divide your class into teams and test out the site together. Create a link to Spell Up on your class website or blog for students to play at home. Use Spell Up at varied levels for different students to differentiate challenges for your students. Share this link on your class website for students to use at home (especially for spelling practice during the summer).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bees: A Honey of an Idea - Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): insects (62)
In the Classroom
Be sure to share this site during any unit on insects or careers. As news stories tell us about the rapid demise of honeybees and the resulting danger to our food supply, step back to see what bees are all about. Allow older students to explore on their own. Younger students will benefit from viewing and reading together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a week in the life of a beekeeper. Use the glossary as a resource for differentiated spelling lists each week. French teachers may want to use this site as a reading experience!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fill in the Chart - Susan Jones
Grades
2 to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): multiplication (133)
In the Classroom
Share Fill in the Chart on your class website or newsletter for multiplication practice at home or from any computer. Create a link on classroom computers for student practice during center time. Differentiate learning by assigning different practice charts based on individual student needs. This site doesn't time students, therefore causing less stress. if you prefer, have students time themselves with each activity then challenge them to improve completion time and accuracy with each practice.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Frontiers for Young Minds - Frontiersin.org
Grades
2 to 10tag(s): brain (58), child development (18), human body (97), senses (21)
In the Classroom
Use these articles in Biology or Health class to learn about the brain and factors that affect it. Students will find many articles of interest. Articles focus not only on learning, but also on games, media, emotions, and other activities. Have bright students looking for a challenge? Encourage him/her to follow the directions to apply as a Young Mind reviewer--Challenge cooperative learning groups to read an article and create an infographic highlighting what they discovered. Use a tool such as Venngage reviewed here. If you teach gifted science students or would like to offer an advanced option to a gifted student in your regular science class while studying the brain or the human body, this journal offers an outstanding opportunity for real-world collaboration with scientists and very bright students elsewhere. Differentiate by going outside school walls! Have your student write an article and/or apply to join the team of young scientists.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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News in Levels - newsinlevels.com
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): differentiation (87), guided reading (32), multilingual (77), news (224), reading comprehension (145)
In the Classroom
Add this website to your classroom computers, websites, and newsletters for parents of ENL/ESL students or beginning readers. This tool is especially helpful at the beginning of the year, as you are learning students' reading levels. Use this tool to differentiate in all primary classes. Although this site was created for English Language Learners, it could still be used by all students including gifted and learning support. Differentiate for your advanced/gifted students in elementary, while meeting Common Core standards of Informational Text. Use these news articles as informational text meeting your Common Core goals. Assign students of different levels the same story at the appropriate level or build skills by sharing the same story as a class. Challenge groups to compare the stories in pairs. Have students create a visual presentation of the story. First have students create a rough draft of their comic using Canva Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here. For Level 1 readers have them create their final comic using ToonyTool, reviewed here, for Level 3 readers use Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MobyMax: Complete K-8 Curriculum - MobyMax.com
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (137), assessment (139), classroom management (125), differentiation (87), division (109), fluency (32), game based learning (297), multiplication (133), subtraction (118), vocabulary (248), vocabulary development (100)
In the Classroom
Create a classroom account. Use MobyMax during centers, for nightly homework, or computer lab time. Share with parents as an excellent resource for practicing math, reading, writing, grammar, science, and vocabulary skills at home. Use the pre-testing features at the beginning of the school year to get students started at the correct levels. Use this tool to differentiate for all students. Your gifted students can pretest out of material already learned and receive activities and instruction at their individual level. Be sure to bookmark this site to use with all levels of students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Maths Practice and Worksheets - EduGain
Grades
4 to 10tag(s): addition (137), charts and graphs (194), decimals (94), division (109), equations (132), experiments (63), fractions (179), geometric shapes (151), integers (25), logic (162), mean (20), median (17), mode (14), multiplication (133), number sense (73), numbers (120), operations (71), order of operations (32), probability (129), problem solving (269), ratios (52), square roots (15), subtraction (118), symmetry (32), venn diagrams (14), whole numbers (8)
In the Classroom
Use this site to differentiate for students of all levels. Use activities on this site as a learning station or center. This site is ideal for 1-1 (or BYOD) classrooms. Set up a single teacher account and have all the students use the class login to enable access to all features of the site. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Color in my Piano - Joy Morin
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): music theory (47), musical instruments (60), musical notation (34)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and worksheets for music classroom use. Search the Reading Lists for articles to share with students. Share (and discuss) Wednesday's Words of Wisdom. Use this site to differentiate for music students of all levels.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Famous Inboxes - Mark Brownlow
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): creative writing (126), digital storytelling (161), social networking (56)
In the Classroom
Share Famous Inboxes with your students on your interactive whiteboard or projector using a character or author studied in class. Assign students to each of the inbox titles and have them write the actual email sent. Don't see anyone to use in class? Create your own or have students use the site as a model to create their own. Most likely, working in groups will get the creative juices flowing. This would be a great model to use for introducing a history or science unit or for looking at the relationships between characters in literature. Have students write the emails as an end of unit review. Subscribe to the RSS feed of this site to receive updated contents. Use the option to create an inbox as a differentiated challenge for your gifted students. For example: Summarize World War II by showing Winston Churchill's inbox, then write two of the key emails. As a "hook" for new books in the media center, have students create inboxes for one of the characters and post them with the book jackets. Instead of a "report" on a scientist, have students create their inbox documenting their research and accomplishments.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gettysburg by the Numbers - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 10tag(s): civil war (143), gbtn (12), gettysburg (14)
In the Classroom
Gettysburg exemplifies many aspects of the Civil War experience and of U.S. life during the 1860s. Use this resource as a whole class introduction to the Civil War or specifically to the Battle of Gettysburg. Extensive teacher materials include downloadable and customizable handouts for students to "get the basics" about the battle or extend their understanding through small group or individual projects on battle-related topics that interest them. Coordinate with your math teacher to reinforce concepts of proportion, percent, ratio, and graphing with real data about Gettysburg. Differentiate for your students by helping them select from more concrete or more open-ended "questions" included with each detail about the battle. You can make this a one-day "quick tour" or a week long journey. Find project ideas included in these questions. There is even a customizable project rubric in the teacher materials. Be sure to share this link on your class web page for curious students (and families) to explore on their own outside of class!Comments
Excellent resource for researchArthur, TX, Grades: 0 - 12
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ESL Games World - eslgamesworld.com
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): grammar (140), grammar review (33), verbs (25), vocabulary (248)
In the Classroom
This website contains many ads, demonstrate avoiding the advertisements with your students before assigning or using any of the activities. Find ways to assist your ESL/ELL students in an engaging way! You can also use many of the games to reinforce basic skills with native speakers. Customize some of the activities for the content areas you are studying. Use as a whole class activity on your projector (or interactive whiteboard) to practice vocabulary, grammar, and content. Add as a resource for ESL/ELL learning or even struggling readers. Ideas and materials are gathered in one spot to help you reduce the time you need to meet your ESL/ELL students' differentiated needs. Add this link to your class website or share it with parents as a resource.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Math Champs - Pearson
Grades
K to 5tag(s): addition (137), decimals (94), division (109), logic (162), multiples (15), multiplication (133), numbers (120), preK (316), subtraction (118)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use the age ranges (5-7, 7-9, or 9-11) to differentiate for your students. Provide this link on your class website for students to access at home. This is a great site to provide on a list of summer "practice" sites.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Figure This - KnowNet Construction, Inc.
Grades
5 to 10tag(s): critical thinking (168), geometric shapes (151), logic (162), percent (63), probability (129), problem solving (269), statistics (128)
In the Classroom
In the classroom, use Figure This to help differentiate instruction for all levels, especially the high-achievers and gifted students. Allow students to work independently, or work in pairs to solve challenges. Introduce the challenge on your interactive whiteboard projector. Then allow students to dive into the challenge! Use for gifted enrichment, or even a Math Challenge Day for a reward. Offer extra credit for the number of challenges solved. Use as a model to allow students to create their own challenges. Add to your website as a fun resource for students and families.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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