Differentiation: From Planning to Practice » (1st Edition)

In this refreshing addition to differentiated learning literature, Rick Wormeli takes readers step-by-step from the blank page to a fully crafted differentiation lesson. Along the way he shows middle and high school teachers the behind-the-scenes planning that goes into effective lesson design for diverse classrooms.

Rick demonstrates how to weave common and novel differentiation strategies into all subjects and offers clear advice about what to do when things don't go as expected. Based on nearly thirty years of experience as a teacher and instructional coach, Rick's thoughtful and imaginative classroom accommodations will help teachers succeed with advanced students, struggling students, English language learners, and students across the multiple intelligences spectrum.

A thorough and practical guide, Differentiation: From Planning to Practice also provides an overview of the cognitive science behind differentiation as well as more than two-dozen tools that make differentiation doable in the classroom. This is an essential resource for all reflective teachers.

Foreword     xi
Acknowledgments     xv
Developing a Common Frame of Reference     1
Rationale     1
Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom     4
Defining Differentiated Instruction     7
How to Extend These Processes to Any Subject     12
A Walk-Through of a Differentiated Lesson     15
Overview     15
Steps to Take Before Designing the Learning Experiences     17
Steps to Take While Designing and Implementing the Learning Experiences     31
Sample Lesson: The Impact of Cortez on the Aztecs     42
Focus     42
Specific Objectives     42
Assessments     42
Materials     43
Learning Experiences and Sequence     43
Differentiation Alternatives for Each Part     46
Responding to the Needs of Advanced Students     48
Differentiating in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Classes     52
Three Questions to Guide Our Brainstorming of Lesson Modifications     53
Changing Our Lesson Plans As We Respond to Students     53
Reminders When Reviewing Our Differentiated Lesson     59
Steps to Take After Providing the Learning Experiences     62
Helpful Structures and Strategies for the Differentiated Class     65
General Differentiation Approaches     65
Different, Not More or Less     65
Adjusting Instruction Based on Assessment Results     67
Modify Options: Content, Process, Product, Affect, and Learning Environment     70
Models of Instruction     72
Flexible Grouping     75
Collaboration with Students     79
Personal Agendas     79
Tiering     81
A Slightly Different Definition     81
Tomlinson's Equalizer     81
Gradations of Mastery     83
Respectful Tasks     89
Compacting the Curriculum     90
The Football and the Anchor: Teaching a Variety of Levels at the Same Time     91
Scaffold Instruction     97
Cognitive Science Structures and Tips That Help Us Differentiate     99
Building Background Knowledge     100
Priming the Brain and Structuring Information     100
Primacy-Recency Effect     102
Explore Similarities and Differences, Examples and Nonexamples     104
Hydration     104
Emotional Content     105
Novelty      107
Meeting Survival Needs     108
Memory Ideas     109
Social Interaction     110
Twelve Samples of Differentiated Learning Experiences from Multiple Subjects     115
Newton's First Law     115
Sums of Interior Angles     117
Learning from Lectures     120
Physical Education Skills     121
Art Skills     122
Simplifying Square Roots     123
Editing Text     126
Show, Don't Tell     127
Calculating Simple Interest     129
Atomic Structure     131
Taxonomic References with English Language Learners     132
Students Can't Sit Still     134
A Few Quick Reminders     137
A Final Word: Three Tips to Begin the Journey     139
Recommended Resources     143
Appendix     153
References     165
Index     169