Differentiating instruction means creating multiple paths so that students of different abilities, interest or learning needs experience equally appropriate ways to absorb, use, develop and present concepts as a part of the daily learning process. It allows students to take greater responsibility and ownership for their own learning, and provides opportunities for peer teaching and cooperative learning.

(from Differentiating Instruction by P. Theroux, Teacher, Alberta, Canada)

P. Theroux writes that it begins from some basic premises, derived from brain-research:

• No two children are alike.
• No two children learn in the identical way.
• An enriched environment for one student is not necessarily enriched for another.
• In the classroom we should teach children to think for themselves.

It sounds like the perfect recipe for preschool education, and it is already being used with much success. It is an intuitive way that pre-school educators work with children, yet I am being asked by a few centre directors to provide professional development on DI for their educators.

I have been wracking my brain, asking myself, is this relevent for the pre-school level? How can I teach how to differentiate a pre-school curriculum? DI for 2-4 year olds?? Don’t they do it already? What will I do?

Upon reflection, I have come to some of the following conclusions:

Reasons…

• Validating the work educators are already doing
• Providing terminology – creating a shared vocabulary for the work that is being done across centres
• Keeping practice up-to-date with current research and theories

So…how can DI be effectively applied at the CPE level?

I think the answer to that question begins with the basic premise of how DI can be applied – period. So I am going to start with that.

Data Drives Design!

Step 1 – identification of abilities, interests, and needs

DI is about allowing for children with different learning styles, abilities, interests, or learning needs to work towards similar goals along different paths. Before we can begin to differentiate we need to identify the different learning styles, abilities, interests, and learning needs in the classroom.

This is an ongoing process, yet is at its most intense at the beginning of a school year.

Observation journals: The most important assessment process for me is observation – particularily at the preschool level.

Surveys: Very helpful for identifying interests

Interviews: focused questions, to ask individual children, to determine possible preferred learning styles, interests, needs

Formal assessments: Setting up specific tasks for all students to gage ability

Fair and Equal aren’t the Same!

Step 2 – Clarify the concept of fairness.

Children often get hung up on the idea that it isn’t fair for the teacher to have different expectations for different children. They often feel that all students should be doing the same thing or “it isn’t fair.” It is important for the teacher to establish the fact that each child is a unique individual and has different learning needs. Consequently they will be working at different tasks much of the time. (from P. Theroux Strategies for Differentiating)

Getting to Work 

Step 3 -  Differentiating

4 ways to differentiate – remembering that, for the most part, the goals remain the same!

1. Content – the knowledge, skills, aptitudes we want our children to learn. If a child already knows how to do something, then instead of learning instructions with the rest of the class, he or she can begin to apply the knowledge.
2. Process or activities. This involves varying the learning activities to allow for multiple ways to manipulate a concept.
3. Product. This involves varying the complexity of a given product.
4. Environment and/or learning styles. Some students  work better in an area of a room with fewer distractions, some work better with music, some with dim lighting…some need to hear, some need to see, some need to do

Is it working for you? 

Step 4 – Evaluating

Though I call it step 4, it actually occurs all the time as we reflect on what we are doing with our students and if it is working. If not, what needs to change? If yes, why and how to make other areas work as well.

Tips for beginning to differentiate… 

DI can be huge. The best thing to do if you are really interested in trying this out is to start with baby steps. Choose one child to differentiate for, or one part of the curriculum.