Differentiation Strategies

This strategy looks at differentiating a lesson about expressing quantities for Elementary English Language Learners, grades 5-9.

Pre-Assessment

The pre-assessment will check what students understand already about expressing quantities. We will use the 4 corners inquiry, in which each corner is labeled 1-4. Students will stand in the centre of the room, and show their answer to each question by walking to the corresponding corner of the room. I’ll show one question at a time on the board with 4 possible answers corresponding to each corner of the room. Based on how the students are answering the questions, I can assess their prior knowledge of quantities and containers.

Differentiation:

1. The 5 students who answered most, including the most difficult, of the pre-assessment questions correctly:

The students who answered the most questions will be given a graded news article (using Newsela). So they can read and apply their knowledge. After reading the article, they will write a short reflection on it, and answer a few key questions from the article. Then they will break into groups to share what they learned and compare their answers. If they have additional time, they will be allowed to choose a follow up article of their choice from Newsela.

2. The 12 students who have some knowledge about the topic as shown in their score, but need to develop higher order thinking skills:

These students will start with a Quizziz game going over the material, allowing them to play and review challenging questions as many times as needed. After the quiz, they will also be given a Newsela article, but one that is slightly more graded to their ability along with a worksheet with open ended questions. After the reading, they will work in small groups answering the open ended questions together.

Example Quizziz: https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5ff67ffe66a705001bb165af/quantities-containers

3. The 5 students who appear to have limited knowledge about the topic:

• 3 are struggling with language and are at different reading levels

  • Using quizziz as a starting point, students will take graded/differentiated quizzes of varying levels to determine some of the gaps in their knowledge.

  • After which, they will use flashcards corresponding to their level to review vocabulary (can play memory games here as well) Teacher can help with guidance here and corrections.

  • Then they will work as a group to take a more advanced quizziz game.

• 2 students who have little to no comprehension of the the topic and need to be tested further for special needs

  • These students will use a graded quizziz game with visuals and simplified language or assistive technology as needed.

  • They will then review vocabulary based on this further assessment, using simplified flashcards with pictures.

  • Graded worksheets to help them understand the material. The teacher will ensure extra time and instruction is provided to help these students succeed.