Strategies for Differentiation

Compacting - Eliminate skills and/or concepts which the student has already mastered.

Independent Projects - Identify problems or topics of interest to the student; teacher assists student in planning a method of investigation and in identifying the product to be developed.

Interest Groups - Based on student interest, not academic ability. Children's "voices" are heard in choices offered.

Flexible Skill Grouping - Students are matched to skills work by readiness. Movement among groups is common. All are challenged and no one is labeled.

Learning Centers - A place for children to go to be challenged and pursue interests.

Tiered Assignments - All children can be working on the same unit but assignments vary.

High-level Questioning - Questions that draw on an advanced level of information, require leaps of understanding and challenge thinking.

Contracts/Management Plans - The teacher grants certain freedoms and choices about how a student will complete tasks, and the student agrees to use the freedoms in designing and completing work according to specifications.

Mentorships/Apprenticeships - The student develops skills of production in a field with a resource person from school or community to complete a task.

Compiled by Cathie Wengreen, Enrichment Specialist, from Challenging the Gifted in the Regular Classroom, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1994.

Questions? Contact Terri Bawden (bawden.t@mail.wsd.wednet.edu)