5514 ASSIGNMENT 2

EDUC5514 Differentiating the Curriculum

Sophie Nowak 10515527
This report details how a 10-week unit of work has been adjusted to
accommodate three Year One children with specific learning needs. Equity
doesnt necessarily mean that all students need to achieve the same
outcomes. However, all students need to be given fair and reasonable
opportunities to achieve success. This report describes differentiation and
how Australian teachers are influenced and obligated under specific Acts
and policies. Three distinct students learning profiles are presented with a
demonstration of how content, process, product and environment have been
reasonable adapted to accommodate their learning needs.
A differentiated curriculum is a program of activities that offers a variety
of entry points for students who differ in abilities, knowledge and skills
(Benjamin, 2002). In a differentiated curriculum teachers offer different
approaches to what students learn (content), how students learn (process)
and how students demonstrate what they have learned (product) (Tomlinson
& Allan, 2000). Differentiation is evident at the classroom level when
appropriate learning opportunities are available for all students, based on
student readiness, interest and learning profile (Langa & Yost, 2007). It is
more than simply helping students that need extra assistance after a lesson
is presented. It is proactively developing a variety of teaching materials so
that all students can learn effectively regardless of differences in learning
style or academic skill.
In a differentiated classroom, the teacher is aware that there are a variety
of factors that shape students as learners, including their gender, culture,
personal interests, ability, experience, and learning preference (Tomlinson &
Cunningham, 2003). The teacher is attuned to the students various needs
and responds to ensure maximum growth for each learner. Teachers who
differentiate instruction are aware of the scope and sequence of curriculum
and understand that students begin each school year spread out along a
continuum of understanding and skill (Tomlinson & Cunningham, 2003).
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5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
Throughout the teaching period, students learning journeys will both
converge and diverge depending on their individual needs and abilities.
In order to understand differentiated instruction, the principles for
practicing must be articulated. In Australia law protects the rights to
educational opportunities, and all public and private education providers
recognise the following principles.
THE RIGHT OF ALL CHILDREN TO AN EDUCATION
The United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) is
an international human rights treaty that sets out the civil, political,
economic, social, health and cultural rights of all children.

Article 28,

Section 1 in the UNCRC recognizes that all children have the right to
education. Article 29, Section 1 (a) states that childrens education should
develop each childs personality, talents and abilities to the fullest.
THE

RIGHT

OF

ALL

STUDENTS

Melbourne

Declaration

TO

ACCESS

SCHOOLING

FREE

OF

DISCRIMINATION
The

(Ministerial

Council

on

Education,

Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, 2008) states that all Australian
government and all school sectors must provide all students with access to
high-quality schooling that is free from discrimination based on: gender,
language, sexual orientation, pregnancy, culture, ethnicity, religion, health
or disability, socioeconomic background or geographic location.
THE RIGHT OF DISABLED STUDENTS TO HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO SERVICES
The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD, 2008) is an international human rights treaty intended to
protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Article 7 (part 2)
states that In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best
interests of the child shall be a primary consideration (CRPD, 2008). Article
23 in the UNCRC, recognises the special needs of disabled children and
states that children who have any kind of disability have the right to special
care and support, designed to ensure that the disabled child has effective
2

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
access to education, health care services and recreation opportunities in a
manner conducive to the child's achieving the fullest possible social
integration and individual development.
The Disability Standards for Education 2005 are formulated under the
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA, 1992). These Standards set out the rights
of students with disability and clarify the obligations of education providers
to ensure that students with a disability can access and participate in
education on the same basis as other students. All education providers are
bound by the Standards. Under the standards, education providers have
three main obligations; they must: consult, make reasonable adjustments,
and eliminate harassment and victimization. Education providers must
consult in order to understand the impact of a students disability and to
determine whether any adjustments or changes are needed to assist the
student. Consultation could include talking with the student and their family
members about what type of assistance is needed. Consultation could also
include relevant medical and therapy professionals that are involved with
the student.

Reasonable adjustment, as defined through the Disability

Discrimination Act (1992) relates to a measure or action taken by an

education provider to assist a learner with a disability (Disability Standards
for Education, 2005). The Disability Standards for Education state that it is
unlawful for an education authority or an education provider to discriminate
against a person on the ground of persons disability (Foreman, 2011, p. 47).
Consistent

with

sanctioning

these

conventions,

the

Australian

Government expresses its commitment to inclusive education in an array of

documents and policies, including the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2012),
the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2013), the
National Quality Framework (Australian Childrens Education & Care Quality
Authority, 2012), and the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia
(Australian Government of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
(DEEWR), 2009). Each of these documents recognises the importance of
responding to student diversity and ensuring the participation of all students

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
as learners.
Student Learning Profiles
Keelys various longstanding cognitive issues have impacted on her
social and intellectual development. Keely has a background of epilepsy,
speech and language delay, ADHD (combined type), sensory processing
difficulties, fine and gross motor delay. Most of Keelys developmental
milestones were delayed, possibly related to her epileptic seizures, which
began at around 12 months of age. Keely is presently struggling in all
academic areas, and her learning profile is predominantly characterised by
weakness in attention, working memory and executive functioning. Keely is
easily distracted, tangential, and often requires redirection and prompts to
stay

on task. She has

difficulties

encoding

and

manipulating new

information, particularly in the weeks following a seizure.

Sarah has been described by her supportive family as anxious from
birth, despite having no personal history of traumatic events. During
consultation,

Sarahs

pre-school

teacher

confirmed

that

she

was

apprehensive and reserved. While she has integrated well in Year 1, making
friends and progressing academically at a normal rate, her anxiety continues
to interfere with daily functioning. Sarah has difficulty falling asleep at night
and is often absent as a result. Sarah hangs back in class, stays by herself a
great deal, seldom speaks up during discussions, and appears quite
uncomfortable when called upon to contribute to class discussions. Sarah
needs constant reassurance and is easily upset by mistakes (perfectionism).
It is difficult to tell when Sarah is feeling anxious until she shows behavioural
signs, such as meltdowns or withdrawal. Sarahs work is highly varied in
quality and it is difficult to determine what she fully comprehends.
Tim has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism (HFA). He has
average overall intelligence and there is no history of language delay or
cognitive impairment. He has minor difficulty with motor skills and
coordination, which manifests itself as clumsiness and awkwardness. Tim

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
doesnt understand social cues and has difficulty interacting with others. He
interprets language literally and has little understanding of the abstract uses
of language, such as humour or sarcasm in a conversation. He often
misunderstands his peers and feels that they are teasing him. Tim is easily
frustrated and is prone to anger outbursts and meltdowns where he raises
his voice, kicks objects and leaves the room. He wants to be one of the
group, though his differences often seem to isolate him from his peers. Tim
becomes animated and involved when the curriculum intersects with his
personal interests, particularly his obsessive interest in comic book
superheroes. Tim has incredible ideas, and is an imaginative storyteller,
though he has a hard time expressing himself in writing in an order that
makes sense to others. Tim has a proscribed behavioural intervention plan
that addresses explicit instruction and underdeveloped social skills.
Adapting a Unit of Work
Prior to adapting the unit of work, a teacher must conduct a preassessment to determine where the students are relative to the upcoming
knowledge, skill and understanding. Differentiation of the unit of work is
guided by three core questions: what does the student already know? Where
are the gaps in their knowledge, and what do I want them to know,
understand, and be able to do at the end of the unit? The third question is
informed by looking at the sequences of skills and understanding that
precede and extend beyond the grade-level curriculum.
a) Content
Some of the students are missing critical understandings and skills in
English and/or Math. For these students, the teacher needs to work both
backwards (to pick up the key pieces) and forwards (to challenge and
engage). Failing to do this would reinforce existing gaps in their learning and
magnify their sense of frustration and futility (Tomlinson & Cunningham,
2003). Sarah and Tim are learning at the expected level, and so content
does not need to be adjusted. However, due to the nature of their learning
profiles, significant instructional end environmental adaptations have been

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
made. Intentional grouping has been used throughout the unit of work, to
differentiate the class based on ability. Sarah will also be provided with
catch-up material so that she does not fall behind during her absences
from school. There is a significant gap between Keely and her peers in terms
of her knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts in both
Math and English. Keely becomes overwhelmed when she is exposed to
content that is too advanced for her and she displays avoidance behaviour.
As such, Keely would be working from an alternate intensive program with
an EA. The program focus would be to review and extend on concepts within
Keelys Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978). The outcomes
that Keely will be working towards have been taken from the Foundation
level English and Math curriculum (ACARA, 2014). The unit of work has been
differentiated according to Keely, Sarah and Tims readiness, interests and
learning profiles. These adaptations are italicized throughout the lessons
(Appendix A).
b) Process
The way in which students experience the classroom learning
environment profoundly shapes how they experience learning (Tomlinson &
Moon, 2013). The overreaching goal of a teacher is to help students receive
the support he or she needs to grow academically. The overreaching goal of
the class should be to work together to establish how they can progress
towards goals that are personally challenging for them, and support their
peers to do the same.
Often children with disabilities need more latitude in how (versus)
what they accomplish Scaffolded instruction, or the Gradual Release of
Responsibility (GRR) Model is broadly recognized as a successful approach
for moving classroom instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered.
Sometimes referred to as I do it, we do it, you do it, this model proposes a
plan of instruction that includes demonstration, prompting and practice. This
model of instruction is beneficial because the process of learning new
concepts is broken down into three steps to help students achieve success.

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
One crucial element of the GRR model is scaffolding, which is grounded in
Vygotskys concept of the Zone of Proximal Development Vygotsky, 1978).
The ZPD is defined as the distance between the actual developmental level
of a learner and the level of potential development under adult guidance or
in collaboration with a more capable peer (Vygotsky, 1978).
The first step of the GRR model incorporates explicit modeling. The
teacher verbalises their internal thought processes to explain the focus of
the lesson, skills, or concepts. During this phase, the teacher can provide
context for the skill (the purpose and when it is used) and link the new
learning to the students prior knowledge. The second step of the learning
process allows the child to apply their learning with guidance and immediate
feedback. Guided instruction gives the teacher the opportunity to provide
differentiated instruction, varying the level of scaffolding according to
students needs. This stage is particularly important for Keely, as she
requires additional one-on-one support to grasp new concepts and build her
confidence. The teacher can use this opportunity to gauge her readiness to
independently attempt the task. The final stage allows students to deepen
their understanding through application of the concept and demonstrate
their level of understanding of the concept being taught.
Transitions between lessons are particularly difficult for children with
ADHD and Autism. Clear structure and consistency are very important for all
three students within this class. In order to conduct the most productive
lessons, the teacher should follow a consistent daily schedule, and if
possible work on the most difficult material early in the day. The following
paragraph

outlines

the

day-to-day

strategies

that

will

be

used

to

accommodate the needs of Keely, Sarah and Tim.

Signal the start of the lesson with an aural cue, such as a bell. When
students are prepared for transitions, they are more likely to respond and
stay on task. The classroom teacher and EA can help maximise potential for

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
success by commencing at a level at which the students are confident, and
clearly explaining the relationship between prior learning and new content to
be learnt. This will assist Keely (and other students) to learn and store
information in an organised fashion, which will enhance future retrieval and
recall of information. In opening the lesson, tell students what theyre going
to learn and what the learning and behavioural expectations are.
Task goals and requirements should be explained clearly, using
straightforward language. Provide visual reminders of the specific order of
steps that need to be completed, and the resources that students will need
to complete the activity. Cross the tasks off as completed and review what
remains to be done. Children with poor working memory often have
problems following lengthy instructions. Keely becomes overwhelmed when
presented with a lot of information at once and displays avoidance
behaviour when she feels that a task is too difficult. The complexity and
working memory demand of a task will be reduced by presenting
information in small and manageable chunks, with teacher-guidance towards
the most important points.
Presenting the content using multiple domains (verbal, visual,
kinaesthetic) will mean that more pathways are used to encode information
and the likelihood that they will be reactivated at the time of attempting
recall will increase. This strategy will benefit all students by accommodating
for differing learning styles. A varied pace and range of activities will also
hold the students attention.
Use intentional grouping strategies, based on similar or mixed
abilities, learning preferences, or interests. The goal of flexible groupings is
to balance the need to teach students where they are and to provide them
with opportunities to interact in meaningful and productive ways with a wide
range of peers (Tomlinson & Cunningham, 2003). Sarah should be initially
paired with students whom she feels comfortable with, and then extend her
network of comfortable peers. The teacher will watch for signs of lack of

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
comprehension, such as daydreaming, and visual or verbal indications of
frustration. An unobtrusive cue, such as a touch on the shoulder, can be
used to remind the student to stay on task, or have a break. Avoid bringing
unnecessary attention to the student.

Monitor the noise level in the classroom, and provide corrective

feedback, as needed. If the noise level exceeds the level appropriate for the
type of lesson, remind all students, or individual students, about the
behavioural rules stated at the beginning of the lesson. Conclude lessons by
providing advance warning that the lesson is about to end, checking the
completed work, summarising key points and instructing students (one
instruction at a time) how to begin preparing for the next activity.

c) Product
The nature of each student should be considered when planning
differentiated assessment experiences. Differentiated assessment involves
providing alternative methods and choices for students to demonstrate their
knowledge, understanding and skills. The aim of differentiated assessment is
to give the student the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of a goal that
they find personally challenging. The teacher should provide individualised
feedback and help students and parents to chart personal growth in relation
to designated benchmarks.

Differentiated assessment for Keely would involve breaking the task

into appropriate component parts which can be undertaken separately. It
would be preferable to give long homework assignments well in advance
and permit Keely do a little each day rather than all at once. Worksheets
should be created with fewer items, to be presented one at a time, and
Keely should be given the option to dictate written assignments into a tape
recorder, an an EA to scribe, or use of a computer. Timed-tasks may cause

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
anxiety or impulsive tendencies, and Keely should be given additional time
to complete the activities as appropriate. Keely would benefit from having
access to a separate room free from noise and distractions to complete
assessment tasks. Keely should be encouraged to self-evaluate her work and
be provided with positive reinforcement for staying on task.
Timed-tasks may cause anxiety, and Sarah should be given additional
time to complete the activities as appropriate. Sarah would also benefit from
special test conditions, such as a room away from distractions. To help Sarah
feel a sense of control, she should be provided with a list of items
(punctuation, capital letters) to check when proofreading her work.
Tim should be provided with written instructions to complement any
spoken information. Tim may benefit from having access to a computer for
written task, or a tape recorder to dictate his responses.

d) Environment
Keely has significant trouble with organisation and inattention in the
classroom. Keely would benefit from a well-organised classroom, with a
visual representation of daily routines and task components. To assist Keely
to be organised, her books and files should be clearly labeled or colourcoded according to the subject. Keely should be provided with a designated
workspace, preferably located close to the teachers desk to allow for close
monitoring. Quiet and hardworking students who will not be distracting
should occupy the desks that are located close to Keely. Stimuli that appear
to produce emotional change or outbursts in Keely should be managed if
possible. The workspace should be well organised and contain all the
necessary materials that Keely will need to complete a task. On occasion,
Keely has demonstrated an awkward pencil-grip, and may benefit from using
pencils with finger grooves or a rubber pencil-grip.
Keelys diagnosis of ADHD means that she has trouble directing her
attention and displays fidgeting and impulsive behaviour. Research has

10

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
revealed that children, especially those with ADHD, fidgeted more when a
task required them to store and process information rather than just hold it.
Recent literature reflects a shift towards the understanding that movement,
when

channeled

correctly,

can

actually

enhance

learning.

Students

sometimes need extra sensory input to help regulate themselves to sit still,
listen and learn. To assist Keely in this regard, a number of resources will be
made available to her. During mat time, Keely may choose to use a Move n
Sit wedge and hand-hand objects such as squishy balls, soothy squares or
finger springs if she feels she needs them. While working at her desk, Keely
will be able to choose whether she would prefer to sit on the chair or a
stability ball. An exercise band will also be tied around the front two legs of
Keelys chair so she can kick, bounce and move against the resistance of the
band.
Unfamiliar situations may increase Sarahs anxiety. The physical
arrangement of the classroom will remain reasonably constant throughout
the school year, so that Sarah is familiar with where resources are located.
For Sarah, the emotional environment within the classroom is more
significant than the physical environment. The environment needs to
communicate warmth, safely and genuine belonging to Sarah.
Tims

academic

performance

is

occasionally

impacted

by

environmental elements such as noise and light. To ensure that this is

managed, the classroom will not contain florescent lights and the classroom
noise will be monitored. Stimuli that appear to produce emotional change or
outbursts in Tim will be managed if possible. A chill-out corner will be
available for Tim to use when he feels that he needs some time to calmdown or re-centre. This tool will be used as a form of prevention and an
opportunity to learn how to self-regulate, it is not a form of punishment or a
Naughty Corner. This area will contain a beanbag, headphones and calming
music, sensory tactile objects, and drawing materials.

11

5514 ASSIGNMENT 2

References

Australian Childrens Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), (2012)

National
Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education & Care. Retrieved
from: http://aceqa.gov.auapa

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority. (2014).

Foundation to Year
10 Curriculum: Language, Language for Interaction (ACELA1428).
Retrieved from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Australian Government
Workplace Relations

Department

of

Education,

Employment

and

(DEEWR) for the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) (2009).

Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework
for Australia. Canberra, ACT: DEEWR.

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5514 ASSIGNMENT 2
Australian Government Publishing Service (2003). Disability Discrimination
Act 1992.
Retrieved from http://www
.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/dda1992264/

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Commonwealth of Australia (2005). Disability standards for education.
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Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs

(MCEETYA).

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(2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young
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