Student Characteristics that can be Differentiated

Three characteristics of a student can be differentiated:

Readiness- students willingness and readiness to learn and put effort into learning
Interests-each students individual interests and hobbies
Learning profiles- each students learning style and intelligence
Readiness can be differentiated by:
Adjusting the level of difficulty of the assignments and assessments
Varying the structure of the class and instruction
Varying the amount of assistance given to the students
Students with less-developed readiness may need:
Tutoring
More practice on concepts
More concrete and sequential assignments and activities
Students with advanced readiness may need:
Given the opportunity to work ahead or explore concepts in greater depth
Given abstract and open ended assignments and assessments
Interest can be differentiated by:
Encouraging students to apply key concepts and generalizations to areas that interest them
Give students options as to what form of assessment and assignments they prefer (tests,
quizzes, oral presentations)
Provide multiple sources for student exploration such as computers, textbooks, and possibly
even field trips.
Learning profiles can be differentiated by:
Presenting content material and encouraging students to explore the content through visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic modes
Creating a classroom that allows for multiple learning options which could include:
group instruction
individualized instruction
Providing assignments and assessments that allows students to be competitive and
cooperative