Differentiated Instruction is consistently and proactively
creating different pathways to help all students be successful
(Betty Hollis,
2007)
On the road to RtI we begin with the core curriculum and
differentiated instruction for students that teachers feel have not yet learned
certain skills. Many teachers
mistakenly believe that differentiated instruction means they need to provide
different instruction, different assessments, different grading, and different
assignments. While this can be
true, most teachers who do differentiated instruction well actual use the same
instructional methodologies, the same assessment, the same grading system and
many of the same assignments for all their students. What differs is not the tools used but rather the emphasis
that is placed on the different instructional components of the lesson.
Differentiated instruction often involves:
· direct, explicit instruction
· pre-teaching of concepts and/or skills
· direct whole class instruction followed by small group and/or individual review
· individualize instruction
Most teachers who successfully differentiate instruction are
good classroom managers, are organized and purposeful, and are very much in
charge of student learning and the curricular content. Their classrooms may be
student-centered, but they are very much teacher-directed.
Differentiated instruction is for every
student!
Intervention, on the other hand, is not. For some
students the level of instruction in the core curriculum is not successful in
helping them achieve the minimal levels of expected competency. Those students who, despite
differentiated instruction, fall below the expected levels of accomplishment
(called benchmarks) and are at some risk for academic failure are in need of
intervention. The needs of these
students are often identified through the assessment process and ongoing
progress monitoring. Analysis of
student data on a continuous basis allows for teachers to “catch” students in
need of interventions in specific skill areas early and to provide targeted
interventions to help the student be successful.
This is key to the RtI process!
An intervention is a planned set of procedures that are
aimed at teaching a specific set of skills to a student(s). It is more than a single lesson, less
than an entire curriculum.
Interventions contains these components:
·
It is planned – it is a evidence-based set of
teaching procedures
·
It is sustained – implemented in a series of lessons
over time
·
It is focused – intended to meet a specific set
of needs for a student(s)
·
It is goal oriented – intended to produce a
change in knowledge/behavior
·
It is in addition – it does not replace the core
curriculum but provides for additional instructional support for the student in
the area of concern
·
It is typically a set of procedures rather than
a single instructional strategy
References:
Differentiating Instruction in a Whole-Group Setting Betty
Hollis, 2007
Mark Pennington. (2010, February 15). 23 Myths of
Differentiated Instruction. Retrieved from http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/23-myths-of-differentiated-instruction/
Curriculum-based Evaluation: teaching and decision making (4th
ed) Howell, Hosp and Hosp
Kathy
Steffens is a Special Educator with 20+ years experience. She is
available for questions regarding district RTI implementation and staff
development training. You can reach her at RightResponsetoRTI@gmail.com
