Resources and Strategies for Differentiating Instruction

We understand how overwhelming it can be when teachers are told they need to differentiate. We’ve been there ourselves. Most teachers associate the term “differentiate” with spending hours creating and re-creating materials for every different type of learner. While that would be great (and is occasionally necessary), it’s not sustainable. So, we rounded up some of our favorite resources from the web and beyond to help bring a little more differentiation to your classroom. Because no one likes to reinvent the wheel.

Reading

Newsela - A database of articles and news stories with comprehension questions and quizzes, available at different lexile/grade levels. Free.

CommonLit - A collection of thousands of fiction and non-fiction passages that target fluency and critical thinking skills. Content is organized by grade, lexile, genre, themes, and more. It has accessibility features like different size text, an annotation tool, and guided reading mode. Free.

Storyline Online - A collection of vidoes featuring celebrities reading famous storybooks with original illustrations. Created by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actor’s Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) to make literacy more accessible in schools and classrooms and inspire a love of reading. Free.

Into the Book - An interactive collection of activities and lessons designed to teach reading comprehension strategies like questioning and visualization through engaging content. Free.

Writing

StoryJumper - Book creation software for kids. Easily create books either from scratch or using a template. It has an extensive collection of pictures and illustrations, and authors can even design their own characters as they go. Once finished, books can be published and printed or even purchased in hard or soft cover. Free to use, book purchase available.

NoRedInk - A website that teaches all things grammar through users’ individual interests. Students take an interest survey in the beginning and the content is adapted to include those interests in order to keep engagement high. There is also a course on writing composition. Lots of free content, some premium content with paid subscription.

Math

Khan Academy - An individualized course in every math topic in grades K-12. Students can either choose their path, or teachers can assign it. Students can work on what they need most and at their own pace. Content is also available in other subjects like grammar and SAT prep. Free.

AAA Math - A simple, user-friendly collection of math lessons and exercises, organized by grade level and topic. Students can choose what they want to work on, and the program gives immediate feedback so students know when they’re on the right track and what they need to work on. Free.

Number Talks - A screen-free, no-prep exercise in getting kids to talk about their mathematical thinking. It starts with a simple problem (like 5 + 5) written on chart paper or some other large writing surface. Kids are asked to talk out loud about their thinking. Then slightly more challenging but related problems are presented and students talk through their thinking at each step.

Example:

5 + 5 = 10

15 + 5 = 20

15 + 10 = 25

115 + 10 = 125

125 + 10 = 135

125 + 15 = 140

Read more about them here.

MathPlayground - A collection of K-5 math games, organized by grade level and topic. Free.

Cross-Curricular

Freckle - Adaptive programs in math and ELA. Students take an assessment in each subject, then their recommended course adapts to their levels and progress so they are always practicing at their individual “just right” level. Their avatar and coin-collecting system makes it especially engaging for kids. Free.

FunBrain - Games, books, and videos for grades K-8 in reading, math, and problem-solving. Free.

Do2Learn - A database of worksheets, activities, and lessons created specifically for students with disabilities. You can find academic, social, and behavioral content that serves all student populations. Free.

Other Differentiation Strategies

Choice Boards - The ultimate tool in providing students choice in their learning. These can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes. Check out some examples here.

Tiering - This is what most people think of when they think of differentiation. Tiering is when you provide students with tasks at different levels of cognitive difficulty. Students are working with the same content/subject, but the rigor of their task or practice is different. Here are some great examples of tiering.

Flexible Grouping - We are ALL about flexible grouping! Flexible grouping should be used all day, every day. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply switching up the size, make-up, location, and members of groups is a great differentiation strategy. Use a thoughtful combination of large groups, small groups, half groups, interest groups, choice groups, partners, trios, collaborative groups, instructional groups, mixed-ability groups, same-ability groups, and groups created at random, to make your classroom as dynamic and differentiated as possible.