Differentiation and Learning Support
Every student is unique and so is the way they work.
As parents and educators we all believe that every child is special, unique and different from another. Yet in many education systems, the child has to fit the curriculum rather than making the curriculum suit the child’s needs. In the IB PYP however, the notion of inclusion give us that ray of hope as curriculum allows for planning that best suit the needs of all students.
Differentiation is the instruction that helps students with diverse academic needs and learning styles master the same challenging academic content. It means providing interrelated activities that are based on student needs for the purpose of ensuring that all students come to a similar grasp of a skill or idea. It allows learners the ability to demonstrate learning in a variety of ways.
Some strategies that we use in International School of Piraeus,ISP to support students in their learning:
- altering instructions
- adapting assignments
- frequent monitoring and feedback
- peer tutoring and mentoring
- offering choice on a variety of materials
- providing opportunities for students to develop their self-management skills
- mindful grouping
- carefully designing the spaces in the classroom
- use of movement breaks
ISP teachers always try to understand students’ prior knowledge, strengths, weaknesses and level of skills and take full advantage of every student’s ability. They design student-centered activities, using inquiry-based models of instruction. The integration of both Blooms Taxonomy and Gardner’s theory of the multiple intelligences have given a wide spectrum of knowledge that can be successfully implemented in the class to develop learners as thinkers and creative individuals.
Differentiation after all is not just an instructional strategy, nor is it a recipe for teaching; rather it is an innovative way of thinking about learning and teaching.
Differentiation Learning and Teaching|IB PYP|International School of Piraeus|ISP
