Differentiating Content and Assessment

In any classroom, regardless of content area or grade level, there are so many different ways that you differentiate instruction and deliver different learning materials. In particular, what I’m going to talk about throughout this post, is differentiated instruction in a Language Arts classroom. 

Most Language Arts classes use textbooks, but they also use literature that is age and content appropriate for what they are teaching. Every student is at a different level. They read at different speeds, and some are ahead of their reading level, and some are behind. In order to complete assignments and lessons successfully, we have to get creative with how we reach our students. 

In a lesson where I am teaching my class about analyzing literature, and to dig deeper into the text, and look at different literary devices, and how the plot functions in the story. There are different ways that I could make sure to reach my students. One way is to have the students work in groups, and they can help each other identify different types of literary devices, and analyze the characters and focus on the plot. If they work in groups, the can each use their strengths to help the others weaknesses. They can get other students opinions on what they got out of the reading. The students can be split into groups that include strong general education students with ELL students and/or special needs students. The next thing I can do is make sure to pay attention to their reading levels. While planning the lesson, I can assign groups based on their reading levels, and each group will have a different story that they are focusing on. There will be general worksheets for the entire class to use, and this will help guide the conversations. To make ELL students comfortable in the classroom, I could also allow them to work individually, and the text and worksheets could potentially be in their language, depending on where they're actin learning the English Language. For assessments, I would have the students give presentations on their text. I can also prepare general questions that will make them think about what they're reading, and how they’re doing in their analysis. 

As far as how I will deliver the lesson, I will take into account how my students learn, and how I can do my best to make sure that everyone is where they should be. Everything that we alter in our classrooms is essential to making sure our students are learning and practicing to the best of their abilities.