20 Ways to Facilitate Learning Experiences through Differentiated Instructional Strategies

Abstract

The challenges teachers face everyday in e ffectively teaching ALL students along a pre-determ ined path, usually with pre-determ ined curricula, towards a goal of adequate yearly progress is overwhelm ing to say the least. Classroom s are com prised of m ore and m ore diverse students in term s of ability, background and experiences, learning preferences, and instructional needs. In order to effectively facilitate learning experiences for their diverse classroom s, teachers m ust differentiate their daily instruction. This article offers four broad categories of strategies to consider when designing and differentiating instruction to better facilitate learning for all students: (a) instructional organization, (b) instructional delivery and m ethods, (c) student progress m onitoring, and (d) organizational supports. Additionally, im plications for practicing teachers and pre-service teachers are highlighted.