We jump into our lesson because we have a lot to cover, right? So let me ask you this: True or false: When the bell rings and class begins, students are equally ready to learn. If you answered true, then I have a flying pig I’d like you to meet! One of the beauties of differentiated instruction (DI) is the ability to meet the needs of all learners — through varying the process, product or content.
However, before we can even think about meeting their needs through DI, we must recognize the students’ individualities. According to Carol Ann Tomlinson, DI is guided by the teacher’s understanding of student needs: readiness, interests and learning profile.1 Interests and learning profiles are fun to uncover as we reveal interests, passions, culture traditions and more. The readiness piece is where it may get fuzzy.
We must first define what it means to be ready. The dictionary defines readiness as the state of being fully prepared for something and/or the willingness to do something. We can also add what Tomlinson shares about a readiness to learn which involves a learner’s attitude, their experiences with a topic and/or their knowledge and skills on a topic.1 The learner may have preconceived notions or assumptions about the topic as well (“I am not good at math!”).
When we take the readiness piece into account, it may get overwhelming to begin to teach. One could argue that getting the student in a place where they are willing to learn is probably a great place to start. Ahead, we’ll discuss five strategies that will get your students much closer to being “ready,” and you’ll have a launching pad to meet each student’s learning needs.