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The Elementary Teacher’s Book of ListsGary Robert Muschla, Judith A. Muschla, and Erin Muschla • ISBN 978-0-470-50198-6

The ADHD Book of Lists: A Practical Guide for Helping Children and Teens with AttentionDeficit DisordersSandra F. Rief • ISBN 978-0-7879-6591-4

The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists, Fifth EditionEdward B. Fry and Jacqueline E. Kress • ISBN 978-0-7879-8257-7

The Vocabulary Teacher’s Book of ListsEdward B. Fry • ISBN 978-0-7879-7101-4

The Art Teacher’s Book of Lists, Second Edition, Grades K–12Helen D. Hume • ISBN 978-0-470-48208-7

The Special Educator’s Book of Lists, Second EditionRoger Pierangelo • ISBN 978-0-7879-6593-8

The School Counselor’s Book of Lists, Second EditionDorothy J. Blum and Tamara E. Davis • ISBN 978-0-470-45065-9

The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Book of Lists, Second EditionJacqueline E. Kress • ISBN 978-0-470-22267-6

The American History Teacher’s Book of ListsFay R. Hansen • ISBN 978-0-13-092572-5

The Homeschooling Book of ListsMichael Leppert and Mary Leppert • ISBN 978-0-7879-9671-0

The Literature Teacher’s Book of Lists, Second EditionJudie L. H. Strouf • ISBN 978-0-7879-7550-0

The Math Teacher’s Book of Lists, Second EditionJudith A. Muschla and Gary Robert Muschla • ISBN 978-0-7879-7398-8

The Writing Teacher’s Book of Lists, Second EditionGary Robert Muschla • ISBN 978-0-7879-7080-2

The Physical Education Teacher’s Book of ListsMarian D. Milliken • ISBN 978-0-7879-7887-7

The Health Teacher’s Book of ListsPatricia Rizzo-Toner and Marian Milliken Ziemba • ISBN 978-0-130-32017-9

The DifferentiatedInstruction

BOOK OF LISTS

JENIFER FOXWHITNEY HOFFMAN

Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-BassA Wiley ImprintOne Montgomery Street, Suite 1000, San Francisco, CA 94104-4594—www.josseybass.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 ofthe 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization throughpayment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should beaddressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax201-748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Permission is given for individual classroom teachers to reproduce the pages and illustrations for classroom use. Reproductionof these materials for an entire school system is strictly forbidden.

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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book,they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book andspecifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be createdor extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitablefor your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liablefor any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or otherdamages.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fox, Jenifer.The differentiated instruction book of lists / Jenifer Fox, Whitney Hoffman.

p. cm.–(J-B ed : reach and teach ; 6)Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-470-95239-9 (pbk.)ISBN 978-1-118-09440-2 (ebk.)ISBN 978-1-118-09441-9 (ebk.)ISBN 978-1-118-09442-6 (ebk.)

1. Individualized instruction–United States. 2. Inclusive education–United States. 3. Mainstreaming ineducation–United States. 4. Classroom management–United States. I. Hoffman, Whitney, 1966- II. Title.

LC1201.F69 2011371.9′0460973—dc23

2011017902

Printed in the United States of Americafirst editionPB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

The AuthorsJenifer Fox, author of Your Child’s Strengths (Viking, 2008; Penguin, 2009) and Stories

of Excellence: Case Studies of Exemplary Teaching and Learning with Technology (NAIS,2008), is widely considered the international leader in developing strengths-based curriculumfor youth. Ms. Fox is a school consultant, public speaker, and creator of Strong Planet, amedia-driven interactive curriculum to help all kinds of learners discover their strengths.Ms. Fox served for twenty-five years as a public and independent school administratorand teacher. Her experience includes creating strengths-based teacher evaluation programs,teacher and parent partnerships, and sustainable professional growth programs. She is thehead of school at the Clariden School, a progressive K–12 school in Southlake, Texas, thatfocuses on Montessori, strengths, and innovation and is truly a laboratory for differentiatedinstruction and personalized learning. Ms. Fox also moderates the Personalized LearningGroup on Edutopia, is an expert blogger for the National Journal, and writes for the HuffingtonPost. She holds an undergraduate degree from the School of Education at the University ofWisconsin-Madison, a master of arts (MA) in Writing from Middlebury College’s BreadloafSchool of English, and a master of education (M.Ed.) from Harvard University. She isa certified public school teacher and principal who has been widely published and madenumerous expert appearances on television, radio, and in print. She is often invited to speakbefore audiences of parents and educators throughout the world. Her growing platformcrosses between public and independent schools, and she is the founder of the nonprofitorganization The Strengths Movement in Schools (http://www.strengthsmovement.com).

Whitney Hoffman is the director of Hoffman Digital Media (http://www.whitneyhoffman.com), which produces digital content for the Web, and has created and

produced the LD Podcast (http://www.ldpodcast.com) for five years. The LD Podcastfeatures interviews with educational experts including Dr. Robert Brooks, Dr. RussellBarkley, Dr. Tom Brown of Yale University, Dale Brown from LD Online, Jenifer Fox, RichWeinfeld, Peter Wright, Dr. Stuart Brown from the National Institute of Play, Rick LaVoie,and various other professionals, educators, physicians, and parents. Over 100 podcasts havebeen produced, downloaded over 100,000 times. Ms. Hoffman also produces OB-GYN ToGo, a podcast for medical resident education. Her work on OB-GYN To Go has resultedin publication of an academic paper showing the improvement in learning and retentionin resident physicians who use podcasts as part of their education process. Ms. Hoffmanis the mother of two children with learning disabilities, both of whom have attendedboth private and public schools. She has served as the chair of Community Education atthe Centreville School in Wilmington, Delaware. With degrees in developmental biologyfrom the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the Dickinson School of Law,

v

vi The Authors

Ms. Hoffman delivers considerable knowledge and experience when it comes to makingthe complex world of special education understandable for parents and educators in onlinedigital platforms. She speaks regularly before audiences on the use of social media platformsto create communities of learning in both the education and business worlds. She also holdsa position on the Kennett Consolidated School District Technology Committee, advisingabout the integration of technology in the classroom, and with Jenifer Fox, moderates thePersonalized Learning Group on Edutopia. Ms. Hoffman is also the director of operations forthe Podcamp Foundation, which produces digital media community-based unconferences.

For more information on the authors, or to access additional exclusive Web-basedresources, please go to their website located at http://www.differentiatedinstruction.co.

AcknowledgmentsFrom Jenifer

Whitney, for thinking of me and bringing me into this project

Marjorie McAneny and everyone at Jossey-Bass for their support and direction

Amy, Paul, and Clay for a place to write and the accompanying support

The faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education for teachingme much of what I know about teaching

William Patterson and Wendy Moore, my first mentors

All the education reformers who tirelessly keep pushing the boulder up the hill

To Carl, thank you for everything

From WhitneyThe first people we need to thank are Marjorie McAneny and Tracy Gallagher for beingsupportive and encouraging from the very start and to Dale Brown for recommending us inthe first place.

Additional heartfelt thanks go to

My husband, Matt, and my two boys, James and John, for teaching me what learning,patience, and encouragement are about every day

Jenifer Fox for taking a leap with me on this project

My mother, Janet Schumacher, for her support and eagle-eyed copyediting skills

The teachers and educators in the Kennett Consolidated School District, especially DanMaguire, Steve Mancini, Philip Reggio, Tamara Fellows, and Jeffra Leo, for giving me aninside look into what dedicated DI teaching looks like and how well a twelve-year-oldboy can respond

Chris Lehmann and Gary Stager for showing me what great teaching can be and howschool reform starts from each teacher making a child’s life a little bit better at EdConevery year

vii

viii Acknowledgments

Michelle Wolverton for Web design help; Chris Penn, Chris Brogan, C. C. Chapman, andJulien Smith for being incredibly supportive mentors through the whole writing process;and Christina Gorman, Elizabeth Stintson, and Kelly Figueroa for all the encouragementwhen needed most

All the guests, listeners, and readers of the LD Podcast and blog—you give me confidenceevery day

Contents

The Authors v

Acknowledgments vii

Preface xv

Introduction 1

Section 1 Understanding Differentiated Instruction 5

List 1.1. A Vision for the Differentiated InstructionClassroom 6

List 1.2. One-Size-Fits-All Teaching Versus DifferentiatedTeaching 7

List 1.3. Small Things That Make a Big Difference 8

List 1.4. Common Misconceptions 10

List 1.5. Differentiate the Materials 12

List 1.6. Differentiate the Task 14

List 1.7. Differentiate the Homework 15

List 1.8. Differentiate Checking for Understanding 16

List 1.9. Differentiate the Outcome 17

ix

x Contents

List 1.10. Are You Ready for Differentiated Instruction? A FewMore Examples of What Is Expected 18

List 1.11. Definitions of Concepts Commonly Associatedwith Differentiated Instruction 20

Section 2 Teaching with the Individual in Mind 25

List 2.1. Building Relationships 26

List 2.2. Strategies to Determine Individual Strengths 28

List 2.3. Interest Inventories 30

List 2.4. Planning with Learning Styles in Mind 32

List 2.5. Multiple Intelligences and DifferentiatedInstruction 34

List 2.6. Tips for Raising Students’ Comfort Level 35

List 2.7. Tips to Help Struggling Students 37

List 2.8. Tips for Motivating All Students 39

List 2.9. Class Discussion Strategies 41

Section 3 Planning the Differentiated Curriculum 43

List 3.1. Where to Begin and What to Do 44

List 3.2. Tips for Keeping Records for DifferentiatedLesson Plans 46

List 3.3. How to Create Differentiated Lesson Planswith Bloom’s Taxonomy 48

List 3.4. Differentiated Assessments 50

List 3.5. Curriculum Compacting: Why and How 53

List 3.6. What Are Authentic Choices? How to Planwith Them 55

List 3.7. General Planning Tips for the DifferentiatedClassroom 58

Contents xi

Section 4 Most Commonly Used Differentiated InstructionTechniques and How to Use Them 61

List 4.1. Tiered Lessons 63

List 4.2. Scaffolding Tools 66

List 4.3. Project-Based Learning 69

List 4.4. Learning Contracts 73

List 4.5. Graphic Organizers 77

List 4.6. Flexible Grouping 83

List 4.7. Learning Stations 86

List 4.8. Rubrics 88

Section 5 Differentiated Classroom Management 91

List 5.1. Arranging the Classroom for Optimal DifferentiatedInstruction Management 93

List 5.2. Strategies for Differentiated ClassroomManagement 95

List 5.3. Why Students Misbehave 97

List 5.4. Discipline Strategies 100

List 5.5. Strength-Based Discipline: An IndividualizedApproach 102

List 5.6. Examples of Strength-Based Versus Deficit-BasedLabels 104

List 5.7. Classroom Management and ParentalCommunication Tips 105

Section 6 Roles and Responsibilities 109

List 6.1. Classroom Teacher 110

List 6.2. Students 111

List 6.3. Administrators 114

List 6.4. Parents 117

List 6.5. Support Staff 119

xii Contents

Section 7 Using Differentiated Instruction Techniquesat Different Grade Levels 121

List 7.1. Kindergarten 123

List 7.2. Grades 1–5 125

List 7.3. Middle School 128

List 7.4. High School 130

Section 8 Strategies for Differentiating Language Arts 133

List 8.1. What Exemplary Reading Teachers Do toDifferentiate Reading Instruction 135

List 8.2. Strategies to Improve Reading 136

List 8.3. Tips for Differentiating Small-Group ReadingInstruction 138

List 8.4. Assigned Reading: Dealing with Low Interest 139

List 8.5. Differentiated Writing Assignments andStrategies 141

List 8.6. Examples of Exciting Differentiated Language ArtsAssignments 144

List 8.7. Tips for Differentiating Instruction for EnglishLanguage Learners 145

List 8.8. Tips for Differentiating Writing Assignments 146

Section 9 Strategies for Differentiating Math 149

List 9.1. Using Reading and Writing to Differentiate MathInstruction 150

List 9.2. Five Specific Ways to Integrate Writing in the MathCurriculum 152

List 9.3. Group Work as a Way to Differentiate the MathClass 155

List 9.4. Ways to Integrate Group Work in the MathCurriculum 156

List 9.5. Math Manipulatives 158

Contents xiii

List 9.6. Project-Based Learning Ideas and the MathClass 161

List 9.7. Beyond Traditional Quizzes and Tests: DifferentiatedAssessments in Math 164

List 9.8. Math Anxiety and Differentiated Instruction 168

Section 10 Strategies for Differentiating Science 171

List 10.1. General Differentiated Strategies for Science 172

List 10.2. Inquiry-Based Instruction and Science 174

List 10.3. Multimedia Projects, Science, and DifferentiatedInstruction 176

List 10.4. Practical Advice for the Laboratory 177

List 10.5. Technology, Differentiated Instruction, and ScienceClass 179

Section 11 Strategies for Differentiating Social Studies 181

List 11.1. Gallery Walks 182

List 11.2. Time Lines 185

List 11.3. Political Cartoons 186

List 11.4. Authentic Civic Projects 187

List 11.5. Multimedia Presentations 190

List 11.6. Research Methods 193

List 11.7. Class Discussion 195

Section 12 Strategies for Differentiating the Arts 199

List 12.1. Group Work in the Arts 200

List 12.2. Ways to Help All Students Feel Successfulin Art 203

List 12.3. Technology, Differentiated Instruction,and Visual Arts 205

List 12.4. Technology, Differentiated Instruction,and Performing Arts 207