Have you ever wondered how an educator can support the children’s diverse needs in their learning environment? Differentiation is likely one of the evidence-based strategies they use in the classroom. Simply put, differentiation is modifying your instruction to meet various needs. Specifically, this week we look at how differentiation allows you to meet the needs of children with specific learning disabilities or children who are gifted in the same learning environment.

To prepare,

• Read Chapter 3: Students With Specific Learning Disabilities.
• Read Chapter 7: Students Who Are Gifted and Talented.
• Read What Is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate Instruction in the ClassroomLinks to an external site..
• Watch Differentiating Instruction: It’s Not as Hard as You ThinkLinks to an external site..
• Watch Zone of Proximal DevelopmentLinks to an external site..
• Review the Writing Open-Ended QuestionsLinks to an external site. resource.

In your initial post,

• Explain how differentiation and using the zone of proximal development allows you to create an inclusive learning environment.
• Provide an example of how you could differentiate a lesson or activity to support children with specific learning disabilities and children who are gifted.
• Propose an open-ended question related to differentiation as an evidence-based instructional method to support children with diverse needs in inclusive and equitable settings.