DIFFERENTIATION TOOLKIT 1

Differentiation Toolkit

Annie Hollett
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The Best Resources On Differentiating Instruction. (2012, January 9). Retrieved July 9, 2015,
from http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/01/09/the-best-resources-on-differentiating-
instruction/

Larry Ferlazzo, the author, has created a blog page designated for differentiated
instruction resources. These resources will help benefit ELL, ESL, and EFL students. Teachers
and academic coaches will find this resource helpful because it has an abundance of resources
that can help any instructor differentiate a lesson. Almost all of the links on this website lead to a
expert in differentiated instructions webpage or video podcasts, discussing the newest and most
profound ways to differentiate instruction. Ferlazzos blog gives teachers and academic coaches
ways to differentiate content, process, and product of all students through multiple types of
instructional and management strategies.

Differentiation. (2014, June 24). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from

http://www.fortheteachers.org/differentiation_framework/

This website directs you to a tool that is wonderful to use when lesson planning. It
provides teachers with a visual aid road map to differentiate concepts, assessments, activities,
and materials. The road map can be accessed either through the website or it can be printed out
to put in a differentiation notebook or lesson planning binder. The differentiated framework (road
map) will provide any teacher with ideas on how to differentiate any kind of lesson for all levels
of students and for all learning types.
In each section of the road map (concepts, assessments, activities and materials), there
are strategies to use to help a teacher better differentiate each lesson, if needed. Strategies such
as, KWL Charts, Flexible grouping, use of rubrics for assessments, and the use of
centers/stations are suggested to help teachers differentiate their lessons. The website also
provides teachers and academic coaches with leveled reading articles for each reading group on
all different topics. Each of the strategies recommended are categorized in either Academic
Readiness or Student Interest/Learning Style. This visual aid will benefit all principles of
differentiation: content, process, and product. It will benefit students who read above level or
below level, who are visual learners, kinesthetic learners, etc.

Free Resources for teachers - Mike Gershon. (2015). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from
http://mikegershon.com/resources/download-info/the-differentiation-deviser/

This link goes to a page to download a PowerPoint. I highly suggest downloading this
PowerPoint because it gives you a plethora of strategies to use when differentiating a lesson in
your classroom. Mike Gershon, the author of the PowerPoint has suggested differentiated
strategies that will help teachers provide lessons for all ability levels in their classroom. Each
strategy has an explanation of how it works. Every level student and all types of learners in
reading lessons can be benefitted from almost all of the strategies. Strategies such as, group
work, open work, activity stations, and individual questioning can all be a form of assessment to
help a teacher determines his or her students understanding and ability level. Each of these
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strategies can help a teacher differentiate the product of a reading project or any project in the
classroom.

Ochoa, M. (2015). Differentiation in a Reader's Workshop | Scholastic.com. Retrieved July 16,

2015, from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/differentiation-readers-workshop

This link leads you to Scholastics website that discusses ways to differentiate Readers
Workshop (RW). This webpage is designated for teachers and academic coaches who teach
grades 1st through 8th. As you can see on the webpage, it is divided into sections regarding ways
to set up Readers Workshop, ways to provide students with options during RW, and how to
assess and extend the knowledge learned during Readers Workshop. The webpage also gives
you multiple other resources to use when looking to differentiate a Readers Workshop.
Teachers and academic coaches will find this helpful because it gives ideas of different
approaches to use so the students are not just simply reading at their desks at all times. This will
help benefit the students because they are able to interact with the text and form a deeper
understanding of what is being read through discussion and activities. I highly suggest
implementing Readers Workshop into your classroom. The students will love it!

Reading A-Z. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2015, from https://www.readinga-z.com

Reading A to Z is one of the best differentiated reading resources that I can provide you
with. This website also has an app that can be downloaded for free on a tablet. Reading A to Z, or
what is also called RAZ Kids, is a website that has leveled readers and texts for all K-5 reading
abilities on every topic. This website can be used by teachers, parents, academic coaches, and
administrators. The App is super easy for the students to independently work through as well.
Students who are beginning readers have the ability to listen to the story being read to them
before reading it on their own and taking a comprehension quiz. Another benefit about this
website is that each student is allowed their own account. A teacher can keep track of their
students account and see how they are progressing through the books once they start. Teachers
are allowed to move their students to a higher or lower reading level if needed. There is also a
section for teachers, parents, academic coaches, and administers to go to for tips and resources to
help their students get the best instruction needed.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners was a textbook
that I was assigned in my undergraduate elementary education studies. This book was written by
Carol Tomlinson, an author and educator known for her expertise on differentiated instruction, in
1999. The books focal population is educators (teachers, academic coaches, etc.), and
educational leaders (principals, headmasters, deans, etc). The textbook is broken up into chapters
that discuss the elements of differentiation, strategies, and ways to apply differentiation to the
classroom. It has many great suggestions to help provide your students with authentic and
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appropriate instruction for content, process and product. I believe that this book is a must read
for all inspiring teachers or in-service teachers. It will help teachers get a better feel of the
importance of differentiated instruction and how to implement it in the classroom.

Walpole, S., & McKenna, M. (2009). How to plan differentiated reading instruction: Resources
for grades K-3. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

This book is strictly dedicated to helping Kindergarten through third grade teachers,
administrators, and academic coaches plan differentiated reading instruction. This book is
extremely helpful because it gives step-by-step instructions on how to differentiate certain
lessons and how to respond to different levels of students. This book references how to
differentiate lessons for RTI and students with reading disabilities, who are ELL, and who are
general education. This is a great go to book to use when needing a lesson on the spot. This
book provides you with already planned lessons, and weekly cycles to help teach fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension. This book also provides teachers with resources and
manipulatives to use when teaching phonemic awareness and phonics.