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Differentiated Instruction Strategies: Tiered Assignments

Janelle cox.

• September 23, 2014

Many teachers use differentiated instruction strategies  as a way to reach all learners and accommodate each student’s learning style. One very helpful tactic to employ differentiated instruction is called tiered assignments—a technique often used within flexible groups.

Much like flexible grouping—or differentiated instruction as a whole, really—tiered assignments do not lock students into ability boxes. Instead, particular student clusters are assigned specific tasks within each group according to their readiness and comprehension without making them feel completely compartmentalized away from peers at different achievement levels.

There are six main ways to structure tiered assignments: challenge level, complexity, outcome, process, product, or resources. It is your job, based upon the specific learning tasks you’re focused on, to determine the best approach. Here we will take a brief look at these techniques.

Ways to Structure Tiered Assignments

Challenge level.

Tiering can be based on challenge level where student groups will tackle different assignments. Teachers can use Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guide to help them develop tasks of structure or questions at various levels. For example:

• Group 1:  Students who need content reinforcement or practice will complete one activity that helps  build  understanding.
• Group 2:  Students who have a firm understanding will complete another activity that  extends  what they already know.

When you tier assignments by complexity, you are addressing the needs of students who are at different levels using the same assignment. The trick here is to vary the focus of the assignment based upon whether each group is ready for more advanced work or simply trying to wrap their head around the concept for the first time. You can direct your students to create a poster on a specific issue—recycling and environmental care, for instance—but one group will focus on a singular perspective, while the other will consider several points of view and present an argument for or against each angle.

Tiering assignments by differentiated outcome is vaguely similar to complexity—all of your students will use the same materials, but depending on their readiness levels will actually have a different outcome. It may sound strange at first, but this strategy is quite beneficial to help advanced students work on more progressive applications of their student learning.

This differentiated instruction strategy is exactly what it sounds like—student groups will use different processes to achieve similar outcomes based upon readiness.

Tiered assignments can also be differentiated based on product. Teachers can use the Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences to form groups that will hone particular skills for particular learning styles . For example, one group would be bodily/kinesthetic, and their task is to create and act out a skit. Another group would be visual/spatial, and their task would be to illustrate.

Tiering resources means that you are matching project materials to student groups based on readiness or instructional need. One flexible group may use a magazine while another may use a traditional textbook. As a tip, you should assign resources based on knowledge and readiness, but also consider the group’s reading level and comprehension.

How to Make Tiering Invisible to Students

From time to time, students may question why they are working on different assignments, using varied materials, or coming to dissimilar outcomes altogether. This could be a blow to your classroom morale if you’re not tactful in making your tiers invisible.

Make it a point to tell students that each group is using different materials or completing different activities so they can share what they learned with the class. Be neutral when grouping students, use numbers or colors for group names, and be equally enthusiastic while explaining assignments to each cluster.

Also, it’s important to make each tiered assignment equally interesting, engaging, and fair in terms of student expectations. The more flexible groups and materials you use, the more students will accept that this is the norm.

Tiering assignments is a fair way to differentiate learning. It allows teachers to meet the needs of all students while using varying levels of tasks. It’s a concept that can be infused into homework assignments, small groups, or even learning centers. If done properly, it can be a very effective method to differentiate learning because it challenges all students.

• #DifferentiatedInstruction , #TieredAssignments

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Tiered Assignments

What are tiered assignments.

According to Tomlinson (1995), tiered assignments are used by teachers within a heterogeneous classroom in order to meet the diverse needs of the students within the class. Teachers implement varied levels of activities to ensure that students explore ideas at a level that builds on their prior knowledge and prompts continued growth. Student groups use varied approaches to explore essential ideas.

Williams (2002) offers the following definition on her website: Tiered assignments are parallel tasks at varied levels of complexity, depth and abstractness with various degrees of scaffolding, support, or direction. Students work on different levels of activities, all with the same essential understanding or goal in mind. Tiered assignments accommodate mainly for differences in student readiness and performance levels and allow students to work toward a goal or objective at a level that builds on their prior knowledge and encourages continued growth. 

How can tiered assignments help your students?

Using tiered assignments allows for the following:

• Blends assessment and instruction,
• Allows students to begin learning where they are,
• Allows students to work with appropriately challenging tasks,
• Allows for reinforcement or extension of concepts and principles based on student readiness,
• Allows modification of working conditions based on learning style,
• Avoids work that is anxiety-producing (too hard) or boredom-producing (too easy), and
• Promotes success and is therefore motivating. (Tomlinson, 1995)

How can you implement tiered assignments in order to effectively meet the diverse learning needs of students?

One of the main benefits of tiered assignments is that they allow students to work on tasks that are neither too easy nor too difficult. They are highly motivating because they allow students to be successful at their level of readiness. Tiered assignments also allow students to work in their specific learning styles or preferences (Williams, 2002).

What are the guidelines for implementing tiered assignments?

Tomlinson (1995) offers the following guidelines for implementing tiered assignments:

• Be sure the task is focused on a key concept.
• Use a variety of resource materials at differing levels of complexity and associated with different learning modes.
• Adjust the task by complexity, abstractness, number of steps, concreteness, and independence to ensure appropriate challenge.
• Be certain there are clear criteria for quality and success.

Where can you find more information about tiered assignments?

Cherokee County Schools This homepage by Eulouise Williams has additional information on tiered assignments including examples of tiered assignments created by teachers in their district.

Guide to Implementing Tiered Assignments in Classrooms

In the evolving landscape of modern education, differentiation stands out as a keystone in successful teaching. At its heart, differentiation is the acknowledgment that each student brings a unique set of skills, experiences, and needs to the classroom. Catering to these diverse backgrounds not only respects each learner’s individual journey but also maximizes their potential for success.

One powerful method to achieve this differentiation is through the use of tiered assignments. These assignments, designed to cater to varying levels of student readiness, offer educators the flexibility to meet learners where they are. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, tiered assignments open avenues for students to engage with material in ways that resonate most with their learning styles and proficiencies.

However, before digging into the mechanics of tiered assignments, it’s crucial to fully grasp the concept of a diverse classroom. The term “diverse learners” isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a reality that every educator must embrace if they’re to provide meaningful and equitable learning experiences for all their students.

Understanding Diverse Classrooms

Definition and characteristics of diverse classrooms.

A diverse classroom is not simply a mix of students from different backgrounds. It’s a rich tapestry of learners, each with distinct abilities, experiences, cultures, languages, interests, and ways of perceiving the world. While it’s easy to think of diversity purely in terms of ethnicity or socioeconomic status, it extends well beyond these factors. Inclusivity in education also encompasses learners with different cognitive abilities, learning preferences, and personal challenges, be they physical, emotional, or psychological.

Some key characteristics of diverse classrooms include:

• A range of learning abilities: from gifted and talented students to those with learning disabilities.
• Varied cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Differences in socioeconomic status, which might influence access to resources and prior educational experiences.
• Varied personal histories, family structures, and lived experiences that influence a student’s perspective and approach to learning.

The Significance of Acknowledging Individual Student Needs

Recognizing and addressing individual student needs is not merely a best practice – it’s essential for creating an equitable and inclusive educational environment. Here’s why:

Personalized Learning: Customized learning experiences increase engagement and retention. When students see themselves in the curriculum and feel that their needs are understood, they’re more likely to invest emotionally and intellectually in their education.

Building Confidence: Students who consistently feel out of their depth or, conversely, unchallenged, can become demotivated. By catering to each student’s readiness level, educators can boost their confidence and encourage a love for learning.

Preparing for the Real World: Our global society is diverse. By fostering an environment that respects and celebrates these differences, educators are preparing students for a world where they’ll interact with people from all walks of life.

What are Tiered Assignments?

At their core, tiered assignments are designed with the diverse classroom in mind. They are tasks or projects that are modified according to the learner’s level of readiness, ensuring that all students are challenged appropriately. This doesn’t mean that objectives change for different students; rather, the complexity, depth, or mode of an assignment might vary.

For instance, in a reading exercise, while one group might work on identifying basic story elements, another might delve deeper into analyzing themes and motifs. Though the material is the same, the way each student interacts with it differs based on their readiness and comprehension level.

Tiered assignments are a bridge, ensuring that each student has access to learning that’s rigorous yet within their zone of proximal development—the sweet spot where learning happens most effectively. This method respects the individual needs and abilities of each student, allowing them to grow at their own pace while still achieving common learning objectives.

Tiered Assignments: Definition and Core Principles

Tiered assignments, as the name suggests, involve creating layers or “tiers” of tasks that cater to different levels of student readiness. While the core learning objective remains consistent for all students, the process, complexity, and sometimes the product can vary to offer an appropriate level of challenge.

Core Principles

Consistent Learning Objectives: The heart of tiered assignments is ensuring that while tasks may differ, the fundamental goal or learning objective remains consistent for all students.

Flexibility: These assignments are designed to be adaptable based on student assessment, ensuring that as students grow and their needs change, the assignments can be adjusted accordingly.

Equity, Not Equality: The aim isn’t to give everyone the same assignment but to ensure each student has an assignment that offers them an equitable chance to succeed and be challenged.

Responsive Design: Tiered assignments respond to individual differences. Educators should be ready to modify assignments based on ongoing assessments and student feedback.

Benefits of Tiered Assignments in Diverse Settings

Personalized Learning Paths: Students can engage with materials in a way that resonates with their individual strengths and readiness levels.

Enhanced Engagement: When students feel neither overwhelmed nor underwhelmed by assignments, they’re more likely to be engaged and invested in their work.

Increased Achievement: By working within their zone of proximal development, students are more likely to grasp and retain the content.

Collaborative Environment: Different tiers can encourage collaboration among students, allowing them to learn from one another and appreciate diverse perspectives.

Professional Development for Educators: Designing tiered assignments pushes educators to think critically about their teaching methods, fostering growth and innovation in their pedagogical approaches.

Steps to Implementing Tiered Assignments

Assessment of Student Readiness: Begin with a pre-assessment to gauge the current skills, understanding, and readiness levels of each student.

Design Varied Tasks: Based on the assessment, design tasks with different levels of complexity, ensuring they all align with the core learning objective.

Group Students: Depending on the assignment, group students by similar readiness levels. Remember, these groups should be fluid, allowing students to move between them as they progress or face challenges.

Provide Clear Instructions: Each tier should have clear instructions, so students understand what’s expected of them and how they can achieve success.

Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor student progress. Adjust the assignments or move students between tiers as necessary, based on their performance and feedback.

Facilitate Peer Collaboration: Encourage students to collaborate within and across tiers, fostering a rich learning environment where students can learn from each other’s varied experiences and perspectives.

Review and Reflect: After the assignment, take the time to review its effectiveness. Reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how the process can be improved for future tiered assignments.

Assessing Learner Readiness and Levels

Before implementing tiered assignments, it’s crucial to understand where each student stands in terms of skills, knowledge, and readiness.

Diagnostic Assessments: These are pre-assessments that help determine students’ prior knowledge and skills in a particular area. They can include quizzes, discussions, or tasks related to the upcoming content.

Observations: Regularly observe students during class activities. Noticing how they approach tasks, the challenges they face, and the strategies they use can provide valuable insights.

Student Feedback: Encourage students to self-assess and provide feedback on their comfort level with the material. This can be done through reflection journals, surveys, or one-on-one discussions.

Continuous Assessment: Rather than just relying on a one-time pre-assessment, continually assess students throughout the unit or course to adjust tiers as needed.

Designing Assignments with Varying Complexities

With a clear understanding of student readiness, assignments can be designed to cater to varying levels of complexity.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Utilize Bloom’s taxonomy to create tasks at different cognitive levels, from basic recall to more complex analytical and evaluative tasks.

Varied Resources: Provide resources at different reading levels or complexities to cater to diverse learners.

Differentiated Product: Allow students to showcase their understanding in different ways, whether through essays, presentations, projects, or other mediums.

Incorporating Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles

Recognizing that students have different strengths and preferences in how they learn is key. Incorporating Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences can provide varied entry points for learners.

Linguistic and Logical: Traditional reading, writing, and mathematical challenges cater to these learners.

Visual-Spatial: Integrate diagrams, charts, and opportunities for artistic expression.

Kinesthetic: Include hands-on activities or movement-based tasks.

Musical: Integrate music, rhythms, or sound-based activities.

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal: Encourage group activities or self-reflection tasks.

By diversifying tasks, students can engage with the material in ways that resonate most with their personal strengths.

Strategies for Effective Management

Implementing tiered assignments requires meticulous organization and management to ensure smooth execution.

Transparent Communication: Make sure students understand the purpose of tiered assignments and how they’re designed to benefit individual learning.

Structured Workspace: Design the classroom layout to facilitate group work, individual tasks, and teacher-led instruction seamlessly.

Regular Check-ins: Regularly check in with students, ensuring they feel supported and providing guidance where necessary.

Peer Support System: Encourage collaboration and peer support, so students can leverage each other’s strengths.

Utilize Technology: Digital platforms and tools can help in creating, distributing, and monitoring tiered assignments effectively.

Feedback Loop: Create a consistent feedback system where students can express their feelings and concerns regarding the assignments, allowing for continuous refinement of the process.

Optimizing Tiered Assignments: Resources, Techniques, and More

Tools and Resources for Tracking Progress

Effectively tracking student progress is essential to ensure that tiered assignments are meeting their intended outcomes. Here are some tools and resources:

Learning Management Systems (LMS): Platforms like Google Classroom , Canvas , or Moodle can help manage assignments, track submissions, and monitor student engagement.

Differentiated Lesson Planner: The Teachers’ Blog Differentiated Lesson Planner makes tiered tasks a cinch.

Digital Portfolios: Platforms like Seesaw or Portfolium allow students to document and reflect on their learning journey, providing a holistic view of their progress.

Online Assessment Tools: Quizzing platforms like Kahoot or Quizizz offer instant feedback, helping gauge student understanding in real-time.

Progress Trackers: Spreadsheet tools, like Google Sheets or Excel, can be used to create custom progress trackers, charting student growth over time.

Grouping Techniques: Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous

Homogeneous Grouping: This method groups students with similar readiness levels or abilities together.

Pros: Allows for targeted instruction; students can move at a similar pace.

Cons: Risk of creating ability “labels” or limiting peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

Heterogeneous Grouping: This method mixes students of different abilities and readiness levels.

Pros: Encourages peer-to-peer support and diverse perspectives; can boost confidence for lower-achieving students.

Cons: Risk of advanced students dominating tasks or some students feeling overwhelmed.

Best Practice: A combination of both methods can be effective, varying groupings based on the task’s objective and desired outcomes.

Feedback Mechanisms for Continuous Improvement

Formative Assessments: Regular, low-stakes assessments can provide ongoing feedback to both educators and students.

Peer Review: Encourage students to review and provide feedback on each other’s work, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Self-Assessment: Equip students with rubrics or reflection templates to evaluate their own work and set future goals.

Regular One-on-Ones: Individual meetings with students can offer deeper insights into their experiences and challenges.

Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Differentiating instruction might be seen as favoritism or unfair treatment.

Solution: Ensure transparent communication about the purpose and benefits of tiered assignments to both students and parents.

Challenge : Designing multiple versions of assignments can be time-consuming for educators.

Solution: Collaborate with fellow teachers, tap into shared resources, or use adaptive learning platforms that auto-adjust based on student performance.

Challenge: Some students might feel demotivated if they perceive their tier as “lower” than their peers.

Solution: Emphasize the value of growth and the idea that everyone’s learning journey is unique. Rotate groups regularly to avoid fixed labels.

Conclusion: Championing Tiered Assignments in Diverse Classrooms

The educational landscape is ever-evolving, but one constant remains: the diversity of our classrooms. In this rich tapestry of learners, where each individual brings unique strengths, challenges, and perspectives, lies the challenge and the opportunity for educators.

Tiered assignments emerge as a beacon of differentiation in this context. They recognize that not all students are on the same page, and instead of trying to force a uniform approach, they adapt to each student’s unique page. They’re a testament to the fact that equal does not always mean equitable. Instead of giving everyone the same, they aim to give everyone what they need to succeed.

As we’ve journeyed through the intricacies of tiered assignments, from understanding diverse learners to assessing readiness, designing assignments, and managing them effectively, a recurring theme is evident. The approach is as dynamic as the students it serves. And that’s its strength.

For educators, the takeaway is twofold. First, embrace the complexity of diverse classrooms, not as a challenge but as an opportunity. Each student, with their unique abilities and experiences, enriches the classroom, and tiered assignments can help channel this richness effectively.

Second, while tiered assignments offer a robust framework, the real magic lies in continuous adaptation. The world of education is fluid. New tools emerge, best practices evolve, and our understanding of learning deepens. As educators, staying adaptive, staying curious, and being willing to refine our methods is paramount.

To conclude, tiered assignments are not just a pedagogical tool; they’re a philosophy. A philosophy that centers on the student, acknowledges diversity, and strives for inclusivity. In the ever-evolving quest to provide the best for our students, they’re not just an option but an imperative. As educators, may we always strive to match the diverse beats of our classrooms, ensuring every learner feels seen, challenged, and empowered.

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Using Tiered Instruction To Maximize Student Outcomes

As educators, your goal is to help every student in our classroom reach their full potential. However, with different learning styles, abilities, and needs, it can be challenging to meet the needs of every student in a class. This is where tiered instruction comes in, providing a framework that allows you to differentiate instruction to meet the unique needs of each student.

Understanding Tiered Instruction

What is tiered instruction.

Tiered instruction involves designing multiple levels of instruction for the same lesson or activity, with each level addressing the learning needs of different students. This approach allows you to provide support to struggling students, challenge advanced learners, and meet the learning needs of students in the middle.

Tiered instruction is a powerful tool because it allows you to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of all students, regardless of their abilities or learning styles. By providing multiple levels of instruction, you can ensure that all of your students are challenged and engaged in the learning process.

Benefits of Tiered Instruction for Students and Teachers

For students, the benefits of tiered instruction include the opportunity to receive instruction that meets their unique needs, which can increase classroom engagement and promote a growth mindset. When students feel that their learning needs are being met and you find that perfect balance of material that isn’t too easy or too challenging, your students are more likely to be motivated and invested in their own learning. 

As an elementary teacher, tiered instruction allows you to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of all your students, even in classrooms with a wide range of abilities. This can reduce the stress and frustration of lesson plans falling apart when half your students are struggling with material while half of your class breezes through and now is bored and waiting for more. Outside of helping you run more effective lessons, tiered instruction helps you ensure that all your students, regardless of ability, are meeting your desired learning outcomes.

Key Components of a Successful Tiered Instruction Model

A successful tiered instruction model includes several key components. These include identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities, differentiating instruction for each tier, and utilizing technology to support instruction.

Identifying student needs and learning styles is an important first step in creating a successful tiered instruction model. You must understand the unique needs of your students in order to create effective tiered instruction plans because this will directly impact how well you can adjust your materials to meet their diverse needs.

Creating tiered lesson plans and activities is another important component of a successful tiered instruction model. This involves using your knowledge of your students to design activities that are challenging and engaging for them regardless of their ability level.

Differentiating instruction for each tier is crucial for ensuring that every student is challenged and engaged in the learning process. Teachers must provide instruction that is tailored to the needs of each student, which may involve modifying assignments, providing additional resources, or offering one-on-one support.

Utilizing technology to support instruction is another important component of a successful tiered instruction model. Technology can provide students with additional resources and support, and can also help teachers to track student progress and provide targeted feedback. Kodable , for example, is an online educational game that helps teach K-5 students the basics of computer programming in a fun and engaging way. Because lessons are self-paced, this helps facilitate tiered instruction by allowing students to progressively work through levels at their own speed.

In summary, tiered instruction is a powerful tool that allows you to meet the needs of all students in your class. By identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities around those needs, differentiating instruction for each tier, and utilizing technology to support instruction, you can create a learning environment that is engaging, challenging, and effective for all your students.

Implementing Tiered Instruction in the Classroom

Implementing tiered instruction in the classroom can be a highly effective way to meet the diverse needs of your students. By grouping students according to their needs and strengths, you can provide targeted instruction and support that meets each student where they are at. Below are some key steps to implementing tiered instruction in the classroom.

Identifying Student Needs and Learning Styles

The first step in implementing tiered instruction is identifying students' needs and learning styles. This can be done through a variety of methods, including pre-assessments, observations, and conversations with students. By understanding each student's unique needs and learning style, you can create tiers that are tailored to each group of students.

For example, some students may be visual learners, while others may be auditory learners. Some students may struggle with certain concepts, while others may excel. By taking the time to understand each student's individual needs and strengths, teachers can create tiers that are optimized for learning and growth. See our full guide on teacher assessment tools for more information on pre-assessments and other types of assessments.

Creating Tiered Lesson Plans and Activities

Creating tiered lesson plans and activities is the next step in implementing tiered instruction. You should design each tier to include activities and tasks that address the needs and learning styles of the students in a particular group. These activities should build upon each other, with increasingly difficult tasks for advanced learners and additional support for struggling students.

For example, in a math class, the advanced tier may work on more complex problems that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills . The middle tier may work on similar problems, but with more support and guidance from the teacher. The struggling tier may work on simpler problems, with additional support and scaffolding from you.

Differentiating Instruction for Each Tier

Differentiating instruction for each tier is central to the success of tiered instruction. You should utilize a variety of instructional strategies, such as small group instruction, individualized instruction, and peer tutoring, to meet the needs of each group of students. You should also provide support and guidance as needed to help your students work through any challenges they may face.

For example, in a language arts class, the advanced tier may work on writing an essay independently, while the middle tier may work on the same essay with some guidance and support from the teacher. The struggling tier may work on a simpler writing assignment, with more support and scaffolding from the teacher. However, it’s important to make sure that when you create student tiers that you do so in a thoughtful way to ensure that students do not feel like they are in a superior or non-superior group.

Utilizing Technology to Support Tiered Instruction

Technology can be a valuable tool in supporting tiered instruction. You can use online resources, educational apps, and interactive whiteboards to provide additional instruction, practice, and feedback for students at each level. Thankfully there are even a number of free teacher technology tools that can help you get started with no budget needed.

For example, in a science class, the advanced tier may use a virtual lab to conduct experiments and analyze data. The middle tier may use the same virtual lab, but with additional guidance and support from the teacher. The struggling tier may use a simpler virtual lab, with more support and scaffolding from the teacher.

Or you could have students play Kodable, a free educational app! Kodable has self-paced lessons which helps facilitate tiered instructions by not being too challenging to make students quit but also being engaging enough to keep students of all levels playing and learning.

Create your free Kodable account to bring this learning tool into your classroom today!

By identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities, differentiating instruction for each tier, and utilizing technology, teachers can create a learning environment that is optimized for growth and success.

Assessing and Monitoring Student Progress

Assessing and monitoring student progress is a critical component of effective teaching and learning. It helps you understand what students know and can do, and it provides your students with feedback on their progress. In tiered instruction, a variety of assessment strategies can help you track student growth and make any necessary adjustments to instruction.

Formative and Summative Assessments in Tiered Instruction

Formative assessments are ongoing assessments that are used to track student progress in real-time. These assessments can take many forms, including quizzes, exit tickets, observations, and discussions. You can use formative assessments to identify areas where students may be struggling and to adjust instruction accordingly.

Summative assessments, on the other hand, provide a snapshot of overall student performance at the end of a unit or lesson. These assessments can take the form of tests, projects, or presentations. Use summative assessments to evaluate student learning and to determine if your students have met the learning objectives for a particular unit or lesson.

Learn more about formative, summative, and other types of assessments in our teacher assessment tools guide.

Tracking Student Growth and Adjusting Instruction

Based on the results of assessments, you should make any necessary adjustments to their instruction. These adjustments may include modifying lesson plans or activities, providing additional support or challenging students with more complex tasks, and revisiting content that students may have struggled with before. By tracking student growth and adjusting instruction, you can ensure that all your students are making progress and are being appropriately challenged by your material.

Providing Feedback and Encouraging Self-Assessment

Feedback is a critical component of effective teaching and learning that helps encourage achieving and struggling students to keep pushing on. You should provide feedback to students on their progress, both formally and informally to help facilitate this. Feedback can take many forms, including written comments, verbal feedback, and rubrics. By providing feedback, you help your students understand their strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance on how to improve.

In addition to providing feedback, you should also encourage self-assessment. By encouraging students to reflect on their own learning, you can help them take ownership of their progress and empower them to become independent learners. Self-assessment can include self-reflection, peer assessment, and goal-setting.

Overall, assessing and monitoring student progress is an essential component of tiered instruction. By using a variety of assessment strategies, tracking student growth, and providing feedback and self-assessment opportunities, you can ensure that all students are making progress and are being appropriately challenged.

Collaborating with Colleagues and Parents

Building a supportive school culture for tiered instruction.

Building a positive classroom culture is essential to the success of tiered instruction in your classroom. Collaborating with your colleagues to share resources and best practices and create a cohesive approach to tiered instruction school-wide is a great way to ensure that not just your classroom, but your entire school are taking the right steps to educate all students.

Collaboration among your colleagues can be creating and sharing lesson plans and activities across multiple classes, sharing strategies for differentiating instruction , and sharing strategies for supporting struggling students. By working together, you and your colleagues can create a supportive learning environment that benefits all students.

In addition to collaborating with colleagues, you can also seek out resources and attend professional development opportunities to learn more about effective tiered instruction strategies. By staying up-to-date on the latest research and best practices, you can strengthen their instructional practices and provide better support to all students.

Engaging Parents in the Tiered Instruction Process

You should also engage parents in the tiered instruction process to ensure there isn’t any misunderstanding. This can be done through parent-teacher conferences, newsletters, and other communication methods that you already are using today. By involving parents in the instructional process, you can gain valuable insights into their child's needs and strengths and build a partnership with parents to support student learning.

Parents can also be a valuable resource to provide information about their child's interests, learning style, and home environment. This information can help you create more effective instructional plans and provide targeted support to students.

Overall, building a supportive school culture requires collaboration and communication among teachers, parents, and students. By working together, you can help create a learning environment that supports the success of all students.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is tier 1 tier 2 tier 3 education.

Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 are terms often used in the context of Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). They refer to different levels or tiers of instructional support provided to students based on their academic needs. Here's a breakdown of each tier:

Tier 1: This is the core instruction that is provided to all students in the general education classroom. It encompasses the regular curriculum and teaching strategies used for the majority of students. Tier 1 instruction is designed to meet the needs of the average learner.

Tier 2: This tier involves targeted interventions provided to students who require additional support beyond the standard Tier 1 instruction. It focuses on specific skills or areas where students are struggling. Tier 2 interventions are typically delivered in small groups and can be provided by the classroom teacher or a specialist.

Tier 3: Tier 3 is the most intensive level of support and is tailored to meet the needs of students who require significant individualized assistance. Students in Tier 3 typically have persistent difficulties and may receive more specialized interventions or one-on-one instruction. These interventions often involve more frequent progress monitoring and may be provided by specialized interventionists or special education teachers.

The goal of the tiered approach is to provide targeted and differentiated instruction to ensure that students receive the appropriate level of support based on their individual needs.

What is an example of a tiered lesson?

A tiered lesson is designed to address the varied needs of students within a classroom. Here's an example of a tiered lesson for a science topic:

Objective : Students will understand the water cycle.

Tier 1: Students will identify and label the basic stages of the water cycle (e.g., evaporation, condensation, precipitation).

Tier 2: Students will explain the processes of the water cycle and their interconnections using diagrams or visual representations.

Tier 3: Students will investigate and analyze factors that influence the water cycle in different environments (e.g., temperature, wind patterns, topography) and present their findings through written reports or presentations.

In this example, each tier addresses the learning objective but provides varying levels of complexity and depth based on students' abilities. This allows students to engage with the content at a level that matches their readiness and skills.

How do you use tiered instruction in your classroom?

To incorporate tiered instruction in your classroom, consider the following steps:

Assess student needs: Use a variety of formative assessments, observations, and data to determine students' strengths and areas of improvement.

Identify tiers and design activities: Create tiered activities or assignments that address the same core objective but offer different levels of challenge, complexity, or support.

Group students: Organize students into appropriate tiers based on their assessed needs. You can use flexible grouping to rearrange or change groups over time as students' progress.

Provide instruction and support: Deliver instruction at each tier, ensuring that students receive appropriate content, strategies, and resources based on their tier placement.

Monitor progress: Continuously assess and monitor students' progress to determine the effectiveness of the tiered instruction and make any necessary adjustments.

Differentiate as needed: Be prepared to make further adaptations or modifications for individual students who may require additional support or enrichment beyond the tiered activities.

By implementing tiered instruction, you can meet the diverse needs of your students, provide targeted support, and promote their overall growth and achievement.

Tiered instruction offers a powerful framework for meeting the unique needs of all students in your classroom. By identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities, and utilizing technology to support instruction, you can differentiate instruction to provide the right level of challenge and support for each of your student. By assessing and monitoring student progress, collaborating with colleagues and parents, and building a supportive school culture, you can also create an environment where all students can thrive and reach their full potential. By maximizing student outcomes through tiered instruction, you can truly make a difference in the lives of your students!

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Tiered Lessons: One Way to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction

This article is about differentiation. Due to the broad range of academic needs among students, teachers find themselves in a dilemma. The Burris Laboratory School outlines how teachers can reach all the students in their classrooms when they are academically diverse, have special needs, are ESL learners or have some combination of any or all of these factors.

Author: Adams, C. & Pierce, R. Publications: Gifted Child Today Publisher: Prufrock Press Volume: Vol. 27, Issue 2, pp. 50-65 Year: 2004

The movement toward inclusion has impacted classrooms by requiring teachers to respond to a broader range of academic needs. How can we possibly reach all the students in our classrooms when they are academically diverse, have special needs, are ESL learners, or have some combination of any or all of these factors? An answer to this question lies in differentiating instruction. Working in the Burris Laboratory School, an inclusion school using a resource consultation model to serve the needs of all its students, we have found that using tiered lessons is a viable method for differentiating instruction.

What is Differentiation?

Although differentiated instruction is not a new idea, the differentiation movement has recently taken center stage as a means of meeting the needs of all students in the classroom. It is an organized, yet flexible way of proactively adjusting teaching and learning to meet students where they are and help all students achieve maximum growth as learners (Tomlinson, 1999). Instruction may be differentiated in content/input, process/sense-making, or product/output according to the students’ readiness, interest, or learning style. By  content , we mean the material that is being presented.  Process  activities help students practice or make sense out of the content, while  product  refers to the outcome of the lesson or unit, such as a test, project, or paper.  Readiness  refers to prior knowledge and a student’s current skill and proficiency with the material presented in the lesson. A student’s interest may be assessed with an interest inventory for the particular topic being studied or by an individual conversation with the student. Many teachers use the theory of multiple intelligences to characterize learning styles (Armstrong, 1994; Gardner, 1993; Martin, 1996).

Essential elements for successful differentiation include specific classroom management techniques addressing the special needs of a differentiated classroom, planned use of anchoring activities, and flexible use of time, space, and student groups. In a differentiated classroom, the management plan must include rules for working in a variety of configurations. You can only work with one group or individual at a time. Therefore, we have developed two critical rules that thwart chaos and preserve sanity. The first is “Use six-inch voices,” meaning that students should modulate their speaking level so that their voices can only be heard six inches away. The second rule is “Ask three before me.” If students need assistance completing a task or come to a stumbling block in a lesson and you are not available, they should find three other students to ask before they may interrupt you. If their three peers cannot answer the question, the student has permission to interrupt you. Adding the caveat that the student should also bring along the three students who were asked will nearly eliminate the chance that you will be interrupted except in extreme cases. Anchoring or “sponge” activities are provided for students to use when they are waiting for you to assist them before they can go any further or at the beginning of the class period to get them ready to work. A wide variety of materials and resources can serve as anchoring activities (see our  website  for a listing of books that have great activities for anchoring). Flexible grouping arrangements such as pairs, triads, or quads, as well as whole-group and small-group instruction, create opportunities to meet individual needs. A flexible use of time allows lessons to proceed to their natural conclusion, rather than being carried out in set blocks of time. The desks or tables should be arranged in such a way as to facilitate group work, as well as wholeclass groupings that encourage sharing of ideas.

A variety of instructional strategies, including compacting, learning contracts, cubing, and tiered lessons, can be used to differentiate instruction (for a discussion of these and other strategies, see Gregory & Chapman, 2002; Heacox, 2002; Smutney, Walker, & Meckstroth, 1997; Tomlinson, 1999; Winebrenner, 1992). It makes sense to alert your administration and the parents that you will be trying some new strategies in the classroom in case there are questions.

The tenets of differentiated instruction support both the Equity Principle and the Teaching Principle of the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000). These principles direct us to select and adapt content and curricula to meet the interests, abilities, and learning styles of our students; to recognize our students’ diversity; and to encourage them to reach their full potential in mathematics.

What is a Tiered Lesson?

Tomlinson (1999) described tiered lessons as “the meat and potatoes of differentiated instruction.” A tiered lesson is a differentiation strategy that addresses a particular standard, key concept, and generalization, but allows several pathways for students to arrive at an understanding of these components based on their interests, readiness, or learning profiles. A lesson tiered by readiness level implies that the teacher has a good understanding of the students’ ability levels with respect to the lesson and has designed the tiers to meet those needs. Think of a wedding cake with tiers of varying sizes. Many examples of lessons tiered in readiness have three tiers: below grade level, at grade level, and above grade level. There is no rule that states there may only be three tiers, however. The number of tiers we use will depend on the range of ability levels in your own classroom since you are forming tiers based on your assessment of your students’ abilities to handle the material particular to this lesson. Students are regrouped the next time you use tiering as a strategy. Hence, the idea of flexible, rather than static, groups is essential.

No matter how you choose to differentiate the lesson—readiness, interest, or learning profile—the number of groups per tier will vary, as will the number of students per tier. You are not looking to form groups of equal size. When you form groups based on the readiness needs of individual students, Tier I may have two groups of three students, Tier II five groups of four students, and Tier III may have one group of two students. When the lesson is tiered by interest or learning profile, the same guidelines apply for forming groups: Different tiers may have varying numbers of students. Even when students are already homogeneously grouped in classes by ability, there is still variance in their ability levels that must be addressed.

To take a closer look at the anatomy of a tiered lesson, we have included a mathematics lesson (see Figure 1) that was developed as part of the Javits Grant, Project GATE, a federally funded partnership between the Indianapolis Public Schools and Ball State University, both in Indiana. When developing a tiered lesson, we have found the eight steps described below useful.

• First, identify the grade level and subject for which you will write the lesson.  In this case, the grade level is first and the subject is mathematics.
• Second, identify the standard (national, state, district, etc.) you are targeting.  A common mistake for those just beginning to tier is to develop three great activities and then try to force-fit them into a tiered lesson. Start with the standard first. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know if you get there? The author of this lesson has selected the Content Standard “Number and Operations” of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (2000)  Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (pp. 78–88).
• Third, identify the key concept and generalization.  The key concept follows from the standard. Ask yourself, “What big idea am I targeting?” In this example, it is to understand and represent commonly used fractions. While there are many concepts that could be covered under the standard chosen, this lesson addresses only one. The generalization follows from the concept chosen. Ask, “What do I want the students to know at the end of the lesson, regardless of their placement in the tiers?” In this lesson, all students will develop their understanding of fractions as representing parts of a whole.
• Fourth, be sure students have the background necessary to be successful in the lesson.  What scaffolding is necessary? What must you have already covered or what must the student have already learned? Are there other skills that must be taught first? Before engaging in this lesson, students have been exposed to halves and thirds. Fractions (halves/ thirds) have been introduced to the students, and they have illustrated them with pictures. There are several literature books that illustrate fractional parts using food that could be used to introduce the lesson.
• Fifth, determine in which part of the lesson (content, process, product) you will tier.  You may choose to tier the content (what you want the students to learn), the process (the way students make sense out of the content), or the product (the outcome at the end of a lesson, lesson set, or unit—often a project). When beginning to tier, we suggest that you only tier one of these three. Once you are comfortable with tiering, you might try to tier more than one part in the same lesson. This lesson is tiered in content.
• Sixth, determine the type of tiering you will do: readiness, interest, or learning profile.  Readiness is based on the ability levels of the students. Giving a pretest is a good way to assess readiness. Students’ interest in a topic is generally gauged through an interest survey, while the learning profile may be determined through various learning style inventories. In this lesson, the author chose readiness.
• Seventh, based on your choices above, determine how many tiers you will need and develop the lesson.  When tiering according to readiness, you may have three tiers: below grade level, at grade level, and above grade level. If you choose to tier in interest or learning profile, you may control the number of tiers by limiting choices or using only a few different learning styles. For example, tiering on all eight of Gardner’s multiple intelligences in one lesson may not be a good place to start, so choose only a few, such as logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, and linguistic intelligence. (For further information on multiple intelligences in an easy-tounderstand format, see Wahl, 1997). For this lesson, students are placed in one of three tiers based on their ability to work with halves and thirds as assessed by the teacher through observation.Differentiation means doing something different—qualitatively different. Make sure you keep this in mind when tiering the lessons. Second, be sure that students are doing challenging, respectful, and developmentally appropriate work within each tier. In other words, no group should be given “busywork.” We don’t want one group doing blackline practice sheets and another doing a fabulous experiment.Notice in this lesson that all three tiers are working on fractions. Students in each tier use paper shapes to divide. However, the activities for each tier in the sample lesson, beginning in Tier I and moving through Tier III, differ from concrete to abstract and from simple to complex, to use Tomlinson’s Equalizer word pairs (Tomlinson, 1999).
• Finally, develop the assessment component to the lesson.  The assessment can be formative, summative, or a combination of both. You may use some means of recording observations of the various groups, such as flip cards or sticky notes. You could develop a rubric for each tier based on the particular product that is created. You may give a formal paperand- pencil test. Whatever it is, choose your assessment based on your needs and your lesson design.In this lesson, the teacher observes the students as they share their answers and jots down notes for a formative assessment of each student. For example, which child is struggling with the concept? Which child is moving rapidly and accurately through the material? Whose answers show more thought and insight? Answers to these and other questions will assist you in determining who needs reteaching and who is ready to go beyond the material presented. A formal assessment is not used here since the standards emphasize that students should have “informal experiences [with fractions] at this age to help develop a foundation for deeper learning in the higher grades” (NCTM, 2000, p. 83).

When this lesson was taught, the students were engaged during the entire lesson. The lesson was introduced by reading the book  Eating Fractions  (McMillan, 1991). Students were placed in groups based on their level of readiness to interact with the content. Four students did not have a clear understanding of halves and fourths. These students needed a more concrete activity and were placed in Tier I. Another 12 students could recognize halves and thirds and were ready to complete the Tier II activity. They were placed in four triads. Two students had in-depth knowledge of halves and thirds and were placed in Tier III. This pair worked at a more abstract level, and the questions they were asked required them to use different critical thinking skills than the other two groups. Tier I and Tier II students were provided with activities from the book  Fractions  (Watt, 2001) to use as anchoring activities if they finished early or were waiting for the teacher’s assistance. The anchor for Tier III students was  Apple Fractions  (Pallotta, 2002), which introduced fifths through tenths.

The second sample lesson (see Figure 2) is tiered in process according to learning style. In this case, students are grouped heterogeneously based on one of two learning preferences: kinesthetic or visual. The same eight steps for tiering a lesson apply in this case. In the second lesson, notice that the activities are at relatively the same level of complexity. This would be the “layer cake” model as opposed to the “wedding cake” model used when tiering according to readiness.

Final Thoughts

Time, energy, and patience are required to learn to differentiate instruction effectively in an academically diverse classroom. In addition, you need administrative and peer support, as well as professional development over extended periods of time; therefore, don’t expect to have a differentiated classroom by Monday morning. Start small: Choose a favorite lesson in your next unit and differentiate it according to the needs of your students. Seek the expertise of specialists such as special and gifted education coordinators, media specialists, and others with whom you can collaborate to improve instruction in the academically diverse classroom.

For more information on tiering, contact the Center for Gifted Studies and Talent Development, Ball State University (BSU)  https://www.bsu.edu/academics/centersandinstitutes/giftedstudies .

Author Note

Research for this article was supported under the Javits Act Program (Grant R206A980067) as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. Grantees undertaking such projects are encouraged to express freely their professional judgment. This article, therefore, does not necessarily represent positions or policies of the government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Armstrong, T. (1994). Multiple intelligences in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory and practice. New York: BasicBooks.

Gregory, G. H., & Chapman, C. (2002). Differentiated instructional strategies: One size doesn’t fit all. Thousand Oakes, CA: Corwin Press.

Heacox, D. (2002). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.

Martin, H. (1996). Multiple intelligences in the mathematics classroom. Palatine, IL: IRI/SkyLight.

McMillan, B. (1991). Eating fractions. New York: Scholastic. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

Pallotta, J. (2002). Apple fractions. New York: Scholastic.

Smutney, J., Walker, S., & Meckstroth, E. (1997). Teaching young gifted children in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.

Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Wahl, M. (1997). Math for humans.

Langley, WA: LivnLern Press.

Watt, F. ( 2001). Fractions. New York: Scholastic.

Winebrenner, S. (1992). Teaching gifted kids in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.

Disclaimer : The appearance of any information in the Davidson Institute’s Resource Library does not imply an endorsement by, or any affiliation with, the Davidson Institute. All information presented is for informational and archival purposes only. The Davidson Institute bears no responsibility for the content of republished material. Please note the date, author, and publisher information available if you wish to make further inquiries about any republished materials in our Resource Library.

Permission Statement

This article is reprinted with permission of  Prufrock Press, Inc.

This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit  www.DavidsonGifted.org .

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Differentiated Instruction

6 Ways to Deliver Differentiated Instruction for Gifted Students

What Does Gifted Mean?

Before we discuss how to differentiate instruction for gifted students, we should explore what gifted means. There isn’t a simple definition. In fact, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)’s 2018–2019 State of the States in Gifted Education report shows that nearly every state has its own definition of gifted, and some states don’t even define the term.

The definition used by the state of New Jersey gives one such example, which states that a gifted and talented student is a “student who possesses or demonstrates a high level of ability in one or more content areas when compared to their chronological peers in the school district and who require modifications of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.”

It’s important to remember that students can be gifted in different ways—such as athletics, leadership, or social and emotional skills—and nobody is gifted in everything. “There are lots of different areas that people can be gifted in, but in school, we rely on the academic piece because that’s what we serve,” says Jennifer G. Beasley, EdD, director of teacher education at the University of Arkansas. “Since there is no common definition of gifted, we need to appropriately assess students to discover the strengths and areas we can support.”

It’s also important to remember that the strategies discussed in this blog can be used for “non-gifted” students as well.

Why Do Gifted Students Need Differentiation?

Just as a student who finds the classroom material overwhelming may zone out or misbehave, so too may a gifted student. Even worse, when students who are gifted are routinely unchallenged, they may never learn how to learn. Gifted students need opportunities to analyze, evaluate, create, and reflect. They should gain experience by asking and investigating complex questions and completing challenging tasks.

Although we are focusing on differentiated instruction for gifted students, it is important to note that the strategies discussed in this blog can apply to all populations of students. “Differentiation is meeting the needs of learners where they are at,” says Beasley. “It’s a philosophy—not a bag of tricks or a strategy. It’s about thinking about the pieces we can differentiate by readiness, by interest, by learning profile, and so on, for whatever type of learners are in your class.”

How to Differentiate for Gifted Students

Teachers can differentiate content, process, or product (see chart below), but they need to start by building the right kind of classroom community. “If a student—gifted or not—doesn’t feel safe and accepted by their teacher or classmates, it will be difficult for them to trust what you’re doing or take risks and learn and grow,” says Beasley.

Other key principles of differentiation include flexible grouping, a high-quality curriculum, and ongoing assessment. If one of these factors is missing, it will be more difficult to differentiate . Once these principles are in place, there are a variety of strategies teachers can use to differentiate instruction for gifted students.

6 Ways to Differentiate Instruction for Gifted Students

1. create tiered assignments.

Tiered assignments allow learners to complete the same assignment at different levels of difficulty. By varying the level of difficulty, you’re letting each student demonstrate understanding. Some teachers do this by designing an assignment for the middle tier and then adding in an additional challenge for students who are gifted. For example, you could ask gifted students to apply a skill in two ways instead of one. Other educators prefer to plan the lesson for the students who are gifted and then differentiate by providing support for the rest of the class. Differentiation expert Carol Ann Tomlinson believes that this method “challenges advanced learners more than trying to pump up a ‘middling’ idea—and serves other students better as well.”

Beasley has gotten this strategy down to a science. She’ll collect data, do a quick assessment, and plan two levels of an activity. “We typically think of planning for three levels of an activity, but it depends on what your assessment shows. There may not actually be any students that are above grade level on a particular skill.” She starts by planning the above-grade level task because that’s where she wants everyone to be, and then adds in scaffolding, such as a graphic organizer or supplied reading material, for the students who are at- or below-grade level.

Tiered assignments can be time-consuming, with lots of upfront work. Beasley suggests collaborating with colleagues. If you do it for one unit or chapter, might another teacher do it for a different unit or chapter?

2. Allow Gifted Students to Work at Their Own Pace

By giving a pre-assessment at the start of each unit, you can let students who already know the material handle the lessons differently. Perhaps there’s an independent project related to the topic that a gifted learner could work on, or maybe the student could skip some of the earlier assignments. How about letting the gifted students work on two assignments at once or giving them fewer directions?

3. Offer Open-Ended or Self-Directed Assignments & Activities

Open-ended tasks can have many valid approaches, and students can apply their unique skills and ideas. In addition, an activity that is open-ended can stimulate higher-order thinking. Let gifted learners be responsible for their own development by giving them a say in how far they take their own learning. Ask higher-level questions and encourage students to offer creative responses, work in pairs to question each other, and find ways to stimulate further exploration. You may even allow your students who are gifted to work on an independent study in an interest area whenever they have free time.

4. Compact the Curriculum

Whether it’s an entire unit or a lesson, if you can give students the opportunity to show they already understand the material, they can move on to something else. “Compacting” refers to tossing out the part of the lesson that students already know, which frees them up to work on something more challenging. In a math class, for example, you might choose the essential problems that demonstrate mastery. If students can correctly solve those problems, they can move on to an extension activity.

Beasley calls this the “Five Hardest First.” For any assignment, she’ll choose the five most difficult questions and let all students attempt to answer those first. “If the students understand these five, I know they have met that learning goal.”

5. Deliver Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL), which the Buck Institute for Education defines as a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects, lets students who are gifted flex their intellectual muscles. More than “just a project,” PBL encourages intellectual and emotional development by asking students to conduct deep research, ask complex questions, exhibit critical thinking and problem-solving, collaborate, and improve time-management skills. To solve problems or come up with physical solutions, students need to develop timelines and summon inner strength if their solutions don’t work. In some schools, students can display or present their projects, helping them develop public speaking skills. These types of projects give students increased independence and the ability to study material at their own pace. PBL is a great strategy for all types of learners, but it can be particularly compelling for gifted learners due to its depth and complexity, student choice, real-world skill development, and collaboration opportunities.

6. Pair Gifted Students Up

NAGC research shows that allowing students who are gifted to work together in small groups boosts their achievement because they challenge themselves. The Davidson Institute says that academic competition is important for gifted students to learn how to deal with success and defeat. In fact, the Institute lists academic competitions that are designed to entice students to work independently or in teams; this kind of work helps gifted students handle pressure and gain experience in real-life challenges. When you let gifted students work together, they can work on advanced content or assignments at their level. Because students can be talented in different ways, you can use this strategy to help them learn from each other and expand their horizons.

Communicating Your Goals

Whichever of these differentiation strategies for gifted students you use, by doing so, you’ll be helping to meet gifted learners’ needs. Communicate your goals and plans for differentiation to your students and their families and caregivers. “Be sure to introduce and define differentiation,” says Beasley. “Let students know that their classmates may be doing different things, and that just means we have different interests.” By getting buy-in upfront, you can help everyone understand your methods. It’s important for everyone to be in the know about the ways we educate.

Besides these strategies for differentiation for gifted learners, older gifted students may benefit from being challenged with college-level material. Request an online preview of any of our AP and elective courses across math, science, and social studies.

Giving students a head start on college-level coursework with the HMH Advanced Placement & Electives .

Get our free guide to differentiated instruction.

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What This School Used as the Main Ingredient for a Positive Climate

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Staff and students at Yates Elementary in Schenectady, N.Y., rarely end a conversation without uttering two words: “Choose Kind.”

The phrase, written on signs throughout the school and spoken at the end of daily loudspeaker announcements, has become a motto for staff and students after nearly a decade of implementing social-emotional learning, which teaches students how to manage their emotions, cultivate healthy relationships, and foster empathy.

“The social-emotional language is built into everything we do, every interaction,” Principal Robert Flanders said. “Every special area, whether you’re going to PE or an orchestra lesson, you’re going to hear the same language. It’s going to be the same lesson. So it’s not just a onetime thing. It’s embedded in everything we do.”

The strategy has gone far beyond improving student behavior at the school, which serves around 300 students in prekindergarten through 5th grade. It is the main ingredient in the school’s recipe for a positive climate and culture, in which the building feels safe; student misbehavior is quickly managed; and teachers are highly connected—to each other, to their students, and to the broader school community—and satisfied in their work, Flanders said.

Schools like Yates have increasingly turned to social-emotional learning as a strategy to address bad behavior, improve student well-being, and create a safer, more positive environment. Investing in social-emotional-learning curricula and programming has been the most popular strategy to address student health and wellness that districts have paid for with COVID-relief funding, according to a January survey from the Association for School Business Officials . Altogether, the Georgetown University-based think tank Future Ed projects that districts across the country will spend more than $1.2 billion of COVID-relief funding on social-emotional programming—about 1 percent of the total from the third round of the special federal money and more than they’re expected to devote to transportation. Research has shown that the strategy is effective in improving students’ academics and emotional regulation , reducing bad behavior, and improving overall well-being.

But although it’s a promising strategy, its effectiveness varies based on how—and how well—it’s implemented. In order for it to work, schools should ensure SEL is systemic and not limited to an isolated period of explicit instruction, customized to the community, and integrated into every aspect of instruction, said Tyrone Martinez Black, a practice integration specialist at CASEL, a nonprofit that helps schools implement social-emotional learning and advocates for policies and funding to expand SEL adoption.

“When there is a more dedicated, systemic SEL, children will have greater opportunities to concentrate on their schoolwork, they will have opportunities to build stronger relationships with their peers, with the adults in the building, the teachers especially, and certainly, we would hope, reinforce those lessons that they are receiving from home and in the community as a whole,” Martinez Black said.

In schools with effective, systemic social-emotional learning, the impact on school climate should be clear with noticeable drops in misbehavior, reduced stress levels and improved emotional regulation among staff, and students who are kinder and more compassionate.

Using SEL to transform a school’s climate

The social-emotional-learning program at Yates began with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, a three-tiered framework that rewards and reinforces good behavior while creating a structure for staff to intervene when students show repeated, serious misbehavior. Seeing success with that program, Yates adopted the Second Step SEL curriculum, as it complements PBIS with lessons and content related to social-emotional skills.

Over the years, the school has evolved from limiting social-emotional-learning instruction to specific classroom lessons to embedding it into the overall environment, said Carrie White, a 2nd grade teacher and PBIS coach at Yates.

Students participate in daily circles in each classroom where they discuss their feelings; practice skills that help with learning, such as listening and following directions; and work on stress-relieving techniques through breathing exercises and meditation. The school also has a monthly assembly where students practice calming strategies, learn how to express their feelings, and reduce stress.

This work has given students the tools to self-soothe and manage conflict and stress on their own, White said. Staff members model those tools themselves, using them to help students manage stressful moments, such as tricky math problems or playground scuffles.

“It’s becoming second nature for everyone, and that’s where we see our behavior shifting,” White said. “Years ago, [students were] going to the teacher and tattling, ‘He’s doing this,’ or ‘She’s doing that,’ and now, we see at lunch and recess and special areas, all those difficult times during the day, they’re handling those situations on their own and using that common language, using the calm-down strategies.”

That’s an expected outcome from the effective use of SEL, said Andrea Lovanhill, the CEO of Committee for Children, the nonprofit that created and administers the Second Step program.

“Social-emotional learning is foundational to a learning environment because it is a process that helps humans continually develop essential skills for both learning and life,” Lovanhill said. “That includes communicating effectively, building confidence, connecting with others, problem-solving, and making important decisions. All of those things really show up in a lot of different areas in education and [in] having an effective education practice.”

Making SEL systemic across a district

Without using a systemic approach to SEL, schools could be investing a lot of time and effort into a curriculum or strategy without seeing it make a real impact on the school environment.

When SEL is systemic, students and adults in a school practice social-emotional skills, applying them throughout the day in a variety of situations so they become second nature, Martinez Black said.

It should also reflect the community, with schools allowing parents and caregivers to provide input on the kinds of skills their children should have, incorporating lessons that reflect the cultural diversity of the student population, and addressing shared trauma or challenges that are unique to the community.

“It is critically important that any social-emotional-learning decisions that the school might make are really informed by local priorities and concerns,” Martinez Black said. “That means really working with families and caregivers and the community representatives.”

That was a key component of the success at Yates, where Black and Hispanic students each make up about a third of the school’s population.

Having a systemic, localized approach has also been central to the social-emotional programming at the Lake Washington school district outside of Seattle. The district created its social-emotional-learning program by first developing a school board policy to set standards and hold the district accountable for providing effective SEL.

The policy came out of a statewide focus on expanding social-emotional learning in Washington state schools. Every other year, districts must use one of their three state-funded professional development days to conduct training on social-emotional learning, according to the state superintendent’s office. The state also adopted SEL standards and provides resources and help to districts as they implement SEL.

The Lake Washington district—in which 39 percent of students are Asian, 38 percent are white, 11 percent are Hispanic, 9 percent are of two or more races, and 2 percent are Black—had conversations with parents, staff, and community members about the social-emotional skills they wanted students to have. District leaders then worked with staff to develop content that embedded those skills into other areas of learning, like reading, math, and science. For example, a history teacher may give students the opportunity to share their emotional reactions to lessons on historical events, or a math teacher might encourage a student to take a moment and practice calming techniques during a particularly challenging problem.

“That’s been a really impactful shift in Lake Washington school district, just looking at what are the requisite social-emotional skills students and adults need to have healthy relationships with one another, to navigate complex environments, to engage in learning across content areas and across the day,” said Charlotte Plouse, a student-services specialist with the 30,000-student district. “We really tried to do that in a way that modeled what we’d hope for our students to experience.”

Having buy-in from the adults is key to successful SEL, said Lovanhill of the Committee for Children.

“Adults are the key influence on kids’ experience, as much as we might emphasize peers and relationships,” she said. “Having high-quality professional development for educators, ensuring that educators are supported in finding those daily moments of learning throughout the day, [supporting] a high-quality environment for kids to learn in, and [ensuring] that there are really effective communication strategies between parents and educators—all of that comes to bear on the perception of school.”

A state’s approach

Washington state isn’t alone in committing statewide to social-emotional learning as a tool to combat misbehavior and improve school climate. A growing number of states have adopted SEL standards following the pandemic , even as the term has become a political target of some conservative governors, lawmakers, and education officials.

In Nevada, state officials have incorporated social-emotional learning into their efforts to promote positive school climates.

Since 2015, the state has used its School Climate/Social Emotional Learning Survey to learn how students perceive their school climate. The survey, administered in schools statewide each fall, asks students about their relationships with peers, teachers, and school leadership; their schools’ ability to include and respect students of different cultures and who speak languages other than English; their physical and emotional safety at school; and their own perceptions of their social and emotional competencies.

The state uses the results to provide social-emotional resources and extra help to schools where students indicate the environment might not be positive or conducive to learning, said Laronica Maurer, who oversees school climate and equity initiatives at Nevada’s education department.

“When you walk into a space and you just know, I feel important here, I feel valued here, I feel respected here: That’s how we want our students to feel when they enter the school,” Maurer said.

The state is developing a set of social-emotional-learning standards as well as a portrait of a learner , which reflects a list of attributes parents, educators, and community members think a student should have when they graduate, to support its school climate work over the next school year. The goal is to help all Nevada schools cultivate a positive climate, where students develop the social and emotional skills they need to thrive.

One of the biggest barriers for schools, Maurer said, is having the time to ensure social-emotional learning is happening. That’s where she sees the state having the biggest influence.

“Administrators, district leaders, we have to give them the permission to factor this time in,” Maurer said. “We have to let them know that we value positive school climate, social-emotional learning, restorative practices. We value this so much that it’s important for you to factor time in your day to dedicate to teaching social-emotional learning, to having a connection circle to get to know your kids better, to do a fishbowl to problem-solve and get students engaged in that problem-solving process.

“I think when educators or administrators of the school building know that it’s OK, they want to follow suit.”

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Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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Khailing Neoh, the founder of Sum Bar , a unique Dim Sum restaurant and bar in Greenville, South Carolina, shares her entrepreneurial journey and the lessons learned from establishing a culturally rich dining experience. Drawing on her family’s background in the restaurant industry and her own experiences, Khailing offers valuable insights for new entrepreneurs, especially in the hospitality sector . Here are some key lessons from her story:

• Identify and Fill a Market Gap: Recognize unique opportunities in your market, just as Sum Bar addressed the absence of Dim Sum options in Greenville.
• Embrace Your Cultural Heritage Authentically: Offer an authentic experience that respects and celebrates cultural traditions while staying relevant to modern tastes.
• Lead with Vulnerability: Be open about your limitations to foster a supportive environment where others can provide valuable insights and assistance.
• Seek High-Level Mentorship: Engage with mentors who can provide strategic advice and direction, enhancing your business’s growth and stability.
• Leverage Market Testing: Use pop-ups and other preliminary events to test your business concept and engage with the community effectively.
• Utilize Online Tools: Maximize your online presence through platforms like Google Business Pages to attract and inform customers.
• Create a Supportive Environment: Ensure your workplace promotes health and safety, contributing to a positive team spirit and better customer service.
• Engage with the Community: Actively participate in community activities to build a network of support that reciprocates your contributions.

These strategies not only helped Khailing successfully launch Sum Bar but also continue to guide her in growing and sustaining the business.  SCORE mentors are experienced professionals who provide free advice to help small businesses achieve new levels of success. Find a SCORE mentor who can help you on your entrepreneurial journey.

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Overcoming Obstacles in Franchise Business Opportunities To determine if franchise business opportunities are right for you, answer these questions first.

How to Create a Marketing Budget for Startups Planning a marketing budget for a startup or small business? Start here for essential and optional marketing costs.

Copyright © 2024 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

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• 2differentiate

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• Pages & Files

Tiered Instructions:

Based on work by Carol Ann Tomlinson

Powerpoint from: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/.../ Tiered Instr.ppt

Basic Information from http://www.derry.k12.nh.us/dvs/staff/cmccallum/differentiation/tiered.pdf

Tiered Assignments

In a differentiated classroom, a teacher uses varied levels of tasks to ensure that students explore ideas and use skills at a level that builds on what they already know and encourages growth. While students work at varied degrees of difficulty on their tasks, they all explore the same essential ideas and work at different levels of thought. Groups eventually come together to share and learn from each other.

Tiered assignments should be:

• -Different work, not simply more or less work
• -Equally active
• -Equally interesting and engaging
• -Fair in terms of work expectations and time needed
• -Requiring the use of key concepts, skills, or ideas

Basic Tiered Activity

Example: Completing a Character Map

Tier 1. (Low)

-How the character looks

-What the character says

-How the character thinks or acts

-The most important thing to know about the character

Tier 2. (Middle)

-What the character says or does

-What the character really means to say or do

-What goals does the character have

-What the character would mostly like us to know about him or her

-What changes the character went through

Tier 3. (High)

-Clues the author gives us about the character

-Why the author gives these clues

-The author’s bottom line about this character

Tiered Activities

Tiering can be based on challenge level, complexity, resources, outcome, process, or product. (Heacox, 2002)

1. Tiering by Challenge Level:

Use Bloom’s taxonomy as a guide to develop tasks at various

challenge levels.

Elementary activities for book talk presentations.

Lower levels of Blooms:

• -List story elements (knowledge)
• -Book summary (comprehension)
• -Support a conclusion about a character with evidence from the book (application)

Higher levels of Blooms:

• -Discuss the theme or author’s purpose for writing the book (analysis)
• -Create a new ending for the story (synthesis)
• -Critique the author’s writing and support your opinion (evaluation)

2. Tiering by Complexity:

When you tier by complexity, you provide varied tasks that address a student’s level of readiness, from introductory levels to more abstract, less concrete, advanced work. Be careful to provide advanced work to the higher level student, rather than just more work.

After whole group class reading of a current events issue in the Time for Kids magazine such as global warming, students complete a related activity differentiated by complexity.

Students are asked to write a public service announcement

using jingles, slogans, or art to convey why global warming is a problem

and what people can do to prevent it.

Students conduct a survey of peer awareness and understanding of global warming. They design a limited number of

questions and decide how to report their results such as with charts or in a newscast.

Tier three:

Students debate the issue about the seriousness of global warming, each side expressing a different viewpoint. The must provide

credible evidence to support their opinions and arguments.

3. Tiering by Resources:

Use materials at various reading levels and complexity to tier by resources. Students using tiered resources may be engaged in the same

activity, (such as find five examples of contributions made by Native Americans ), or they may be working on a different, but related activity. (such as one group researching plants of the desert, while another

researches animals of the desert).

4. Tiering by Outcome:

Students all use the same materials, but what they do with the

materials is different.

Example: Pattern block Math

• Identify all the ways you can group your pattern blocks.
• Identify all the different patterns you can make with your pattern blocks.
• Create a bar graph to show all the different kinds of pattern blocks in your bag.

5. Tiering by Process:

Students work on the same outcomes, but use a different process to get there.

Example: What are the characteristics of a hero?

• Make a chart of specific heroes and what they did to make them become a hero.
• Choose two or three heroes and compare them in a Venn diagram.
• List personal characteristics exhibited by heroes and rank them from most to least important.

6. Tiering by Product:

Groups are formed based on learning preference, using Gardner’s multiple intelligences.

Example: For a unit on the solar system, Study of rotation and revolution

of the earth.

• Create a flip book, diagram, or model showing the rotation of the earth around the sun (visual-spatial)

Position and move three people to demonstrate the concept of revolution and rotation of the earth with respect to

the moon and sun. (bodily-kinesthetic)

• Make a timeline of a year detailing the position of the New Hampshire with respect to the sun. (logical-mathematical)

References:

Heacox, D. (2002). Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom, Responding to the Needs of All Learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for

Supervision and Curriculum Development, (ASCD).

Tiered Activity Resources:

For more ideas and specific tiered activities that you can use in your classroom, check out the following resources, available in the PACE

department at Derry Village School: Coil, C. (2004). Standards-Based Activities and Assessments for the

Differentiated Classroom. Pieces of Learning.

Davidson, K. and T. Decker. (2006). Bloom’s and Beyond: Higher Level Questions and Activities for the Creative Classroom. Pieces

of Learning.

Tomlinson, C. (2003). Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and

Curriculum Development, (ASCD).

Witherell, N. and M. McMackin. (2002). Graphic Organizers and Activities for Differentiated Instruction in Reading. New York, NY:

Scholastic.

The following web sites can provide further information and examples.

Best Practices: Instructional Strategies and Techniques

http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/bestpractice/tiered/index.html

Tiered Lesson Plans

http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/gt/tiered_curriculum/welcome.html  

Tiered Instruction

http://www.derry.k12.nh.us/dvs/staff/cmccallum/differentiation/tiered.pdf

Tiered Instructions

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Configure Flexfield Parameters in Value Sets for Worker Assignments

You want to use assignment or work relationship attributes as input parameters when creating a value set for a flexfield segment.

Using parameters, you have the flexibility to control the list of values in the assignment descriptive flexfields (DFF) based on the assignment or work relationship attributes. Consider the following use case:

The Vision India company wants to capture the job and the job specialty at the worker's assignment and filter the job specialty value based on the selected job. To achieve this, the company does these things:

Defines the job specialty using the job extensible flexfield (EFF) and provides a one-to-many relationship between the job and the job specialty.

Allows the user to select from the list of job specialties at the worker's assignment. The job specialties are defined using the job EFF for the selected assignment job.

Summary of Tasks

Set up the job EFF.

Set up the assignment DFF.

Set up Job EFF

Define a multi-row EFF at the job level using these values:

Name : Job Specialty

Type : Multi-Row EFF

Data Type : Character

Table Column : JEI_INFORMATION1 (You can use any available column)

After you define the EFF, populate it with the value you want for different jobs.

Set Up Assignment DFF

Create the value set to be used in the assignment DFF by using the job as the parameter.

Go to the task Manage Value Set .

In the Create Value Set page, enter these values:

Value Set Code : Job Speciality

Module : Search and select Employment

Validation Type : Table

Value Data Type : Character

In the FROM Clause field, enter the following syntax:

In the Value Column Name field, enter JEI_INFORMATION1 (or the column which is defined while creating the job EFF).

In the WHERE Clause field, enter the following syntax:

Create the assignment DFF by using the value set defined in the previous step.

In the Setup and Maintenance work area, go to the following:

Functional Area: Workforce Information

Task: Manage Employment Descriptive Flexfields

On the Manage Employment Descriptive Flexfields page, select the PER_ASG_DF row and click Edit on the Actions menu.

Select the Assignment Attributes row and click Edit on the Actions menu.

Click the Create (+) icon in the Global Segments area and create a segment by entering these values:

Name : Job Speciality

Use the value set defined in the previous step.

Deploy the flexfield.

In the assignment section of the employment flows, verify that the values in the newly defined flexfield are filtered based on the selected job and job specialty values defined in the job setup.

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