Differentiation: What It Is (and What It Is Not)

Differentiation is often presented as if we should do everything at once: different tasks, different materials, different instructions—for every child, in every lesson.

That is neither realistic nor necessary.

In practice, differentiation in the classroom usually falls into three main types:

1. Differentiation for learning styles

2. Differentiation for support

3. Differentiation for challenge

They serve different moments of the lesson—and that matters.

1. Differentiation by Learning Style

(Most useful when introducing new content)

Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches are most helpful when new information is shared.

At this stage, the goal is access: to help as many children as possible understand what is being introduced.

What differentiation does not mean here:

• preparing three separate lessons

• repeating the same explanation in three different formats

What it can mean:

• combining small elements within one lesson

• choosing different approaches across different lessons

You don’t have to address every learning style every time. But over time, rotating approaches makes a real difference.

Examples

Language Development

• One lesson introduces new vocabulary through images and word cards (visual).

• Another lesson introduces sentence structures through oral repetition and discussion (auditory).

• A third lesson uses sentence strips that children physically move and reorder (kinesthetic).

Mathematics

• Introducing addition with number lines and diagrams (visual).

• Explaining strategies aloud and thinking together (auditory).

• Using counters, cubes, or fingers to model problems (kinesthetic).

Science

• Observing pictures or diagrams of plant parts (visual).

• Talking through a process step by step (auditory).

• Handling real objects—leaves, seeds, soil—or doing a simple experiment (kinesthetic).

Across lessons, all children get access. Not all at once—but enough.

2. Differentiation for Support

(Most needed during independent or group work)

Once children start working on their own, support differentiation becomes critical.

Here, all students work toward the same learning goal, but not all need the same tools to get there.

Support does not mean lowering expectations. It means removing unnecessary barriers.

Examples

Language Development

• All students write a short descriptive sentence.

• Some students receive:

  • word banks

  • sentence starters

  • example sentences on the desk

The goal is the same. The path is supported.

Mathematics

• All students solve word problems involving subtraction.

• Some students use:

  • visual models

  • step-by-step cards

  • fewer numbers with clearer structure

They are not doing “easier maths. ”They are being supported to succeed.

Science

• All students record observations from an experiment.

• Some students use:

  • observation tables

  • guiding questions

  • partially completed diagrams

Support allows them to focus on the learning—not the format.

3. Differentiation for Challenge

(Also during independent or group work)

Challenge differentiation is often misunderstood.

It does not mean:

• more tasks

• more pages

• more of the same

Challenge means going deeper, not wider.

Examples

Language Development

• While most students write a sentence, some:

  • combine sentences

  • add descriptive clauses

  • explain why a word choice works better

Mathematics

• While most students solve problems, some:

  • explain their strategy in two different ways

  • create a similar problem

  • find patterns or connections

Science

• While most students observe and record, some:

  • make predictions

  • explain causes and effects

  • suggest what would change if one condition were different

The learning goal stays the same. The thinking goes deeper.

A Realistic Way to Think About Differentiation

We cannot do everything all the time.

But we can:

• vary how we introduce learning across lessons

• differentiate support and challenge during independent work

• keep the same learning goal for all students

• 
  

Differentiation works best when it is intentional, not exhausting.

Not perfect.

Not constant.

But thoughtful.

And that is enough to make a difference.