Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach in which the teacher plans lessons to meet the different needs, readiness levels, interests and learning profiles of the students in one classroom. Instead of teaching every student the same way at the same pace, the teacher adjusts what students learn (content), how they learn it (process), how they show what they learned (product), and where and in what setting they learn (learning environment). The goal is for all students to reach the same important learning goals, even if they take different paths to get there.
Teachers differentiate instruction because every classroom includes students with different learning needs: some are ready for more challenge, some need more practice, some are English learners, and some have disabilities. A differentiated classroom is built so that every learner has a fair chance to make sense of the lesson.
What does differentiated mean?
To define differentiated in education: something is differentiated when it has been changed or varied to fit different learners. A differentiated lesson might offer the same text at two reading levels, give some students extra practice while others take on a challenge, or let students choose between writing a report and making a poster.
The approach is closely linked to educator Carol Ann Tomlinson, whose books have shaped how many schools think about differentiation in the classroom. In her model, teachers differentiate in response to three student characteristics: readiness (current skill level), interest (what motivates the student) and learning profile (how the student learns best). Ongoing assessment, such as exit tickets, quick checks and observation, tells the teacher what each student needs next. The teacher then uses flexible grouping to group students based on current needs, and changes the groups often.
You may see the idea of "learning styles" mentioned alongside differentiation. Research has not supported matching instruction to a single preferred learning style, so most experts focus on readiness, interest and learning profile instead.
The four elements of differentiated instruction
1. Content
Content is what students are learning and the materials they use to learn it. The core standards stay the same, but the way students access the information can change. Examples: reading passages at different levels on the same topic, audio versions of a text, vocabulary lists with pictures, or pre-teaching key words to students who need it.
2. Process
Process is how students make sense of the content. Examples: small-group instruction, hands-on activities with manipulatives, graphic organizers, learning stations, partner work, or tiered assignments where each group works on the same skill at a different level of difficulty.
3. Product
Product is how students show what they have learned. Examples: a written essay, an oral presentation, a model, a video, a comic strip or a test. Choice boards let students pick from several options that all measure the same learning goal.
4. Learning environment
The learning environment is the physical and social setting of the classroom. Examples: quiet work areas and spaces for group work, flexible seating, clear routines, visual schedules, and a classroom culture where it is normal for students to work on different tasks.
Differentiated instruction examples
- Reading: The class studies the same novel. Some students read the book, some listen to the audiobook while following along, and a small group reads with the teacher. All students answer the same big question about the theme.
- Math: After a short whole-class lesson on fractions, students rotate through stations: one with fraction tiles, one with teacher-led practice, and one with word problems at different levels.
- Science: Students choose to show their understanding of the water cycle with a labeled diagram, a short written explanation or a recorded presentation.
- Writing: Students who need support get a sentence starter and a graphic organizer; students who are ready get an extension prompt.
- Grouping: The teacher uses flexible groups that change based on a quick check at the end of each lesson, instead of fixed "high" and "low" groups.
How teachers differentiate instruction day to day
- Flexible grouping: Students work in whole-class, small-group, partner and individual settings, and grouping changes with the task.
- Tiered assignments: Everyone works on the same learning goal, but tasks differ in complexity.
- Choice: Giving students a choice of topic or product builds engagement and ownership of their learning.
- Anchor activities: Meaningful tasks students can work on independently while the teacher meets with a small group.
- Scaffolds: Sentence starters, worked examples, word banks and checklists that can be faded over time.
Differentiation is related to, but not the same as, individualized instruction or personalized learning. Differentiated instruction is still group teaching. The teacher plans a few options within one lesson or unit, rather than a separate plan for every learner.
Differentiation vs. accommodations, modifications and SDI
These terms are related, but they are not the same. Knowing the difference matters for parents of students with disabilities.
- Differentiated instruction is good teaching for the whole class. It is not a legal term in IDEA, it is planned by the teacher, and it is available to every student, with or without a disability.
- Accommodations change how a student learns or shows learning (for example extra time, audiobooks or preferential seating) without changing the expectations. They are written into an IEP or 504 plan and must be provided.
- Modifications change what a student is expected to learn, such as fewer or different standards or an alternate grading system. See accommodations vs. modifications.
- Specially designed instruction (SDI) is defined in the IDEA regulations at 34 CFR 300.39. It means adapting the content, methodology or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of a child with a disability and to ensure the child can access the general curriculum. SDI is the core of special education and is written into the IEP.
In short, a teacher may differentiate for every student, but differentiation alone does not replace the services a child is entitled to under an IEP. If a student with a disability needs more than what the classroom teacher offers everyone, those supports must be written into the IEP or 504 plan.
Differentiated instruction and UDL
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiation work well together, but they start from different points. UDL plans flexibility into the lesson from the start by offering multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression for all learners. Differentiation often adjusts instruction in response to what the teacher learns about specific students through assessment. Many teachers use UDL to design lessons and differentiation to fine-tune them.
Differentiation in inclusive classrooms
IDEA requires that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment, which for many students means the general education classroom with supports. Differentiated instruction helps make inclusion work, because it gives teachers ways to reach students with a wide range of skills in one room. In co-taught classes, the general education and special education teachers often split into small groups or stations, and a paraprofessional may support a group. Differentiation also fits within MTSS, where strong Tier 1 core instruction is the first layer of support for all students.
Frequently asked questions about differentiated instruction
What are the four types of differentiated instruction?
Teachers can differentiate content (what students learn), process (how they learn it), product (how they show learning) and learning environment (the setting). These four elements come from Carol Ann Tomlinson's model.
What is an example of differentiated instruction?
A teacher gives the class the same science question but lets students read about it in texts at different levels, then lets each student choose to answer with a diagram, a paragraph or a short presentation.
What are four strategies for differentiated instruction?
Four common strategies are flexible grouping, tiered assignments, learning stations and choice boards. All of them let students with different readiness levels work toward the same learning goal.
Is differentiated instruction the same as an accommodation?
No. Differentiation is a general teaching approach for all students. An accommodation is an individual support written into an IEP or 504 plan that the school must provide.
