We differentiate instruction to honor the reality of the students we teach. They are energetic and outgoing. They are quiet and curious. They are confident and self-doubting. They are interested in a thousand things and deeply immersed in a particular topic. They are academically advanced and “kids in the middle” and struggling due to cognitive, emotional, economic, or sociological challenges. More of them than ever speak a different language at home. They learn at different rates and in different ways. And they all come together in our academically diverse classrooms.
Written as a practical guide for teachers, this expanded third edition of Carol Ann Tomlinson’s groundbreaking work covers the fundamentals of differentiation and provides additional guidelines and new strategies for how to go about it. You’ll learn
- What differentiation is and why it’s essential
- How to set up the flexible and supportive learning environment that promotes success
- How to manage a differentiated classroom
- How to plan lessons differentiated by readiness, interest, and learning profile
- How to differentiate content, process, and products
- How to prepare students, parents, and yourself for the challenge of differentiation
First published in 1995 as How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, this new edition reflects evolving best practices in education, the experiences of practitioners throughout the United States and around the world, and Tomlinson’s continuing thinking about how to help each and every student access challenging, high-quality curriculum; engage in meaning-rich learning experiences; and feel at home in a school environment that “fits.”
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Author Bio
Carol Ann Tomlinson, Ed.D, is Professor of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy at the University of Virginia and was a public school teacher for 21 years. During Carol's time in public school, she taught in many differentiated classrooms and directed district-level programs for struggling and advanced learners. Today, as co-director of the University of Virginia Summer Institute on Academic Diversity, she works with an international community of educators committed to academically responsive classrooms.
Carol has published books with ASCD, Corwin Press, Solution Tree, and Scholastic including: How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, The Parallel Curriculum, Managing a Differentiated Classroom, and Differentiation and the Brain.