I taught high school honors freshmen in English Language Arts. The students were bright go-getters who were recommended to the class based on their experiences in the middle school gifted and talented program. One of their first assignments was a writing activity. After teaching them the writing rubric, the students completed the writing task. I’d reassured them that the rubric was for formative feedback, as I needed to know where their skills were so that I could diagnose where to start. They were reminded several times to not expect to rate high on the non-graded rubric this first time. It might take the entire marking period before they demonstrated mastery level in the skill targets. Many of the students rolled their eyes. They’ve heard that message before and then knocked the roof off of the assessments placed before them.

This is far from reality. On the one hand, these students do learn in the same way and pace—because that is how instruction is delivered. So they adapt. On the other hand, teachers often provide GT students with high interest projects where they conduct independent research and explore real-world problems to find solutions. During these projects, students are given time and voice to map their path towards completion of such work. Such projects embed differentiation. In blended classrooms where GT and regular education students are together, there can be rich learning experiences. Unfortunately, the temptation is to focus on the struggling students and leaving the GT students to fend for themselves, because “they will do just fine.” The result is students being unchallenged instead of getting at least a year’s growth like the others.

Differentiated Instruction came from the work of Special Education and Gifted & Talented Education. The strategies that are part of GT training are tools for differentiation. The core components of DI are in two parts: Teacher Role—Content, Process, and Product, and Student Response—Readiness, Interests, and Learning Profile. Susan Allan, author of Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms (2011), and Carol Tomlinson, author of Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom (2003) and The Differentiated Classroom (2014), reference these components in their writings and talks as part of instruction. Teachers structure and plan the first 3 components:

There are many formats for delivery of content, such as using readings, research, videos, and class lectures. GT students should be encouraged to take the lead in uncovering content using a variety of resources.

Students need opportunities to make sense of the instructional activities that deliver content before moving into other learning experiences. Just because content was delivered does not mean that all of the students understood everything that was intended. Journaling, partner conversations, jigsaws, and protocols like Say Something are some of the effective methods for students to check for what they know and do not know.

A simple method to differentiate products is to give several options that students can choose from. Learners will pick what captures their interest or makes the most sense to them. Another way to differentiate products for GT students is to let them design the product. Coach them on aligning their ideas to the learning targets, and then free them to be creative and innovative.

When designing lessons based on content, process, and products, teachers need to consider how students might respond: Readiness, Interests, and Learning Profiles. GT student response is especially important to consider. Involving them in the lesson planning and learning process through these components can lead to rich experiences and substantive achievement.

Readiness

Students’ current academic level determines what supports they need. GT student needs may at times be subtle, especially when they enter the unit already knowing it. In that instance, identify where their skill level exists, and craft experiences that stretch them. Most times when curriculum is challenging, GT students need support like everyone else. Sometimes this means grouping them by those common needs. Readiness is a critical need for GT students, and is part of a three-step process described later in this article.

Interests

Know what students care about beyond the school helps to make even the most abstract concepts relevant to them. When students get to dig into their passions as a means to learning required curriculum, they are engaged and willing to push forward to greater complexity.

Learning Preferences

Everyone makes sense of concepts and ideas through a variety of modalities. GT students are no different. The key is to cross-train by using two or more learning styles theories with students, and embrace that learners do well in more than one area of a multiple intelligence approach. Some examples include:

• Sternberg’s Triarchaic Theory of Intelligences
• Bernice McCarthy’s 4-Mat
• Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
• True Colors
• Meyer’s Briggs

These six components of Differentiated Instruction may seem much to take in, but they are important to understand as common language. Differentiating more deliberately and effectively are not difficult to start. Here are three steps to follow: Formative Assessment Cycle, Know the Whole Student, and Address Readiness Needs. In the long term result is that all students get stretched academically and will show growth.

Differentiated Instruction happens all the time in classrooms. Do you offer students choices? You’re differentiating. Do you make changes to lessons midway when you recognize that students either already know the content or may lack key skills to move forward? You’re differentiating.

Experienced teachers who return to teaching a grade level or subject know the crossroad lessons. These lessons are the ones that we know some students will struggle to achieve, where frustration becomes the confidence devourer. We need to anticipate student needs during those lessons—before instruction ever starts. We can differentiate effectively and strategically if we use data that tells us where the student’s current skill and knowledge levels are, and then begin supporting at that point.

Standards and Skills-based assessments tell us what students know and do not know. The academic data needs to be clean of assessment fog, so that data reviewed tells an accurate picture of the students’ understanding. For example, extra-credit and neatness points obscure how well a student understands writing skills, science content, and other academic outcomes. Clean data is critical to the next step.

Data informs instruction by telling us what parts of a concept students know, and what areas should they be stretched. This is especially true for GT students who may be beyond the core expectations. Deconstructing what they seemingly know well, we can coach them to deeper levels of skill complexity and depths of inquiry. We should also look for gaps in their understanding so that strategic coaching support ensures their growth.

Once we know where students are in their learning progress, we plan the support and extensions. This may look like individual or small group coaching or an embedded activity in a whole-group session. If GT students are working on advanced work or tackling complex problems, a clear plan that anticipates students’ needs based on data (step 2), makes the learners’ experiences productive and a good use of time, both in the short and long term.

Execute the plan. Adjust to students’ anticipated needs with intention, and less guesswork. Formatively assess along the way so as to collect data that will continue the cycle. Take notes during the lesson about the impact of planned and impromptu strategies. Review these notes during the next cycle.

The Formative Assessment Cycle, and similar data assessment protocols, improves instructional efficiency. It increases assurances that students are working on tasks that are respectful to their current level of stretch need. Yet, there are additional factors to consider as no student has the same personality or process concepts and skills identically.

My kids get me to play different online games. I don’t want to be a lame dad who can’t hold my own, so I read game guides, watch videos of the best players in action, and ask my kids lots of questions. These diverse mediums help me get a full picture, and it’s how my kids and their peers learn. We all develop understanding of concepts through a variety of ways. Learning Profiles gives us an internal view of how each student receives information. Student Interests informs us of ways to make complex ideas contextual. Make the invisible visible. Help students recognize that they use or see the curriculum concepts beyond the school. For example, a batter hitting a ball demonstrates one of Newton’s Laws of Motion. Can you explain which one?

A student’s perceptions about the subject being studied can impact their performance. There are many examples in sports where a more confident opponent defeats a talented athlete or team. If a student lacks confidence in their math or writing skills, a teacher will need to mediate those perceptions alongside the academic needs, which is what I did with the freshmen honors students after the writing assignment I gave them. Without coaching support, those students will underachieve because of those beliefs. There are several tools that help teachers collect such data about their students. Some examples include Learner Preference Cards, Student Quick Surveys, and Parent Surveys. The time invested early in collecting data about the whole student will pay dividends with deeper learning and connections being made quicker.

Readiness is the DI component that dominates the focus by general educators. GT students and students taking honors and AP courses have readiness challenges that can benefit from supportive strategies. For some academic concepts, students need to either be grouped based on their level of understanding or coached individually. Here are some strategies that can be used to address leveled needs. Additional ones can be found here.

I once had a student who’s writing skills were miles ahead of the other honors students. She painted beautifully rich pictures with her words. I could have left her alone with the guaranteed “A” that she would earn on the writing portion of the curriculum. But that’s not my style. Instead, I poured over resources by published authors on the topic of writing, and deconstructed her papers with the purpose of identifying how to make her a better writer. The answer focused on elevating skills in organization of ideas and sentence fluency to evoke an even stronger voice. Mission accomplished.

GT students are advanced from their peers in General Education. That means that their studies are academically appropriate to match their needs. If GT students are not asking for help or have few if any questions that lead to deeper understanding, then they do not need differentiation. They are not learning. Challenge leads to learning. If GT students are being stretched beyond their level of understanding, causing them to strive to learn key concepts, then they will require differentiation to ensure that they achieve at the highest level. Mission accomplished.