Differentiation doesn’t have to be difficult
As a teacher, your to-do list is endless. From lesson planning to grading and everything in between, finding the time to differentiate instruction for students with IEPs can feel overwhelming. But here’s the good news: differentiation doesn’t have to take hours of planning. Sometimes, small, intentional adjustments can have a big impact—and you can implement them in just 15 minutes or less!
Here are three quick-win strategies to get started:
- Create Tiered Assignments
Spend a few minutes adjusting the difficulty level of a task to match student readiness. For example, while some students write a multi-paragraph essay, others can outline key points or write a single well-supported paragraph. - Offer Choice Boards
In as little as 10 minutes, you can create a simple choice board with 3-6 options for completing an assignment. For example, students might choose to summarize a chapter with a comic strip, a paragraph, or a video response. - Pre-Fill Graphic Organizers
For students who struggle with starting tasks, pre-fill parts of a graphic organizer. This small tweak scaffolds the activity while keeping the rigor intact.
Why It Matters
These small adjustments are not only manageable for your planning time but also help create a classroom where all students can thrive. Remember, differentiation isn’t about creating entirely separate lessons—it’s about tweaking what you already do to ensure every student has access to the learning.
Try one of these strategies this week! Need help figuring out where to start? Drop your questions in the comments or send me a message—I’d love to help.
