SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICE

building on ability

DIFFERENTIATION in the classroom for students with

special educational needs

Types of Special Educational Need

1. Physical / sensory disability

2. General learning disability

3. Specific learning disability

4. Emotional / Behavioural Disturbance

5. Autistic Spectrum Disorders

6. Specific Speech & Language Disorder

7. Gifted / exceptionally talented children

8. Multiple disabilities

An Appropriate Education

Access Participation Benefit

Multiple Intelligences

Type of Intelligence

Linguistic

Example

Story writing

Visual / Spatial Graphs

Musical Write and perform music

Body - Kinaesthetic Drama and dance

Mathematical Protractors / T-square

Interpersonal Peer tutoring

Intrapersonal Know and express feelings

Naturalistic Building habitats

Learning Styles – What are they ?

Learning

Styles

Visual

Learners

30-35%

Auditory

Learners

29-35%

Tactile-

Kinesthetic

15-30%

Differentiation

What is it?

Teacher varies content, activities, methodology and resources

when taking into account the range of interests, needs and experience of the students

Differentiation involves

ADAPTING

THE

CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT

Concrete Symbolic Abstract

Doing/Feeling Seeing Thinking

Objects/

Experience

Illustrations

Diagrams

Words

Ideas

Vary the resources --------- Adjust the learning environment

Adapting the Content 1

Adapting the Content 2

What

must

should

could

Q.1: What are the key concepts I want to teach?

they know / be able to do?

Q.2: Are there key words I need to pre-teach?

Differentiating Activities

Skills Progression Planning Respond to

questions

Brainstorm

Use concrete experience

Use some terminology

Ask questions

Identify hazards

Make predictions

Turn ideas into investigations

Suggest variables

Use various sources to find information

Use scientific terms regularly

Realise the limitations of investigations

Produce a detailed plan

Suggested learning outcomes in planning a

JC Science investigation

Energy is the ability to do _______.

Curricular Example

work

HINT

Work is done when a force moves an object.

Work done = force x distance

Energy is measured in Joules.

1. Energy is the ability to do___________.

Review Questions

2. What unit is energy measured in?

HINT

HINT

These questions test what you have learnt about:

Click the green button to start the quiz.

Forms of Energy&

The Law of Conservation of Energy

Stored energy is called:

Soundenergy

PotentialEnergy

KineticEnergy

Click one coloured button, A, B or C.

Incorrect

Sound energy is caused by vibrations.

Click the red button to return to the question.

TRY AGAIN

IncorrectAll moving things have kinetic energy.

Click the red button to return to the question.

TRY AGAIN

CorrectPotential energy is stored energy waiting to be used.

CONTINUE

Click the green button to continue.

Adapting the Process

Methods –

Discussion, writing, reading, active learning, brainstorming, sequence boxes, concept maps, project work

Organisation :•Whole class instruction •Group teaching•Co-operative groups•Peer tutoring•Activity-based learning•Independent learning•1:1 instruction

Resources

Textbooks, artefacts, multimedia, ICT, students’ work.

Adapting the Product

• Cartoons / story boarding

• Mind maps

• PowerPoint Presentation

• Dramatisation

• Video / tapes

• Model making

• Art / design

• Writing/ Project work

Student Concept Maps

“If you make a mistake, you can fix it with a new

arrow”

Structure

Differentiation Creative thinking

Co-operative learningActive

learning

Learning preference

s

Choice of activity

Readability Appropriat

e assessmen

t

A final thought …

“If they can’t learn

in the way I teach,

can I teach in a way

they can learn?”

Harry Chasty

Contact Details

Special Education Support

Service

c/o Cork Education Support Centre,

Western Road,

Cork

Website: www.sess.ie

Telephone:1850-200884