Using Differentiated Instruction to Create Student-Centered Environments in Multilevel Classrooms

Jeannette Della VedovaGlen Forest Elementary School

Fairfax County (VA) Public SchoolsSubmitted June 2002

IntroductionIn an ideal world of teaching, all students in a particular grade would be on

the same level. Classrooms would consist of students with similar intellectual and emotional capabilities and cultural similarities. But in the real world this type of classroom does not exist. Instead, teachers must deal with students who are all in the same grade, but who are at various levels of intellectual and emotional development and who also vary in regards to cultural differences and language. A typical third-grade class is really made up of children who are on the first, second, third and forth-grade level, who also come from different places. It is the job of the teacher to balance all these various levels of learning.

This paper addresses the challenges of teaching in a multilevel classroom and offers some suggestions to help manage and teach children on different intellectual, emotional and cultural levels. Teachers should manage their classrooms in a way that enables all students to learn in their own manner and ability. The students in this study come from various educational levels, backgrounds, and nationalities. All of the twenty students in the study were first-generation Americans and eight of them received regular instruction from an ESOL teacher. Early assessments of the class showed that the students varied greatly in ability, knowledge level, discipline and interests. They also remained restless when it came to whole group instruction. To address these challenges, the researcher decided to use differentiated instruction and small work centers to help students learn more effectively.

Question The purpose of this study was to see if using differentiated instruction

would have a positive effect on student learning and development. The researcher wanted to see if transferring the weight of instruction from the teacher to the learner would encourage students to become more independent and dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.

Review of the LiteratureTeaching in a multilevel classroom is challenging. Multilevel classrooms

are ones which include “cultural differences (among students and among teachers and students), class differences, gender differences, student motivation, differences in first languages and differences in learning styles” (Balliro, 1997). In order to make learning more meaningful and exciting for all students, research suggests that teachers must “seek out practical solutions in the form of

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techniques and classroom management in order to successfully engage all the learners in their classes” (Balliro, 1997).

Teachers can no longer stand in front of the classroom and tell the students what to learn. They must teach students how to learn and how to teach themselves. Teachers must then adopt ways that make learning a part of a child’s everyday life. “New approaches maintain that students learn by actively building on what they already know” (Duran, 1993). Students are then able to attach themselves to the topic being taught and then use this new base as a springboard into other areas. They take hold of their own education and personalize it and empower themselves to learn. In order to meet the needs of all students and encourage empowerment and growth within each of them, teachers should consider using differentiation, small group settings and centers to help children meet their goals.

Differentiated instruction is defined as a way of “providing different avenues to acquiring content, to processing or making sense of ideas and to developing products” (Tomlinson, 1995). Differentiated instruction helps teachers focus on individual students needs and increases the chances “that the learning experiences will provide an appropriate fit for many learners” (Tomlinson, 1995).

When using differentiated instruction it may appear at first that the students are the ones running the classroom. In fact, the teacher’s role in a differentiated classroom is one of mentor and facilitator. After assessing the students, the teacher creates various lessons, activities and products according to the different levels of ability in the classroom. These lessons should “both capture students’ attention and lead to understanding,” (Tomlinson, 1995). Then within the differentiated instruction it is up to the child to decide what they will do and then do the work. This helps build a sense of accomplishment and confidence within the students who in a regular classroom may have been lost.

Differentiated instruction allows teachers to create student-centered environments which encourage students to become more independent and empowered. By using centers when differentiated, students are given choices that are interesting, relevant and engaging. Centers require students to accomplish a set amount of tasks or activities, but they are allowed to work at their own pace. “Because each child is working at an individual level, ESL children and children with special needs are accommodated within the structure of the classroom” (Staab, 1991). This makes learning more enjoyable and meaningful to the student.

It is also important to note that “whenever possible, the children’s ideas and interests should provide the basis for the content of the center” (Staab, 1991). The more input students have in their learning the greater their interest tend to be. Teachers have certain objectives to the students should meet and learn within the centers, but the students are the ones who do the work and drive the products. Long-term projects are good to have at centers as well. “Long term projects allow students to assume responsibility for leadership roles and other tasks, depending on strengths and interests,” (Balliro, 1997).

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Differentiated instruction and learning centers can also help teachers with student assessments. Instead of focusing on one group of twenty students, teachers could focus on four groups of five students each. A smaller group allows for more individual attention. “As the teacher provides many FYIs during whole group instruction, it then becomes important for her/him to observe individual children during work time at the centers” (Staab, 1991). Through the constant monitoring and assessing of student needs in learning centers “teachers monitor the match between learner and learning and make adjustments as warranted” (Tomlinson, 1995). This constant assessment process helps the teacher ensure that all students are progressing and learning.

MethodsIn order for differentiation to be effective, teachers must consider three

things: classroom management, instruction and student assessment. Proper classroom management lays the foundation for differentiated instruction. In order to make learning accessible for all students, the classroom needs to be arranged in a way that is inviting for all. Setting up a reliable behavioral management plan is also essential for using differentiated instruction. Because students will be doing more work on their own, the class must have a good discipline system in place, which encourages students to be responsible and maintain order.

Likewise, instruction and assessment must be geared toward the needs of the students. Proper teaching instruction is fundamental to student learning and understanding. When using differentiated instruction teachers must ensure that all students are working and learning the classroom material. When teachers instruct students, different modes of assessment must be put into place in order to meet the needs of the students. After assessing the students, it is important for the teacher to provide activities or ideas for activities that are of interest and challenge the students to seek information on their own.

Classroom ManagementFor differentiation to work, teachers must put the needs of their students

first. The classroom and everything within it must be geared toward a student-centered environment. Getting the classroom set up was the first step in the researcher’s process. From the beginning, it was obvious that the classroom needed to be rearranged to create designated areas for different subjects and a reading center for all the students to enjoy. The desks were arranged in a U-shape that allowed everyone to see the front chalkboard at all times. The big space in the center was a good area for conducting whole group lessons. To aide with the absence of storage space for the students, wooden mailboxes were purchased so that all students would have a place to keep their center folders, clipboards and personal wipe boards.

In regards to behavior management, the researcher used a color-management system. Students earned points by following classroom rules and staying in the green and lost points when they disobeyed rules and they were to moved the yellow and red colors. Any points students earned could then be used to “buy” objects in the class store. Another management tool was for

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students to create a classroom shirt. Each time students completed all their work for the week they would get an opportunity to decorate their shirts with paint. While the main goal was to foster classroom unity by all having similar shirts, it was also seen as a means of encouragement for staying focused and working during independent times.

InstructionThe researcher used a building block approach to introduce differentiated

instruction into the classroom. The researcher felt that the students were more focused when they were in a small group as opposed to large group settings and began the year by focusing differentiation only in during the Language Arts teaching block.

The researcher would begin a particular unit by giving a brief written quiz. After assessing the quiz, the students would be broken up into the appropriate groups. Four days of small group lessons would be geared specifically towards that topic, while the last day of the week would be focused on review time. The selected students would meet with the researcher for a set period of time while the other students worked at centers around the room. The teacher would present a lesson that was geared towards the needs of the students at the table. Then to test understanding, the students would complete assignments of their choosing. The teacher used this same process for instructing students in math as well.

In the beginning of the year, students followed a set rotation for centers (Appendix A). Each child would meet with the teacher at least twice a week and then go to several other activities the rest of the time. The students would follow a learning contract, which was their guide for weekly activities. All center activities were to be completed by the end of the week. Until students became more familiar with the format, the students had dictated activities for the week. This allowed the teacher time to meet with students and assess their needs while the rest of the class was learning to complete work on their own within a given time frame.

As time progressed, the teacher felt that students were becoming more comfortable with the center routine and decided to allow the students to choose when they wanted to go to other centers instead of following a rotation. Weekly work sheets (Appendixes B, C and D), as they came to be called, became more differentiated to students’ individual needs. Some received “ready made” weekly work sheets while others copied their assignments for the week from the master board. This allowed those students who needed more time on instruction to focus their attentions there and not on copying their work.

It was interesting for the researcher to see how the students empowered themselves through their processing of information. Even though the centers at the beginning of the year were more teacher-oriented, by the end of the year, the students were running the centers and empowering themselves. They would come up with ways of completing required center activities that also met their needs and interested them. For example, while studying the writing process students would write their own paragraphs and then have a fellow student edit

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the writing. The students themselves would become little teachers as they helped their classmates improve their writing. During math centers, students were also encouraged to create their own word problems. Students would write the problem and then have a friend try to solve it. In order to help them solve the problem they were working on, the students would get out the various manipulatives found throughout the classroom. Some of the students would use play money and open up a store, incorporating their word problem solving as they went along. The students would find things for other students to buy, hand out the fake money and open the store. The math center really helped the students internalize their learning and improve their math skills.

Another method to help students in their quest for knowledge was the use of an after school program. A letter and permission slip was sent home explaining the program to the parents. In order to participate, the students had to return the slip signed to the teacher. Eleven of the 20 students signed up to participate. The group was to meet every Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Initially, the goal was to help the students involved improve homework and study skills. As the weeks progressed, it also became a way for the teacher to work one-on-one with the students who needed extra help on a particular concept. At SOL time, the group also participated in SOL review practice. All students involved benefited greatly from the group.

Assessing the studentsThe teacher researcher chose various ways to assess the students and

allowed them to pick the various products to show understanding when appropriate. For instance, each month the students were required to complete a sheet entitled, “What I have Learned” (Attachment E). On this sheet, the student was to pick four different things they had learned that month, write about them and then draw about them. This allowed the student to show the teacher that he/she understood the topic in a way that was comfortable for them.

The teacher also used observations, anecdotal records and formal tests as assessment tools. Throughout the entire process, the teacher kept a record sheet (Appendix F) of when she met with each student and what was discussed. The teacher was then able to focus instruction on a particular student and that student’s needs instead of having to go with only one product or mode of instruction. Different groups would be taught information in different ways in order to meet the needs of all learners. The “Weekly Quiz” was also a way for the teacher to differentiate even further. Each week, students would take what came to be known as the “Weekly Quiz.” The quiz was formatted in the same fashion as the Standards of Learning Tests (multiple choice) that the students would take at the end of the year. Although they were graded, they were used more for anecdotal purposes to see which students needed help before final testing occurred. The teacher would then use small group time the next week to meet with those students who needed more help.

It was also deemed important that the students themselves assess their own understanding of topics and figure out where they may need more help. As a way for students to take more responsibility for their learning, they made up

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report cards on themselves (Appendix G). At the end of each nine weeks, the students completed a personal report card that went home with their report cards. They were also shown at parent conferences to help the parent see what their child felt his/her own weaknesses and strengths were.

FindingsDuring this study, evidence was found that the use of differentiated

instruction in a multilevel classroom can be effective in creating a student-centered environment. The movement from center rotations to free choice centers showed that the students were more responsible and able to make proper educational choices on their own. The movement from structured to open-ended activities within the centers, allowed the students to practice what they learned and become better at the skills at their own pace and push themselves to reach new heights and abilities. Requiring students to assess themselves also helped the students to make goals and achieve them.

Centers and small group instruction had a great impact on the students as well. They began to ask for center time and would become upset when we did not have it. When asked why they liked centers, they said it was because they liked feeling independent and enjoyed spending time working with their friends. The teacher enjoyed listening to the students interact with each other and help each other out when they needed it, whether they were helping each other write word problems or correct spelling and capitalization errors in their writing. Behavior also changed within the students. They were more focused and turned work in when it was due, not days after. On the final report card, the teacher noticed that most of the “Ns” in behavior, work study habits had changed to “Ss” and even a few “G’s.” They had begun to take responsibility for their own actions and had become more pro-active in their own education.

The teacher researcher feels that it was the fact that she made learning more exciting for the children and allowed them to work at their own pace. They began to feel more comfortable with themselves and confident in their abilities to achieve. Differentiated instruction and having students work in small groups and centers really helped the students to become more empowered learners.

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ReferencesBalliro, Lenore (Summer, 1997). “The Multilevel Questions.” Connections: A

Journal of Adult Literacy (Volume VII), 5-7.Balliro, Lenore (Summer, 1997). “Multilevel Classes: Some Practical

Suggestions.” Connections: A Journal of Adult Literacy (Volume VII), 14-15.

Duran, Richard P. (October, 1993). “Construction of Learning and Interaction of Language Minority Children in Cooperative Learning.” Baltimore, Maryland: The Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Disadvantaged Students, (report #45), Johns Hopkins University.

Early, Margaret (October, 1990). “Enabling First and Second Language Learners in the Classroom.” Language Arts, vol. 67, 567-574.

Staab, Claire (February, 1991). “Enabling First and Second Language Learners in the Classroom.” Language Arts, vol. 68, 108-113.

Tomlinson, Carol Ann (1995). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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Appendix D

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Appendix E

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Appendix F

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Appendix G

Name_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

My Personal Report Card Rate yourself on the scale for each topic. Then write down some things you can do to do better in school.

Completes work on Time

Follows classroom rules What I would like to work on:

Stays focused on a given task

Remembers to do homework

Math

Science

Social Studies

Writing

Spelling

Needs improvement Needs little or no improvement

Name_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

My Personal Report Card Rate yourself on the scale for each topic. Then write down some things you can do to do better in school.

Completes work on Time

Follows classroom rules What I would like to work on:

Stays focused on a given task

Remembers to do homework

Math

Science

Social Studies

Writing

Spelling

Needs improvement Needs little or no improvement

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