Differentiation in an inclusive classroom

Just before school reopened, I spent a half day with the teacher at Shinning Stars Preparatory School. Together we broke down the topic of Differentiation. Differentiation can be an overwhelming topic. So, the aim of the workshop was to make it more manageable. One lesson, more than one way, and a set of decisions that a teacher can make to help more students access the objectives set out.

We started with inclusion itself, and with the difference between a child who is simply present in the room and a child the room has actually changed to fit. From there we looked at the range of needs sitting in an ordinary primary classroom, and sorted those needs into four domains: cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social. 
The second half of our workshop was practical. We explored ways to differentiate by content, process, product and environment, worked through how to make flexible groupings work. Participants especially enjoyed working through practical classroom-based scenarios that challenged them to created tiered lessons while considering the four domains of needs. 

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