What is it?
Programs
Enrichment
Contact Me

Differentiation is a way of teaching in which teachers proactively modify curriculum, teaching methods, resources, learning activities, and student products to address the needs of individual students and/or small groups of students to maximize the learning opportunity for each student in the classroom. –Tomlinson, et al.

Why Differentiation?
All students come to school with differing ability and readiness levels, interests and preferred learning styles. Differentiation is the philosophy that allows teachers to meet the students where they are and help them grow and learn from there.

What does it mean for my child's education?
Differentiation is a philosophy that incorporates all children. There is no “identification process” and no label attached to children. All children benefit from having the curriculum modified to meet their needs. If your child is especially gifted at reading, the teacher will modify the reading curriculum to meet his/her needs. If your child is having a hard time in math, again the curriculum will be modified to help him/her learn.
The district believes so strongly in this philosophy that they have assigned a differentiation specialist to every elementary building to assist teachers with the process of differentiating curriculum. This specialist works with the teachers to differentiate the learning units to meet the needs of the students.

How does the teacher know what to differentiate?
The cornerstone to differentiation is assessment. The assessment process is on going. There is often a pre-assessment prior to the unit. There are also assessments in place throughout the unit. This allows the teacher to monitor growth and adapt the unit when necessary.

Back to Top

OM is a competitive program with a foundation in creative thinking. Groups of students use their collective brainpower to solve real life problems. They then take their solution to a regional competition. They also practice spontaneous problem solving. The focus remains on the students coming up with the most creative solutions.

Strategies to use at home to challenge your child:

• Talk about their Day Set aside time to discuss the day's activities. For reluctant children, ask for their high point during the day and then the low point.
  
• Extend the Learning As your child shares activities that have happened during school, take note and use those activities to help stimulate additional learning at home. For instance, if the math concept is turn around facts and they know that 4 + 2 = 6 and 2 + 4 = 6, extend this by asking what 40 + 20 equals. Then have them create the turn around fact. Have the child try to stump you with turn around facts.
  
• Engage them in new Learning If your child has a particular interest that is not in the curriculum for their grade, encourage them to investigate it anyway. Make a family project of it. Chances are, the classroom teacher would welcome the opportunity for your child to share.
  
• READ OFTEN Read to, with and next to your child often. Reading is an excellent way to engage the brain in learning. You would be surprised at the vocabulary that can be gained by reading daily.
  
• Plan family field trips We are fortunate in this area to have numerous museums, zoos, theaters, etc to visit. Make a study trip out of it. Even apple picking, grocery shopping or going to the post office can become a learning trip.
  
• Create a Learning Environment Communicate to your child often that learning is a lifelong process. Call their attention to the times when you learn new things.
  
• Words, words, words Don't water down your vocabulary for your children. If they hear you using a plethora of words, they will begin using them as well.
  
• Set high expectations Let your child know that their job is to learn and you expect them to put forth their best effort.

Back to Top