Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:

Two key principles of effective differentiation related to instruction are flexible grouping and respectful tasks. Flexible grouping stresses the importance of proactive instructional planning to ensure that students regularly and frequently have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of peers.

Differentiation allows you to provide a rich experience for all of your students. Differentiation may seem like a lot of work, but it makes your job easier, I promise. When the materials and activities are differentiated, they fit your students’ needs.

1. Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
2. Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.
3. Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
4. Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.

Whether they come from middle- and upper-class income levels, from low-income households, from families living in poverty, or from families who are English language learners, 70 percent of adolescent learners will benefit from differentiated instruction.

As teachers begin to differentiate instruction, there are three main instructional elements that they can adjust to meet the needs of their learners:

• Content—the knowledge and skills students need to master.
• Process—the activities students use to master the content.
• Product—the method students use to demonstrate learning.

With differentiation in the classroom, instructors can manage what students learn, how students learn, and how students are assessed. With its flexibility, differentiated instruction allows teachers to maximize individual growth in the course content.

The goal of UDL is to use a variety of teaching methods to remove any barriers to learning and give all students equal opportunities to succeed. It’s about building in flexibility that can be adjusted for every student’s strengths and needs.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.

Universal Design Principles

• Equitable use. The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
• Flexibility in Use.
• Simple and intuitive.
• Perceptible information.
• Tolerance for error.
• Low physical effort.
• Size and space for approach and use.

1. 7 Ways to Introduce UDL into your Classroom.
2. Know your students’ strengths and weaknesses.
3. Use digital materials when possible.
4. Share content in a variety of ways.
5. Offer choices for how students demonstrate their knowledge.
6. Take advantage of software supports.
7. Low and No Tech options do exist.
8. Learn from others.

What are UDL-aligned strategies? UDL-aligned strategies are instructional methods and tools used by teachers to ensure that ALL students have an equal opportunity to learn. These guidelines help you to select strategies that remove barriers in instruction so that all students can achieve their learning goals.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching aimed at meeting the needs of every student in a classroom. It can be helpful for all kids, including kids with learning and thinking differences. But UDL takes careful planning by teachers.

Things like curb cuts, large, color contrasting fonts, and sloped entrances are all examples of universal design. – Include Disability Services staff/students with disabilities on planning boards.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational practice that works in unison with differentiated instruction. When teachers plan lessons using UDL, they are creating “a rich learning environment that is designed around the needs of all students, not just those with identified needs.”