Differentiating the content

The content refers to the concepts, skills, facts and principles that will be taught within a unit of work, as well as the materials that represent those elements [3]. In most cases the teacher will not differentiate the content, as they are essential to learning the topic but rather focus on differentiating assess to the content. For example, in an English classroom where the students are studying the theme of ‘belonging’, the teacher may introduce two texts that deal with the theme. Text A would be set at a lower level of reading difficulty than text B, however it is essential that both texts explore the theme.

Strategy: Tiered content

In the first few weeks of the unit, students may be given a chapter of a textbook or a handout to read that will provide them with a background into the art movement. Some learners in your class may struggle with this reading task, for example learners with autism spectrum disorder [4] and ESL students may struggle with reading comprehension [5].   

If you recognize this potential, you may want to employ a tiered content approach where all students are given the same reading material, however higher ability students such as those that are gifted can progress onto reading the more difficult text.

The set text will need to use language that is assessable for most learners, while the supplementary text can be more complex in content and vocabulary. For example, surrealism was not only an art movement but also a literary one. For gifted and talented students, you can set them an additional text that explores the surrealist movement in more detail and uses more technical vocabulary.

An example is shown below…

Set text for all learners:

“Surrealism is an art movement that is concerned with one’s imagination and subconscious. Our subconscious refers the part of our minds that we can’t control, for example when we dream about things”.

Additional text for gifted and talented students:

 “Surrealism was also a cultural movement as well as an art movement. The psychological theories and dream studies of Sigmund Freud were a profound influence on the surrealists. Surrealism’s anti-rationalist approach appears to have flourished out of the Dada movement that preceded it. ”

Strategy: Using relevant examples to facilitate understanding

The surrealist way of thinking may be alien to students who are used to rational thought and literal expressions, in particular ESL students who are not familiar with complex literary devices [5]. An effective method for making the new content more assessable to students is by engaging with their prior knowledge [6]. Activating student’s prior background knowledge can allow students to make meaningful connections for understanding, as well as facilitate interest to a topic.

Activating prior knowledge through questioning:

a)    “This term we will be learning about the surrealism movement. Can anybody explain what a movement is?”

b)    “What do I mean when I’m referring to something as surreal?”

Tip for facilitating interest:

To get students thinking in an imaginative way, you can ask students to brainstorm contemporary TV shows, movies, cartoons or comics that have used the concept of fantasy and the imagination. Getting students interested in the new topic will make them more motivated to learn which could improve student performance [7]. Teachers should be aware of socio-cultural barrier with ESL students in the class as they may not be familiar with examples from Western media [8].

Figure 1.2

The popular, quirky cartoon Adventure Time has an adult as well as a children’s fan base.

Strategy: Varied stimuli  

Rather than all information being text based, you should consider using a range of mediums to convey the key concepts to the varied learners in your class.

Examples of different media you can use in your classroom include videos, computer programs, cartoons, animations and music.

Tips for varying the form of content:  

Some students with an intellectual disability, for example respond better to visual stimuli than verbal tasks in instruction [9].  Hence, if you wanted to focus on an artist’s biography, it’s more engaging for students to watch a movie biopic in class and do a reading activity for homework. This will cater to the needs of particular learners, such as students with an intellectual disability or ASD [10] who in some circumstances learn more when presented with visual stimuli.