First Day of School: Assessing for Differentiated Instruction

Differentiation is a philosophy that enables teachers to plan strategically in order to reach the needs of the diverse learners in the classrooms today to achieve targeted standards.  As individuals come to school with varying learning styles and numerous intelligences, differentiated instruction becomes a means of addressing the learning needs of everyone in the classroom.  Because we have used the analogy of "one size doesn't fit all" for years in education, the teacher is quickly using numerous strategies to adjust the learning in his or her classroom to fit the learner instead of using the same strategy for all, (Gregory and Chapman,2002). 


When teaching with high achievement as a goal, one important aspect of assessing learners is finding out what the students already know.  This knowledge is based on their prior learning and experiences.  By doing a pre-assessment of knowledge, teachers can plan curriculum and design instruction to meet the needs of the class as well as individuals.   


For example, I teach World Geography at the 9th grade level.  Prior to entering my classroom, the students should have learned basic geography skills such as basic map components, the location of continents and oceans, and how to read a map.  I can not assume that all of my students already know the above information and jump straight to the Geography of the United States and map making.  By doing so, the students who might have gaps in learning will be unable to comprehend what is going on and will fall behind.  


Therefore, it is imperative to assess our students on the first day of school, and continue assessing them on a regular basis.  Click on the following links to find effective strategies and examples for pre-assessing students. 

Pre-Assessment Strategies

Example: Geography-Pre-Assessment

Example: 5 Themes of Geography - Pre-Assessment