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BUILD YOUR SKILLS:

Increasing Knowledge of Individualized and Differentiated Instruction

When teachers use assessments, the data collected can guide teachers in planning more intentional instruction. Thus, when teachers intentionally plan instruction based on the child’s needs, the instruction is more likely to impact children’s learning. Use of assessments should be tied to teachers’ decision making and should inform what type of instruction or intervention can help the child make progress. Teachers can (and should) regularly use assessment data to check for student progress, identify areas of strength and weakness, and measure learning gains or gaps. This feedback loop allows teachers to adjust and differentiate their instruction, as needed, to help children move forward in their learning.

Coaches can help teachers to interpret the classroom data and talk about ways to individualize instruction for specific students. This may also be an important time to consider Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks, which highlights the use of tiered instruction based on student needs. For example, coaches may help teachers think about students that would benefit from more differentiated instruction (e.g.,Tier 2 instruction delivered through small group formats). Reviewing student data and progress continuously can help teachers gain confidence in their abilities to support students’ learning and understanding of specific skills.  

As a coach, helping teachers analyze data is key for intentional child instruction. A coach can assist a teacher with

  • Revisiting standards and content
  • Reviewing sample work
  • Making inferences about results
  • Support to generate new engaging and effective strategies
  • Support in creating innovative ways to make small groups happen.

Consider using the following competencies to help teachers increase their knowledge about how to individualize and differentiate instruction:

  • Describe how the core principles of continuous improvement (e.g., repeated cycles of assessment, planning, practice, and reflection) are applied in educational settings
  • Help the practitioner learn to interpret classroom data to identify priorities for improvement in the skill development of their students/classroom staff
  • Support the practitioner in setting realistic goals (i.e., within scope, timeframe, and ability levels) in alignment with classroom/facility data, performance data, reflection on practice, and their own interests
  • Connect reflection opportunities to child data and progress monitoring results to strengthen the practitioner’s ability to recognize opportunities to adapt instruction and interactions to individualize support
  • Support the practitioner with articulating specific action steps (e.g., lesson adaptation) that are in alignment with their reflections on or conclusions about events and interactions

Mentoring Prompts

  • “What does the data indicate about a particular competency?”
  • “Based on the data, what are your thoughts about the level of support needed for the children?”
  • “Which activities are best aligned with this child outcome/competency?”
  • “How have you taught this skill/set of skills?”
  • “If you have taught this skill, what modifications can you make to the activity to simplify it?”
  • “What modifications can you do to challenge a successful student?”
  • “What concrete manipulatives can you use with the child learning this skill?”

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