examples of tiered assignments in math

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Tiered Activities Make Math More Inclusive

by MiddleWeb · 06/02/2020

MiddleWeb is featuring excerpts from three new books edited by the editorial team of Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski, both teachers in Sacramento CA and co-authors of The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox . Here’s our third article, from The Math Teacher’s Toolbox. Also see: Social Studies and Science .

By Bobson Wong and Larisa Bukalov

In our experience, the biggest obstacle to differentiating math instruction is figuring out how to do it effectively on a regular basis. In this article, we discuss one of our favorite differentiation techniques – tiered activities (sometimes called parallel tasks ).

In a tiered activity, we divide work into levels by complexity so that students with different levels of understanding on a topic can work simultaneously. We sequence work to move students through their zone of proximal development. The tasks are designed to be accessible enough so that students can use their past knowledge to understand it, but challenging enough so that students can extend their learning.

We typically use four or five levels since our students are used to seeing these scales on the state tests and AP exams that they take. The table below shows a brief description and example of each level.

$examples of tiered assignments in math$

Click to enlarge.

We fit our tiered lessons into the familiar framework of a whole-group introductory discussion, guided independent practice, and a whole-group summary. Our lessons have Do Now questions that are accessible to students based on their prior knowledge.

The class discussion of the Do Now activity leads into the lesson. Classwork problems range from the easiest questions in Level 1 to the hardest questions in Level 5. The lessons conclude with a summary question that students can answer individually as an exit ticket or with the class in a whole-group discussion.

Our classwork sheets contain all of the problems in the lesson. By providing all levels to everyone, students can monitor themselves, know what they need to do to improve to the next level, and work through the lesson at their own pace. Most of our students follow along with us while we discuss the lesson and do examples. After they become comfortable with the new material, many continue without our guidance, often working with a classmate.

Creating a Tiered Activity

To create a tiered lesson, we use the following steps:

1. Determine the goals and skills for the lesson. We typically take these from our unit plan.

2. Determine the Level 4 problems that are appropriate for those goals. Since Level 4 problems meet the standards for the lesson, we use them as our end goal. We refer to sources such as textbooks, websites, and end-of-year assessment questions to help us.

3. Adjust the Level 4 problems as necessary to match the skills and readiness of our students. Matching the levels to our students’ current skills and readiness is also critical to their social-emotional learning. If the Level 4 problems are too easy for our students, we may label them Level 3 so that students can get challenging work. If the Level 4 problems are too difficult, we may label them Level 5 or put them off into a future lesson to prevent students from getting too discouraged.

4. Identify three or four skills necessary to complete Level 4 problems. These skills help us determine the difficulty of Level 1 (one skill required), Level 2 (two skills required), and Level 3 (three or more skills required) problems.

5. Put an appropriate number of problems for each level. We typically put between two and four questions in each level, depending on the difficulty of the questions and the amount of time we have in class. This usually gives most students enough time and practice to reach Level 3 or 4.

6. If we have students that we believe can complete Level 4 problems and want an additional challenge, we create Level 5 problems. We often use textbooks for advanced courses or questions from math competitions as inspirations for Level 5 questions.

Advantages and Challenges of Tiered Activities

Tiered activities help students to engage in productive struggle , in which they actively work with little guidance on a task that is just beyond their abilities. When students struggle productively, they are not experiencing pointless frustration or practicing something that has just been demonstrated. If students see struggle as a necessary step towards eventual mastery, they are more likely to persist in academic endeavors , which helps promote a growth mindset.

Unfortunately, tiered activities don’t work for every lesson. They tend to work best for topics that require relatively little direct instruction so that students have enough time to work through the levels.

Tiered activities often require a great deal of time and energy to organize. Relying on textbooks and other sources that order questions by increasing difficulty (even if they don’t explicitly group problems by level) can make this task easier.

Despite these challenges, we believe that the many benefits of tiering make the effort worthwhile.

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Differentiated Instruction Strategies: Tiered Assignments

Janelle cox.

September 23, 2014

Male teacher standing in front of a chalkboard behind a group of students

Many teachers use differentiated instruction strategies as a way to reach all learners and accommodate each student’s learning style. One very helpful tactic to employ differentiated instruction is called tiered assignments—a technique often used within flexible groups.

Much like flexible grouping—or differentiated instruction as a whole, really—tiered assignments do not lock students into ability boxes. Instead, particular student clusters are assigned specific tasks within each group according to their readiness and comprehension without making them feel completely compartmentalized away from peers at different achievement levels.

There are six main ways to structure tiered assignments: challenge level, complexity, outcome, process, product, or resources. It is your job, based upon the specific learning tasks you’re focused on, to determine the best approach. Here we will take a brief look at these techniques.

Ways to Structure Tiered Assignments

Challenge level.

Tiering can be based on challenge level where student groups will tackle different assignments. Teachers can use Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guide to help them develop tasks of structure or questions at various levels. For example:

Group 1: Students who need content reinforcement or practice will complete one activity that helps build understanding.
Group 2: Students who have a firm understanding will complete another activity that extends what they already know.

When you tier assignments by complexity, you are addressing the needs of students who are at different levels using the same assignment. The trick here is to vary the focus of the assignment based upon whether each group is ready for more advanced work or simply trying to wrap their head around the concept for the first time. You can direct your students to create a poster on a specific issue—recycling and environmental care, for instance—but one group will focus on a singular perspective, while the other will consider several points of view and present an argument for or against each angle.

Tiering assignments by differentiated outcome is vaguely similar to complexity—all of your students will use the same materials, but depending on their readiness levels will actually have a different outcome. It may sound strange at first, but this strategy is quite beneficial to help advanced students work on more progressive applications of their student learning.

This differentiated instruction strategy is exactly what it sounds like—student groups will use different processes to achieve similar outcomes based upon readiness.

Tiered assignments can also be differentiated based on product. Teachers can use the Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences to form groups that will hone particular skills for particular learning styles . For example, one group would be bodily/kinesthetic, and their task is to create and act out a skit. Another group would be visual/spatial, and their task would be to illustrate.

Tiering resources means that you are matching project materials to student groups based on readiness or instructional need. One flexible group may use a magazine while another may use a traditional textbook. As a tip, you should assign resources based on knowledge and readiness, but also consider the group’s reading level and comprehension.

How to Make Tiering Invisible to Students

From time to time, students may question why they are working on different assignments, using varied materials, or coming to dissimilar outcomes altogether. This could be a blow to your classroom morale if you’re not tactful in making your tiers invisible.

Make it a point to tell students that each group is using different materials or completing different activities so they can share what they learned with the class. Be neutral when grouping students, use numbers or colors for group names, and be equally enthusiastic while explaining assignments to each cluster.

Also, it’s important to make each tiered assignment equally interesting, engaging, and fair in terms of student expectations. The more flexible groups and materials you use, the more students will accept that this is the norm.

Tiering assignments is a fair way to differentiate learning. It allows teachers to meet the needs of all students while using varying levels of tasks. It’s a concept that can be infused into homework assignments, small groups, or even learning centers. If done properly, it can be a very effective method to differentiate learning because it challenges all students.

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Differentiating Math Instruction Through Tiered Lessons

In response to the movement toward inclusion in classrooms, Rebecca Pierce and Cheryll Adams from Ball State University outlined how teachers can reach all the students in their classrooms : when they are academically diverse; have special needs; are ESL learners; or, have some combination of any or all of these factors. Differentiation Differentiation is an organized, yet flexible way of proactively adjusting teaching and learning to meet students where they are and help all students achieve maximum growth as learners (Tomlinson, 1999). Instruction may be differentiated in content/input, process/sense-making, or product/output according to the students’ readiness, interest, or learning style. Content refers to the material that is being presented. Process activities help students practice or make sense out of the content, while product refers to the outcome of the lesson or unit, such as a test, project, or paper. Readiness refers to prior knowledge and a student’s current skill and proficiency with the material presented in the lesson.

The article provides two critical rules that thwart chaos and preserve sanity. The first is “Use six-inch voices,” meaning that students should modulate their speaking level so that their voices can only be heard six inches away. The second rule is “Ask three before me.” If students need assistance completing a task or come to a stumbling block in a lesson and you are not available, they should find three other students to ask before they may interrupt you. If their three peers cannot answer the question, the student has permission to interrupt you. Anchoring or “sponge” activities are provided for students to use when they are waiting for you to assist them before they can go any further or at the beginning of the class period to get them ready to work.

Tiered Lessons A tiered lesson is a differentiation strategy that addresses a particular standard, key concept, and generalization, but allows several pathways for students to arrive at an understanding of these components based on their interests, readiness, or learning profiles. When developing a tiered lesson, the following eight steps have been provided:

Identify the grade level and subject for which you will write the lesson.
Identify the standard (national, state, district, etc.) you are targeting. A common mistake for those just beginning to tier is to develop three great activities and then try to force-fit them into a tiered lesson.
Identify the key concept and generalization. The key concept follows from the standard. Ask yourself, “What big idea am I targeting?” The generalization follows from the concept chosen. Ask, “What do I want the students to know at the end of the lesson, regardless of their placement in the tiers?”
Be sure students have the background necessary to be successful in the lesson. What scaffolding is necessary? What must you have already covered or what must the student have already learned? Are there other skills that must be taught first?
Determine in which part of the lesson (content, process, product) you will tier. You may choose to tier the content (what you want the students to learn), the process (the way students make sense out of the content), or the product (the outcome at the end of a lesson, lesson set, or unit—often a project).
Determine the type of tiering you will do: readiness, interest, or learning profile. Readiness is based on the ability levels of the students. Giving a pretest is a good way to assess readiness. Students’ interest in a topic is generally gauged through an interest survey, while the learning profile may be determined through various learning style inventories.
Based on your choices above, determine how many tiers you will need and develop the lesson. When tiering according to readiness, you may have three tiers: below grade level, at grade level, and above grade level. If you choose to tier in interest or learning profile, you may control the number of tiers by limiting choices or using only a few different learning styles. Differentiation means doing something different—qualitatively different. Make sure you keep this in mind when tiering the lessons. Second, be sure that students are doing challenging, respectful, and developmentally appropriate work within each tier. In other words, no group should be given “busywork.”
Finally, develop the assessment component to the lesson. The assessment can be formative, summative, or a combination of both. You may use some means of recording observations of the various groups, such as flip cards or sticky notes. You could develop a rubric for each tier based on the particular product that is created. You may give a formal paper-and-pencil test. Whatever it is, choose your assessment based on your needs and your lesson design.

Conclusion Time, energy, and patience are required to learn to differentiate instruction effectively in an academically diverse classroom (especially during these challenging times throughout the ongoing pandemic!). In addition, you need administrative and peer support, as well as professional development over extended periods of time.

For more information on tiering, contact the Center for Gifted Stud ies and Talent Development , Ball State University (BSU).

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Tiered Assignments

What are tiered assignments.

According to Tomlinson (1995), tiered assignments are used by teachers within a heterogeneous classroom in order to meet the diverse needs of the students within the class. Teachers implement varied levels of activities to ensure that students explore ideas at a level that builds on their prior knowledge and prompts continued growth. Student groups use varied approaches to explore essential ideas.

Williams (2002) offers the following definition on her website: Tiered assignments are parallel tasks at varied levels of complexity, depth and abstractness with various degrees of scaffolding, support, or direction. Students work on different levels of activities, all with the same essential understanding or goal in mind. Tiered assignments accommodate mainly for differences in student readiness and performance levels and allow students to work toward a goal or objective at a level that builds on their prior knowledge and encourages continued growth.

How can tiered assignments help your students?

Using tiered assignments allows for the following:

Blends assessment and instruction,
Allows students to begin learning where they are,
Allows students to work with appropriately challenging tasks,
Allows for reinforcement or extension of concepts and principles based on student readiness,
Allows modification of working conditions based on learning style,
Avoids work that is anxiety-producing (too hard) or boredom-producing (too easy), and
Promotes success and is therefore motivating. (Tomlinson, 1995)

How can you implement tiered assignments in order to effectively meet the diverse learning needs of students?

One of the main benefits of tiered assignments is that they allow students to work on tasks that are neither too easy nor too difficult. They are highly motivating because they allow students to be successful at their level of readiness. Tiered assignments also allow students to work in their specific learning styles or preferences (Williams, 2002).

What are the guidelines for implementing tiered assignments?

Tomlinson (1995) offers the following guidelines for implementing tiered assignments:

Be sure the task is focused on a key concept.
Use a variety of resource materials at differing levels of complexity and associated with different learning modes.
Adjust the task by complexity, abstractness, number of steps, concreteness, and independence to ensure appropriate challenge.
Be certain there are clear criteria for quality and success.

Where can you find more information about tiered assignments?

Cherokee County Schools This homepage by Eulouise Williams has additional information on tiered assignments including examples of tiered assignments created by teachers in their district.

Using Tiered Instruction To Maximize Student Outcomes

As educators, your goal is to help every student in our classroom reach their full potential. However, with different learning styles, abilities, and needs, it can be challenging to meet the needs of every student in a class. This is where tiered instruction comes in, providing a framework that allows you to differentiate instruction to meet the unique needs of each student.

Understanding Tiered Instruction

What is tiered instruction.

Tiered instruction involves designing multiple levels of instruction for the same lesson or activity, with each level addressing the learning needs of different students. This approach allows you to provide support to struggling students, challenge advanced learners, and meet the learning needs of students in the middle.

Tiered instruction is a powerful tool because it allows you to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of all students, regardless of their abilities or learning styles. By providing multiple levels of instruction, you can ensure that all of your students are challenged and engaged in the learning process.

Benefits of Tiered Instruction for Students and Teachers

For students, the benefits of tiered instruction include the opportunity to receive instruction that meets their unique needs, which can increase classroom engagement and promote a growth mindset. When students feel that their learning needs are being met and you find that perfect balance of material that isn’t too easy or too challenging, your students are more likely to be motivated and invested in their own learning.

As an elementary teacher, tiered instruction allows you to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of all your students, even in classrooms with a wide range of abilities. This can reduce the stress and frustration of lesson plans falling apart when half your students are struggling with material while half of your class breezes through and now is bored and waiting for more. Outside of helping you run more effective lessons, tiered instruction helps you ensure that all your students, regardless of ability, are meeting your desired learning outcomes.

Key Components of a Successful Tiered Instruction Model

A successful tiered instruction model includes several key components. These include identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities, differentiating instruction for each tier, and utilizing technology to support instruction.

Identifying student needs and learning styles is an important first step in creating a successful tiered instruction model. You must understand the unique needs of your students in order to create effective tiered instruction plans because this will directly impact how well you can adjust your materials to meet their diverse needs.

Creating tiered lesson plans and activities is another important component of a successful tiered instruction model. This involves using your knowledge of your students to design activities that are challenging and engaging for them regardless of their ability level.

Differentiating instruction for each tier is crucial for ensuring that every student is challenged and engaged in the learning process. Teachers must provide instruction that is tailored to the needs of each student, which may involve modifying assignments, providing additional resources, or offering one-on-one support.

Utilizing technology to support instruction is another important component of a successful tiered instruction model. Technology can provide students with additional resources and support, and can also help teachers to track student progress and provide targeted feedback. Kodable , for example, is an online educational game that helps teach K-5 students the basics of computer programming in a fun and engaging way. Because lessons are self-paced, this helps facilitate tiered instruction by allowing students to progressively work through levels at their own speed.

In summary, tiered instruction is a powerful tool that allows you to meet the needs of all students in your class. By identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities around those needs, differentiating instruction for each tier, and utilizing technology to support instruction, you can create a learning environment that is engaging, challenging, and effective for all your students.

Implementing Tiered Instruction in the Classroom

Implementing tiered instruction in the classroom can be a highly effective way to meet the diverse needs of your students. By grouping students according to their needs and strengths, you can provide targeted instruction and support that meets each student where they are at. Below are some key steps to implementing tiered instruction in the classroom.

Identifying Student Needs and Learning Styles

The first step in implementing tiered instruction is identifying students' needs and learning styles. This can be done through a variety of methods, including pre-assessments, observations, and conversations with students. By understanding each student's unique needs and learning style, you can create tiers that are tailored to each group of students.

For example, some students may be visual learners, while others may be auditory learners. Some students may struggle with certain concepts, while others may excel. By taking the time to understand each student's individual needs and strengths, teachers can create tiers that are optimized for learning and growth. See our full guide on teacher assessment tools for more information on pre-assessments and other types of assessments.

Creating Tiered Lesson Plans and Activities

Creating tiered lesson plans and activities is the next step in implementing tiered instruction. You should design each tier to include activities and tasks that address the needs and learning styles of the students in a particular group. These activities should build upon each other, with increasingly difficult tasks for advanced learners and additional support for struggling students.

For example, in a math class, the advanced tier may work on more complex problems that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills . The middle tier may work on similar problems, but with more support and guidance from the teacher. The struggling tier may work on simpler problems, with additional support and scaffolding from you.

Differentiating Instruction for Each Tier

Differentiating instruction for each tier is central to the success of tiered instruction. You should utilize a variety of instructional strategies, such as small group instruction, individualized instruction, and peer tutoring, to meet the needs of each group of students. You should also provide support and guidance as needed to help your students work through any challenges they may face.

For example, in a language arts class, the advanced tier may work on writing an essay independently, while the middle tier may work on the same essay with some guidance and support from the teacher. The struggling tier may work on a simpler writing assignment, with more support and scaffolding from the teacher. However, it’s important to make sure that when you create student tiers that you do so in a thoughtful way to ensure that students do not feel like they are in a superior or non-superior group.

Utilizing Technology to Support Tiered Instruction

Technology can be a valuable tool in supporting tiered instruction. You can use online resources, educational apps, and interactive whiteboards to provide additional instruction, practice, and feedback for students at each level. Thankfully there are even a number of free teacher technology tools that can help you get started with no budget needed.

For example, in a science class, the advanced tier may use a virtual lab to conduct experiments and analyze data. The middle tier may use the same virtual lab, but with additional guidance and support from the teacher. The struggling tier may use a simpler virtual lab, with more support and scaffolding from the teacher.

Or you could have students play Kodable, a free educational app! Kodable has self-paced lessons which helps facilitate tiered instructions by not being too challenging to make students quit but also being engaging enough to keep students of all levels playing and learning.

Create your free Kodable account to bring this learning tool into your classroom today!

By identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities, differentiating instruction for each tier, and utilizing technology, teachers can create a learning environment that is optimized for growth and success.

Assessing and Monitoring Student Progress

Assessing and monitoring student progress is a critical component of effective teaching and learning. It helps you understand what students know and can do, and it provides your students with feedback on their progress. In tiered instruction, a variety of assessment strategies can help you track student growth and make any necessary adjustments to instruction.

Formative and Summative Assessments in Tiered Instruction

Formative assessments are ongoing assessments that are used to track student progress in real-time. These assessments can take many forms, including quizzes, exit tickets, observations, and discussions. You can use formative assessments to identify areas where students may be struggling and to adjust instruction accordingly.

Summative assessments, on the other hand, provide a snapshot of overall student performance at the end of a unit or lesson. These assessments can take the form of tests, projects, or presentations. Use summative assessments to evaluate student learning and to determine if your students have met the learning objectives for a particular unit or lesson.

Learn more about formative, summative, and other types of assessments in our teacher assessment tools guide.

Tracking Student Growth and Adjusting Instruction

Based on the results of assessments, you should make any necessary adjustments to their instruction. These adjustments may include modifying lesson plans or activities, providing additional support or challenging students with more complex tasks, and revisiting content that students may have struggled with before. By tracking student growth and adjusting instruction, you can ensure that all your students are making progress and are being appropriately challenged by your material.

Providing Feedback and Encouraging Self-Assessment

Feedback is a critical component of effective teaching and learning that helps encourage achieving and struggling students to keep pushing on. You should provide feedback to students on their progress, both formally and informally to help facilitate this. Feedback can take many forms, including written comments, verbal feedback, and rubrics. By providing feedback, you help your students understand their strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance on how to improve.

In addition to providing feedback, you should also encourage self-assessment. By encouraging students to reflect on their own learning, you can help them take ownership of their progress and empower them to become independent learners. Self-assessment can include self-reflection, peer assessment, and goal-setting.

Overall, assessing and monitoring student progress is an essential component of tiered instruction. By using a variety of assessment strategies, tracking student growth, and providing feedback and self-assessment opportunities, you can ensure that all students are making progress and are being appropriately challenged.

Collaborating with Colleagues and Parents

Building a supportive school culture for tiered instruction.

Building a positive classroom culture is essential to the success of tiered instruction in your classroom. Collaborating with your colleagues to share resources and best practices and create a cohesive approach to tiered instruction school-wide is a great way to ensure that not just your classroom, but your entire school are taking the right steps to educate all students.

Collaboration among your colleagues can be creating and sharing lesson plans and activities across multiple classes, sharing strategies for differentiating instruction , and sharing strategies for supporting struggling students. By working together, you and your colleagues can create a supportive learning environment that benefits all students.

In addition to collaborating with colleagues, you can also seek out resources and attend professional development opportunities to learn more about effective tiered instruction strategies. By staying up-to-date on the latest research and best practices, you can strengthen their instructional practices and provide better support to all students.

Engaging Parents in the Tiered Instruction Process

You should also engage parents in the tiered instruction process to ensure there isn’t any misunderstanding. This can be done through parent-teacher conferences, newsletters, and other communication methods that you already are using today. By involving parents in the instructional process, you can gain valuable insights into their child's needs and strengths and build a partnership with parents to support student learning.

Parents can also be a valuable resource to provide information about their child's interests, learning style, and home environment. This information can help you create more effective instructional plans and provide targeted support to students.

Overall, building a supportive school culture requires collaboration and communication among teachers, parents, and students. By working together, you can help create a learning environment that supports the success of all students.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is tier 1 tier 2 tier 3 education.

Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 are terms often used in the context of Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). They refer to different levels or tiers of instructional support provided to students based on their academic needs. Here's a breakdown of each tier:

Tier 1: This is the core instruction that is provided to all students in the general education classroom. It encompasses the regular curriculum and teaching strategies used for the majority of students. Tier 1 instruction is designed to meet the needs of the average learner.

Tier 2: This tier involves targeted interventions provided to students who require additional support beyond the standard Tier 1 instruction. It focuses on specific skills or areas where students are struggling. Tier 2 interventions are typically delivered in small groups and can be provided by the classroom teacher or a specialist.

Tier 3: Tier 3 is the most intensive level of support and is tailored to meet the needs of students who require significant individualized assistance. Students in Tier 3 typically have persistent difficulties and may receive more specialized interventions or one-on-one instruction. These interventions often involve more frequent progress monitoring and may be provided by specialized interventionists or special education teachers.

The goal of the tiered approach is to provide targeted and differentiated instruction to ensure that students receive the appropriate level of support based on their individual needs.

What is an example of a tiered lesson?

A tiered lesson is designed to address the varied needs of students within a classroom. Here's an example of a tiered lesson for a science topic:

Objective : Students will understand the water cycle.

Tier 1: Students will identify and label the basic stages of the water cycle (e.g., evaporation, condensation, precipitation).

Tier 2: Students will explain the processes of the water cycle and their interconnections using diagrams or visual representations.

Tier 3: Students will investigate and analyze factors that influence the water cycle in different environments (e.g., temperature, wind patterns, topography) and present their findings through written reports or presentations.

In this example, each tier addresses the learning objective but provides varying levels of complexity and depth based on students' abilities. This allows students to engage with the content at a level that matches their readiness and skills.

How do you use tiered instruction in your classroom?

To incorporate tiered instruction in your classroom, consider the following steps:

Assess student needs: Use a variety of formative assessments, observations, and data to determine students' strengths and areas of improvement.

Identify tiers and design activities: Create tiered activities or assignments that address the same core objective but offer different levels of challenge, complexity, or support.

Group students: Organize students into appropriate tiers based on their assessed needs. You can use flexible grouping to rearrange or change groups over time as students' progress.

Provide instruction and support: Deliver instruction at each tier, ensuring that students receive appropriate content, strategies, and resources based on their tier placement.

Monitor progress: Continuously assess and monitor students' progress to determine the effectiveness of the tiered instruction and make any necessary adjustments.

Differentiate as needed: Be prepared to make further adaptations or modifications for individual students who may require additional support or enrichment beyond the tiered activities.

By implementing tiered instruction, you can meet the diverse needs of your students, provide targeted support, and promote their overall growth and achievement.

Tiered instruction offers a powerful framework for meeting the unique needs of all students in your classroom. By identifying student needs and learning styles, creating tiered lesson plans and activities, and utilizing technology to support instruction, you can differentiate instruction to provide the right level of challenge and support for each of your student. By assessing and monitoring student progress, collaborating with colleagues and parents, and building a supportive school culture, you can also create an environment where all students can thrive and reach their full potential. By maximizing student outcomes through tiered instruction, you can truly make a difference in the lives of your students!

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EduTip 6: Try a tiered activity for simple differentiation.

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Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Math: Tips for Teachers

As a math teacher, you know that not all students are created equal when it comes to math skills and abilities. Some students might be naturally gifted at math and breeze through problems with ease, while others might struggle and need more support to understand the concepts being taught. So how do you differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of all your students?

In 2019, I had the opportunity to teach a course on how to teach math at Huzhou University. The topic I wanted to discuss today is differentiated instruction , and I'm excited to share some of the strategies in this blog post.

First, it's important to identify where your students are at in terms of math skills and abilities. You can do this through assessments, observations, and conversations with students. Once you have a good understanding of your students' needs, you can begin to tailor your instruction to meet those needs.

One strategy for differentiating instruction is to use tiered assignments. Tiered assignments offer different levels of complexity for students to choose from based on their skill level. For example, you might provide three different versions of a math problem: one that is more straightforward, one that is moderately challenging, and one that is very difficult. Students can choose which version of the problem they want to tackle based on their level of comfort with the material.

Another strategy is to use flexible grouping. This means grouping students based on their skill level and providing instruction that is targeted to their needs. For example, you might group students who are struggling with a particular concept together and provide additional support and guidance to help them understand the material. Similarly, you might group students who are excelling in a particular area together and provide enrichment activities to challenge them.

Finally, providing students with choices can also help to differentiate instruction. For example, you might give students the option of completing a project or a worksheet to demonstrate their understanding of a concept. This allows students to choose the format that works best for them and can help to increase engagement and motivation.

These are just a few strategies for differentiating instruction in math. By taking the time to identify your students' needs and tailoring your instruction accordingly, you can help to ensure that all your students are able to succeed in math.

Since teaching the course in 2019, I have transformed it into an online training course consisting of four chapters available at:

https://mgameirollc.uteach.io/bundles/how-to-teach-math-4-chapters

Each chapter contains comprehensive content and exercises designed to help you become an effective math teacher, including strategies for differentiated instruction. With this online training, you can learn at your own pace and apply what you learn in your own classroom to help your students achieve their full potential in math.

To see other posts like this, on tips how to teach math:

https://yellowcornbooks.blogspot.com/2023/05/transforming-math-education-effective.html

https://tesol103-pedagogyii-mgg.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-teach-math-innovative-strategies.html

https://mgameiro1970.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-teach-math-effective-assessment.html

https://yellowcorntrashlearning.wordpress.com/2023/05/08/how-to-teach-math-supporting-struggling-learners-in-math-strategies-and-tips/

Article by Marcelo Gameiro

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Guide to Implementing Tiered Assignments in Classrooms

In the evolving landscape of modern education, differentiation stands out as a keystone in successful teaching. At its heart, differentiation is the acknowledgment that each student brings a unique set of skills, experiences, and needs to the classroom. Catering to these diverse backgrounds not only respects each learner’s individual journey but also maximizes their potential for success.

One powerful method to achieve this differentiation is through the use of tiered assignments. These assignments, designed to cater to varying levels of student readiness, offer educators the flexibility to meet learners where they are. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, tiered assignments open avenues for students to engage with material in ways that resonate most with their learning styles and proficiencies.

However, before digging into the mechanics of tiered assignments, it’s crucial to fully grasp the concept of a diverse classroom. The term “diverse learners” isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a reality that every educator must embrace if they’re to provide meaningful and equitable learning experiences for all their students.

Understanding Diverse Classrooms

Definition and characteristics of diverse classrooms.

A diverse classroom is not simply a mix of students from different backgrounds. It’s a rich tapestry of learners, each with distinct abilities, experiences, cultures, languages, interests, and ways of perceiving the world. While it’s easy to think of diversity purely in terms of ethnicity or socioeconomic status, it extends well beyond these factors. Inclusivity in education also encompasses learners with different cognitive abilities, learning preferences, and personal challenges, be they physical, emotional, or psychological.

Some key characteristics of diverse classrooms include:

A range of learning abilities: from gifted and talented students to those with learning disabilities.
Varied cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds.
Differences in socioeconomic status, which might influence access to resources and prior educational experiences.
Varied personal histories, family structures, and lived experiences that influence a student’s perspective and approach to learning.

The Significance of Acknowledging Individual Student Needs

Recognizing and addressing individual student needs is not merely a best practice – it’s essential for creating an equitable and inclusive educational environment. Here’s why:

Personalized Learning: Customized learning experiences increase engagement and retention. When students see themselves in the curriculum and feel that their needs are understood, they’re more likely to invest emotionally and intellectually in their education.

Building Confidence: Students who consistently feel out of their depth or, conversely, unchallenged, can become demotivated. By catering to each student’s readiness level, educators can boost their confidence and encourage a love for learning.

Preparing for the Real World: Our global society is diverse. By fostering an environment that respects and celebrates these differences, educators are preparing students for a world where they’ll interact with people from all walks of life.

What are Tiered Assignments?

At their core, tiered assignments are designed with the diverse classroom in mind. They are tasks or projects that are modified according to the learner’s level of readiness, ensuring that all students are challenged appropriately. This doesn’t mean that objectives change for different students; rather, the complexity, depth, or mode of an assignment might vary.

For instance, in a reading exercise, while one group might work on identifying basic story elements, another might delve deeper into analyzing themes and motifs. Though the material is the same, the way each student interacts with it differs based on their readiness and comprehension level.

Tiered assignments are a bridge, ensuring that each student has access to learning that’s rigorous yet within their zone of proximal development—the sweet spot where learning happens most effectively. This method respects the individual needs and abilities of each student, allowing them to grow at their own pace while still achieving common learning objectives.

Tiered Assignments: Definition and Core Principles

Tiered assignments, as the name suggests, involve creating layers or “tiers” of tasks that cater to different levels of student readiness. While the core learning objective remains consistent for all students, the process, complexity, and sometimes the product can vary to offer an appropriate level of challenge.

Core Principles

Consistent Learning Objectives: The heart of tiered assignments is ensuring that while tasks may differ, the fundamental goal or learning objective remains consistent for all students.

Flexibility: These assignments are designed to be adaptable based on student assessment, ensuring that as students grow and their needs change, the assignments can be adjusted accordingly.

Equity, Not Equality: The aim isn’t to give everyone the same assignment but to ensure each student has an assignment that offers them an equitable chance to succeed and be challenged.

Responsive Design: Tiered assignments respond to individual differences. Educators should be ready to modify assignments based on ongoing assessments and student feedback.

Benefits of Tiered Assignments in Diverse Settings

Personalized Learning Paths: Students can engage with materials in a way that resonates with their individual strengths and readiness levels.

Enhanced Engagement: When students feel neither overwhelmed nor underwhelmed by assignments, they’re more likely to be engaged and invested in their work.

Increased Achievement: By working within their zone of proximal development, students are more likely to grasp and retain the content.

Collaborative Environment: Different tiers can encourage collaboration among students, allowing them to learn from one another and appreciate diverse perspectives.

Professional Development for Educators: Designing tiered assignments pushes educators to think critically about their teaching methods, fostering growth and innovation in their pedagogical approaches.

Steps to Implementing Tiered Assignments

Assessment of Student Readiness: Begin with a pre-assessment to gauge the current skills, understanding, and readiness levels of each student.

Design Varied Tasks: Based on the assessment, design tasks with different levels of complexity, ensuring they all align with the core learning objective.

Group Students: Depending on the assignment, group students by similar readiness levels. Remember, these groups should be fluid, allowing students to move between them as they progress or face challenges.

Provide Clear Instructions: Each tier should have clear instructions, so students understand what’s expected of them and how they can achieve success.

Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor student progress. Adjust the assignments or move students between tiers as necessary, based on their performance and feedback.

Facilitate Peer Collaboration: Encourage students to collaborate within and across tiers, fostering a rich learning environment where students can learn from each other’s varied experiences and perspectives.

Review and Reflect: After the assignment, take the time to review its effectiveness. Reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how the process can be improved for future tiered assignments.

Assessing Learner Readiness and Levels

Before implementing tiered assignments, it’s crucial to understand where each student stands in terms of skills, knowledge, and readiness.

Diagnostic Assessments: These are pre-assessments that help determine students’ prior knowledge and skills in a particular area. They can include quizzes, discussions, or tasks related to the upcoming content.

Observations: Regularly observe students during class activities. Noticing how they approach tasks, the challenges they face, and the strategies they use can provide valuable insights.

Student Feedback: Encourage students to self-assess and provide feedback on their comfort level with the material. This can be done through reflection journals, surveys, or one-on-one discussions.

Continuous Assessment: Rather than just relying on a one-time pre-assessment, continually assess students throughout the unit or course to adjust tiers as needed.

Designing Assignments with Varying Complexities

With a clear understanding of student readiness, assignments can be designed to cater to varying levels of complexity.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Utilize Bloom’s taxonomy to create tasks at different cognitive levels, from basic recall to more complex analytical and evaluative tasks.

Varied Resources: Provide resources at different reading levels or complexities to cater to diverse learners.

Differentiated Product: Allow students to showcase their understanding in different ways, whether through essays, presentations, projects, or other mediums.

Incorporating Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles

Recognizing that students have different strengths and preferences in how they learn is key. Incorporating Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences can provide varied entry points for learners.

Linguistic and Logical: Traditional reading, writing, and mathematical challenges cater to these learners.

Visual-Spatial: Integrate diagrams, charts, and opportunities for artistic expression.

Kinesthetic: Include hands-on activities or movement-based tasks.

Musical: Integrate music, rhythms, or sound-based activities.

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal: Encourage group activities or self-reflection tasks.

By diversifying tasks, students can engage with the material in ways that resonate most with their personal strengths.

Strategies for Effective Management

Implementing tiered assignments requires meticulous organization and management to ensure smooth execution.

Transparent Communication: Make sure students understand the purpose of tiered assignments and how they’re designed to benefit individual learning.

Structured Workspace: Design the classroom layout to facilitate group work, individual tasks, and teacher-led instruction seamlessly.

Regular Check-ins: Regularly check in with students, ensuring they feel supported and providing guidance where necessary.

Peer Support System: Encourage collaboration and peer support, so students can leverage each other’s strengths.

Utilize Technology: Digital platforms and tools can help in creating, distributing, and monitoring tiered assignments effectively.

Feedback Loop: Create a consistent feedback system where students can express their feelings and concerns regarding the assignments, allowing for continuous refinement of the process.

Optimizing Tiered Assignments: Resources, Techniques, and More

Tools and Resources for Tracking Progress

Effectively tracking student progress is essential to ensure that tiered assignments are meeting their intended outcomes. Here are some tools and resources:

Learning Management Systems (LMS): Platforms like Google Classroom , Canvas , or Moodle can help manage assignments, track submissions, and monitor student engagement.

Differentiated Lesson Planner: The Teachers’ Blog Differentiated Lesson Planner makes tiered tasks a cinch.

Digital Portfolios: Platforms like Seesaw or Portfolium allow students to document and reflect on their learning journey, providing a holistic view of their progress.

Online Assessment Tools: Quizzing platforms like Kahoot or Quizizz offer instant feedback, helping gauge student understanding in real-time.

Progress Trackers: Spreadsheet tools, like Google Sheets or Excel, can be used to create custom progress trackers, charting student growth over time.

Grouping Techniques: Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous

Homogeneous Grouping: This method groups students with similar readiness levels or abilities together.

Pros: Allows for targeted instruction; students can move at a similar pace.

Cons: Risk of creating ability “labels” or limiting peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

Heterogeneous Grouping: This method mixes students of different abilities and readiness levels.

Pros: Encourages peer-to-peer support and diverse perspectives; can boost confidence for lower-achieving students.

Cons: Risk of advanced students dominating tasks or some students feeling overwhelmed.

Best Practice: A combination of both methods can be effective, varying groupings based on the task’s objective and desired outcomes.

Feedback Mechanisms for Continuous Improvement

Formative Assessments: Regular, low-stakes assessments can provide ongoing feedback to both educators and students.

Peer Review: Encourage students to review and provide feedback on each other’s work, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Self-Assessment: Equip students with rubrics or reflection templates to evaluate their own work and set future goals.

Regular One-on-Ones: Individual meetings with students can offer deeper insights into their experiences and challenges.

Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Differentiating instruction might be seen as favoritism or unfair treatment.

Solution: Ensure transparent communication about the purpose and benefits of tiered assignments to both students and parents.

Challenge : Designing multiple versions of assignments can be time-consuming for educators.

Solution: Collaborate with fellow teachers, tap into shared resources, or use adaptive learning platforms that auto-adjust based on student performance.

Challenge: Some students might feel demotivated if they perceive their tier as “lower” than their peers.

Solution: Emphasize the value of growth and the idea that everyone’s learning journey is unique. Rotate groups regularly to avoid fixed labels.

Conclusion: Championing Tiered Assignments in Diverse Classrooms

The educational landscape is ever-evolving, but one constant remains: the diversity of our classrooms. In this rich tapestry of learners, where each individual brings unique strengths, challenges, and perspectives, lies the challenge and the opportunity for educators.

Tiered assignments emerge as a beacon of differentiation in this context. They recognize that not all students are on the same page, and instead of trying to force a uniform approach, they adapt to each student’s unique page. They’re a testament to the fact that equal does not always mean equitable. Instead of giving everyone the same, they aim to give everyone what they need to succeed.

As we’ve journeyed through the intricacies of tiered assignments, from understanding diverse learners to assessing readiness, designing assignments, and managing them effectively, a recurring theme is evident. The approach is as dynamic as the students it serves. And that’s its strength.

For educators, the takeaway is twofold. First, embrace the complexity of diverse classrooms, not as a challenge but as an opportunity. Each student, with their unique abilities and experiences, enriches the classroom, and tiered assignments can help channel this richness effectively.

Second, while tiered assignments offer a robust framework, the real magic lies in continuous adaptation. The world of education is fluid. New tools emerge, best practices evolve, and our understanding of learning deepens. As educators, staying adaptive, staying curious, and being willing to refine our methods is paramount.

To conclude, tiered assignments are not just a pedagogical tool; they’re a philosophy. A philosophy that centers on the student, acknowledges diversity, and strives for inclusivity. In the ever-evolving quest to provide the best for our students, they’re not just an option but an imperative. As educators, may we always strive to match the diverse beats of our classrooms, ensuring every learner feels seen, challenged, and empowered.

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7 Ways to Differentiate Lessons for Gifted Students

Students raising hands in a gifted classroom.

Written by Victoria Hegwood

Set engaging, differentiated and standards-aligned assignments with Prodigy Math for free!

Teaching Strategies

What does “Gifted” mean?

Why differentiate instruction for talented students?
8 Differentiation strategies for gifted students

1. Create tiered assignments

2. shorten the explanations.

3. Flexible apps
4. Offer open-ended and self directed assignments
5. Introduce project based learning
6. Compact curriculum

7. Pair gifted students up

8. always keep learning, gifted education pitfalls to avoid.

Creating a learning environment for every student

All students are unique and special in their own way. Each learns in a different way and needs their education to be individualized.

But differentiating lessons for gifted students can require even more thought and extra planning.

Gifted learners tend to go through their learning activities rapidly and require modifications to their education for them to be fully engaged in the classroom.

If you’re struggling to know exactly how to differentiate lessons for gifted students, this is just the article for you. We’ll highlight instructional strategies to use that will meet your student’s need for enrichment in the classroom, as well as pitfalls to avoid.

The National Association for Gifted Children defines gifted as “ students with gifts and talents performed or capable being performed at higher levels compared to others the same age, experience, and environment. ”

If your school has a gifted program, they likely also have their own definition and benchmarks that qualify a student as gifted. It is important to note that there is not a unified definition from all the states concerning what gifted means.

Gifted students are seen across all racial, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

And there is no one behavior or skill set that defines a gifted learner. Some are gifted in athletics or leadership while others are gifted in the sciences or social skills.

Why is differentiated instruction needed for talented students?

Gifted students are often bored in a typical classroom. This can result in them just zoning out of the lesson or misbehaving. In situations where gifted students are left unchallenged for long periods of time, the students may never learn how to learn in a classroom.

These students need unique opportunities to analyze, evaluate, create and reflect in challenging ways. Differentiating the lesson according to their strengths can help make this happen.

Building differentiated lessons is about the philosophy and practice rather than a strict step-by-step process. You can tweak this practice to match your students’ readiness, interest, learning styles and academic needs.

In general, differentiating lessons is a helpful strategy for all student learning. Education scholar Carol Tomlinson emphasizes, “ Differentiation really means trying to make sure that teaching and learning work for the full range of students .”

However, this article will specifically focus on why it’s necessary for gifted students. When a student is contemplating skipping a grade but isn’t quite ready to make the leap or is only gifted in a particular subject, differentiated lessons are a great solution.

8 Differentiation strategies for gifted learners

There are a lot of ways to use differentiation with a lesson. Different approaches will likely work better for a particular topic or student. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Tiered assignments allow learners to complete the same assignment at different levels of difficulty.

How you implement this strategy will vary based on your classroom. For example, you may design an assignment for the middle tier of students and then add additional challenges for gifted students.

Another option is designing a more difficult assignment and then adding scaffolding, such as a graphic organizer or supplied reading material, to those at or below grade level.

With this strategy, it is important to routinely assess your students to understand where they are at. This way you will always know who needs advanced content and who needs more help.

Did you know?

If you're teaching math to students in 1st-8th grade, you can use Prodigy's Assignment tool to easily set tiered exercises. With your free teacher account , simply select the skill you want to set as an Assignment and have your students play Prodigy Math .

And the best bit? You won't have to do any grading, it's all done automatically!

Gifted students typically understand a concept the first time it is explained, whereas their peers may need the content to be taught a few different ways.

Try giving a short pre-assessment or a pop quiz once you have taught the concept one time to see if the gifted students can move on to the next topic.

Doing this will hopefully prevent boredom and, in turn, misbehavior from gifted students.

3. Use flexible apps

When bringing technology into your classroom and blending the learning experience , choose apps and games with flexibility. Look for options where gifted students can work on more complex concepts while other students work closer to grade level.

There are plenty of apps, like Prodigy Math , that engage students and evaluate their skills to determine if they are learning math problems at the right level. Prodigy Math then uses adaptive algorithms to continue to challenge the student.

Apps like this can also help strain teachers less when planning differentiating lessons since they don’t have to design the tiers themselves.

4. Offer open-ended and self-directed assignments

Open-ended tasks are great for differentiated lessons because they leave plenty of room for students’ skills and ideas to shine. They are especially good at stimulating higher-order thinking skills such as problem-solving.

Self-directed assignments give gifted learners responsibility for their own development and let them decide how far they want to take their own learning. Assignments with open-ended questions encourage students to offer creative responses, work in small groups and build other ways to further explore. But make sure you deliver open-ended sessions with an end goal rather than leaving the students alone.

5. Introduce project-based learning

Project-based learning is effective since it mimics the real world. In a project-based assignment, learners conduct research, ask complex questions and improve management skills. Oftentimes, projects end with a presentation, which is great for practicing public speaking.

Projects can be completed in small groups or by each student individually. This learning method is especially beneficial for gifted learners due to its depth, student choice, real-world learning and collaboration opportunities.

Project-based learning tends to go over the best when the assignments relate to a student’s interests. For example, a high school student interested in social studies could be tasked with designing advocacy around an issue of their choice.

6. Try a compact curriculum

A compact curriculum is similar to shortening explanations, but it will actually throw out whole lessons that the gifted student already understands. Instead, the gifted student will be given lessons on content they’ve never been exposed to.

Most often in this method, students will be given a pre-test that allows them to show mastery over various problems. Then, the curriculum is adjusted.

It’s important to remember that curriculum development for gifted students is a dynamic process.

Another strategy is being more intentional in how you pair students up in collaborative projects. Putting gifted students together in cluster groups boosts their achievement since they are able to work at a faster pace.

You may even find that in specific subjects, students that are gifted in that area can be paired up for their own differentiated lesson while you teach the rest of the class. These pairs can work on advanced content and learn from each other.

Teaching requires constant innovation and growth with a new classroom of kiddos each year. You will always be tweaking what you are doing based on new things that you learn.

In the last two years, the pandemic has required flexibility and accelerated digital learning in ways we had never seen before.

The challenges that came with this got teachers talking and opened up a dialogue about what learning strategies work. It created a community where more experienced teachers could impart their knowledge to others.

Here's more strategies and ideas to help you differentiate learning

Looking to learn more about differentiation? Check out our list of 20 differentiated instruction strategies for more inspiration on how to level educational content in your classroom, with examples included!

As with any strategy, there are ways to do it well and ways to do it that are not so great. Try to avoid these three common mistakes when differentiating lessons for gifted students.

1. Using gifted students as teaching assistants

While gifted students may seem like a great help in the classroom, they should not be tasked with mentoring or tutoring other students. They need to be challenged in their own education and reteaching a concept that they already know doesn’t do that.

A different way to go about this is having flexible grouping projects that let students work together for a short period of time. These projects allow gifted students to practice interacting with their peers and allow other students to learn from gifted students, but it’s temporary.

This method allows gifted students to learn and avoids attaching a ‘teacher’ role to their interactions.

2. Working independently without oversight

A differentiated lesson for gifted learners should lead to more collaboration and content enrichment without the learner working constantly on their own. Assigning open-ended tasks without oversight or accountability can actually have the opposite effect of what you’re going for with gifted learners.

Ensure that lessons allow for student choice while still conforming to school district standards. And check in often with your gifted students.

3. Assuming mastery in all subject areas

Don’t assume that just because a learner is gifted in one area means that this means they are gifted in every area. For example, a student may be reading at a high school level but is not a strong writer. Or they may excel at math problems but struggle to understand graphs in science.

Evaluate each subject area individually before assigning advanced lessons to gifted students.

Creating a learning environment for everyone

Differentiated lessons can be a great tool for gifted students in your classroom. But there are best practices to keep in mind when you’re constructing lessons. Differentiating lessons helps challenge gifted students and keep them engaged in your classroom.

If starting the process of planning differentiated lessons feels overwhelming to you, using Prodigy can be a great first step.

Whether you’re teaching in a math or English classroom, Prodigy is a fantastic free teaching resource that customizes each student’s experience with adaptive content.

Prodigy helps make it easier for you to differentiate instruction across your classroom, with no grading required! Teachers simply select what curriculum-aligned skills they'd like to test on their students or let Prodigy's adaptive algorithm assign content to help a student grow, including those in gifted or talented strands.

It's also free for teachers and schools! See how it works below:

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A Framework for Tiered Instruction, plus more resources for Tiered
Examples of tiered assignments. Tiered assignments example. 2019-01-14
Sample Tiered Math Problems
PPT
Tiered Assignment

VIDEO

September 16, 2021 Assignment problem| Part 2
MTH302 Assignment No 1 Solution 2023
65. A Tiered Approach to Math Fluency: Assessment and Intervention
Tiered Assignments for Differentiated Instruction
multiple assignment in python
13. Permutations & Combinations: Tie Method and Gap Method (JEE Main/Advanced)

COMMENTS

Tiered Lessons: One Way to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction
When developing a tiered lesson, we have found the eight steps described below useful. First, identify the grade level and subject for which you will write the lesson. In this case, the grade level is first and the subject is mathematics. Second, identify the standard (national, state, district, etc.) you are targeting.
Tiered Activities Make Math More Inclusive
Creating a Tiered Activity. To create a tiered lesson, we use the following steps: 1. Determine the goals and skills for the lesson. We typically take these from our unit plan. 2. Determine the Level 4 problems that are appropriate for those goals. Since Level 4 problems meet the standards for the lesson, we use them as our end goal.
16 Ways to Differentiate Math Instruction in the Classroom
5. Use Tiered Assignments. Tiered assignments are designed to instruct students on essential skills that are provided at different levels of complexity, abstractness, and open-endedness. The use of tiered assignments in a math class allows students to begin working from where they are comfortable and proceed toward more complex tasks.
PDF Teachers at Work: Designing Tiered Assignments/Lessons
Create a multi-media presentation that fully explores a key theme from the novel. Use at least 3 media (for example painting, music, poetry, photography, drama, sculpture, calligraphy, etc.) in your exploration. Find several songs you think reflect an important message from the book. Prepare an audio collage.
Differentiated Instruction Strategies: Tiered Assignments
Tiered assignments can also be differentiated based on product. Teachers can use the Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences to form groups that will hone particular skills for particular learning styles. For example, one group would be bodily/kinesthetic, and their task is to create and act out a skit. Another group would be visual/spatial ...
Differentiating Math Instruction Through Tiered Lessons
Tiered Lessons A tiered lesson is a differentiation strategy that addresses a particular standard, key concept, and generalization, but allows several pathways for students to arrive at an understanding of these components based on their interests, readiness, or learning profiles. When developing a tiered lesson, the following eight steps have ...
Tiered Assignments
What are tiered assignments? According to Tomlinson (1995), tiered assignments are used by teachers within a heterogeneous classroom in order to meet the diverse needs of the students within the class. Teachers implement varied levels of activities to ensure that students explore ideas at a level that builds on their prior knowledge and prompts ...
PDF Effective Tiered Instruction for Math Fact Sheet
The SBLT determined that the student would receive Tier 3 support five days a week for 45 minutes per day using otherevidence-based strategies.One-on-one instruction wasprovided to the studentalong with the opportunity to practice.Immediate feedback was provided.Engagementwas enhanced by designing real-worldapplicationtasksforhim to complete.
Tiered Assignments and Assessments in Math
Select an assignment that supports the learning target for your math lesson. This will serve as the first tier or original assignment. Create a second tier by accommodating the original assignment you selected in Step 2 by making structural changes to the assignment or environmental changes in the classroom. Examples of accommodations include:
Using Tiered Lessons in Mathematics
Using Tiered Lessons in Mathematics. Not a member? Describes differentiation and describes development of a differentiated instruction strategy through lessons tiered in readiness. Practical eight steps procedure is recommended for developing a tiered lesson plan. A sample of a tiered lesson is presented.
PDF Developing a Tiered Activity
Prior to developing a tiered lesson or unit, it is vital to: Assess your students in the areas of interests, learning profiles and readiness. Once you have determined your students' interests, learning profiles and readiness levels, you are ready to begin planning a tiered lesson or unit. Step 1.
PDF Tiered Assignments In a differentiated classroom
Tiering can be based on challenge level, complexity, resources, outcome, process, or product. (Heacox, 2002) 1. Tiering by Challenge Level: Use Bloom's taxonomy as a guide to develop tasks at various challenge levels. Example: Elementary activities for book talk presentations. Lower levels of Blooms: -List story elements (knowledge) -Book ...
Using Tiered Assignments for Differentiated Instruction
For example, while working on a math assignment, some students will be able to finish without any support. ... Write an essay of one paragraph that defines differentiated instruction and tiered ...
Using Tiered Instruction To Maximize Student Outcomes
For example, in a math class, the advanced tier may work on more complex problems that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The middle tier may work on similar problems, but with more support and guidance from the teacher. ... Create tiered activities or assignments that address the same core objective but offer different ...
St. John Fisher University Fisher Digital Publications
Tiered assignments allow several pathways for students to arrive at an. understanding of these components based on their interest, readiness, or learning profiles. Tt is a great way to stay focused on the standards and curriculum while maintaining. flexibility in content, process, and product.
PDF Tiered Activities
of content, you are tiering assignments by resources.) † Tier by outcomes (Students use the same materials but end products vary.) † Tier by process (The end products are the same but the ways students arrive at those outcomes may vary.) † Tier by product (Group by multiple intelligences or learning styles followed by
EduTip 6: Try a tiered activity for simple differentiation
In some cases, you can take one assignment and just break it up into three tiers. For example, if you have 20 practice problems for a math, chemistry, or grammar lesson that go from easiest to hardest, instead of giving all students all 20 problems, tier 1 might be problems 1-10, tier 2 might be 5-15, and tier 3 might be 11-20.
Tiered Instruction Basics, Sections & Examples
Tiered instruction is a method that varies the level of assignments, so all students have a chance to find success and make progress. Teachers tier learning so students are working at different ...
10 Effective Differentiated Instruction Strategies
These assignments, aligned with the same learning objectives, vary in complexity to match students' proficiency levels. This enables all students to engage in meaningful learning, promoting individual growth and achievement. Examples of Tiered Assessments. Tiered assessments can be implemented in a variety of ways across subjects and skills.
Tiered Intervention in Math
Tier 1 intervention refers to ways to dig deeper in the classroom to support areas where understanding is not happening. In Tier 1 intervention, there may be things we do for some students within the context of the classroom (either in whole class, small group, paired or small group instruction.) The chart below offers some online resources for ...
Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Math: Tips for Teachers
Tiered assignments offer different levels of complexity for students to choose from based on their skill level. For example, you might provide three different versions of a math problem: one that is more straightforward, one that is moderately challenging, and one that is very difficult.
Guide to Implementing Tiered Assignments in Classrooms
Tiered assignments, as the name suggests, involve creating layers or "tiers" of tasks that cater to different levels of student readiness. While the core learning objective remains consistent for all students, the process, complexity, and sometimes the product can vary to offer an appropriate level of challenge.
7 Ways to Differentiate Lessons for Gifted Students
Tiered assignments allow learners to complete the same assignment at different levels of difficulty. How you implement this strategy will vary based on your classroom. For example, you may design an assignment for the middle tier of students and then add additional challenges for gifted students.