The Ultimate Guide to Differentiation: Achieving Excellence for All

Description

Differentiation is a huge concern for teachers - how can they adapt to the needs of every child in their class, yet at the same time stretch and challenge them? Managers and inspectors want to see effective differentiation going on in classrooms, but what exactly does 'effective differentiation' look like? This book answers that question so that teachers feel confident to say 'this is differentiation'. There is a great deal of confusion around what the term 'differentiation' means, what different kinds of differentiation look like, and concerns about how differentiation can add to a teacher's workload. This book passionately outlines the pedagogical necessity of differentiation, and is also a highly practical and realistic guide to 'doing differentiation' in a real life classroom situation. The book demonstrates how teachers already differentiate much of the time, in subtle and creative ways. Sue Cowley shows that we need to understand, acknowledge and celebrate the variety of approaches that teachers already use to differentiate, as well as helping them to develop additional strategies. This book takes the form of a manual, looking at the different types, methods and approaches to differentiation in the style of a 'step by step guide' to using each strategy. For instance, the section on 'extensions' is written as a guide to 'building a lesson extension'. The areas covered include: questions and questioning, timing and targets, supports and support staff, resources, group work and groupings, technology, extensions, teacher talk, vocabulary, assessment, thinking skills, scenario based learning, projects, homework.

Sue Cowley is an internationally best-selling educational writer, trainer and presenter. She is an expert in behaviour management and she has experience teaching at nursery, primary and secondary level. Sue weites for many teaching publications and writes a regular blog. Follow her on Twitter @Sue_Cowley for regular behaviour management tips and advice!

Sue Cowley has done a tremendous job. This book is comprehensive, balanced, eminently sensible and written with Sue's customary flair and warmth. It emphasises that effective differentiation is as much about relationships, awareness and understanding of each individual learner as it is about grand strategies. Sue offers numerous practical suggestions for how this understanding can be built and successful learning secured. -- Jill Berry, leadership consultant and former headteacher, @jillberry102 Differentiation is not just a word; it's being a thoughtful and reactive teacher and making evidence-based, rational decisions. Sue Cowley manages to develop practical ideas, rooted in classroom reality, that stimulate thinking about children and their needs in an investigative process of constant reflection and refinement. -- Chris Chivers, university tutor, consultant, blogger and former primary headteacher, @ChrisChivers2 The book demonstrates how teachers already differentiate much of the time, in subtle and creative ways - maybe even without knowing it. Sue Cowley shows that we need to understand, acknowledge and celebrate the variety of approaches that teachers already use to differentiate, as well as helping them to develop additional strategies. -- Parents in Touch ...it prompts thought; it asks great questions; it offers ways to implement strategies, useful to the NQT and senior leader alike. -- Clare Jarmy, TES Sue Cowley shows that we need to understand, acknowledge and celebrate the variety of approaches that teachers already use to differentiate, as well as helping them to develop additional strategies. -- Teacher Toolkit What a magical little book. Teaching student teachers how to differentiate is so hard because it is just good teaching! This book breaks these areas of good teaching down and offers snippets of useful advice. Another one for the recommended reading list. -- Chrissy Holbrey, Senior Lecturer, Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie School of Education