Create: Tools to Differentiate Teacher Instruction 2.1.2

Create: Tools to Differentiate Teacher Instruction 2.1.2

Teacher instruction is differentiated for students based on several indicators.  One of these indicators is student readiness.  For students who are not yet ready, certain activities can confuse them or frustrate them, which will impede the learning process.  Furthermore, if students get bored with the activity, they will not be learning either.

For student acquisition and mastery of new vocabulary words,  I try to teach them in context as much as possible.  Embedded in that process is a digital game that I use to make student flash cards.  Since 2007, I have found this be be an effective strategy to help students remember complex scientific terminology.  This process enhances the "in context" way that I teach the terms.

Please consider the following 4 methods to teach/learn new terminology as they are presented in order of increasing challenge.

Ready to start getting familiar with the terms- Word Search.  (Stage 1)

Ready to connect the term to the definition -  Word Search  (Stage 2 )

Ready to separate the words mastered from 

the words needing practice. Flash Cards (Stage 3)

Ready to memorize placement as well as the 

meaning - Concentration (Stage 4) 

The increasing difficulty in each of these stages of vocabulary acquisition can be incorporated into a teacher's best practices of differentiating instruction based on readiness.  This is a terrific tool to use with online learners.