This concept focuses on the differentiation required of teachers as they work to accommodate the growing learner. The teacher must work to understand how students grow and change, identifying readiness for learning and how development affects learning. The teacher must also recognize that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the different intelligences and be able to implement appropriately challenging materials. Included are the differentiated spelling lists, the visual vocabulary boards, and the homework choice menus that I implemented into my classroom lessons to exemplify this standard.
Differentiated Spelling Lists
My classroom had varying levels of spellers contained within. In order to set attainable goals for each individual, I implemented different sorts within the classroom, allowing each student to have either words of varying difficulty or a smaller selection of words to memorize for each unit.
Visual Vocabulary Boards
I applied this standard by creating an age-appropriate version of an anchor chart on the bulletin board that highlighted the key terms from our unit. During the unit I refered back to the board when I asked introduced one of these terms or when I would ask vocabulary questions. Further, the board served as a sort of timeline, as the terms at the top of the board were addressed first and the bottom of the board were our final terms, allowing students to see our progression through a unit in a clean and visual manner.
Homework Menu & Writing Option
I implemented a new spelling menu with additional choices for scaffolding during my placement in the classroom. Students were able to choose any number of the options in the menu to complete their 5 points before Friday, or they had the option to write a short story using all of their spelling words for the 4 of their points, allowing for higher students to choose a lengthier assignment that would complete most of their homework for the week while allowing students at lower levels to complete five of the smaller choices to reach their requirements.