Teaching for Learner Differences Iowa Core

What are learner differences:

The reality is, regardless which subgroup students belong to, every student comes to
school with wide variations in background knowledge, strengths and preferences, skills
and levels of family support and involvement. Not all learners within a particular
subgroup will learn best in the same way. Teaching for learner differences requires that
teachers assess each students unique learning needs and then respond by planning and
facilitating instruction that supports their learning strengths and allows them to grow in
areas of weakness.

Why teach for learner differences:

Wagner suggests that effective communication, curiosity, and critical thinking skills, are
essential competencies and habits of mind for life in the 21st century.
Educators need to be innovative in understanding where all students are academically and
behaviorally in order to prepare them to participate and succeed in the global economy of
the 21st century and beyond. All students need to leave school with skills that provide a
range of opportunities for living, learning, and working.

How are learner differences addressed as part of the educational system:

Learner differences are often addressed based on a philosophical orientation, a set of

beliefs, or prior experiences with diverse learners. This approach is most often
insufficient to know what to teach, how to teach it, and how to know if students acquired
the intended learning. It is critical to attend to the connection between instruction,
curriculum, and assessment as all students are engaged in the educational process.
DuFour, DuFour and Eaker (2008) identify four fundamental questions that can be used
to guide educators to address diverse learning needs including:
o Exactly what is it we want all students to learn?
o How will we know if each student is learning all of the essential concepts and
skills we have deemed most critical?
o How will we respond when some of our students do not learn?
o How will we enrich and extend the learning for students who are already
proficient?
One system-level approach with an emerging research base is Response to Intervention
(RTI)
Early identification and targeted instruction has clearly been shown to make large
differences in student success.
Practices related to addressing behavior problems that have strong research evidence
include: modifying the classroom environment or schedule, and teaching and reinforcing
appropriate skills

How do we successfully teach for learner differences:

Even when using a system level approach to addressing learner differences, instructional

effectiveness is a critical component to meeting the needs of diverse learners. The

effectiveness of instruction is dependent on teachers having instructional skills and tools
to address students needs in a manner that ensures learning. There is a large body of
work on effective instruction for all learners, including those with learner differences.

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Accommodating All Children in the Early Childhood Classroom

Accommodating a child with specific needs is a continual process that involves each
child's collaborative team. Teaching staff can create an inclusive environment for
children with special needs by implementing the following adaptations.
The activities and materials used in most early childhood classrooms are designed to
meet the needs of many children with or without disabilities. When they do not meet
the specific needs of a child, they can be adapted or expanded to accommodate that
child's individual needs. The purpose of an adaptation is to assist children in
compensating for intellectual, physical, or behavioral challenges. They allow children
to use their current skills while promoting the acquisition of new skills. Adaptations
can make the difference between a child merely being present in the class and a child
being actively involved.
Developing adaptations and accommodations for a child with special needs is a
continuous process that involves each child's collaborative team. The first step is to
assess the child's abilities and the environment where the child will be spending time.
Once the goals and objectives are identified and expectations for the child's
participation in that environment are established, the team selects or creates
adaptations and accommodations that address those needs. Once implemented, their
effectiveness should be assessed on an ongoing basis and revised, as needed.

To meet the specific needs of a child, changes may need to be made in one or more of
the following instructional conditions. Remember, when the child can participate in an
activity, as it is, no changes need to be made.

Instructional groupings or arrangements For any given activity there are a number
of instructional arrangements from which to choose: large groups, small groups,
cooperative learning groups, peer partners, one-to-one instruction, and/or independent
tasks.

Lesson format - The format of a lesson may be altered to meet the needs of a child by
including more opportunities for whole class discussions, games, role playing, activitybased lessons, experiential lessons, demonstrations, and/or thematic lesson
organization.

Teaching strategies - A change in teaching strategies can influence a child's ability to

participate.
Examples include: simplifying directions, addition of visual information, use of

concrete materials/examples, sequencing learning tasks from easy to hard, repeated

opportunities to practice skills, changes in the schedule of reinforcement, elaboration
or shaping of responses, verbal prompts and/or direct physical assistance.

Curricular goals and learning outcomes - To match the needs of a child within the
context of an activity, it may be appropriate to individualize the learning objectives.
This can often be accomplished using the same activities and materials. If children are
working on a classification concept by sorting blocks, a child with a disability could
participate in the same activity but focus of reaching, grasping, and releasing skills.

Adaptations to the method for responding - Sometimes children may understand a

concept yet need an adaptation in the way they demonstrate that knowledge. Use of
augmentative communication systems, eye gaze, and demonstrations may better allow
a child to demonstrate his/her skills.

Environmental conditions - The environmental arrangement is an important aspect of

any early childhood setting. Changes in lighting, noise level, visual and auditory input,
physical arrangement of the room or equipment, and accessibility of materials are
important considerations.

Modification of instructional materials - It is sometimes necessary to physically

adapt instructional or play materials to facilitate a child's participation. Materials can
be physically adapted by increasing: stability (Dycem or Velcro on materials),
ease of handling (adding handles, making materials larger), accessibility (developing a
hand splint to hold materials, attaching an elastic cord or string to objects so they can
be easily moved or retrieved), visual clarity or distinctiveness (adding contrast or
specialized lighting), or size.

Level of personal assistance - A child's need for assistance may range from periodic
spot checks to close continuous supervision. Assistance may vary from day to day and
be provided by adults or peers.

An alternative activity - This curricular adaptation should be used as a last choice

when the above conditions cannot be used to meet a child's needs.
Resources:
Curricular Adaptations: Accommodating the Instructional Needs of Diverse
Learners in the Context of General Education. (1993). Kansas State Board of
Education.
Thompson, B., Wickham, D., Wegner, J., Ault, M., Shanks, P., & Reinertson, B.
(1993). Handbook for the inclusion of young children with severe disabilities.
Lawrence, KS: Learner Managed Designs, Inc.
Villa, R. A. & Thousands, J.S., Ed. (1995). Creating An Inclusive School.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, VA.

Accommodating All Children in the Early Childhood Classroom. University of

Kansas, Circle of Inclusion Project. 2002. English.
Last Reviewed: November 2009
Last Updated: November 13, 2014