Some quick ideas!
Differentiation often begins at home. Parents know their
child better than anyone else. They have observed and developed their
strengths, weaknesses, passions and interests, and they understand what
situations help their stimulate them and frustrates them. Parents have a wealth
of knowledge into how, when, and why their child learns best and what situation
provide them with confidence or disappointment, apprehension or determination,
fear or exhilaration. For these reasons, they are in a unique position to
respond to their child’s learning needs. Parents do, in a natural way, what
teachers do in a differentiated classroom — creating projects that inspire
creative thinking and providing resources that spark curiosity and interest.
Head over to the ICT section under the 'For Teachers' tab for some great websites to use with your child at home, and for some great app ideas see the 'For Students' section.
Here is an example of how one parent recognised and developed her childs learning style:
My son is a naturalist. From his earliest years, he quickly picked up the names of different plants and animals that people would mention. When he started reading at age 4, we bought him some nature books. He would pore over these books. At one point, though, I realized that just rattling off the names of different species was mostly an exercise in memory. It didn’t really apply to anything or demand much thought. So, I took him off to the woods and fields one day
and wondered out loud what this or that bird or plant was. We brought our field guides and debated the possibilities. He was thrilled! This has evolved into he and I taking a few naturalist workshops together and doing art and science projects.
-Mother of 2nd grader.
(Find out your child's learning style by getting them to take the Multiple intelligences test in the 'For Students' section.)
Helpful websites
- Take the Multiple Intelligences test with your child
-
Support these learning styles at home with relevant activities (see example below)
- Use their interests and learning styles to work on tasks at home
- Have a look at the videos in the 'For Teachers' tab for a better understanding of differentiation and Multiple Intelligences
- Have a look at the websites below for more information
- Discuss differentiation with your child's teacher
Head over to the ICT section under the 'For Teachers' tab for some great websites to use with your child at home, and for some great app ideas see the 'For Students' section.
Here is an example of how one parent recognised and developed her childs learning style:
My son is a naturalist. From his earliest years, he quickly picked up the names of different plants and animals that people would mention. When he started reading at age 4, we bought him some nature books. He would pore over these books. At one point, though, I realized that just rattling off the names of different species was mostly an exercise in memory. It didn’t really apply to anything or demand much thought. So, I took him off to the woods and fields one day
and wondered out loud what this or that bird or plant was. We brought our field guides and debated the possibilities. He was thrilled! This has evolved into he and I taking a few naturalist workshops together and doing art and science projects.
-Mother of 2nd grader.
(Find out your child's learning style by getting them to take the Multiple intelligences test in the 'For Students' section.)
Helpful websites
- Curriculum Differentiation from Austega Information Service
- Strategies for Differentiating from Enhance Learning with Technology
- Critical and Creative Thinking — Bloom's Taxonomy from Teacher Tap
- What is Differentiated Instruction? from Reading Rockets
- What Makes Differentiated Instruction Successful? from Reading Rockets