At Astor International School, we believe each child has a unique style of learning. Catering to the learning needs of individuals ensures that children with varying learning preferences are engaged in a manner consistent with their preferences.
Differentiated learning entails instruction in small, medium, and large groups. To facilitate learning, learners can decide on their preferred group size during the discussion. Outspoken students usually prefer larger groups and assume leadership roles. Learners who are reluctant to speak up, prefer smaller groups where they feel more comfortable sharing their findings and personal experiences. This will boost their cognitive thinking abilities, and they will begin engaging in collaborative learning.
Differentiation, as a strategy for learning, emphasises active rather than passive learning. By having differentiated activities will ensure that learning is optimised.
Student-centric and differentiated learning lies in the foundation of inclusive-learning. This is where education is available for every learner whose educational needs are met on an individual level. Learners are usually more enthusiastic when they take charge because they are provided with personalised learning materials.
Inquiry-based learning, which is the style we teach at Astor, provides intrinsic motivation as learners have autonomy while being connected and engaged with other students.
Astor students are always exposed to different resources and learning methods, to ensure that learning and knowledge transfer is done efficiently and effectively. For example, the year 6 and year 7 students learnt about area and perimeter. They participated in a variety of activities that were prepared for them. This included learning from an anchor chart, doing practice questions, walking around the school, and measuring different things and calculating its area and perimeter, writing questions for their own peers and marking their answers.
Students are constantly exposed to various methods, and this ensures that every student gains a good understanding about the concept even if it is not from every single activity.
Differentiated learning can be applied at home as well. Before you begin, be certain that your children understands the purpose of the task. Divide it into reasonable chunks and assess which portions may cause the greatest aggravation and tension. This is where you can pick which parts of your child's task should be differentiated. The idea is for the child to direct their attention towards what is most vital to their learning.
For example, if students are tasked to do multi-step mathematical problems, then differentiating the process can aid them to gain a much better understanding and clarity. If differentiation is not done, it can cause worry and drain the energy needed to concentrate on addressing the problem.
Here are some ideas for differentiating the process to keep their concentration focused on the goal:
To guarantee that the question is understood, they can make use of text-to-speech assistive technology.
Use a visual organiser to clarify problem's processes and the tools needed to solve it.
Use manipulatives to demonstrate your thoughts.
If the child has trouble putting their thoughts into words, have them film themselves expressing their thoughts on video.
Use heuristics to assist the child in determining where to begin and remembering all the procedures required to solve the problem.
After each step is accomplished, take a little rest.
Understanding what is most essential and assisting the child in focusing their time and energy on the most crucial element of the task is the key to getting work completed. Working in short bursts and taking breaks for snacks or physical activity might help children return to work refreshed and ready to focus. You may also assist your child in developing self-advocacy skills. If they are having difficulty with the assignment, you should contact their teacher and explain the situation.
Children will benefit from the assistance and support, but the aim is for students to understand and advocate for their own learning strengths.