Differentiation in Practice, Grades K-5: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum [Paperback]

Carol A. Tomlinson (Author), Caroline Cunningham Eidson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0871207605 | ISBN-13: 978-0871207609 | Publication Date: August 2003 | Edition: 1

Join Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson in their continuing exploration of how real teachers incorporate differentiation principles and strategies throughout an entire instructional unit. Focusing on the elementary grades, but applicable at all levels, Differentiation in Practice, Grades K-5 will teach anyone interested in designing and implementing differentiated curriculum how to do so or how to do so more effectively. Inside, you'll find

* Annotated lesson plans for differentiated units in language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. * Samples of differentiated product assignments, learning contracts, rubrics, and homework handouts. * An overview of the non-negotiables in differentiated classrooms and guidelines for using the book as a learning tool. * An extended glossary and recommended readings for further exploration of key ideas and strategies.

Each unit highlights underlying standards, delineates learning goals, and takes you step by step through the instructional process. Unit developers provide running commentary on their use of flexible grouping and pacing, tiered assignments and assessments, learning contracts, and numerous other strategies. The models and insight presented will inform your own differentiation efforts and help you meet the challenge of mixed-ability classrooms with academically responsive curriculum appropriate for all learners.

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Deve; 1 edition (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871207605
• ISBN-13: 978-0871207609
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carol Ann Tomlinson is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Foundations and Policy at Curry School of Education, University of Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, in a generic sense, December 18, 2006

By 

John Pearson "Author of Learn Me Good" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Differentiation in Practice, Grades K-5: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum (Paperback)

The staff at my school in Dallas was given copies of Differentiation in Practice as sort of a book study for discussion groups. I read it, and while I feel I would be very hard pressed to put a lot of the specific examples into practice, the overall sense of differentiation that is expressed through the lessons definitely made me change a few things in my own classroom teaching style.
I teach at a departmentalized school. This means that I only teach math and science, while my partner teaches reading and social studies. This, coupled with the high-pressure nature of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills(TAKS) does not really give me enough time to have lengthy units on any particular topics. However, looking through the examples of lesson plans that are provided in Tomlinson's book, I was able to pick out a few ideas, cafeteria-style, and attempt to implement them slowly into my own classroom.
Now that I have read Differentiation in Practice, I feel that I will probably not reference it as a guide very often, but that the importance of differentiation itself will stay with me.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wave of the Future, August 18, 2004

By 

kittykatt "iamkittykatt" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Differentiation in Practice, Grades K-5: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum (Paperback)

This book was introduced to me in a workshop. It is full of solutions to our ever changing classroom. I now have ideas to teach my SPED students with my gifted students. Differentiation is the wave of the future. After reading the book, I realize the differentiation is not leveled reading groups as we all think!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Differentiation in a perfect world, July 1, 2008

By 

D. Williams "cool teacher" (Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Differentiation in Practice, Grades K-5: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum (Paperback)

Another practical differentiation guide from Carol Ann Tomlinson.

More than an introduction, this book contains lesson plans for a variety of elementary school subjects. For each subject, you can look at a complete instructional unit. Teachers looking for a step-by-step guide to creating differentiated lessons, look no further.

I have to say, the first unit I designed this way took FOREVER. Don't get discouraged on the first lesson and don't think you have to differentiate everything right out of the box (the mistake I made the first time).