General Introduction
This blog is part of my Differentiation and Adaptive Teaching Knowledge Base.
I use the terms differentiation and adaptive teaching synonymously. To me, they are the same, as genuine differentiation has always involved adapting your planning and your teaching to meet the needs of the learners in front of you.
For me, differentiation is all the practical strategies, activities and techniques teachers use to personalise learning.
For ease, we can break that down into my five categories of differentiation: Activities, Questioning, Words and Writing, Things the Teacher Can Do and Things You Can Ask Learners to Do or Use.
This blog falls into the category of things the teacher can do.
Checklists – A Simple Scaffold You Can Use Almost Anywhere
Here is an example of a checklist:
- Research the question.
- Gather your evidence.
- Make a plan of what your essay will contain.
- Write the introduction.
- Write your main section. Each paragraph should use PEE (Point; Explain; Evidence).
- Write a conclusion in which you sum up the essay and give your opinion.
- Go back and check your work.
Learners are handed a sheet of paper containing these statements.
Next to each is a box for learners to tick when they done it.
You can create checklists for any piece of work you ask learners to complete.
They break down the structure of tasks so that learners are presented with a series of separate elements that they can work through sequentially.
This makes a large, complex or difficult piece of work easier to complete.
It is akin to the old saying: ‘Take one thing at a time.’
Here are three ways to use checklists:
- Give one to each learner in the class and ask them to refer to it as they work.
- Give one to those learners who struggle (or who you think will struggle) with the task in hand.
- Display one on the board during the activity and indicate that learners can use it as a point of reference, or that they can make a copy in their books for their own use.
A couple of additional points to consider.
First, checklists free up space in working memory, which can be particularly important for learners who are finding a task challenging.
For example, our essay writing checklist above is actually a structuring tool that does some of the work for the learner (making it a scaffold).
Armed with the checklist, the learner can focus on completing each step in turn, without having to think about the overarching structure of their essay (the checklist takes care of this).
In the short-term, this lets the learner focus their working memory on completing the steps.
In the long-term, the learner will internalise the checklist and make it a part of themselves, so it is no longer required.
Second, when constructing a checklist, think about what you want learners to prioritise and the level of challenge you want to include.
For example, you might construct a checklist that is both a scaffold and a way of stretching learners’ thinking.
Or you might create two checklists.
One for your more-able learners, and one for the rest of the class.
How does using checklists help you to differentiate?
By breaking down a complex task into separate elements, checklists make it easier for learners to successfully complete their work.
Learners who are less-able may find starting large or complex tasks difficult.
If they struggle to begin, it is possible they will become disengaged.
Checklists prevent this from happening, increasing the possibility that all learners will make good progress.
They also provide a point of reference throughout an activity.
This means that if learners become lost or uncertain over what they are meant to be doing, or what it is they need to do next, all they need do is consult the checklist to get themselves back on track.
Again, this increases the possibility that all learners in the class can make good progress.
Listening Frames
A listening frame is a simple tool that can be of great benefit in helping learners make notes and process verbal information.
It comes in many forms but, in essence, involves a structure through which learners can record and analyse what they hear.
Listening frames assist learners in two ways.
First, they break down what the learner is hearing.
Learners can look at the listening frame and use it to help make sense of what is being said.
Second, they provide a structure in which learners can make notes.
Here are three worked examples to illustrate.
Worked Example One
The lesson is on the American Revolution.
The teacher is using a sound recording of an actor playing the part of a British soldier sent over to America to help quell the uprising.
The listening frame consists of a sheet of paper with a series of questions written on it at roughly equal intervals.
Beneath each of these there is space in which to write.
The subject of each question indicates sequential parts of the speech:
- Who is the speaker and where are they from?
- What does the speaker think about the uprising?
- What instructions has the speaker been given?
- What does the speaker think will happen in the future?
Worked Example Two
The lesson is on tourism.
The teacher is using a section of a documentary, the whole of which was originally screened on television.
The listening frame consists of a piece of paper divided in four.
In each segment there is a question relating to a different character featured in the clip:
- How has tourism affected Manuel?
- What impact has tourism had on Silvia’s business?
- What does the environmentalist say about the increase in tourism in the area?
- How does the politician defend his party’s record?
Worked Example Three
The lesson is on Macbeth.
The teacher is using an extended clip from a radio interview with the director of a recent revival of the play at the National Theatre.
The listening frame consists of a piece of paper split into three sections.
In each section there is a heading:
- How has the director altered the play for a modern audience?
- What does the director think about Shakespeare’s use of language?
- Why does the director think her interpretation will surprise audiences?
While these examples focus on secondary settings, the principles can be applied for any age group.
Simply take a sheet of A4 paper and divide it up so that learners have a structure through which to listen and make notes.
For younger learners, supplementing each section of the listening frame with images or keywords can make it more accessible.
How does using listening frames help you to differentiate?
The frame does some of the work for learners.
It provides structure and specific areas of focus.
This means learners can concentrate on analysing and assimilating the information they hear.
The listening frame is a support for learners.
It takes the pressure off and lets them focus on one thing at a time – the series of questions or statements that form part of the frame.
This is of particular benefit to less-able learners, or EAL learners, who might find analysing oral information difficult.
Learners can use the notes they take to inform their later work, turning it into a self-scaffolding tool.
