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Teaching methods

Tiered assignments#

Many teachers use differentiated instruction strategies as a way to reach all learners and accommodate each student’s learning style. One very helpful tactic to employ differentiated instruction is called tiered assignments—a technique often used within flexible groups.
There are six main ways to structure tiered assignments:

  • Challenge Level

Tiering can be based on challenge level where student groups will tackle different assignments altogether. For example:
Group 1: Students who need content reinforcement or practice will complete one activity that helps build understanding.
Group 2: Students who have a firm understanding will complete another activity that extends what they already know.

  • Complexity

When you tier assignments by complexity, you are addressing the needs of students who are at different levels using the same assignment. You can direct your students to create a poster on a specific issue—recycling and environmental care, for instance—but one group will focus on a singular perspective, while the other will consider several points of view and present an argument for or against each angle.

  • Outcome

Tiering assignments by differentiated outcome is vaguely similar to complexity—all of your students will use the same materials, but depending on their readiness levels, will have a different outcome. This strategy is quite beneficial to help advanced students work on more progressive applications of their learning.

  • Process

This differentiated instruction strategy is exactly what it sounds like—student groups will use different processes to achieve similar outcomes based upon readiness.

  • Product

Tiered assignments can also be differentiated based on product. Teachers can use the Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences to form groups that will hone particular skills. For example, one group would be bodily/kinesthetic and their task is to create and act out a skit. Another group would be visual/spatial and their task would be to illustrate.

  • Resources

Tiering resources means that you are matching project materials to student groups based on readiness or instructional need. One flexible group may use a magazine while another may use a traditional textbook. As a tip, you should assign resources based on knowledge and readiness, but also consider the group’s reading level and comprehension.