RAFT

Role, Audience, Format, Topic

Differentiates process and product by interest and learning profile. Gives students choice.

Type: Core Instruction

Procedure:

1.  Teacher gives students a menu of choices in each attribute of the task

Examples

To differentiate for readiness:

• create different RAFTs for varying levels
• limit the number of choices
• for struggling learners - options are straightforward with little room for ambiguity
• for advanced learners - options are more abstract or diverse combinations, change the "T" to time, not topic (all choices include the same topic, but in differing time periods)

See pages 69 and 70 in Fair Isn't Always Equal for examples of a tiered RAFT.

Compacting

Type: Student Strategy

Procedure: 

1. Assess student mastery
2. Skip content mastered
3. Design alternatives, such as a learning contract

Tic-Tac-Toe Boards

Students are given a tic-tac-toe board of tasks to complete or questions to answer. Students choose a combination that would win a tic-tac-toe game.

Depending on the tasks on the board, the board could be differentiating the content and process by the student's interest and learning profile. To differentiate by readiness, create different boards at differing levels or direct students how to "win" the game (choose all across, etc.).

Type: Core Instruction

See pages 65 and 66 in Fair Is Not Always Equal.

Learning Menus

Students are given choices of tasks to complete in a unit or for an assessment.

Type: Core Instruction

Procedure: 

• The list of tasks generally includes:
• Main Course (non-negotiable, students must complete all)
• Side Dishes (choice, students are directed to choose a specific number of tasks)


• Desserts (optional, appeals to high-level students who are "finished")
• To differentiate for readiness, create different menus at differing levels

Readiness Levels

Type: Core Instruction

Procedure: 

• add or remove scaffolding
• vary the difficulty levels of text and materials
• adjust the task
• vary amount of direct instruction

Learning Contracts

Type: Student Strategy

Procedure:

1. Identify what a student should know, understand, and be able to do by the end

2. Identify a final product as a result of “study”

3. List expectations for content, process, and product with room for student input

4. Establish a timeline and materials needed

For more information, see pages 61-63 in Fair Isn't Always Equal.

Flexible Grouping

Type: Core Instruction and/or Student Strategy

Procedure:

• Students are part of many different groups and have opportunities to work alone, based on matching the task to student readiness, interest, and/or learning style

Tiered Activities

Type: Core Instruction

Procedure:

• Establish what students should know, understand, and be able to do
• Develop one activity or product assignment that is engaging for students, focused on learning goal, and requires students to work at a high level of thoguht
• Develop enough versions of the original task or product assignment to challenge the range of learners

See "The Equalizer" on page 137 of Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom.

Tomlinson, C. (2003). Fulfilling the promise of the differentiated classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Planning a Tiered Activity  (scroll to page 3)

Specific Activities:
Tic-Tac-Toe Board
Learning Menus

Developing a Bank of Multiple Passages to Present Challenging Concepts

Type: Accommodation

Procedure: 
The teacher notes which course concepts, cognitive strategies, or other information will likely present the greatest challenge to students. For these ‘challenge’ topics, the teacher selects alternative readings that present the same general information and review the same key vocabulary as the course text but that are more accessible to struggling readers (e.g., with selections written at an easier reading level or that use graphics to visually illustrate concepts).

These alternative selections are organized into a bank. Students are encouraged to engage in wide reading by choosing selections from the bank as a means to better understand difficult material.

Source: http://www.interventioncentral.org/academic-interventions/reading-comprehension/reading-comprehension-fix-skills-classroom-toolkit

Research Citations: Hedin & Conderman, 2010; Kamil et al., 2008; Texas Reading Initiative, 2002

Resources to help with this procedure: 
www.newsela.com
www.commonlit.org