Differentiation

We are hitting that time of year when students become more aware of what other students around them are doing and not doing. Up to this point, they haven't really noticed when some students are doing different things than they are. There are two reasons for this:

1. The differentiation techniques that I have been using have not been very easy for a first grader to spot but they are becoming a bit more obvious.
2. They are becoming more aware of themselves and those around them and how they are the same and different.

I wanted to share with you how I deal with this so it could help you in your discussions with your child at home. I typically begin a crew discussion by asking what day they all lost their first tooth. They will look at me with confusion and explain that they don't all lose their first tooth on the same day and that some of them hadn't lost a tooth yet. I nod and then ask them what day they all learned to ride a two-wheeled bike. By this time a few of the crew will have figured out that I am making a point but others still need to straighten me out and explain things to me. Just to be sure I ask one more question about what day they all learned to walk. Now they all laugh and decide that I am being silly. This is when I talk to them about how we all do things at different times and in different ways and that this is completely normal. I then begin to talk about how this relates to learning to read, write and do math. I explain that we are all going to learn to do those things well but probably not on the exact same day. They usually seem to understand - but understanding something and feeling okay about it are two different things. We will continue to talk about this and how we all have different strengths and weaknesses but that we all continue to learn. You can help by reiterating this at home.

Library is tomorrow!