Differentiation for Real Classrooms: Making It Simple, Making It Work

"In my extensive experience with differentiated education, I have not seen a work on lesson planning that is as compact, concise, and creative as this one."
―Joseph Staub, Resource Specialist Teacher
Thomas Starr King Middle School, Los Angeles, CA

"Full of good ideas and strategies for differentiation. I like the way the authors emphasize the idea of teaching to a specific benchmark or objective rather than letting the text determine what students do and learn."
―Kathie F. Nunley, Educational Psychologist
Brains.org

Use these easy techniques to deliver high-quality lessons that target all learners!

In today′s increasingly diverse classrooms, teachers are expected to address a whirlwind of initiatives. With their characteristically joyful and conversational tone that celebrates learning and diverse students, Kathleen Kryza, Alicia Duncan, and S. Joy Stephens offer teachers dozens of practical strategies for designing and delivering differentiated lessons to reach all learners.

Based on the authors′ popular, memorable, and doable C U KAN and the Chunk, Chew, and Check frameworks, this book makes it easy for teachers to implement effective, differentiated instruction. This ready-to-go resource helps educators identify a clear learning target, get to know their students as people and as learners, and understand how to vary the learning pathways to the same target for different learners. Rooted in real practice and real classrooms, this how-to guide:

• Includes abundant illustrations, vignettes, and examples across grade levels
• Offers adaptations for ESL students and students with special needs
• Presents samples of standalone lessons, weeklong lessons, and lesson units
• Provides differentiated techniques for individual or whole-group instruction

This book is an easy-to-read, application-oriented text for novice and preservice teachers on differentiating lessons to target all learners.

Kathleen Kryza consults internationally for her company, Infinite Horizons, and also presents nationally for the Bureau of Education and Research (BER). Kryza has more than 20 years experience in motivating and reaching children, educators, and others through her teaching, consulting, coaching, and writing. Her expertise is in working with students in special education, gifted education, alternative education, and multicultural education. She has a master′s degree in special education and is an adjunct professor in special education at the University of Michigan―Dearborn.

Alicia Duncan is a consultant, program coordinator, and teacher trainer for the Waterford School District in Waterford, Michigan. She shares her expertise across the state of Michigan and throughout the nation in reaching and teaching English Language Learners, gifted students, culturally diverse learners, and inclusion students through differentiated instruction. She has a master′s degree in ESL teaching methodology.


S. Joy Stephens has taught middle and high school students of all levels and abilities in differentiated science, math, and foreign language classrooms. She is a presenter and trainer in practical strategies for differentiating classrooms and inspiring students. She has a master′s degree in biology.