One of the biggest challenges for language teachers is teaching a mixed ability class. Students with different levels and abilities will always be present in our classrooms. So, how can we use the to improve mixed ability teaching? Let’s find out.
Differentiated instruction is the best way to address the challenges of mixed ability classrooms. This is a method that helps teachers adjust aspects of the curriculum to match the different levels ofstudents.*This practice ensures that all learners are meeting course outcomes, even though their learning experience may be varied anddifferent.
In order to differentiate instruction and support students with different needs, teachers can change:
Adjusting the content tends to be the most obvious way to support learners. So, teachers who want to engage with differentiated instruction in mixed ability classrooms often find themselves producing a lot of content. This is greatas a way tosupport learners. However, creating new content or leveling existing content is time-consuming, and it can become a real challenge for teachers.
Instead of adjusting your content, you can use the GSE Teacher Toolkit to adjust your process. When you’re not creating lots of new content, you’ve got more time to consider how to teach new language to your students and how they can show what they’ve learned.The GSE Teacher Toolkit helps teachers to focus on the process and language production of learners, rather than the content you are teaching.
This means less work for you, and more engagement from your students, no matter what their level is. And the GSE Teacher Toolkit can help you understand the skills we can expect students to demonstrate. So how does this work in practice? Let’stake a look.
Let's apply differentiated instruction, using the , to a complicated grammar lesson for a mixed classroom where some students are still A2, most are A2+ and a few are emerging B1.
Once you have the content for your students, it’s time to think about how to differentiate the lesson.
One option would be to create two new worksheets, at an A2 level and an A2+ level - but as noted above, it’s a lot of work. Additionally, creating leveled worksheets means that you mayactually bepreventing your students from making progress by not adding enough challenge.
To differentiate appropriately, it’s best to focus on the process that students will use, in this case, editing. In the GSE Teacher Toolkit, this kind of editing is an A2+ level skill. So, the A2+ and B1 students should be able to complete this worksheet.
However, it might be a bit challenging for the A2 students. Therefore, you can look in the GSE Teacher Toolkit to find what writing skills you can expect from your A2 students. There are two skills that can be used to process this grammar point:
Now that you understand the difference in process for students at different levels, it’s time to plan your lesson.
By the end of the lesson all students will be able to identify and correct errors in simple sentences to demonstrate the ability to use 'all of', 'none of', 'most of', 'a lot of', and 'a little of' correctly in writing.
You can adjust the process to support students at all levels of ability.
| Lesson procedure for the worksheet | How the process is differentiated to support all learners |
|---|---|
| 1. Ask all students to read the crossed-out errors in the worksheet and underline specific mistakes. | This supports A2 students the most. However, it's useful for all students. |
| 2. Ask students in groups to discuss the mistakes. A2+ and B1 students will guide a discussion to create a series of "rules" to correct the mistakes in highlights. | This will be the most useful to A2+/B1 students while challenging your A2 students. Using groupwork allows more skilled students to support their peers. |
| 3. All students will submit their grammar rules as group work. | This allows A2+/B1 students to help A2 students express grammar rules in their own words, to help improve understanding and use. |
| 4. When finished all students complete the worksheet. | All students from A2/B1 can now complete the worksheet. |
| 5. After completing the worksheet, all students will be asked to highlight the correction in the new sentences. | Completing the worksheet may have been easier for your A2+/B1 students. |
| 6. Finally, all students will write a new sentence using the target language. Each student chooses one student to collaborate with. | Adding this extra step ensures that all students make progress by asking them to transfer their knowledge and demonstrate learning by creating something new. |
| 7. Partners review each other’s sentences and underline any errors in the use of quantifiers. Partners can point out the rules that need to be applied and do a final review once changes have been made. | Applying the grammar rules that learners created to the new sentences helps to fully internalize the language of the lesson for all of your students at every level. |
| 8. Students review peer corrections and create final sentences to submit to the teacher. Students submit all work, including original worksheet, sentences submitted to peers, peer-reviewed sentences with underlines and rule guidance and final correct sentences. | Now, all students from A2/B1 have had an opportunity to understand the rules, clarify and demonstrate knowledge of the grammar point. |
This differentiated process primarily supports the students whose level is slightly lower. However, all students will benefit from the change in process, which gives them a chance to deepen their understanding of the grammar rules.
And, as you can see, students write rules, create new sentences, and conduct a peer review.All ofthis work is created and completed by the students.
As the teacher, you don’t need to create a new worksheet to teach a differentiated class. The GSE Teacher Toolkit can help you to find a solution that creates more work for students and less work for the teacher.
If you are interested in differentiated instruction,tI recommend is thoroughly researched and detailed by.
For more uses of the , there is a wholesectiondedicated to GSEon ourblog where you’ll find articles on how to use the toolkit. If you need to teachgrammarandvocabulary, the GSE Teacher Toolkit is there to support you.
Read our posts 'Grammar lesson planning with the GSE Teacher Toolkit' and 'Assessing listening skills with the GSE'.
At ɫèAV Languages, 2024 has been a landmark year full of innovation, connection, and impactful resources for businesses worldwide. We’ve worked on so many things with the aim to empower global workforces and help organizations unlock the potential of language skills to drive business success. Here's how we made a difference this year.
As the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the highlights, achievements and innovations that shaped education in 2024. For educators everywhere, this has been a year of growth, adaptation and pushing boundaries to empower both students and teachers. Whether you’ve been focused on refining your teaching practices or adopting new educational technologies, there’s plenty to celebrate and learn from this year.
Here’s a look back at some of the major ɫèAV Languages educator highlights in 2024.
The end of the school year can be bittersweet. Students are excited for the holidays, but teachers have the tricky task of keeping their attention as focus starts to fade. The upside? It’s the perfect chance to make this time fun, memorable and engaging with creative classroom ideas that really stick. Here's a list of end-of-year school activities to ensure your students stay motivated all the way to the final bell.
Longer projects are perfect for the end of the year because they encourage deeper engagement. Here are a few ideas to try out.
With the festive season approaching, it’s the perfect excuse to blend learning with holiday cheer.
Interactive games are an easy way to maintain focus and excitement.
Encourage collaboration with team tasks that bring students together.
Don’t hesitate to think outside the box with these unique ideas:
Every great year deserves a great finish. Host a lesson that brings your students closer together.
The end of the school year doesn’t have to signal the end of learning. With a bit of creativity, teachers can make the last weeks of school productive and enjoyable. From fun classroom activities to meaningful year-end projects for students, these ideas will set the stage for a memorable finish.
