Page 25 - Primary Year 4 SK SoW

4. Differentiation strategies for Primary pupils

The Scheme of Work suggests at least one differentiation strategy for each lesson. These
suggestions are related directly to the focus of that lesson and are often similar to the
strategies below. However, every class is different, and teachers are encouraged to reflect
on the learning needs of their individual pupils in each class in order to select and adapt the
strategies they use in a lesson. They may choose to follow the suggestions in the Scheme of
Work, and/or follow one or more strategies from the list below.

Strategy 1: Differentiate by the task pupils are given
If teachers are using the same task for the whole class, using open-ended tasks such as
brainstorming allows a large number of correct responses. Open-ended tasks (e.g. Tell me
the food words you know, or What will happen next?) allow more proficient pupils to
contribute more unusual words, more complex language, or more original ideas. Sometimes,
the teacher can also give different tasks to more proficient and less proficient groups of
pupils according to their needs and interests: see Strategy 5 for more on this.

Strategy 2: Differentiate by the type and amount of support provided
The teacher can support pupils to understand and use language with:

 their own instruction (e.g. ‘It’s an animal we have in Malaysia. It begins with the letter M.
It lives in the trees in the jungle.’)

 with gestures

 with visuals (e.g. flashcards on the board to help pupils understand or use vocabulary)

 with written words (e.g. written words on a worksheet or the board to help pupils with
spelling).
Different types and amount of support can be given to less proficient pupils, depending on
their needs, and extra challenge can be provided for more proficient pupils. For example, you
can give more proficient pupils more verbal instructions without using gestures.

Strategy 3: Differentiate by the outcome expected from pupils

The teacher may expect more language from some pupils, and less from others. The main
aim is that every pupil says or writes something, so that they feel successful. Two useful
strategies here are:

A. Compulsory plus optional
Here, the teacher sets pupils targets such as With your partner, write 2 sentences or
more, or In your group, write 5 words or more. The minimum target (2 sentences, 5
words) is compulsory, and everyone needs to achieve this to be successful. But the ‘or
more’ is optional, and gives a chance for more proficient language pupils to challenge
themselves. Some pupils will stop at the minimum target at first, but with more practice,
they will soon get the idea of going beyond the minimum target.
B. Remember and share
If pupils are asked to remember and share, they have to tell the teacher words or ideas
they learned in a previous lesson or task (e.g. Look at the objects on my table. In one
minute, I’ll cover them… Now, share with your group what you remember. Make a list

Primary Year 4 SK Scheme of Work 26