Differentiation



Every child is different. Differentiation recognises the differences in children, in terms of how they learn and how they should be taught.

Differentiation is an approach to teaching and learning that responds positively to all children’s needs by adapting:

      • what they will learn
      • how they will learn
      • how they will demonstrate their learning.
Differentiation is an inclusive approach that enables all children to move on together. It is for every child in your early years setting, irrespective of their learning needs, gender, age, ethnicity, interests, faith, first language, their past or present experiences.

Teacher discussing a chosen book with a group of children


It is important to be mindful of variations between your children so you can differentiate in response to those variations. Examples of differentiated responses include:

      • repeating instructions to children in their home language, if English is not their first language
      • providing stories and non-fiction books with large text for children who are visually impaired
      • engaging children by using their interests.


Further guidance on using differentiation in your teaching is provided on the next page.