CHAPTER 3

Making Schools Inclusive

A UNIFYING FRAMEWORK

DIMENSION A: Creating inclusive cultures (Section A.1. Building community, and Section A.2. Establishing
inclusive values)
 This dimension creates a secure, accepting, collaborating, and stimulating community, in which everyone is
valued as the foundation for the highest achievements of all.
 It develops shared inclusive values that are conveyed to all new staff, students, governors, and
parents/carers.
 The principles and values, in inclusive school cultures, guide decisions about policies and moment to moment
practice in classrooms, so that school development becomes a continuous process.
DIMENSION B Producing inclusive policies
 Section B.1 Developing the school for all
 Section B.2 Organizing support for diversity
This dimension makes sure that inclusion permeates all school plans. Policies encourage the participation of
students and staff from the moment they join the school, reach out to all students in the locality, and minimize
exclusionary pressures. All policies involve clear strategies for change. Support is considered to be all activities
which increase the capacity of a school to respond to student diversity. All forms of support are developed
according to inclusive principles and are brought together within a single framework.

DIMENSION C Evolving inclusive practices

 Section C.1 Orchestrating learning
 Section C.2 Mobilizing resources
This dimension develops school practices which reflect the inclusive cultures and policies of the school. Lessons
are made responsive to student diversity. Students are encouraged to be actively involved in all aspects of their
education, which draws on their knowledge and experience outside school. Staff identify material resources and resources
within each other, students, parents/carers, and local communities which can be mobilized to support learning and
participation.

Stakeholders are those who are invested in the welfare and success of a school and its students
 These are the teachers, administrators, school staff, officials and other workers, the parents and their
families, the community, and the government.
 They may also be collective entities like local businesses, advocacy groups, the media, sociocultural
institutions, and other organizations that may be directly or indirectly involved in education.
 Stakeholders are important because they play a major role in connecting what is being taught in a school to its
surrounding community.
 The following are some steps stakeholders can take to create inclusive cultures:
 Set the parameters for inclusion; Build key people; And identify and eradicate barriers.
 Common Barriers
 Attitudes, values systems, misconceptions, and societal norms; Physical barriers; Curriculum;
Lack of teacher training and low teacher efficacy; Poor language and communication; Lack of
funding; Lack of policies; Organization of educational systems; And too much focus on
performance-based standards
Special Education vs. Mainstreaming vs. Inclusive Education

The following is a list of other possible steps that educators can take to facilitate the much-needed societal shift and
inform policy:
 Involve other sectors of society; Collaborate; Recognize the shift in roles of the teachers; and Include
transitions in planning
A move that would greatly help in informing policy would be to examine different aspects of the school and the delivery of
its services. Specifically, schools may look at the following:
 Student admissions; Accessibility to utilities and facilities; Supports available to students, parents, and school
personnel; Learner accommodations; Exclusionary or discriminatory incidents; Number of bullying cases; and Faculty
and staff promotions

Universal Design for Learning

 It refers to the design of instructional materials and activities to make the content information accessible to all
children
 There are three elements to UDL:
 Multiple means of representation
 Multiple means of action and expression
 Multiple means of engagement
 Principles
 Equitable Use; Flexible Use; Simple and Intuitive Use; Perceptible Information; Tolerance for Error; Low
Physical Effort; Size and Space for Approach and Use; Community of Learners; and Inclusive Environment
Differentiated Instruction
 It is a teacher's response to students' varying needs, interests, and learning styles
 Why Differentiate Instruction? How instruction is differentiated? How is the Classroom Managed during
 This topic provides insights and practical tips on cultivating inclusive habits and implementing such practices in the classroom effectively.
 It is entirely based on the Booth and Ainscow (2002) framework to help schools determine their next steps in shifting to a more inclusive setting.
 Diversity is the new "normal."
 Inclusive practices must be dynamic and collaborative.
 To be truly inclusive, educators must always check for the presence, participation, and achievement of their learners.
 Differentiation plays an important role in the success of inclusive education practices.

A UNIFYING FRAMEWORK
 In 2002, Booth and Ainscow came up with an Index for Inclusion,
 It aims to direct educational institutions toward developing their own next steps and action plans if they want to restructure into becoming more
inclusive.
 It takes on the social model of disability as its starting point, builds on good practice, and then organizes the index work around a cycle of
activities which guide schools through stages of preparation, investigation, development, and review” (UNESCO 2005:30).
 A three-dimensional framework was created – creating inclusive cultures, evolving inclusive practices, and producing inclusive policies
– are interconnected and "chosen to direct thinking about school change” (2002:7). (See Figure 3.1).
 Considered the backbone of the framework is the laying down and establishing of an inclusive culture.
 Without this at the foundation, it will be quite difficult to get people to shift policies and practices.
 A non – supportive culture would most likely result in resistance from the school’s direct stakeholders.
 These three dimensions also branch out into sections to further guide schools into implementing more direct steps toward this paradigm
shift.

Figure 3.1. Three dimensions of the Index (Booth and Ainscow 2002:7).

The Dimensions and Sections in the Index

DIMENSION A Creating inclusive cultures

 Section A.1 Building community
 Section A.2 Establishing inclusive values

This dimension creates a secure, accepting, collaborating, and stimulating community, in which everyone is valued as the foundation for the
highest achievements of all. It develops shared inclusive values that are conveyed to all new staff, students, governors, and parents/carers.
The principles and values, in inclusive school cultures, guide decisions about policies and moment to moment practice in classrooms, so
that school development becomes a continuous process.

DIMENSION B Producing inclusive policies

 Section B.1 Developing the school for all
 Section B.2 Organizing support for diversity

This dimension makes sure that inclusion permeates all school plans. Policies encourage the participation of students and staff from the
moment they join the school, reach out to all students in the locality, and minimize exclusionary pressures. All policies involve clear
strategies for change. Support is considered to be all activities which increase the capacity of a school to respond to student diversity. All
forms of support are developed according to inclusive principles and are brought together within a single framework.

DIMENSION C Evolving inclusive practices

 Section C.1 Orchestrating learning
 Section C.2 Mobilizing resources
This dimension develops school practices which reflect the inclusive cultures and policies of the school. Lessons are made responsive to
student diversity. Students are encouraged to be actively involved in all aspects of their education, which draws on their knowledge and experience
outside school. Staff identify material resources and resources within each other, students, parents/carers, and local communities which can be
mobilized to support learning and participation.
(Source: The Dimensions and Sections in the Index of Inclusion. Adapted from Booth & Ainscow, 2002:8)

CREATING INCLUSIVE CULTURES

 Inclusion is as much the responsibility of society as it is the responsibility of schools.
 We realized from the previous chapter that the key to successful inclusive practices is merging of frameworks and aligning of definitions of
disability.
 In this chapter, we shall learn that inclusive education is an ongoing collaborative process that needs to be dynamically revisited. For it to
truly work, its essence has to resonate to all stakeholders of education.
 In educational reform, stakeholders are those who are invested in the welfare and success of a school and its students
 In other words, these are the teachers, administrators, school staff, officials and other workers, the parents and their families, the
community, and the government.
 They may also be collective entities like local businesses, advocacy groups, the media, sociocultural institutions, and other organizations
that may be directly or indirectly involved in education.
 Stakeholders are important because they play a major role in connecting what is being taught in a school to its surrounding community.
 In 2017, UNESCO reported that there has been significant global improvement in accessing education, specifically in the primary level for the
last 15 years.
 However, its 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report reveals that there are still an estimated 263 million children and youth aged 6 to 17
all around the world who are still not in school at this time.
 The report also confirmed the continuous plight of women against gender discrimination, among others.
 With increasing globalization and international migration, the problem pertaining to inclusive education and how it affects PWDs could not
be more real.
 What Stakeholders Can Do
 The rights-based approach to educational programming “insists that no right can exist without a corresponding governmental
obligation”
 Thus, governments and communities are starting to understand how they are accountable to children with additional needs in fulfilling
their right to education and providing access to quality education that is also safe, welcoming, and inclusive.
 Legally defining terms and formalizing a system for setting up inclusive schools in areas where there are none to begin with ensures
uniformity, universality, consistency of implementation, and eventual success of inclusion in the country.
 The following are some steps stakeholders can take to create inclusive cultures:
 Set the parameters for inclusion. The government has identified key people and professions, and highlighted important factors
leading to the success of inclusive education, i.e., placement process, committees, staffing and responsibilities teacher training and
compensation, incentives for private sector participation, and collaboration of the Department of Education with other branches of
government. These clearly show not just an attempt to centralize inclusive practices, but an initiative to make the welfare and
development of children with additional needs the responsibility of all. These are also consistent with what the UNESCO pushes for in
terms of getting every stakeholder involved.
 Build key people. The government recognizes the need for teacher training, both in the special need’s education and general
education levels. It also pushes for the use of evidence-based teaching frameworks, provision of student assistance, and access to
instructional materials. Most importantly, calls are made for continuing research and forming of policies to be initiated by agencies
such as the Department of Education so as to further refine the inclusive process and have it tailored to fit to the needs of children
with additional needs. This is an important factor that every nation has to constantly revisit as the needs of students across
continents, though similar, would have nuances depending on where they reside. Educational frameworks cannot just be lifted and
"copy pasted" with the expectation that what worked for one country will work for another. UNESCO (2OO5), states that clarity of
purpose, realistic goals, motivation, support, resources, and an evaluation of policies and practices all contribute to a successful shift
toward inclusion.
 Identify and eradicate barriers. UNESCO’s Guide for Inclusion (2005) advocates for the identification and removal of obstacles that
have to do with transforming prevailing attitudes and values on a systemic level. The Philippine government seems to be in
consonance with this aspect in the light of its existing legislative policies that ground the undeniable importance of inclusion. It is also
continuously reorganizing structures in education and implementing programs that highlight the need for primary stakeholders like the
school, the parents, and other policy makers, to acquire more understanding and capacity building to manage an inclusive
environment.

Common Barriers of Inclusion

 Attitudes, values systems, misconceptions, and societal norms – can lead to prejudices and/or actual resistance to implement inclusive
practices (UNESCO 2005).
 Physical barriers – the lack of building, facility, transportation, or road accessibility are types of physical barriers that can literally affect one’s
mobility.
 Curriculum – a rigid one size fits all curriculum does not allow room for individual differences can significantly stunt one’s learning and
opportunity for growth.
 Lack of teacher training and low teacher efficacy – whether training in teaching strategies, using curriculum frameworks, or behavior and
classroom management, lack of training as well as low confidence in one’s own skills can directly affect how inclusive practices are
implemented.
 Poor language and communication – language barriers may also directly have implications on how well inclusive practices are implemented.
 Lack of funding – enough funding can allow for training more teachers as well as coming up with more appropriate programs, instructional
materials, or facilities; lack of funds can be limiting and debilitating to schools.
 Lack of policies – policies have the ability to unify beliefs and mobilize resources; unfortunately, lack of it can become a convenient justification
for inaction.
 Organization of educational systems – centralized systems may have some type of detachment in terms of implementing policies and seeing
the reality of how such policies are affecting learners and other stakeholders.
 Too much focus on performance-based standards – schools have also reportedly refused inclusion because of fear that the presence of
learners with additional needs will pull down their rankings in standardized tests.

Figure 3.3. Barriers to inclusion.

Special Education vs. Mainstreaming vs. Inclusive Education

 Part of what needs to occur when creating cultures is to also determine distinctions among frameworks and practices.
 Most important in this scenario is to understand how different special education, mainstreaming, and inclusive education are from each other.
 In the previous chapter, we discussed how special education is often regarded as segregated and exclusive.
 It has to be noted, however, that this perception is entirely due to its nature of addressing cases in a highly individualized way.
 This is not to mean that special education is an environment that violates human rights.
 Because special education assesses, instructs, and evaluates students individually and intentionally, this type of educational setting is
beneficial to those with very unique needs as well.
 Mainstreaming shares more similarities with inclusion than with special education. Both look at integrating the child with additional needs into
a general education setting.
 There are, however, nuances between the two as well (see Table 3.1).

Table 3.1. Comparing special education, inclusion, and mainstreaming

Factors Special Education Inclusion Mainstreaming

Selected learners are included in a general
Students who are not part of the classroom All same-aged peers / learners are in one
Learners education class based on their readiness
norm class regardless of ability.
instead of their age.
Learner may have access to both general
Strengths – based and needs – based
Curriculum General education curriculum education curriculum and a more
individualized curriculum
individualized curriculum.
Assessment and Mostly strengths – based but is sometimes is Both norm- referenced and strengths-
Norm-referenced
Evaluation also standards – based based
All services happen inside the special
Receives services in both the general
Learning education classroom but other services such
All services happen inside the general education class- room and outside through
Placement and as therapeutic interventions may be
education classroom. the use of resource rooms and therapeutic
Delivery of Services integrated into this setting or delivered
programs.
separately.
Learner-centered: Some learners have very Rights-based: All learners have a right to Preparatory and Integrative: Learners are
Philosophy specific needs that may not be appropriately access quality education that is available given access to general education but will
addressed in a general education classroom. to others. need to catch upon skills first.

PRODUCING INCLUSIVE POLICIES

 As reiterated in the previous chapters, the premise of inclusion starts with an acceptance and embracing of diversity. It is difficult to start
movement if this practice is not rooted on a culture that assumes the right perspectives and values. For simultaneous paradigm shifts to happen
among its education stakeholders, schools must first create a new culture.
 UNESCO (2005) realistically acknowledges that a societal change in attitude need not be initially present in a community before inclusion can
be fully practiced. Rather, it must be viewed as a perspective or an ideal to work toward. Without this realization, differences in standards and
quality of education may surface as potential problems. Just very recently, the pre-service education curriculum was restructured so that
special needs education units are not only given to special needs education majors but to other education majors as well. This is a huge step
for teachers and a nod to inclusive education.
 The following is a list of other possible steps that educators can take to facilitate the much-needed societal shift and inform policy:
 Involve other sectors of society. Current training and awareness campaigns seem to limit the movement of inclusion to a mere home –
school relationship. At most, these are extended to the departments for social welfare and health. However, for an inclusive set-up to truly
be successful, active involvement of the entire community must be ensured. For instance, those in the business, commercial, security, and
religious sectors must also be given representation in trainings. These campaigns must be wide enough in scope as to cover supermarkets,
restaurants, malls, public and government agencies not directly associated with social welfare or health, transportation, land, airline and
maritime companies, the media, and even the research teams of our policy makers. At the same time, they must be specific enough to
reach the local churches, the subdivision playgrounds, and the village stores. In recent years, students in the tertiary level from various
programs have been showing growing interest in the PWD community. For instance, students belonging to architectural and interior
design programs have been working on theses and capstone projects where their main clients have additional needs. The idea is for
everyone – regardless of their training or exposure – to become more sensitive and aware of the PWD population. The more aware a
community is, the more it will be able to help.
 Collaborate. Whether creating an academic program specific to a child with additional needs or creating a new legislative bill for the PWD
community, collaboration is crucial. Each member of the inclusive education team would have their own strengths and weaknesses, and
these have to be used wisely to benefit the child with additional needs. Del Corro – Tiangco (2014) states that general education teachers
are trained in the general curriculum but would not know to teach and manage children with additional needs; while a special needs
education teacher would be equipped to handle atypical behaviors but would not know much about the general education curriculum. True
collaboration would guarantee an inclusive program that would cover as many areas as possible.
 Recognize the shift in roles of the teachers. With the shift to inclusive education, the role of special education (SPED) teachers
suddenly seems to be reduced to only “as needed." As a result, the SPED teacher's role no longer becomes that of an implementer but
that of a consultative nature instead. It also becomes the responsibility of the general education teacher to know what to do when faced
with a learner with additional needs in his or her classroom. The SPED teachers’ role – their trainings, their insights, and their skills as a
supposed prime mover in the inclusive education framework – must neither be diminished nor disregarded. Instead, these must be used to
ensure a good inclusive program is provided to children with additional needs. Conversely, general education teachers must go through
skills training and capacity building workshops to ensure that they are supporting all types of learners in their classrooms appropriately.
  Include transitions in planning. An abrupt systemic change that is not well-planned or that disregards practices – whether existing or
implied – may hinder the shift to inclusion and cause resentment from all stakeholders. Instead, current practices have to be respected and
honored so as to facilitate a gradual shift to inclusive education.
 Booth and Ainscow (2002) recommend that schools reflect on their current policies and practices to check their readiness for an inclusive set-
up. They also devised a questionnaire that would help administrators, faculty, and other stakeholders comprehensively gather baseline data.
 A move that would greatly help in informing policy would be to examine different aspects of the school and the delivery of its services.
Specifically, schools may look at the following:
 Student admissions
 Accessibility to utilities and facilities
 Supports available to students, parents, and school personnel
 Learner accommodations
 Exclusionary or discriminatory incidents
 Number of bullying cases
 Faculty and staff promotions

EVOLVING INCLUSIVE PRACTICES

 Evolving inclusive practices is the third dimension to Booth and Ainscow's framework for schools (2002), where administrators must first try to
create an inclusive culture among its stakeholders, then build better, more all-encompassing policies. The goal of the first two steps is to
ascertain habit forming conditions, which make procedures that are otherwise unfamiliar feel like second nature to us. We want to reach a point
where inclusive teaching practices are expected. Once this happens, we can start focusing on raising the participation and success rates of
learners with additional needs inside our classrooms.
 Moreover, the term "evolving" assumes that we already have strategies in place which we just have to revisit for possible tweaking. It suggests
advancement and positive growth, which means we can look at these existing strategies and just adjust these according to the needs of our
students along the way. Two effective evidence-based inclusive practices that can be used in the classroom are Universal Design for Learning
(UDL) and Differentiated Instruction.

Universal Design for Learning

 In architecture, universal designs refer to structures that were made in such a way that they can be used by customers or clients with a wide
range of needs (Dukes & Lamar-Dukes 2009 as cited in Salend 2011). Such designs ensure accessibility for all. For example, an architect
designs a commercial complex where ramps, elevators, escalators, handrails, wide doorways and sidewalks, and signs embossed in Braille
abound. It is a very user-friendly building. Obviously, the designer imagined that some customers might walk into the complex in wheelchairs or
white canes. The architect does not know if or when it's going to happen, but he anticipated it and incorporated it into his design anyway.
 Such is the mechanics of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach to instruction. UDL refers to the design of instructional materials and
activities to make the content information accessible to all children (Rose & Meyer 2006 as cited Turnbull et al. 2013). It is best used in a
general education classroom where learners are different. Through the provision of delivering content and allowing student to construct learning
in more than one way, UDL ensures that all students learn genuinely.
 There are three elements to UDL:
 Multiple means of representation
 Multiple means of action and expression
 Multiple means of engagement
 In UDL, teachers are supposed to present information and materials in many different ways, taking into consideration that some students may
have not fully absorbed the lesson the first time it was presented. The concept of multiple means of representation is meant to ensure that all
students are able to access and understand learning materials. After this, teachers allow students to express what they learned in various
ways, and finally, t h e teacher u s e s different techniques to reinforce learning at the students’ optimal levels. The principles of UDL, which
sometimes overlap are presented below with examples ( see Table 3.2).

Table 3.2. UDL principles adapted from Salend (2011:17-18)

Examples of UDL Implementation and Inclusive

UDL Principles UDL Principle and Inclusive Practices
Practices
Inclusive practices are designed to be useful,  Use UDL principles equitably
appealing, and safe for all students, families, and  Use culturally responsive teaching strategies and
Principle 1: Equitable Use
professionals to use. Individual differences and materials like MTBMLE (mother tongue–based
various contexts are respected. multilingual education)
Inclusive practices are designed to accommodate the
individual preferences, abilities, and needs of all  Establish classroom rules and routines
Principle 2: Flexible Use students, families, and professionals. Flexibility in  Use graphic organizers for synthesizing material
providing choices for methods and pacing are  Develop scoring rubrics with the students
exercised.
Principle 3: Simple and Inclusive practices are designed to be easy for all to
Intuitive Use use and understand.
Inclusive practices are designed so that they Use technological and assistive devices to support
Principle 4: Perceptible
communicate valuable information to all through learning, communicate with parents, or share
Information
various formats. information
 Teach study and learning strategies
Inclusive practices are designed to minimize errors  Teach self-regulatory techniques
Principle 5: Tolerance for and unintended consequences by providing  Encourage students and foster their intrinsic
Error safeguards and warnings to assist all in using them motivation
safely.  Offer grading alternatives that are valid and
appropriate
Inclusive practices are designed to be used
Principle 6: Low Physical  Chunk activities and give more breaks
comfortably and efficiently without much effort from
Effort  Teach mindfulness
all.
  Provide additional support as needed
 Take advantage of seat arrangements and
classroom furniture (e.g., specialized chairs, stability
Inclusive practices are designed for use by all,
Principle 7: Size and Space balls. use of ambient music, and appropriate
regardless of their mobility, physicality, or way of
for Approach and Use lighting).
communication.
 Provide opportunities for outdoor work
 Allow technology as needed
 Use project–based learning
 Promote collaborative activities such as fish bowl
Principle 8: Community of Inclusive practices are designed to promote social
discussions or think-pair-share
Learners interaction and communication for all.
 Establish strong home–school partnerships
 Classroom check–ins and check-outs
 Make students aware of and comfortable with
diversity
 Emphasize social roles in the classroom; (e.g., that
Principle 9: Inclusive Inclusive practices are designed to foster acceptance we students are there to teach each other and learn
Environment and a sense of belongingness for all. from each other.)
 Allow bonding activities
 Do team-building exercises regularly and integrate
lessons in such activities

Differentiated Instruction

 According to Tomlinson (2010), differentiated (or differentiating) instruction is a teacher's response to students' varying needs, interests, and
learning styles. "It refers to a systematic approach to planning curriculum and instruction for academically diverse learners. It is a way of
thinking about the classroom with the dual goals of honoring each student’s learning needs and maximizing student’s learning capacity." When
teachers differentiate instruction, they use a variety of teaching and learning strategies that are necessary to meet the diverse needs of students
in any class (Friend & Bursuck 2009).
 Why Differentiate Instruction?
 All learners are unique and have varying interests, talents, strengths, as well as, needs. Hence, it is essential that teaching and learning
experiences reflect this diversity. To ensure engaged, successful, and flourishing learners, teaching and learning experiences need to be
designed in a way that provide opportunities for students to learn and demonstrate their understanding in varied ways. Thus, Differentiating
Instruction (DI) helps ensure that learners are engaged in respectful tasks and provide diverse means of learning that reflect their strengths
and address their needs simultaneously.
 How instruction is differentiated?
 Bender 2022 (as cited by Gentry et al., 2013) identified of the curriculum that can be differentiated: (1) content, (2) process, (3) product,
and (4) learning environment in response to the student’s characteristics: interests, readiness, and learning profile. As an overview,
differentiation is achieved by providing materials and tasks:
 At varied levels of difficulty;
 With varying levels of instructional support;
 By using multiple grouping arrangement;
 That involve student choice; and
 Use varied evaluation strategies.
 As teachers, you must know your curriculum. You are suggested to revisit or identify which are non-negotiable and negotiable learning
objectives and tasks. You are also expected to know your student’s interests, readiness level (based on diagnostic data), and learning
styles/profile (strengths and needs). You may create a class profile to provide an overview of the class’s characteristics and needs. Next,
you may have to identify and plan what and how to differentiate your material. The goal is to start small and make simple steps toward
differentiating instruction. Table 3.3 provides a guide on how to effectively differentiate in the classroom.

Table 3.3. Differentiation Strategies

CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

What is taught? How is it taught?
What is learned? How is it learned?
Provide additional materials/skills Choices of reading materials
Reduce materials Varied presentation styles: Say it,
Skills explorations by interest Show it, and Model it
Use media (video, audio,
computer, TV, and manipulatives)
Varied pacing
Reading buddies / Read /
summarize – Read / Question /
Answer – Visual organizer/
summarizer
Think-Pair-Share by readiness
interest, and learning profile
Learning centers/stations
Small-group instruction
Jigsaw (expert groups)
Cooperative learning activities
Teams, Games and Activities
Cubing
Learning contracts
How is it assessed?
How is learning demonstrated?
Homework
Student choice on product (oral
presentations, written report, role
plays, simulations etc.)
Varied journal prompts
Choice Boards
Think-Tac-Toe
Tiered activities (by readiness
and interest)
More items (advanced learners)
Less items (with special needs)
Learning contracts
How is the classroom arranged?
Flexible grouping: whole class,
small groups, one-on-one, peer
teaching, pairs, partner learning,
independent learning &
cooperative learning
Flexible seating
Preferential seating
Pull-out from class (for learners
with special needs)
RAFT (Role, Audience, Format,
Topic)
 How is the Classroom Managed during Differentiated Learning?
 Structure the classroom by establishing routines during differentiated learning activities
 Explain to the students the reason for differentiation. Make sure this is understood by all.
 Use "anchor activities" which students can automatically work on when completing assigned tasks to maintain a productive work
environment and maximize instructional time. Examples of anchor activities are: reading a chosen book (e.g., for book report), journal
writing based on a prompt, skills practice (spelling, math), use of manipulative objects, etc.
 Assign roles during small–group activities instruction to ensure accountability and a positive learning environment. These are suggested
group roles, but older learners and their teachers may decide on other roles. Learners should have the opportunity to assume each of the
roles.
 Facilitator
 Recorder
 Summarizer/Timekeeper
 Presenter
 Errand monitor
 Implement routines for collaborative work.
 Establish working groups (by interest, by readiness, etc.)
 Have a plan for "quick finishers"
 Have a plan for when to ask for help (role of the errand monitor).
 Anchor Activity Options (for secondary students)
 Journals or Learning logs
 Project extension
 Independent reading
 Lab work
 Related course readings with questions or extension activities
 Test prep or practice test reviews for ACT or SAT
 Project Interest
 Learning packets
 Independent studies
 Computer skills
 Web Quests or tele-collaborative projects
 Anchor Activity Options (for upper elementary / middle school students)
 Work on your book report selection (read quietly until time is called). If you have already finished your book, then work on your review
(consult the hint book for guidelines).
 Complete one of the three journal prompts provided.
 Select a Learning Interest packet from the anchor option file box.
 Select at least one area of test prep practice you believe you need to review.
 Work on your Orbital or Independent Project.