In a traditional classroom, one lecture or assignment is given to all of the students, and the teacher expects the same outcomes for everyone. However, in a classroom promoting differentiated instruction, the teacher takes into account the range of skills, abilities and achievement in that one setting. For example, while in a traditional classroom all first graders would use the same reading material, in a differentiated classroom students might be grouped by achievement level.
Differentiated instruction is not only about the students' abilities. Learning styles and the theory of multiple intelligences are taken into account. In a traditional math classroom, for example, the teacher may introduce a new concept and assign worksheets so that students can practice the new skill. This type of teaching speaks only to verbal/linguistic and logical/mathematical intelligences. Differentiated instruction, on the other hand, may use methods such as making scale models and physically going outside or around the school to measure different items. This approach reaches learners by addressing spatial or naturalistic intelligences, and if they are working with partners, interpersonal intelligence.
Teachers using differentiated instruction also need a variety of materials. In a classroom functioning under traditional pedagogy, the teacher uses the same set of instructions, manipulatives and tools for everybody. However, with differentiated instruction, the teacher will need a variety of books or lab materials, for example, or a variety of school supplies to set up different work stations.
In a classroom functioning under traditional pedagogy, the sole focus of that class will be the subject under study, such as science, math, history or English. However, in the differentiated classroom, interdisciplinary connections are important. For example, in a history class, the teacher may ask students to draw political cartoons to show them the power of art, and in an English class, the teacher may use history or science lessons to connect literature to a particular context.