One thing that sets a differentiated classroom setting apart from a traditional classroom setting is the consideration of each child's interests. Individual students are allowed to express interest in various topics, and teachers create personalized learning experiences, reading assignments, independent study and projects centered on a particular child's desires to learn about a topic. Traditional classroom instruction, on the other hand, is based on lesson plans that are created well in advance and geared toward the students as a whole, rather than to each child.
In traditional classrooms, most public schools participate in end-of-the-year assessments and benchmark tests after the students have covered the material and likely finished an entire grade. These types of tests are made to determine how many children mastered the material that was presented to decide on teaching methods for incoming students. Differentiated classrooms take a different approach by assessing children before learning takes place to discover individual learning needs for certain subjects such as math, rather than to assess acquired knowledge. These tests are helpful to allow teachers to alter teaching styles for individual needs and create learning profiles for each child for different subject areas. For instance, some children learn to read by listening and watching while others learn by doing. By assessing each child frequently for different subjects, learning styles and knowledge, teachers can accommodate teaching techniques for individuals based on their needs.
Differentiated instruction takes a peer approach to learning by allowing students to communicate freely and help each other learn in the classroom. Students are encouraged to help fellow students who may be struggling; sometimes students of the same age may be able to explain a concept in terms that an age-mate may understand better than if a teacher tries to re-explain a concept. While order is still maintained in the classroom, communication is a key component to instruction. While traditional classrooms do offer some form of peer help, most often children are required to stay in their seats and remain quiet for the duration of instruction to maintain a teacher-dominated learning environment.
One of the most important concepts of a differentiated classroom is flexibility. Since each student may learn differently, teachers are required to be flexible with lessons, instruction and time. It is essential that each child learn at her own pace, so while one student may be ready to do multiplication, another student may be struggling with addition. While this may seem chaotic, with proper techniques, students can learn successfully at their own pace in a classroom setting when given increments of one-on-one instruction coupled with individual work presented in a way that is understandable to the student. Traditional classrooms, on the other hand, are very structured learning environments were flexibility is not an option. All children complete the same tasks at the same time every day to maintain order and to attempt to progress students to the next grade in a timely manner.