The Benefits of Differentiated instruction for At-Risk Learners
Abstract
K-12th grade students in the United States enter public classrooms with many learning styles, language proficiencies and abilities. Through differentiated instruction strategies, pre-service teachers and teacher educators can meet the needs of all students including at-risk learners. In this article, the authors identify at-risk students as having multiple suspensions and or expulsions, transiency, low-socioeconomic status or living at poverty level, single parent households, foster care and teenage pregnancy (Gavigan & Kurtts, 2010). The chapter will provide practical ways for differentiating content and instruction for at-risk students. Independent study, extended time for assignments, providing resources such as materials and support personnel are mentioned in this chapter (Grant, Popp & Stronge, 2008). Along with this is incorporating technology to meet the needs of at-risk learners. It is the hope that pre-service teachers and teacher educators will be equipped with strategies that they can use in the classroom to help at-risk learners succeed academically, socially, emotionally and physically.