Differentiated Instruction Resources
(Recommended by Rick Wormeli)
For folks wanting to get a good grasp of differentiated instruction so
they can experiment with solid strategies during the coming year, I would
opt for the following books (I put a few annotated comments next to some
of them):
Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. 2nd Edition,
ASCD, 1994, 2000
Beers, Kylene and Samuels, Barabara G. (1998) Into Focus: Understanding
and Creating Middle School Readers. Norwood,Massachusetts: Christopher-Gordon
Publishers, Inc. (For differentiated reading practices)
Burke, Kay. What to Do With the Kid Who: Developing Cooperation,Self-Discipline,
and Responsibility in the Classroom, Skylight Professional Development,
2001
Forsten, Char; Grant, Jim; Hollas, Betty. Differentiated Instruction: Different
Strategies for Different Learners, Crystal Springs Books, 2001 (This is
for K-8, but it has some great ideas for middle school!)
Glynn, Carol. Learning on their Feet: A Sourcebook for Kinesthetic Learning
Across the Curriculum, Discover Writing Press, 2001 (This is all about turning
lessons into physical experiences)
Lavoie, Richard. How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop, WETA
Video, P.O. box 2626, Washington, D.C., 20013-2631 (703) 998-3293. (This
is my hometown PBS station. You can get this video through most of your
PBS stations because they do a lot with learning disabilities. Don't let
the topic, "learning disabilities" throw you off -- It's one of
most amazing videos I've ever seen -- highly appropriate for the regular
classroom teacher, especially if he or she accepts the premise that LD can
really mean, "Learns Differently." If you look at accurate descriptions
of young adolescents in transition, they're all LD from time to time in
this regard. The video costs $49.95. Also available at www.Ldonline.)
Marzano, Robert J.; Pickering, Debra J.; Pollock, Jane E. Classroom Instruction
that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement,
ASCD, 2001
Purkey, William W.; Novak, John M. Inviting School Success: A Self-Concept
Approach to Teaching and Learning, Wadsworth Publishing, 1984
Rutherford, Paula. Instruction for All Students,Just ASK Publications, Inc
703) 535-5432, 1998
Sousa, David. How the Special Needs Brain Learns,Corwin Press, 2001 (This
addresses all the labeled conditions that come before us: ADD, ADHD, LD
in writing, LD in reading, LD in math, speech and language issues, and more.
It describes what's going on in the brain for each of these situations,
then what teachers need to do differently in order to maximize those students'
mastery of content and skills.)
Strong, Richard W.; Silver, Harvey F.; Perini, Matthew J.; Tuculescu,Gregory
M. Reading for Academic Success: Powerful Strategies for Struggling, Average,
and Advanced Readers, Grades 7-12, Corwin Press, 2002 (for reading differentiation
the content areas)
Tomlinson, Carol Ann. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability
Classrooms, ASCD, 1995
Tomlinson, Carol Ann. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs
of All Learners, ASCD, 1999
Tomlinson, Carol Ann. At Work in the Differentiated Classroom (VIDEO),ASCD,
2001 (Tape one of this three-tape set is of me doing the things I describe
in Meet Me in the Middle. They filmed me for five weeks to catch the "nuts
and bolts" of differentiation over time. -- Rick W. )
Tovani, Cris. I Read It, But I Don,t Get It. Stenhouse Publishers, 2001
(Turning struggling readers into proficient readers, with plenty of strategies
for proficient readers, too. - A fantastic book!)
Wolfe, Patricia. Brain Matters: Translating Research into Classroom Practice,
ASCD, 2001 (Just to get the brain research angle on differentiated instruction)
I hope this helps a bit. -- Rick W.
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