Differentiated instruction is a broad term that expresses a philosophy which maximizes students' opportunities to learn curriculum from their strengths rather than a step-by-step curriculum process. From this firm foundation, they can address their limitations without developing negative perceptions of self-ability or self-worth as they become creative-productive members of our society.

In differentiating instruction, the teacher weaves individual goals into the classroom content and instructional strategies. The content and the instructional strategies are the vehicles by which the teacher meets the needs of all the students. An approach to planning is used that enables concepts and skills to be taught to the entire class while meeting the individual needs of each child. This site is intended to be an overview of the strategies and terminologies that parents and teachers can use to incorporate the philosophies of differentiated instruction into their work with the children of Egg Harbor Township.

While "differentiated instruction" is a comparatively new term in the field of education, the concepts and practices of differentiating are nothing new. Leaders in the field of education, like Renzulli, Tomlinson, Leppien, Reis, Kulik and Kulik, Tannenbaum, and others, have developed these strategies based on the work of educational giants such as Dewey, Taba, Bloom, Phenix, Piaget, Passow, and many more whose work has stood the test of time.

Achieving the goal of differentiating instruction involves the use of a multitude of tools and strategies. Many of the more common of these are listed in the links on the left for teachers to refer to as they differentiate instruction in their classrooms. This graphic organizer shows the elements of differentiated instruction as they relate to one another.