Dear students
Please choose either Option 1 or 2 for the blog assignment.
Blog entry - Option 1
Draft a letter to parents
•Introduce yourself
•Outline what their child will learn
•How you intend to use ‘differentiated instruction’ in the classroom
•Address their concern and explain why you are using differentiated instruction
•How they can contact you to share their views
Blog entry - Option 2
Draft a proposal to the principal
•Propose differentiated instruction as a trial for a selected theme
•State rationale
•Outline what children will learn
•Address concerns principal/parents may have
•Request approval
Juliet
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Letter to Parents – Blog Entry Option 1
Dear Parents,
I am your child’s Kindergarten 2 class teacher, Jasmine Chua. As our new school term begins this week, I would like to share with you our learning approach and goals for the term. We would be adopting the strategy of using ‘differentiated instruction’ in the classroom, in attempt to cater to the varied learning styles and needs of the children.
As each individual child varies in the learning readiness levels, this approach would be applied to help cater to their specific level, making sure they are working on tasks which are suitable, interesting yet challenging for them. Children would be exposed to variations of methods to work on specific tasks through the use of learning contracts. For example, they could choose different modes to express their thoughts on a topic using their area of strength, be it through writing, drawing, expressing verbally. As children get to work with tasks they are more comfortable with, they would then begin to open up to other ways to express themselves as they grow in confidence and are enjoying themselves. Besides this, learning corners would be used in the classroom to promote autonomy and encourage children to have independent learning, as children are given choices to choose the type of activities to do.
Working on their weaknesses, the use of group discussion and peer buddy systems could help the children to work with partners either in their same level, learning simultaneously, or in groups where there was a more diverse mixture. With this, children could learn from each other and gain support from peers.
As each individual child has their own right and needs, I respect that and hope to be able to create an environment that supports their learning according to their needs. By adopting ‘differentiated instruction’, children would be given that opportunity and thus learn and build on their knowledge in an even more engaging and interesting manner.
Hence, I hope to seek your support towards this approach. I would also be more then welcome to answer your questions and listen to any suggesting and views regarding this matter. You could contact me via the school’s number, 6253 6791 or you could email me at jasminechualq@hotmail.com. Thank you for your understanding.
Chua Li Qing Jasmine
Jasmine Chua
Kindergarten 2 Form Teacher
28 August 2008
Dear Parents,
I am Teacher Evon, who is in charge of K1B. I would like to use this letter as an opportunity to express my thoughts and expectations for the class. I would like to assure you that every one of them is special and unique in their own way. Just like us, adults, every child has a different learning style. Therefore, I would be adopting a new teaching approach, 'differentiated instruction', which will expand the learning opportunity of your child.
This method helps us, and also the children, to discover their individual multiple intelligence. A child might have understood what the teacher had taught, but might not be able to express it well through writing skills, as compared to drawings. Therefore, this would be a more appropriate method to enhance children's learning.
Using this method, every child would be given a different set of instructions. Their activities would be based on their level of learning. As a class, I would present them the day's lessons. For their individual activity, I would then plan it according to the different learning styles, and levels of readiness. I would plan a wide variation of activities for them. The activities will be in 3 different levels, easy, intermediate, and advance. From there, it will then expend to a variation of activities for each range. For example, some activities may require writing, while others may be visual arts. This is done so that children from every level are still given choices. This will help cater for their difference in learning style. Lastly, they would be gathered into small groups to share with one another about their work. Ultimately, all these activities are able to help me determine what they had learnt from the curriculum.
You can be assured that every child's learning experiences would be maximized. Furthermore, they would feel more comfortable with the learning experience as it is cater to their individual style and readiness.
If you have any more enquires, feel free to contact me at 9234 4543. I would deeply appreciate it if you would give me your support in implementing this approach. Thank You.
Woo HuiJing, Evon
Group A
Blog Entry 2, Option 2
September 4, 2008
Dear Mr Bing,
I would like to propose the use of Differentiated Instruction as a trial for the theme Under the Sea, which will be due this coming November.
I am proposing for the use of differentiated instruction because my observations of the children show that not all of them are learning at the same pace or same way, and consequently, not every child absorbs as much as is expected by the curriculum. Considering the diverse learning needs and styles, strengths and weaknesses, and interests of each child, I strongly believe that we should place the children at the core of curriculum-planning and circulate our lessons to meet their diverse needs. This will ensure that each child is not denied of the knowledge he deserves to have just because he is learning at a slower or much more advanced rate than his peers.
Before making this proposal, I took it upon myself to conduct a discussion with the children about what they already know and what they would like to know from the theme Under the Sea. Their responses were recorded on chart paper, and after analysing them, I have come up with an outline of what children will learn as listed below:
Children will learn:
The different kinds of creatures that live under the sea
The characteristics and eating habits of a specific sea creature of their choice
If there are any kinds of sea creatures that can live both under water and on land (crabs)
I understand that some parents may be concerned that it is not ‘fair’ that their children are doing an easier or more challenging task then their peers. I will try to make parents understand that the tasks have been tailored to suit the interest, strengths and learning style of the child, ensuring maximum knowledge absorption by their child. I understand that you, as a principal, would be concerned if the children will be learning the same things at the end of the day. I assure you that the contents taught will be the same, only that instructions are differentiated to meet the unique needs of each child.
I hope that you will consider and approve my proposal seeing how differentiated instruction will benefit a class of diverse children. Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Siti Rahmah Saahib
3rd September 2008
Dear Parents,
I am Yvette Toh, the new teacher for Kindergarten 1 (K1) class. In this letter, I will highlight what your child will learn during this term and the strategies which I will adopt.
The theme for this semester is ‘Fruits’. To develop language skills, children will make a trip to the neighborhood’s fruit stall and discuss about the trip in class. For math skills, children will learn fruits patterning. In the area of science, children will learn about the characteristics of fruits through explorations. To teach these skills to children, I will be using differentiated instructions. Differentiated instructions mean that the activities, contents for children and the products they create are different depending on their interests and readiness.
Firstly, children will work in flexible groupings. They will be grouped in various ways such as their interests or buddies. Secondly, different goals will be set for children with different abilities. Advanced learners will be given more challenging goal such creating AABB patterns with fruits. Average level goal such as forming ABC patterns will be set for learners with moderate abilities. Low level goal like forming ABAB patterns will set for slow learners. Thirdly, purposeful movements will be allowed in class as children are engaged in different forms of learning. For example, children who are interested in explorations can go to the science learning centre.
I understand that some parents may worry that the low level goals set for children may be unchallenging. However, I assure you that every goal set, is challenging in different ways. The aim is allow children to achieve success and gain confidence in learning. I will facilitate children and bring their understanding to a higher level through means like modeling a task. You may also be concerned that purposeful movements will cause chaos and the learning environment will be unconducive. Nevertheless, purposeful movements give children a sense of autonomy and independence in their learning. Evidence of children’s learning will be shown in the learning centers’ checklists and findings will be recorded in journals.
I believe these strategies will benefit children greatly and I look forward to update you about your child’s learning and progress. For any queries, feel free to contact me through the school at 62918236.
Thank you!
Yours Sincerely,
Yvette Toh
Group A
Letter to Parents- Blog Entry Option 1
Dear parents,
I am Ms Jasmine Chong, form teacher of your child’s Kindergarten class at Little Tots Learning Centre. For this month’s theme, I have decided to do the topic about “Transportation” based on the children’s interest area. The children will learn about the different modes of transportation and their names (Air, Land and Sea) and the different purposes of different transports. And instead of exploring the topic through worksheets, lessons and learning corners, the children will acquire knowledge through the integration of differentiated instructions in the classroom. Differentiated instructions refer to the use of several methods to acquire knowledge in the classroom.
Within the kindergarten class room, I will group the children accordingly to the children’s interest and ability level. Hence activities will be based on their readiness level, however all of the children will be learning about the same content but at different levels of difficulties and at their own comfortable pace. Opportunities will be given to allow children to explore on their own with the materials provided. In addition, it enhances their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
I wish to adopt this method of “differentiated instructions” because I have observed the children’s performance in school, that they complete worksheets based on their memorization instead of understanding them. Thus I have decided to take on the method of “differentiated instructions” so as to allow them to acquire knowledge in an interesting and engaging manner, and yet doing so on their own comfortable pace.
Therefore, I hope to seek your outmost understanding and support towards this approach that I am implementing in your child’s classroom. If there are any enquiries, feel free to contact me during office hours via the school’s telephone number: 67859249 or you could reach me at my e-mail at jasminechong@hmail.com.
Thank you.
Ms Jasmine Chong
Little Tots Learning Centre
Form teacher of Kindergarten Class 2008
Jasmine Chong
Group B
Dear Parents,
I am the teacher-in-charge of your child’s class, Teacher Isabella. I have recently attended a workshop on the use of ‘Differentiated Instructions’ in a classroom and have also done some research regarding this approach. I believe ‘Differentiated Instructions’ is an approach that is worth a try for this upcoming semester as it greatly benefits your child’s learning in the class.
Using the ‘Differentiated Instructions’ approach, a student profile for every child will first be drawn up. A survey will be conducted to find out your child’s prior knowledge on topic that we are going to cover; his/her interest level, and how ready and confident he/she feels, working on the topic.
Then, children in the class will be divided into groups that are grouped according to his/her individual readiness level for the subject. Based on their groupings, they will use different approaches to work on similar tasks based on the topic. For example, the children in the class will be divided into three groups: 1) Children who are highly independent, 2) Children who can manage by themselves but still need a little help at times, and 3) Children who need more help to facilitate their learning. In the first group, children will work as a group to complete their task. In the second group, children will work in smaller groups for their assigned task. In the third group, children will work together, but with more teacher-facilitated opportunities as compared to the other two groups, to complete their task.
At the end of the day, children in the class will come together and have a sharing session on what they have learnt from their activities.
‘Differentiated Instructions’ may make the classroom look messy, but through the use of the approach, it can cater to the different learning styles and needs of the children in class. Children will also feel more comfortable and successful when activities are catered to their developmental readiness. When activities allow children to be successful, they become more independent in their learning, and their level of confidence and self-esteem will also rise.
Therefore, let this be a new start to your child’s learning in the class. Your support in this new approach will be gladly appreciated. If you have any enquiries, suggestions or feedback regarding this approach, feel free to contact me through the school’s office at 6572 1253, or email me at isabella@jkids.com.
Thank you!
Yours Sincerely,
Teacher Isabella
[group B]
Blog entry - Option 1
2nd September 2008
Dear Parents/Guardians,
This is Teacher Wei Wei, the teacher in-charge of the Kindergarten 1 level. I am writing on behalf of the school to thank you for making a trip down for the parent-teacher conference held last Saturday. I will also like to take this opportunity to address some of the concerns raised during the parent-teacher conference especially issues on your child’s current capabilities, performance and readiness towards the school’s activities and whether our school activities are suitable and engaging for your child.
After analyzing our current teaching approach and our students’ needs, our school has decided to adopt a new teaching approach “Differentiated Instruction” in planning activities for the children to address the above concern. This approach requires the teachers to plan and provide for flexibility and diversity in their teaching to cater to the children’s needs. As we believe that each child is unique and they learn differently, differentiated instruction will look into the child’s interests, and activities are planned and customized according to your child’s readiness and learning needs. Therefore there will be a differentiation in the content, activities and the product through the whole curriculum. It allows children the opportunity to work on projects or tasks that are not just fun and interesting but tasks that are modified according to the child’s learning capability.
The teacher will conduct discussions of the specific topic as a class and the children will be divided into groups for more hands-on learning like projects and group activities.
The teacher will constantly provide for flexible grouping in the class as the children will not only learn better, they will get to interact and work together to tackle problems and issues while developing understanding of new topic.
Our teachers will also provide opportunities for independent learning through the use of learning contracts and learning corners that will aim to enhance the child’s competencies, independent and encourage them to be self-motivated learner. Learning contracts help the child to track their own progression as the children mark off tasks on their contracts when they complete the required task. We will also improve on our learning corners to better facilitate children’s learning and independence through these concrete activities and games. Besides, there will also be an on-going assessment of your child so as to document their readiness and growth throughout the learning journey. This will provide support for the teachers to plan and introduce activities according to the child’s readiness.
We plan for the success of each learner.
If you have any further enquiries or feedbacks, do contact me at 6234 2323 or crystaltan@childcosycorner.com.sg I will like to thank you for taking time to read this letter.
Tan Wei Wei Crystal
Group A
Blog entry - Option 1
2nd September 2008
Dear Parents/Guardians,
This is Teacher Wei Wei, the teacher in-charge of the Kindergarten 1 level. I am writing on behalf of the school to thank you for making a trip down for the parent-teacher conference held last Saturday. I will also like to take this opportunity to address some of the concerns raised during the parent-teacher conference especially issues on your child’s current capabilities, performance and readiness towards the school’s activities and whether our school activities are suitable and engaging for your child.
After analyzing our current teaching approach and our students’ needs, our school has decided to adopt a new teaching approach “Differentiated Instruction” in planning activities for the children to address the above concern. This approach requires the teachers to plan and provide for flexibility and diversity in their teaching to cater to the children’s needs. As we believe that each child is unique and they learn differently, differentiated instruction will look into the child’s interests, and activities are planned and customized according to your child’s readiness and learning needs. Therefore there will be a differentiation in the content, activities and the product through the whole curriculum. It allows children the opportunity to work on projects or tasks that are not just fun and interesting but tasks that are modified according to the child’s learning capability.
The teacher will conduct discussions of the specific topic as a class and the children will be divided into groups for more hands-on learning like projects and group activities.
The teacher will constantly provide for flexible grouping in the class as the children will not only learn better, they will get to interact and work together to tackle problems and issues while developing understanding of new topic.
Our teachers will also provide opportunities for independent learning through the use of learning contracts and learning corners that will aim to enhance the child’s competencies, independent and encourage them to be self-motivated learner. Learning contracts help the child to track their own progression as the children mark off tasks on their contracts when they complete the required task. We will also improve on our learning corners to better facilitate children’s learning and independence through these concrete activities and games. Besides, there will also be an on-going assessment of your child so as to document their readiness and growth throughout the learning journey. This will provide support for the teachers to plan and introduce activities according to the child’s readiness.
We plan for the success of each learner.
If you have any further enquiries or feedbacks, do contact me at 6234 2323 or crystaltan@childcosycorner.com.sg I will like to thank you for taking time to read this letter.
Tan Wei Wei Crystal
Group A
Letter to Principal- Blog Entry Option 2
Dear Mrs Lee,
I write to propose about the implementation of differentiated instructions in the school. As research has proven success from differentiated instructions, I hope that you will look into implementing such instruction for a trial period of a school term starting from March.
Firstly, differentiated instructions are the kind of strategies that teachers will use to connect to individual child’s learning styles, needs, and interests. As children’s learning tend to be enhanced when they are provided with opportunities and experiences that they are comfortable in, differentiated instruction may be a great approach to support that.
Through the implementation of differentiated instructions for the theme of plants, I will be setting up different learning centres which provide children with a wide variety of tasks. Each learning corner can include tasks in the areas such as art and craft, music or language. These tasks will be planned such that children will learn the same concept while having the autonomy to choose what they want to work on. Low-level and high-level activities may also be given to the children according to their readiness levels.
Differentiating instructions may be beneficial for the children; however, I understand that you as well as the parents may have certain concerns regarding the implementation. Implementing differentiating instructions to cater to individual child may call for a vast variety of resources and materials for usage. I seek for the support from the management to provide us with the resources (i.e. financial, manpower, expertise, and concrete materials) needed. Parents may also be concern about the academic results as they may not be demonstrated as immediate as worksheets and tests. However, be rest assured that constant evaluations in the medium that cater best to each child will be used to track their progress.
I seek your approval for the implementation of this approach and I hope that you will consider and examine how differentiated instructions can be beneficial for the children. Please feel free to approach me if you have any enquiries, or for a time when we can further discuss about this proposal.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Gladys Ng
Form Teacher of Kindergarten 1
Blog entry - Option 1
Dear Parents,
Welcome to a new school year! My name is Ms Evie, and I will be the teacher of (__child’s name__)’s class. I’m looking forward to working with your child as we are about to embark upon an exciting journey.
In the coming weeks, the class will be concentrating on the theme, “Friends Around the World”. Many activities have been planned centering on the theme, and in wanting to provide what is best for each child, the school has decided to implement a new teaching approach termed “Differentiated Instruction”. This means that lessons will be taught through various methods, that each child will be given the choice to engage in activities that cater to their interest and readiness levels, and that each child will also be allowed to express their understanding and knowledge through the method that he/she is best at.
Firstly, lessons will be taught through different mediums, e.g. class and small group discussions, music & movement, storytelling, and experiments. Secondly, various activities in the learning stations will be set up, e.g. Language, Math, and Arts. Thirdly, children will be grouped according to their interest/readiness levels. And lastly, different goals and expectations will be set for each child.
However, I understand that some of you may be concerned about how this approach may affect your child’s learning – especially in the area of his/her readiness for Primary school. Nonetheless, I would like to assure you that by doing so, it helps to meet the different levels and needs of the children as it grants flexibility, allows for purposeful movements, and yet provides the same challenge. I believe that this will benefit your child immensely. I will also be updating you on your child’s progress through a portfolio that will consist of his/her work and activities in school.
Thus, I sincerely hope that you will give me your fullest support in embracing this new project together. If you do have further clarifications, do not hesitate to give me a call at 6546 7384 or email me at evie@preschool.com.sg, I would be more than glad to hear from you.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Ms Evie
(Evie Huang - Group A)
Dear Parents,
My name is Stephanie Ng. I will be Kindergarten 2’s class form teacher for this year. I am pleased and excited to be working with you and your children. In this letter, I will be sharing with you the learning approach and goals that we will be adopting for this year. In our classroom, we will adopt the strategy of using ‘differentiated instruction’.
Each child is unique. They vary in their learning styles, readiness level and interests. To be fair does not mean that everybody does the same thing the same way at the same time. Instead, to be fair means everyone getting what they need when they need it.
Hence, in our curriculum, children would be provided with various methods to work on tasks, based on their individual interests and readiness levels. Children would be given opportunities for free expression through different methods such as art and craft, dramatization, music and movement, drawing, verbal expressions, written expressions etc. There will also be opportunities for small group activities, so that children can work together in groups with similar interests, or groups with similar readiness levels. On top of that, there will be times when the whole class get together for large group activities too.
Please be assured that the various activities will be designed with your child’s interest in mind. Activities will be cater to children’s needs, and at the same time will be challenging enough to stimulate their developmental growth, according to the various developmental domains.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at 6297 9271 if you have any enquiries or would like to share your views. You could also email me at stephanie@yahoo.com. I look forward to working with your child and your family too. I am sure we will have a fun and productive year ahead.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Stephanie Ng
[Group A]
Option 1
3rd September 2008
Nursery Curriculum Information
Dearest parents,
It is a brand new start of a year, your child has just moved up from Educare to Unit Learning where he/she will experience and gain different learning arenas. I am Tan Yi Jun, your child’s Nursery form teacher. To give you an overview, I would like to provide you with the information about the Nursery’s curriculum in the area of ‘Differentiated Instruction'.
Every child is different and unique in his/her own way. They have their own learning style, interests, strengths and readiness level. Therefore, we adopted ‘Differentiated Instruction’ as this strategy will ensure that every child’s needs are met.
‘Differentiated Instruction’ can be classified into four different categories:
• Differentiated Content – Children working on different content areas that focus on the same theme(E.g. Theme is on animals, groups of children may focus on different area like where do animals’ stays or the food that animals fed on)
• Differentiated Activities – Children engaged in different types of activities that are on the same theme(E.g. Theme is on animals, children may engage in different activities such as Mathematics or Language arts activities)
•Differentiated Products – Children create different product based on the same questions given(E.g. Given the question: Where do elephant stay? Children will create different products like drawing or writing)
• Differentiated Assessments – Children’s development and performance are evaluated based on different assessment tools(E.g. Verbal assessment, assess through a given performance task and etc)
I am aware of your concerns about the degree of fairness for your child who is being taught under such teaching strategies. Your worries about whether your child is learning and benefiting as much as others are understood. Please be assured that even though your child may be engaging in different activities and producing different products, he/she is still learning the skills and concepts required.
I hope that the information provided has enabled you to gain a better understanding about ‘Differentiated Instruction’. Please feel free to email me at tanyj@ntuc-childcare.com or call the centre at 64889884 if you have queries, suggestions or views to share.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Teacher Tan Yi Jun (Nursery)
Tan Yi Jun
Group A
Option 1- Letter to parents
Dear Parents,
I am Victoria Teo, the form teacher for Kindergarten 1 class. In this letter, I will be sharing with you our learning approach and goals that we will be adapting in your child’s classroom for this new term.
As we believe that each child is unique in their own ways and that they have different learning styles, interest and needs. Therefore, in this term, we decided to adopt a new teaching strategy that is to use ‘differentiated instruction’ in the classroom. In order to adopt this strategy, one way is dividing children into flexible groupings. They will be grouped together in a variety of ways such as according to their interests or readiness levels. Having children of the same interest and readiness level to work together promotes support amongst children and increases their level of competency. Another way is setting different level of goals for children with different abilities. For example, the more advanced learners will be given more challenging task, whereas the slower learners will be given simpler ones. This ensures that the children of the different ability levels are working on tasks that are appropriate and suitable for them. Also, children will be given opportunities to move about in the learning centers in the classroom and decide on the activities that they are interested in. This encourages independent learning and promotes autonomy when children are allowed to make their decisions.
However, I understand that some parents may have concerns that the goals or tasks that are set for slower learners may be too simple or not challenging enough. Pleas rest assured that the goals that we set are definitely appropriate and are of the child’s readiness level. Though independent learning is encouraged, teachers will still be moving around to facilitate and guide children’s learning. We will ensure that children are focused and are on task. We achieve to help children gain success and confidence through their learning.
I believe these strategies will benefit your child’s learning to a great extent. If you have any queries, feel free to contact me through the school at 67678965, or email me at victoria_teo@hotmail.com.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Victoria Teo
Group A
Dear Parents,
I am Ms Yi En, the teacher of the K1 class that your child is in. This letter is written to inform you of the curriculum for this term and the slight changes that will occur in the classroom. I hope that this letter will give you a clearer idea of what will happen in the class for the next 2 months.
In this coming term, the theme that the K1 class will adopt is the theme on National Day. As National Day is drawing near, we would like to take this opportunity to allow your child to understand more about National Day. The theme would comprise of different related sub-topics, which are found in an attached document to this letter. Your child will decide on the specific topic that he or she would like to focus on. Your child will be working with friends who have similar interest in the same topic in small groups. We will support and facilitate your child’s learning experience through the use of differentiated instruction. Your child will also be given opportunities to teach and learn from his or her friends. Fret not; your child will also be given opportunities to learn as a class as well.
In Big Schoolhouse for Little Children, we believe that children are unique individuals and they all learn in their own special ways. Therefore, we will be using differentiated instruction in the classroom. We will give instructions differently according to each individual child, depending on the way they best learn and their interests. The small group learning and peer teaching will provide opportunities for your child to learn the way they best learn and to learn according to their interests. This would challenge your child but also allow him or her to achieve and feel successful.
I believe that you will be concerned that maybe your child would miss out on other opportunities that other children might have with differentiated instruction. I can assure you that differentiated instruction will not hinder your child from holistic development. Instead, differentiated instruction will allow your child to benefit the most and display his or her best performance.
I believe that this letter will help in giving you a better understanding of what your child will be experiencing in class this coming term. If you have any queries about the curriculum or the changes, please feel free to contact me at 65829472 to share your views with me. You can also speak to me when you send or fetch your child from school. I will be glad to hear from you. We truly thank you for your support as we work together in providing your child the best learning experience.
Yours faithfully,
Ms Yi En
Teacher of K1 class
Yi En
Group A
OPTION 2
Dear Mrs. Low,
Below is my proposal to seek approval in integrating the use of differentiated instruction for the K1 class on the theme of “Animals”.
Rationale
Differentiated instruction reaches out to students of different learning abilities, readiness levels and interests; helping them be able to engage in activities which would be appropriate and stimulating for them. At the same time, it ensures success and learning which children would greatly benefit from.
Outline of what children will learn
The curriculum for the theme would include four areas of learning:
Language
The children would get to choose from reading a book or listening to an auditory story. After which they would put together a journal of what they felt, either in pictorial or word form.
Math
An array of sorting, matching and patterning activities will be provided for the children. Task cards provided for the children would be of three different levels – targeting their level of readiness.
Science
They are to design a habitat for their favorite animal; considering what essential elements are to be included so as to create an optimal living environment. Prior research would be done with a buddy.
Music and Movement
Children would complete obstacle courses using movements of different animals. The courses would vary in difficulty to target the children’s needs and abilities.
These tasks will be completed with the use a learning contract, allowing children to do in an order and pace which is suitable for them.
Concerns which you or parents may have
Grouping children according to their abilities does not mean that it is targeting their intelligence level, rather, it is to help them learn with the abilities which they possess.
A talk shall be conducted for parents to further understand the purpose of differentiated instruction and the benefits of which it brings in terms of learning for the child.
The curriculum covered will be according to what had been planned initially, making changes only to how it will be taught and how it is conducted for the children.
With the above, I seek your approval in allowing differentiated instruction to be conducted in class for the K1 children. I assure that it will be a whole new experience for not only the children and myself, but for you as well.
Best Regards,
Amanda Liew
Form Teacher of the K1 class
Amanda Liew
Group A
Dear Parents
I am Miss Karryn, the new teacher who will be teaching the Kindergarten One Class. It is my pleasure to take this opportunity to share with you what your child will be learning in the new semester. There will also be various projects/events we will be carrying out and we hope that you can be involved to play a part in your child’s education.
The theme we will be focusing on this term is “The Underwater World”. I have planned out a curriculum for the children such that they are able to learn through a new method known as differentiated instruction. In the local context, differentiated instruction is seldom used to teach children in school. However, I strongly encourage you to support me in carrying out this new strategy. Not only will this mode of learning be beneficial to your children, it can also help you as parents understand how your children learn and be able to guide them in learning things best to their advantage.
All the children will be given opportunities to work with different peers within the classroom. Based on observations during group discussions as well as facilitation of questions during circle time, we will be able to identify the learning style of every individual and be able to group children of the same interests and learning abilities together. There will also be opportunities where we will have flexible groupings to allow children of different learning abilities to come together and learn. Different tasks will be allocated to different children according to their competency levels but ultimately, the tasks will be accomplished as the goals we set for each child varies at the end of the day.
I will briefly explain some of the activities which will be done using differentiated instructions. Children will get a daily task card which requires each of them to complete at the end of the day. The task cards are specially created according to their learning abilities. There will be opportunities for children of different learning styles to work together during group projects, play at the learning corners and field trips. Lessons will also be taught to the whole class from time to time and questions will used to stimulate children to answer according to their different levels of thinking.
I do hope that through this letter, you will be able to understand the importance of using differentiated instruction in the classroom and how it can help your child achieve better. It is not how far or how high your child can go but rather, it is about understanding the individual needs of each child and maximizing him/her to the fullest potential.
Should you wish to know more information about differentiated instruction or wish to share your views on this issue, please feel free to contact me at my mobile number at 94778086 or drop me an email at karrynkam@mahoo.com. I do appreciate that you take some time off to read this letter. Thank you and have a nice day ahead.
Best wishes
Karryn Kam
Karryn Kam (Group B)
Letter to Principal [Option II]
Dear Mdm Ruqaiyyah,
I would like to propose a trial use of differentiated instruction in next month’s theme for our Kindergarten 2 class [i.e. Forests]. Differentiated instruction has been proven to grant children success in their learning, and I feel we should attempt at using differentiated instruction for the best interests of our children.
Our children are all unique in their own special way. This uniqueness applies to their learning styles and their intelligences. Our children have diverse learning needs, strengths, and weaknesses. They also learn at different paces, thus making it difficult for some of our children to learn at the same pace as their peers if we do not cater to such diversities. They learn through different ways and I feel that it is our responsibility to hook onto every child’s way of learning so that they may have a firm grasp of new concepts and that they will experience successful learning. Differentiated instruction is a great tool to cater to such diversities. Differentiated instruction provides our young learners a variety of options through which they are able to learn new knowledge and make sense of it. They are granted different activities, and are given the opportunity to create different products. By giving children the opportunity to immerse in activities and lessons which are moulded to cater to their different learning styles and paces, it paves the way towards successful learning.
With your approval, lessons in the Kindergarten 2 class would definitely be much more enjoyable for all children. With differentiated instruction in mind, the Kindergarten 2 classroom will be modified in way that will cater to the children’s learning styles. Firstly, more learning corners [i.e. Music and Art] will be added to increase the variety of activities. Secondly, children will be grouped according to their learning styles and will venture through the theme by completing different tasks. The tasks given will be different, but they all have the same focus.
This will certainly be a matter of concern for the parents. I suggest that we should inform them of this trial through newsletters, and a talk. A talk would be a great idea in allowing the parents to understand the needs and interests of their children more. Providing differentiated instruction is for the best interest of our children, and I am confident that we will gain support from the parents in implementing it.
I strongly feel that moulding our lessons and activities to cater to the diversity in our classrooms would greatly grant every child success in their learning. I hope to seek your approval in the trial implementation of differentiated instruction. It is a challenge for the teachers, but the benefits are certainly great.
Thank you.
Nur Amira Safari Wijaya
Group A
Blog Entry Option #2
Dear Principal,
I would like to address the concern highlighted through observations of my K2 students having different interests and readiness levels towards their learning. Therefore, I would like to propose the use of differentiated instructions in the classroom as a trial for the coming semester’s theme on ‘Endangered Species’ whereby we would explore together as a class:
• Different types of endangered species
• Causes of endangerment
• How we can contribute towards the conservation of endangered wildlife
As students’ readiness and interest levels towards their learning are different, therefore instructions should also be differentiated, planned to create success in the classroom. The use of differentiated instructions would allow for me, as their educator to plan engaging and interesting activities that cater to the different learning interests or readiness level among my students, hence making learning dynamic as it is relevant and appealing. The provision of such a non-restrictive environment would also allow for purposeful student movement.
First and foremost, in order for me to capitalize on the students’ interests, I would firstly design a survey to discover the students’ interests; what they would like to find out in regard to the theme of ‘Endangered Species’. A charting will also be carried out to chart students’ readiness levels and their preferred style of learning. From the combination of these data collected and previous classroom observations, I would be able to establish individual learning profiles of my students and characterize them into different learning groups.
Individual learning contracts would be planned for the students and activities planned for them would be based on their readiness and interest levels. The activities planned would be ensured to be challenging at an appropriate level and students will be give the freedom to decide the order of their assignments. Regular meetings between me and every student will be ensured so as to allow for me to check on students’ progress and modify their work pace accordingly.
I hope to seek your approval and support towards my suggestion. I am looking forward to having you share your views in regard to this matter. Thank you.
Teacher Sara
Cai Xiena Sara
Letter to Parents:
Dear Parents
I am Miss Audrey, the form teacher of the Kindergarten one class and the new addition to the teaching ranks of Amber Hearts Preschool. As the new term approaches, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my teaching strategies with young children. To me, each child is a unique individual, and because of the heterogeneous mix prevalent in the classrooms, I have adopted the strategy of using ‘differentiated instructions’; a strategy which caters to the different learning styles and needs of each individual child.
As each child develops at their own pace, this approach will be able to cater to the specific readiness level of each child to ensure that they will be working on activities that are suited for their level which challenges and not overwhelm them. Children will be given a wide variety of choices to express themselves like for example children can choose to verbally share their ideas, draw them, write them or even role play them. Children will also be provided with a wide range of resources where they can choose to explore and experiment at their own discretion. Similar topics can be found in the form of a book, chart, painting, voice recordings or even video clips just so children can choose the medium that best accommodate to their learning needs. Children will also be given opportunities to work in groups and alone as I believe that peer tutoring helps in enhancing each other’s strengths and compliments each other’s weaknesses, and working alone provides children with a private space to pursue subjects of interest. On top of being given the freedom of choice, children learn crucial life skills like autonomy, independence, develop initiative and an inquisitive mind. This approach provides the platform for children to explore their environment and delve deeper in interest areas according to a style that they are most comfortable with and which can effectively maximize their learning. It also provides children with a sense of ownership towards their learning and efforts that they put into their endeavours.
I look forward to working with you and your children and I am more than willing to share, in greater details, the benefits of this approach. Please do not hesitate to approach me should you have any queries or would simply like to know more about this approach. I can be reached via email at chenyiwen@wheelock.edu or via the school at 67826237 which is
678–AMBER. Thank you.
Yours Sincerely
Miss Audrey
Kindergarten One Form Teacher
5th September 2008
Audrey Chen
Group B
4th September 2008
Dear Parents/ Guardian,
I am Teacher Alina, the form teacher of Kindergarten One class. It is the start of the new school term and I will like to take this opportunity to share with all of you the goals, the teaching strategies as well as the approaches that I will be using in class. In order to cater to the various learning styles, needs, interests and readiness level of each child, I would be adopting the strategy of “Differentiated instruction” to assist me in designing as well as conducting interactive lessons and activities with your child.
Each child’s learning styles are unique in a way that they learn differently from their peers, thus, the contents and activities are differentiated, based on the child’s interest and readiness level. At the beginning of a new topic/theme, I will first start off by doing a survey with your child to find out their interests and learning styles. From the survey, I will be able to plan the activities that will meet each child’s interest, needs and readiness level by providing a variety of choices to work on a specific activity. For an example, if a child feels uncomfortable in sharing their thoughts verbally, he/she may choose to either write or draw his/her thoughts down on paper.
Next, learning contracts would be used in the classroom to encourage autonomy and self learning where children are provided with a variety of choices and materials to choose from, to work on a specific task. This helps to keep the child on track and to be actively engaged in the various activities that they choose to do from. These activities not only allow children to be successful but it will also increase their level of confidence and self-esteem as they are comfortable in their preferred learning styles.
However, I understand that some parents may have some concerns regarding the implementation of this teaching approach as well as how it may affect your child’s learning and developmental growth. This teaching approach is beneficial as it helps to create an unrestrictive environment in the classroom, thus making it more purposeful and meaningful for your child. I will ensure that your child has great learning strategies to use when learning new topic or concepts. Besides that, I will reassure that your child will be in a classroom where a wide variety of strategies are being used so that every child will be successful.
Your child’s success is important to me and I appreciate all of the support you provide at home and school. Hence, I would greatly appreciate if u would continue to give me your support in implementing this approach with your child in class. If you have any enquires, please feel free to contact me at 9345 2675 or you could email me at alinapoh@hotmail.com.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Ms Alina Poh
Little Rainbow Childcare Centre
Form Teacher of Kindergarten 1
Alina Poh
Group B
Dear Principal,
I would like to propose the use of differentiated instruction for lessons and activities for the upcoming theme, Pets. Differentiated instruction allows for purposeful movement where children’s interests and abilities will be taken into considerations when planning for activities. Individual children’s readiness will also be contemplated so as to better cater to their learning pace and aptitude.
Differentiation of instruction will be conducted in three main areas, namely, content, activities and products. For differentiation of content and activities, children can be grouped according to their level of readiness. Those of the lower level of readiness will engage in activities such as matching of picture cards of pets and their homes. Those children who belong to the high level of readiness will engage in activities such as reading a book on pets and their homes. For differentiation of products, children can create varied work pieces to convey their understanding of the topic. Choices can be provided on the work pieces that can be submitted, such as drawing, writing, building a model using scrap materials.
Prior or when carrying out differentiated instructions, parents may be concerned about the progress of their children’s learning. They might mind the differences of products created by their children as which vary from others. Therefore, a letter can be written to all parents regarding the use of differentiated instruction in the classroom and how they are beneficial to the children. In addition, a workshop or sharing session can be organized to show videos of successful differentiation instruction being carried out in a class. This is to allow parents to better understand how differentiated instruction works as well as to address any other concerns they have of this method of teaching.
Hereby, I would like to seek your approval for conducting differentiated instruction for the students in the Kindergarten Two class. I believe this move will benefit all children and allowing for positive and meaningful learning in the classroom.
Teacher Siew Chin
Ng Siew Chin
Group A
Dear Parents
Hope you and your child had a wonderful time during the one week break! Starting from this term, I, Teacher Wanqin, will be taking over the K2 class from Teacher Nurul as the class form teacher.
For this coming term, we will be focusing on the curriculum unit, Fruits and Vegetables. Through this unit, children will learn the names of many fruits and vegetables and places they are grown. They will also get to explore the different ways that fruits and vegetables can be prepared and how they taste. Additionally, I am excited to announce that our centre will be implementing a new curriculum approach, “Differentiated Instruction”, in an attempt to cater to the diverse learning needs of every child.
I would illustrate some examples on how differentiated instruction is used in your child’s classroom learning.
EXAMPLE 1- Differentiated Learning Style:
For students with auditory learning style, a variety of songs, rhymes and stories will be included in their learning. On the other hand, for students who are more inclined to kinesthetic learning, they will be using creative drama and movement activities to demonstrate their understanding on this topic.
EXAMPLE 2- Differentiated Readiness:
At Level One, child will draw a picture of fruit/vegetables and talk about one of its characteristics with their peers. At Level Two, child will draw a picture of fruit/vegetables and talk about two to three characteristics with their peers. At Level Three, child will draw a picture of fruit/vegetables and write a one-sentence description about that fruit/vegetables.
I share your concern regarding your child’s academic performance with the use of this new approach. However, I would like to assure you that the school’s management and teachers have been working closely together in order to create an effective classroom of diverse learning. We planned the curriculum with student variance in mind and also took into consideration of your child’s interest, readiness level and learning styles. Furthermore, this approach fosters children to take greater responsibility and ownership for their own learning. At the same time, peer teaching and cooperative learning are encouraged.
Our centre recognizes that an enriched environment for one student is not necessarily beneficial to the other. Hence, we believe learning must be differentiated to be effective. We sincerely hope that you share our belief and will give us the fullest support towards this approach. For any queries, feel free to contact me via the school’s number: 6788 0099 or email me: wq@playhouse.com .
Thank you.
Best Regards
Teacher Wanqin
Cai Wanqin (Group B)
Dear Parents,
I am Ms. Lee, form teacher the K1 class in Brightlanes Childcare Centre who will be teaching your children for the coming year. This coming year the children will be touching on a few topics such as, “Plants”, “Transportation”, “Snails” etc. These topics and their duration will vary based on children’s interest as the children and I learn from each other.
As your child work on the different topics through out the year, your child will learn differently from the other children in the classroom. Hence, the school and I have decided to use a teaching approach called differentiated instruction to guide your children through their exciting learning journey ahead.
Differentiated instruction is the belief that children will learn through their different learning styles and the teacher will cater to their learning needs. It also means that children are active learners, decision makers and problem solvers in the classroom compared to children who learns in a “one-size-fits- all” curriculum.
I intend to use this approach by allowing children to learn content through multiple ways of learning the information, to understand the information in multiple ways and presenting their understanding through multiple expressions. Children can learn through games and research topics based on their learning styles and interest where they learn independently. They can present their understanding through drawings, painting, writing, or even show and tell in which ever way they are most comfortable in.
I understand that some of you will have concerns regarding this new approach in teaching. You may feel free to contact me at 65778366 or email me at mslee@brightlanescc. I will be happy to answer all your questions. I look forward to working with you and your child.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Charlane Lee
K1 Form Teacher
Brightlanes Childcare Centre
Dawn Hu Group B
Dear Parents and Families of Kindergartners:
My name is Ms. Dawn and I am your child’s K2 teacher. I am delighted to have your child in my class and looking forward to a very exciting year. It is my goal to provide all children with an educationally challenging, yet fun experience in my classroom.
During the first and second term, I will be focusing on neighborhood as theme and implementing the model of differentiated instruction. In my approach to teaching, I learned to be flexible and adjust the curriculum and presentation of information to children within the classroom. I believe in teaching whereby there is a mix of whole-class, group and individual instruction. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each child’s growth, individual success and assisting in the learning process.
I will be using reading materials and vocabulary lists at varying readability levels. Children will be given options of how to apply and extend their learning through both auditory and visual means. Learning centers encourage children to explore topic of particular interest to them. By varying the length of time needed to complete a task, additional support will be provided for a struggling learner or to encourage an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth. I will be using rubrics, which match and extend children varied skills levels and children will understand that some learners need to move around to learn, while others do better sitting quietly.
I believe that the greatest concern, for your child would be ensuring that the needs of his/her are equally valued and served, whether appropriate activities are designed and if it affects the timing of the centre’s curriculum. As an educator, I can assure you that I am committed to reach out to every child and vary my teaching in order to create the best learning experience possible. By offering appropriate levels of challenge according to child’s abilities, interests, his/her potential is maximized and that would be differentiating instruction.
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions, concerns or wish to share your views. Contact me by phone at 12345678 , or e-mail at dawn87(at)gmail(dot)com.
I look forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Dawn Hu, Kindergarten 2 class teacher
Dawn Hu Group B
Option 1
Dear Parents,
I am Teacher Jacelyn, your child’s class teacher. It has been a joy working with the children of N2 class and as we enter the new school term, we can be assured of an enriching curriculum on Insects in the Garden.
In this curriculum unit, children will learn about the different insects in the garden and their characteristics. They will be engaged in meaningful activities to help them learn about the insects through observations, discussions and opportunities for expressions such as singing, dancing and dramatizing with their classmates.
I believe that every child is different and unique in his or her own ways. Therefore, I plan to use ‘differentiated instruction’ to maximize their learning in this unit. Instructions will be catered to each child’s readiness level and every child will be engaged in tasks that are suitable for their level, and at the same time challenge their learning to the next level. Throughout their learning of the unit, children will be engaged in different activities in the learning corners. For each activity, I will design 3 levels of difficulties to challenge their learning. For example, an activity will require children to identify all the insects that they could find in the garden. They could do so through circling the answers from a variety of options, or cutting the pictures of different insects from a magazine and pasting them on a sheet of paper, or drawing the different insects on a sheet of paper. My role in the process will be to determine how they are doing on the different activities and help them improve, challenging them to the next level.
I have also plan for opportunities for children to learn from one another through peer learning and small group activities. Children will also be given opportunities to share their learning with one another.
You can be assured that the activities planned will definitely enrich all children as they provide for different learning needs. All children will have equal learning opportunities and challenges for them. I believe differentiated instruction will be effective in helping all children improve according to their levels and to maximize their learning of the unit.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me at 61234567 or email me at teacherjacelyn@childcare.com. Thank you.
Regards,
Teacher Jacelyn
N2 class
Super childcare centre
Low Shilin Jacelyn
Group A
Dear Parents,
I am Miss Lin, your child’s form teacher of Kindergarten 1. I would like to seek this opportunity to inform you that this semester, we will be using a new curriculum approach called the “Differentiated Instruction”. We strongly believe that children are active learners and they learn things differently, therefore we hope that by adopting this new curriculum approach, it will maximize every learners’ potential and to achieve to the fullest.
Let me give you a brief introduction of what “Differentiated Instruction” is all about. Differentiated Instruction focuses on using children’s individual learning profile (which consists of their background knowledge, interest readiness and language) to plan lessons and activities more effectively for them. In a differentiated classroom, learning corners will be set up. These learning corners consists of a variety of activities which caters to children’s different learning abilities, ranging from easy, intermediate to hard. Our aim is to ensure that children will complete all the activities in the learning corners within a week. Children will be working independently most of the time, while teacher will facilitate as and when necessary. Children will also be given more opportunities to make choices such as; making decision on the activities that they wish to do for the day.
Another method that we will be using is, “Learning Contracts”. Learning Contracts enable children to decide which activities they want to do for the day. The learning contract consists of 4 respective categories. For example, the subject area for the day is Language Arts; it will consist of “Spelling”, “Reading”, “Project” and “Others”. There will be different set of activities under each sub-category, for instance; “Spelling” may have crossword puzzles or forming of letters using letter cubes. Children are expected to fill in the respective activity that they wish to complete for the day next to each sub-category. By using learning contract, it enables children to always be aware of what to do and know the expectations, which brings about independent learning as they will be working individually without much of teacher’s facilitation. In addition, learning contracts will help us to keep track of children’s progression in their work so as to enable us to identify their strengths and also to build up in their areas of concern.
I do understand that you may have some concerns regarding this new approach, however please be assured you that although this new approach focuses mainly on independent learning, yet teachers will always be around to facilitate the children when necessary. If you have any concerns or enquire, do feel free to call me at 91154321 or email me at eternalschoolhouse@gmail.com.
Yours Sincerely,
Zheng Huilin
(Group B)
letter to parents (option 1)
Dear Parents,
I am Charlotte Teo, the form teacher of your child’s class this year. I am certified in Diploma in Early Childhood Education and now currently pursuing my part time degree in this field as well.
For this term, the theme of the school will be on farm animals. The children will be learning about the different sounds make by the farm animals, how they move, where they stay and also the names of the young of the different farm animals. With all this topics in hand, I will be using “differentiated instructions” in the class to guide the children through.
As we know that every child in a unique individual, with different interest, ability to learn and their readiness level. Therefore it is vital for the teachers use differentiating instructions in the classroom to suit the individual needs of every child as much as possible. As the age group, that I am taking is very young, I will plan activities according to their individual learning styles. Hence learning corners of different subjects will be set up in class and children will be allocated or allowed to choose which learning corners they want to go do during their free time. These learning corners include activities for children who learn best by reading, counting, music, listening and many more. With all these learning corners in class, the children will grow to be an independent learner as they can explore and discover, and make choices for themselves on what activities suits them best.
When carrying out differentiating instructions in class, the class will look very messy. In addition to that, some parents might think that it is very unfair for the teachers to just focus on individual children and might not notice the others whom might have some difficulty learning. Not only that, it might not be fair that the children are doing different things and might be learning different things as well. However, do rest assure that the children are learning about the same theme. Although the class may looks very messy, your children’s learning is definitely maximized and teachers will assess the children regularly to see their progress and tailor their learning when needed.
As a teacher of this year’s Kindergarten 1 form teacher, I do seek for your support. If you have any enquires or suggestions regarding the use of “differentiated instruction”, please call me at my mobile or email me. Your questions and comments are welcome.
Yours Sincerely,
Charlotte Teo
Form Teacher of K1, Year 2008
Mobile No.: 9189 5985
Email: Charlotte_Teo@YouthBuzz.org
By: Charlotte (group B)
Dear Parents,
My name is Nurfarah and I am the new class form teacher of Nursery 2. I have been here for the past for the past few weeks and through my observations, I noticed that the children in the class have varying learning needs and styles. For example, some children like to express their thoughts through drawing, while some prefer to verbalize their thoughts. Hence, I would like to introduce differentiated instruction in the classroom to allow the children to work at their own time and pace. Let me provide you with a brief description on what differentiated instruction means.
To differentiate instruction is to recognize students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interests, and to react responsively. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student’s growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is, and assisting in the learning process.
As the class teacher, I will be tailoring the differentiated instruction to meet the needs and developmental level of the class. As an example, I would be grouping the children into groups based on their most outstanding intelligence. From there, I would provide a set of work and instructions that is appropriate for them, like creating an airplane out of cardboard boxes if they are more picture smart (spatial intelligence). If they are more ‘word smart’, I would provide them with words to match with the parts of an airplane.
I understand that you have certain concerns pertaining to this. One of it might be, would your child thoroughly benefit from it and would he/she be left behind? Well, rest assured that your child would benefit greatly from this because I will be tapping on their strengths and when children are confident of themselves, they will shine. Furthermore, when children share their experiences with the other children, they will discover more than the conventional teaching method.
If you have any other enquiries or feedback, please contact me at 82228230 or you can email me at farah1907@gmail.com.
I am looking forward to your support in this. Thank you.
Nurfarah Mohamed
Group A
Option 2: Proposal
Ms. Cristina Wong
Principal
SIM Childcare Centre
Blk 883 Clementi Road
#01-908 S(601233)
Dear Ms. Wong,
I am planning to carry out differentiated instruction for my Kindergarten 1 class for the next term's curriculum; Habitat.
The rationale for having differentiated instruction is to cater to my class of diverse learners more effectively. I realized that each child came from different cultures and have different readiness level, abilities, interests, learning styles, needs and multiple intelligences.
Although the curriculum will be slightly altered, my children will still learn the about the different habitats, but in a variety of ways. For example, there will be a lot of group activities and pair work in class. Children will be allowed to choose their learning buddy to work with for their project works in the Discovery centre and to check on each other’s reading in the Library Corner. I am also planning to create a new corner; Listening Centre, where I will be providing them text materials on CDs which children can listen to while reading-along from the book provided. I think this will greatly benefit the visual and auditory learners. I am also thinking of designing different tasks for different ability levels and having a few field trips for the kinaesthetic learners. In addition, I am planning to provide the class with a learning contract where they will be given the autonomy to choose the sequence of activities to be done for that day.
I am aware that this sudden modification may cause some parents to be unhappy and worried. I understand that they are concerned if their child can adapt to the new curriculum and reach his/her highest potential together with her diverse friends in class at the same time being equipped for primary school. Therefore, I will be re-assuring them that they will be allowed to view my curriculum plan and frequently visit the class to see how this differentiated instruction works and benefits everyone including their child.
To make my aims and plans possible, I hope you will consider my request. I look forward to exploring the possibilities with you. Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Ms. Nurul Izzah
Teacher of Kindergarten 1B
Nurul Izzah Jumail (Group B)
Dear Parents,
First and foremost, I would like to wish you a Happy New Year. I am Teacher Lina who is the main teacher of the Kindergarten One class. In this letter, I will highlight the theme for this term as well as a new teaching approach which I will be adopting to benefit your child’s learning. The theme for this term will be bread and the teaching approach that I will be adopting is ‘Differentiated Instruction’.
As stated in one of the centre’s aims, we are here to provide equal opportunities for children in their hands-on learning experience. The lessons are designed such that your child will get to experience hands-on learning such as field trips to supermarket, engaged in learning corners’ activities, making their own pizza bread and be engage in drama activities to learn more about bread. However, the approach may be different from the previous year.
Every child is unique and has his or her own capabilities. ‘Differentiated Instruction’ will address your child’s interest, learning styles and level of readiness in this topic. Not only that, they will be able to teach and learn together with their peers. To begin with, each child will be given opportunity to rank the sub-topics according to their interests. After which, children will be divided into groups of the same level of readiness where they will be working on the topic that interests them. Each group will have different goals set for them to achieve through the activities they are engaged in, be it individually or as a group. This will enhance children’s level of competence in the pace that they are comfortable working with. Once they have completed the task, they will come together as a class and share what they have gathered so far. This will enhance their communication skills as they communicate their findings from the activities.
We may have different goals for different child but it is not to segregate one child from the other. In fact, it will benefit the child as he or she makes decision and learn at his or her own pace. Through the ‘Differentiated Instruction’, children will also be engaged in lots of independent and peer learning in the classroom. Not to worry, as I will always be monitoring each child’s progress in their process of learning.
I am aware that this new implementation might be of a concern to parents as your child might not be doing the same activities as their peers. This approach has been proven to be beneficial and I seek support from you so that this approach would be a successful one in this classroom. However, if you have any queries on this new implementation, you can contact me at 65736262 or you can approach me when you fetch your child. I’m looking forward to hearing your views on this. Thank you for your cooperation.
Yours faithfully,
Teacher Lina
Main Teacher of Kindergarten One
(Group A)
Letter to Parents
Dear Parents,
I am Teacher Laura, the form teacher of the new Kindergarten 1 class. As the new school year approaches, I would like to take this opportunity to share a new learning strategy that the school has decided to employ for the coming year.
As teachers, we recognize and respect that all children are unique individuals – they have different learning styles, learning pace, interests and readiness level. We aim to cater to the children’s different needs while at the same time, maximizing their potential and learning. With that in mind, we have decided to adopt a new teaching approach – Differentiated Learning.
Through differentiated learning, your child will be able to learn and function in a way that she is most comfortable in. She will be provided with a variety of materials and methods and she will be an active and independent learner, taking charge of her own learning. With a self-evaluation at the beginning of the school year, she will find out for herself what her best learning style is and proceed to adopt the different methods available to help her learn better. The teacher will, of course, be around to help facilitate your child’s learning and progress.
As the school year progresses on, your child will be exposed to a variety of learning methods as not only will she learn in her own way, she will also work with peers in small group settings. By working with peers, your child will be able to learn from her friends and in the meanwhile, also set up rapport amongst them.
I understand that since this is a new teaching approach that we’ve adopted, some of you will have concerns pertaining to it. Please feel free to contact me at either 6123-4567 or email at laura_tan87@hotmail.com should you have any queries.
Thank you for your understanding.
Yours Sincerely
Laura Tan
Form Teacher
Dear Parents
I am Teacher Jasmine, form teacher of this year’s N2 children. In this letter, I will be briefly describing the strategy: Differentiated Instruction that I will be using in the upcoming semester.
As not all students are alike, I have decided to put what I have learnt in the recent workshop into practice. Differentiated instruction refers to a teaching and learning approach based on the knowledge that students have multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas. I will be carrying out 5 steps to use differentiated instruction:
Firstly, identification. I will identify underlying concepts that all students are to understand and come up with achievable objectives for the students.
Secondly, lesson presentation. I will present the concepts in such a way that all students are able to understand by varying the degree of information based on their general level of understanding. I will also keep the children’s multiple intelligences such as auditory, visual, and kinesthetic and so on in mind so as to plan and conduct lessons that caters to the majority.
Thirdly, student’s participation. I will modify the activities for each student based on their level of development and understanding of the concept so as to scaffold the students to the next attainable level. The students will also have time to work on tasks independently as well as in small groups.
Fourthly, student’s evaluation. By understanding each child’s level of understanding and development, I will modify the type of assessment used to assess each child to cater to their development level.
Lastly, Adaptation on the whole. I will modify the environment such as the type of materials available, the ways of putting up information around the classroom to suit the theme we will be learning on.
I understand that some parents might worry if their child(ren) would be able to cope with the change in teaching and learning strategy. However, I assure you that this method helps in meeting the needs and developmental level of every child as it allows flexibility, purposeful movements, and yet provides the challenge. Changes on your child’s progress will be updated in his/her portfolio.
Do contact me through the school at 69374737 or email me at jasminetoh@applelearning.com if you have further clarifications. I would be more than glad to be of any assistance.
Yours sincerely
Teacher Jasmine
N2 form teacher
Blog entry - Option 1
Dear Parents,
It’s the new school year, and I am the new class teacher of Kindergarten 1. My name is Ms Tania and I was previously the class teacher for the Toddlers class. I am writing to inform you about the new curriculum and the changes that we have adopted this year in our school.
The chosen theme for this semester is on farm animals. The children will learn about the various farm animals, from their life cycles to how the various animals contribute to the farm. There will also be a field trip to a farm in the beginning of February, details of the trip will be released to you shortly.
In this new semester, we have also planned the introduction of differentiating instruction into the classroom curriculum. As we all know, all children are unique individuals with various learning needs and having differentiated instruction in the classroom will cater to their different learning needs.
Differentiated instruction is a variation in the planning of activities in the classroom to suit the diversities among the children. The children’s learning will be based on the same theme but through a wide variety of different activities that benefits each of them. The children will also be given choices in selecting the activities which they are to learn from. I will be on hand to guide them through their activities and assessments on their learning will also be done periodically to track their progress.
Please be assured that your child will not be disadvantaged through this change in curriculum. The use of differentiated instruction has been proven to benefit childrens’ overall development. If you have any concerns or inquiries, please feel free to contact me at 69839473 or email me at tania@funatplaycc.com.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Yours Sincerely,
Ms Tania Lim
Group A
1)Letter to Parents
Ahoy beloved parents!
Hi and welcome aboard! I am Teacher Sya, delighted to be the Captain for the crews of K1. It is the start of a new year and a brand new beginning where as a class we will set sail towards a new journey. In this edition, I will share with you the broad overview on what is in store for your gems. For the whole of term 1, we will be exploring on various themes such as the world around us, underwater world and occupation. Children can expect various mini project works, field trips, hands-on activities which awaits them.
I believed that no one child is the same and therefore they all have different learning needs and styles. Therefore I plan on using ‘differentiated instruction’ in the classroom to meet their learning needs and allowing each child to work comfortably at his/her own pace and level. What is differentiated instruction you may ask?
Each child will have different individual learning profile which consists of their background knowledge, language, preferences in learning and level of readiness. Differentiated Instruction will address the issue of catering to the different learning profile of each child without compromising the quality of work they get to do. On top of that, each child will have the flexibility to be independent learner where he/she will be able to teach and also learn together with their peers.
“Teacher Sya, how can it be fair for my child to be doing so little when his classmates is doing a worksheet more advanced or at least at the grade level?”
Fret not as fair does not mean we are doing the same thing. What is important is that your child is able to work comfortable at his readiness level and will be able to advance to the next level confidently in the near future.
For every new topic embark, I will do a new assessment on all the children to tailor and customize the lessons to suit their interests and needs. They will be given the autonomy to choose the sub topics that interest them and then will be followed by the grouping of the children according to their readiness level with the same interest. Each group will be presented a different activity but they will all have a common goal to complete however they can complete their task either individually or as a group.
This will reinforce to the child that they all have the ability to be the best. Child’s strengths and weaknesses vary from subject to subject and thus the re-evaluation before moving on to the topic proper. With differentiated instruction, the teacher can at a glance; single out children who needs help pertaining to the subject the child is learning. By adopting ‘differentiated instruction’, children would be able to learn and build on their knowledge in an even more engaging and interesting manner.
I am fully aware of the apprehension of some of you with the new approach. As the captain of K1, I insist that your child’s learning will be fun, engaging and developmentally appropriate. Their learning potential will be fully maximized without over stretching them thus I give you my assurance that new things will be in store for your child every single day. I appreciate your support in the set sailing of this new journey.
I hope to embark this journey together with you and your child and also end it with success!
For any further queries regarding this new implementation or your child, you can contact me at 65555522 or email me at syafiqahsam@gmail.com . Till we meet again…
All hyped up and ready to go!
Tr. Syafiqah
GrpA
Letter to Parents – Blog Entry Option 1
Dear Parents,
I am Teacher Rina from the XXX childcare centre. I am the main teacher for the children in Kindergarten Two. I would like to first thank you for the supports that you have been giving us and these motivate us in creating more interesting and effective learning for the children. In this letter, I would also like to outline what your child will learn and address our intention in using ‘Differentiated Instruction’ in the classroom for the coming semester 2.
‘Differentiated Instruction’ is an approach to teaching essential content in ways that address the different learning needs of children with the aim of maximizing the possibilities of each child. All children will be regularly offered choices and are matched with tasks compatible with their individual leaning needs. We will provide multiple options for 1) taking in information, 2) making sense of the ideas and 3) expressing what they know. Children will work at their own pace and not force to do repeated problems which they know how to do.
We will prepare children for the differentiating classroom to allow them to understand the reason why they are working differently. We will instill in them that being fair is not equal to doing the same thing. Being fair is doing something that one is capable of doing because all of us are unique. We want children to understand each other’s differences and strengths and children can help each other for example, buddy system. Children can do things with their friends and this provides experience to practice. We will allow children to assess themselves and talk about their strengths and weaknesses. They will keep track of their own progress through progress chart and they will know that they may not be good now but they will be becoming better.
All children will still be in the same class but they will be doing different things and there are still times where children will come together to interact and learn from one another. Children need to learn at their own pace and when they are ready, we will provide them with the appropriate challenges.
You can drop an email at rinalin@gmail.com or call 6578 8765 to share your views or any enquiries. Your supports mean a lot to us in providing the best education for the children.
Yours sincerely
Rina Lin
XXX Childcare Centre
Main Teacher of Kindergarten Two
Group A
Done by: Koh Han Ni
Dear parents,
I am Koh Han Ni, currently I am a student teacher from Wheelock College. I am writing to inform you about the curriculum that you child will be going through in the upcoming 3 months.
The theme for the coming month is ‘food’. Using this theme, the teachers and I have planned the developmentally appropriate activities to support your child’s learning. For instance, your child will be learning the related vocabularies through story-telling, dramatization, songs and rhymes. Your child will also be learning math concepts such as patterning and seriation through the activity of making a food kebab. On top of these activities, there are many more which the teachers and I have carefully designed to enrich and promote your child’s learning.
In order to meet the needs of every child, the teachers and I have intended to use ‘differentiated instruction’ in the classroom. ‘Differentiated instruction’ is an approach to teaching essential content in ways that could address the varied learning needs of the children with the goal of maximizing the possibilities of each child. As you may know, all children learn differently, therefore the teachers and I feel that it is essential to employ the ‘differentiated instruction’ approach to support the learning needs of every child in the classroom.
In order to implement the differentiated approach in the classroom successfully, the teachers and I have created 3 learning centers based on the theme, ‘food’. This is to cater to children who have different learning profile, interest and readiness. Each learning center has varied activities which offer children choices. In addition, children are matched with tasks which are compatible with their individual learner profiles. In this way, the activities could support children’s learning as well as providing teachers opportunities to work with them individually. On top of that, the teachers and I will also allow flexible grouping in the classroom. Flexible grouping enables the children to work with others with mixed readiness and interest. In this way, it could provide challenges for both higher and lower ability children. Therefore, these are some of the strategies and ways that we have planned based on the ‘differentiated instruction’ approach.
I hope that this message has given you a better idea of the curriculum that we have carefully designed for your child in the upcoming 3 months. If, however you have any queries or feedback you would like to share with me, please feel free to contact me by phone at 67890098 or by e-mail at teacher@minitots.com.
Yours sincerely,
Koh Han Ni
Group B
Blog entry- Option 1
Dear parents,
I am Serena Teo, teacher of the Kindergarten 2 class. I am writing this letter to update you regarding the upcoming theme for the curriculum and a new teaching strategy which I will be adopting for the Kindergarten 2 classroom in the new academic year.
First and foremost, the theme for this term is “Spiders”. The different academic areas which I will be touching on in relation to this theme are: language and literacy, mathematics, science, art and craft, and environmental awareness. In addition, the children will be brought on field trips and regular walks in the neighborhood park. Some of the activities would include: learning new vocabularies and creating a word bank, addition and subtraction, drawing, observations and experiments, and so on.
Next, the new teaching strategy that will be adopted this year is called “differentiated instructions”. Differentiated instruction is catering to each child’s readiness level, cultures and background, and their interests and abilities in the classroom. Each lesson and activity will be specially tailored to each child’s needs and abilities, hence differentiated instruction. Additionally, the children will be given opportunities to work independently, in pairs or in groups according to their needs and the requirements of each activity.
The reason as to using differentiated instruction in class is to ensure that every single child’s needs are being met in the process of learning. Furthermore, every child will be given the opportunity to shine, be challenged and experience successes. In this way, every child will have a sense of self- worth and be confident of themselves. Hence, please be reassured that none of the children will be left behind in class.
However, if you are unclear towards the concept of differentiated instructions and how it would will be implemented in the classroom, please feel free to call me at 65780978 or drop me an email at ying_siew_2205@hotmail.com.
Yours Sincerely,
Serena Teo (group B)
Dear parents,
Congratulation that your child has successfully transits to Kindergarten 1. I am Teacher Yvonne and I am glad to have the pleasure to be the form teacher of your child for this year. I will surely strive my best to work with you and your child to achieve great success.
In the past, I had always received questions from parents that asked:
- my child needs time to learn will the teacher left them behind?
- my child is quite clever in learning will other children slow him down?
- will the teacher pay more attention to those children that are cleaver or children that needs more time in learning and neglect my child?
Thus to prevent such worries from coming up, I will use a “Differentiated Instruction” strategy which can help all children to learn through engaging activities which are according to their readiness level. As every child is an unique individual.
Differentiating instruction allows great flexibility in the classroom by providing multiple ways of learning for children of different abilities, interest or learning needs.
Children will still experience equal appropriate ways to learn, apply, and develop concepts and skills required. It also allows children to be more independent in their own learning, and opportunities for peer teaching and cooperative learning.
I will group the children according to their interest and they will do activities according to their readiness level (Basic, intermediate, advance) that I will plan and design and they can express their ideas in any form they want such as drawing. In the group children can chose to work independently or discuss with their peers and learn from each other. I will also be walking around to facilitate them.
Do not worry if your child is in the basic level as the activity set for them is still challenging for them. This is to help them feel success and gain confidence of themselves. In this way, we can maximize their learning yet not frustrate the child. I believe that when the child has built strong foundation he/she can continue to move on to the next level.
I will use multiples ways of assessment tools according to the activity to evaluate your child’s learning and include it in the portfolio to allow you to have a clear view of your child’s progress through this “Differentiated Instruction” strategy.
I hope that you can understand the aim and the strategy used. I do welcome any feedbacks, suggestions or enquires regarding this matter. I can be contacted through the school office number 65652265 or email to yvonnelee@childcare.com
Thank you!
Yours Sincerely,
Yvonne Lee
Option 1 by Michelle Tan Yi Ni Group A
Dear Parents,
Greeting to you!I am Teacher Michelle, form teacher of your child in XYZ preschool.
Last term, We covered our curriculum based on the theme "Farm animals" and the children acquired vocabulary on the theme and at the same time develop a greater understanding on the different types of farm animals and learnt how to care for them.
For the upcoming term,we will be covering the curriculum base on the theme "Transport". By the end of the term, your child will to identify the different transports, list the differences among the different transport, understand how transport travel and at the same time learn about the appropriate behaviors on the transport.
Unlike the previous term, the school will like to introduce a new approach; differentiated instructions, for the upcoming semester so as to meet all the children's need. Differentiated instruction is a approach whereby children are given tasks or learn according to their level and needs. Therefore, children will not feel frustrated or demoralized when they fail to complete the activity given as differentiated instructions enable children to feel sucessful as teh materials are catered to their needs and yet challenging.
We believe that your child will definitely benefit and learn better through this differentiated approach and we look forward to working with you.
Should you have any concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to drop me an email at teachermichelle@xyz.com or call me at 63837122.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
Best regards
Teacher Michelle
Form Teacher K2
23rd July 2008
Letter to Parents – Blog Entry Option 1
Dear parents,
My name is Geraldine, the Teacher-In-Charge of the Kindergarten One class. I am intending to use differentiated instruction because I felt the need to meet the diverse learning needs and readiness levels of children, in order for them to succeed at learning.
Using the same concept taught in class, for example, plants, I will be setting up different stations for children to create a product that will demonstrate their understanding of the topic. These stations include reading (E.g., children will read a storybook about the life-cycle of a plant and answer some questions on the worksheet accordingly), writing (E.g., children will create a story about a plant using new vocabulary words), math, construction, listening etc. Depending on your child's learning abilities, I will allocate him or her to the station that he or she is most comfortable with and learns best at. After the children have completed their activities at designated stations, they will take turns to share their products to the whole class. In this way, children showcase their products and attain a sense of accomplishment at doing the things they are good at. I feel that this would help improve their self-esteem as well. Children then learn by telling by what like about one another’s products and providing suggestions for improvement.
I understand that you may be concerned over the issue of fairness. Being fair is to treat every child differently because each one is unique in their own way. I seek your support in implementing this strategy for the benefit of masses. If you have any inquiries or wish to share your views regarding this issue, you can contact me at 98891223 for further details and discussions. Thank you!
Yours sincerely,
Geraldine
Geraldine
Group A
Dear Parents,
I am Lynnette Fang, the form teacher of the Kindergarten 1 class. I am pleased to inform you that over the holidays, the teachers and administrator of ThinkerPalace have came together to prepare an exciting and enriching program for the new term. I will highlight some of the special components of the program.
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the theme for the new term will be on “House Pets”. As part of the program, the class will be brought out on field trips to the pet shops in the neighborhood to observe the different common house pets, and the children will be allowed to keep a class pet. Academic concepts such as language, science and math will be taught using the theme of “House Pets” through differentiated instruction.
Differentiated instruction allows me to cater individualized teaching instructions for each child. For example, there will be ample opportunities for children to participate in large group, small group, and individual learning. Books, audio books, films, craft, music, drama, journal writing and hands on learning will be some of the medium for the child’s expression of their understanding on the topic.
Despite differentiated instruction being a new teaching methodology, I believe that it is an effective teaching and learning method that will greatly benefit your child. Please be assured that your child’s development is of the utmost importance to me as their teacher. Do feel free to contact me via email at lynnfang@thinkerpalace.com, or phone at 6384 9275 if you have any queries regarding this matter.
Thank You and Have A Great Weekend!
Yours Sincerely,
Lynnette Fang Yixuan
(Miss)
Option 1
Dear parents,
I am Teacher Shron, the form teacher of the Dazzle! Class. It is indeed rewarding to have been a part of your child’s growth and learning since Playgroup to Kindergarten level. As the Dazzlers progress to the K2 level in a few weeks, there are definitely new and fun-filled activities lined up for your child. In this letter, I will be touching on what your child will be learning in the new school term.
The theme of the first term is ‘plants’. Through this theme, we aim to teach the children about the plants around us, the uses of plants, and how we can care for the plants around us. Learning will revolve around two major projects. Firstly, the children will take a trip to Sungei Buloh to learn more about the different types of plants and their uses. Secondly, the class will create a class guide book on caring for plants. This guide book will be used to educate parents and children of the centre on caring for plants in the centre's Green week. More information on these projects can be found in the attached newsletter.
These projects are definitely something new for your children, which will also be taught in a new way. From the beginning of the new term, the centre will be using a teaching approach called ‘differentiated instruction’ to teach. Differentiated instruction means each child will learn about the same topic through different activities, which will help them learn best.
An example of how differentiated instruction will take place would be the class guide book. I have set different learning goals for each of your children which will help decide how each child will learn. When doing the class guide book, not all the children will do the same thing. Some of them will interview people, some will get information from books and the internet, some will create the class garden, some will write the articles and some will do a step-by-step picture guide. Not all the children will be focused on the same activity, but they will all learn about caring for plants and contribute to the guide book in their own ways.
You may be wondering how the children can learn the same thing while doing different activities. Please be assured that I have set common goals for the class. The activities may be different, but they will be learning about the same key concepts, ultimately reaching both their individual and class goals. For example, the child who is interviewing people, and the child who is creating a class garden may be doing different tasks, but they will learn the same thing- caring for plants.
Another concern may be why the class is being ‘split into different learning groups’. Your children will definitely learn basic concepts and vocabulary on the theme, and there will definitely be class activities. However, when learning more deeply about the theme, the children will be learning through various activities. This will allow them to learn at their own level, ensuring effective learning. At the end of each day, the class will definitely get together and share what they learnt. This shared information will then lead to the class guide book.
I hope that this letter has given you a better understanding of what your young champions are going to learn in the upcoming school term. As mentioned during the parent meeting in November, there will be a meeting in two weeks. During this meeting, you can clear any doubts or queries regarding the activities and new teaching approach. You can also contact me at 91234567 during weekends, or talk to me when you send or fetch your child during school days.
With the new school term approaching, I ensure you that the upcoming year is going to be full of fun and learning for your children. Have a great week ahead, and I will be looking forward to meeting you in two weeks.
Regards,
Teacher Shron
Form Teacher- Dazzler! Class
Shron Sugumaran- Group A
Option 1 - Letter to parents
Dear Parents of K2 class,
Welcome back to the new semester! I am Teacher Sarah, the class teacher who will be facilitating your child’s learning. I am writing to inform you of this semester’s curriculum and the new teaching approach that I will be implementing.
During the previous semester, the class did a brainstorming of themes. Eventually, we decided on “The Post Office”. The children will find out how the post office operates, the roles of the people in the post office, the services that the post office offers and how to use them. In addition, there will be field trips to the post office and to the Singapore Philatelic Museum.
Therefore, throughout this learning process, I will be implementing the use of “differentiated instruction” in the classroom. Differentiated instruction consists of a variety of activities that suit the diversities in the classroom. Every individual child is unique. Similarly, their learning styles and abilities differ. With differentiated instruction, your child’s learning is catered to his interest, abilities and pace. Also, there will be a combination of independent, paired, small and large group discussion. This provides opportunities for independent learning as well as peer guidance.
Hence, to challenge and maximize your child’s learning potential, I will first assess your child’s needs. As usual, I will be there to facilitate and assess your child’s progress. Therefore, I hope that you could help me by filling up the attached survey. Subsequently, I intend to plan personalized take-home activities that cater to your child’s needs. Please be assured that all children will have equal learning opportunities. However, this does not mean that they will be doing the exact same activities.
I hope that you and your child are all set to accompany me on this fun-filled learning experience throughout this semester. If you have any concerns, feel free to contact me at 64753948 or email me at sarah@wonderkids.edu.
Yours sincerely
Teacher Sarah
Sarah Chiok
Group B
Option 2: Draft a proposal to the Principal
Kindergarten 2
Proposal for Differentiated Instructions Trial for the theme “Soccer”
Introduction
Implementing differentiated instructions helps to meet the complex needs of each child in a diverse classroom and maximize the potential of each child. In this month’s K2 theme on “Soccer”, I would like to propose a trial for differentiated instructions. I will be using activities of different levels and teaching strategies to facilitate each child’s learning.
Goal
The goal of this project is that children will be able to learn independently individually or as a group with appropriate challenges at their own individual level.
What Children Will Learn?
Firstly, children will be able to take responsibility in their own learning. I am going to introduce to them “Learning Contract” where each child has his or her own tasks to finish for the day. This allows the classroom teacher to do small group teaching while the other children are actively engage in meaningful activities at the learning corners. The tasks are carefully planned for different readiness level. For example, children who can read better will be given books to read of a higher standard while others read more simple books. Those with learning disabilities will also be considered as some may require audio books.
Secondly, children can experience working individually, in pairs and in groups. Children are allowed to find their own partner or group mates. By having flexible grouping, each child will be able to work with a variety of children. Base on their common interests and readiness level, I will suggest to them on their grouping. For example, if some children are interested in how Soccer balls are made, they will research on the topic together.
Thirdly, children will learn to evaluate their own learning as well as others. Children can assess their abilities by doing a pictorial progress chart at the start of the curriculum and another at the end. Children plots on the graph on how good they are at different subjects and compare. When a group or a child is presenting their projects, each child can give one compliment and a suggestion for the group or child.
To be able to carry out differentiated instructions, teachers will go through three steps. First is to pre-assess the children through an informal test. Next teachers will document children’s learning. Lastly, teachers set the tasks for each child. Teachers will meet the child individually to check their Learning Contract and to address their questions twice a week.
Concerns and Possible Solutions
One main concern the school may face is financial issue. Developing materials that meet the different readiness levels of each child, as well as making new activities for the new theme, may require time and money. I suggest that the staff will start collecting scrap materials that are useful in creating activities. Letters can be sent out to parents to ask them to help in collecting materials. We will store and sort the materials in boxes.
Another concern is meeting the needs of children with special needs. Teachers will coordinate closely with the Special Education Teacher and tell her what the child is doing right now so she can build on the child’s interest and learning.
A concern parents will have is to understand the fairness of this system because some children are learning at a higher level while others have lower standards. I let the parents know what are differentiated instructions and the advantages. In addition, I will continue to document children’s portfolios so parents can review their child’s progress.
Blog entry - Option 1
Dear Parents,
Hello there! I am Teacher Amirah, form teacher of the Kindergarten 2 class in Honey and Clover Childcare Centre. I would like to inform you that for next month’s theme, “Living Things and Their Habitats”, the class will be focusing more towards the topic about plants; allowing them to learn more about the different kinds of plants and learning to care for them. In addition to this, I would also like to report that this decision was made by the children themselves! This is made possible because of ‘differentiated instruction’, a new teaching strategy that I am implementing with the class.
The term ‘differentiated instruction’ may sound like a complex but actually its intentions are simple. As of now, I engage in alternative teaching methods that cater to your child’s learning needs. These methods include…
Planning learning activities based on children’s interests
For example, allowing them to decide the theme for next month.
Having learning centers/corners
This is done with the help of learning contracts, which states the list of activities children have to do for the day.
Starting up a buddy system
Your children will work in pairs when doing certain tasks.
I understand that most of you are concerned that your child may not learning enough due to the stress of adjusting to the educational structure of a primary one student. With ‘differentiated instruction’, I believe that not only will your child learn what is needed, but he or she will enjoy doing so as this strategy works in the best interest of your child; engaging them in challenging work, based on their strengths.
Should you have any questions or enquiries, please do not hesitate to call me at 91274638 or email me at amirah_kamil@honeycloverkids.com. I look forward to working together with you to creating a more enriching learning experience for your child. Thank you.
Your sincerely,
Nur Amirah Bte Kamil
Letter to Parents – Blog Entry Option 1
Dear Parents,
I am Adalene Hu, the new teacher taking over Class K-2. I would like to talk to you about how I will be going to teach your child to ensure success in their learning. I believe that each individual child are unique, they learn in different ways and an enriched environment and one teaching style may work for one child, but is not necessarily enriched for another. Thus, I'll be teaching using the strategy- differentiating instructions.
Differentiating Instructions means the use of different activities to teach the same topic so that children of different abilities, interest or learning needs experience equally appropriate ways to absorb, use, develop and present concepts as a part of the daily learning process.
For the topic of this coming month: land transport, I'll be planning different activities for different groups of children according to their strengths. For example, children who are good with words and language, I will most probably get them to read information books on land transport and write a short description of their favourite transport and for children who are good with mathematics they could build a model of a land transport using recycled materials through the use of measuring tools like rulers, there will activities for children who are good with music, movement and visual spatial as well.
Your child will be allocated to the group in which he/she learns best and build upon his/her strengths as well as improve his/her weak areas as this strategy allows children to take greater responsibility and ownership for their own learning, and provides opportunities for peer teaching and cooperative learning.
I believe that you may be concern about the children doing different activities that it would be unfair, but rest assured that through the use of this strategy it is to ensure all children maximise their learning potential in their own unique ways. Should you have have any suggestions or queries, please feel free to call me at 92326351 or email me at adalenehu@gmail.com. I am looking forward for your support. Thank you!
Yours Sincerely,
Adalene Hu
My name is Madeline Tan Yee Hoon, a first year student studying Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Educational Studies and Leadership at Wheelock College.
Differentiated instruction means to cater to individual children based on their abilities, needs, level of interest and readiness level. From differentiated instruction, your child will learn three aspects of the curriculum namely content, process and products. Content refers to concepts, principles and skills. It is a means of giving children access to skills and knowledge through a variety of vehicles for learning such as textbooks, demonstrations and field trips. Process refers to the activities which help children make sense of, and come to own the ideas and skills being taught. Products refer to the culminating projects for children to demonstrate and extend what they have learned into other subject areas. Differentiated learning allows your child to be involved in how they work individually towards an educational goal common to the classroom. It is evident that through this, children enjoy their atmosphere that promotes exploration and fun learning. I strongly believe that children should be an active participant rather than a passive observer. They should make decisions actively and modify their learning efforts.
I used coloured cubes for activities in the classroom because it assist us to better chart children’s progress and serve as an effective tool to better scaffold their learning. Colour coded readiness cubes are used to let me know which level the child is at and plan activities for the child to advance to the next level. By having differentiated instructions on coloured cubes, children who are less capable will not feel low in self-esteem as compared to when the teacher personally provide a one to one instruction with the children which seems to be more obvious. Coloured cubes promotes flexible grouping and allows children to work in learning centers. Children can work with their peers on the small coloured cubes or have a mixture of colours to share the different ways of representing a topic.
To overcome concerns and misconceptions, I need to explain the rationale and benefits of providing differentiated instructions. Differentiated instruction is used to accommodate the lessons or activities to the needs of diverse learners in the classroom. I assure you that all activities are challenging in different ways. In today’s classroom, the growing needs of informed children have to be met as we, teachers challenge children’s learning, creativity and analytical skills. To further clarify your doubts, our center provides monthly newsletter to further elaborate on the purpose of differentiation instruction through books and magazines on different learning styles for your perusal and understanding.
I look forward to your co-operation and participation of your child in differentiated instructions activities. Please visit our classroom and the learning corners so that you can see your child’s learning progress with the use of differentiated instructions. In addition, please feel free to talk to me should you have views which you would like to share.
Done By:
Madeline Tan
Group B
Option 2
Dear Mdm Tan,
I will like to propose to use differentiated instruction in my class, Kindergarten 1, during the theme on ‘Environment’ which will take place over a period of two months.
Differentiated instruction has proved its worth in many child education settings where children are provided with choices and multiple options when they embark on their learning journey. Based on the multiple intelligences on Howard Gardner’s theory, we understand that children construct understanding in ways that are meaningful to each individual. In support with this, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) mentioned that the difficulty level that is being taught should be in slight advance of each child’s current standard.
In our classroom, we would want every child to learn at their optimum level. We recognize that every child has different understanding and different interest in the particular topic. To cater to this, the way of conveying the knowledge across to the child is to set up the environment and alter the teaching methods we have previously used. With this, we want to make the students active and responsible learners in the classroom, with suitable challenges that they are able to handle and construct meaning and gain new concepts from it.
Changing the environment and adapting to every child’s needs would require support from both teachers and parents. Teachers would need to design activities that are able to cater to individual learning needs. Constant reflection and constant adaptation, is also essential to make differentiated instruction work out. Teachers would also need constant assessment, whether is it formal or not, with an intention to create practical and useful differentiation.
Because the classroom is going to be designed in ways where children are flexible to choose activities they would like to do, the classroom setting might not be ‘ideal’ for the parents where they cannot see their teacher having a large group most of the time. Flexible grouping, differentiation in tasks would need utmost understanding from the parents.
As we understand, we have a very wide spectrum of learners in our classrooms, from the gifted children to the children who have learning disabilities. To engage all of them with the same tasks might not be the best option for the students to learn. I believe very firmly in supporting children with different alternatives and choices.
This would be a very good opportunity for the school to take a next step in accommodating each child’s learning styles and standards. I hope you would let me have this opportunity to take the first step with the experiment of this idea.
If there should be any disparity of feelings and thoughts from both parents and yourself, please feel free to contact me at lydia@playschool.com or call me at 90990990.
With regards,
Lydia Hong
Teacher-in-Charge
Kindergarten 1
Dear Parents,
I am Teacher Ella, the new teacher-in-charge of the Kindergarten One class. I may have had the opportunity to meet some of you when you either dropped off or picked up your children from the centre. I am a recent graduate of the degree programme offered by Wheelock College and I hope to learn as much as possible as I embark on this journey with your children.
The theme for this semester will be on ‘Fishes’. The children and I will be exploring and making discoveries about the various fishes and their living conditions. We will be doing our own research about the various fishes, planning a field trip that will help to answer some of our questions about the living conditions of fishes and carrying out activities in class to expand on our new-found knowledge about fishes.
In order to ensure that every child gets the most out of these lessons, I would like to introduce to you the ‘differentiated instruction’ approach in the classroom. The ‘differentiated instruction’ approach is basically based on the children’s interest or readiness level. As different children will be interested in exploring different aspects of the topic ‘Fish’, they can be split up according to the interest groups, where they can work together on their ideas, instead of having to do the same thing for the whole class. I also believe that every child learns at his or her own pace and that we should respect their learning pace. I will then split the class up into groups with varying readiness levels for the activities that I will be planning and conducting in class. This way, children will work comfortably with other children who are at the same readiness level, without feeling the pressure or the need to keep up or slow down.
I understand that some of you may then be concerned about whether your child will be missing out on his or her learning since they are all doing different things. I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that would not be the case. Your children will not be learning anything more or less than each other. They will eventually learn the same things, only simply learning at their own pace. I am highlighting to you that the whole idea of the ‘differentiated instruction’ approach is to ensure that every child benefits as much as possible from the lessons without being pressurized.
Should you still need further clarifications or assurances about the use of the ‘differentiated instruction’ approach in the classroom, please feel free to contact me at 9123 4567. Alternatively, you can also drop me an email at ella.bakar@abckidschildcare.com.
Thank you and best regards,
Teacher Ella
Letter to Parents – Blog Entry 1
September 4, 2008
Dear Parents
Greeting and welcome parents you back to the wonderful and exciting school term ahead. I hope that you had spent an exclusive term holiday with your family. I am Teacher Tiffany and I will be your child’s Kindergarten One form teacher for the school year of 2009.
In this school term, I had specially designed the curriculum to four distinctive themes, namely body parts, occupation, festivals and family. Through these themes, I would be implementing the ‘differentiated instruction’ model. This might be an unfamiliar approach to many, however rest assured that I have witness and experience the powerful benefits of this approach. ‘Differentiated instruction’ is known as adopting various teaching approach to cater to diverse learning styles of children. It is my role as a teacher to observe individual student and proactively change my teaching strategies to help children learn in their potential ability. Hence, differentiated instruction has been a popular teaching approach that many educators are trying to achieve. This approach is highly recommended, as children will be able to learn at their own readiness and to their personal developmental pace. I would also be catering activities and instructions based on my student’s interest and abilities.
My class would consist of various learning centers; there would be activities that are set of different difficulty level. The students would be identified with different learning strength and weaknesses, with these the learning corner would be equipped with various manageable task but yet with a certain degree of challenges .I understand that you may be concern that in the approach of ‘differentiated instruction’. You might be worried that your child might be neglected, unfamiliar to the approach or not meet the educational requirements. However, I assure you that, I had gathered sufficient materials and adopt curriculum practices that would be catered to your child individual learning styles and interest. Therefore, eventually everyone in the class would be able to meet the requirements and criteria development of a five year old.
If you would to have any doubts, please do feel free to approach me in school or you can contact me via phone at 64608739. Alternatively, you can drop me a mail at teachertiffany@gmail.com. I am keen to seek your support in my teaching style, so as to work towards a fun filling educational experience for you child. Lastly, I would definitely look forward in working together to enhance your child’s education journey.
Best Regards
Tiffany Lim
(Group B)
vet = Koh Feng Yan Yvette (group B)
Dear Parents,
Greetings to you! I am Teacher Qiao Yi and I will be the form teacher of the K1 class next year. I am writing to you to inform you about the new curriculum that our school is adopting, that is to introduce differentiated instructions into the classrooms.
The reason for the change is due to the understanding that no two children are alike nor do they learn in the same way. Through differentiated instructions, we hope that children will be able to meet similar goals through varied activities to meet the children’s individual needs and interests.
Some of the strategies we will be using are:
• Use learning contract,
• Assign reading buddies,
• Adopt flexible groupings,
• Curriculum compacting, and
• Setting up learning centers.
When the children take ownership of their learning, they become involved, interactive, and take control by using their individual learning styles to access information, interpret material, and demonstrate what they have learned. Through these strategies we hope that children will be able to learn independently and work cooperatively with other children in the classroom.
Brochures on differentiated instructions are also available at the Parents Corner if you would like to know more about it. I welcome feedbacks from you. Should you have further quires, please feel free to call me at 9770 9699 or email me at qiaoyilim@cozyland.com. I look forward to working with you in the upcoming year.
Best Regards,
Lim Qiao Yi (Ms)
Blog entry #1
Dear Parents,
I am Miss Josephine Wong, the form teacher of your child’s class. I am writing you this letter to inform you about a change in conducting the curriculum, using differentiated learning, in order to cater best to the learning needs of each child. Differentiated learning is allowing each child to learn at a level, which they are comfortable in, suiting each individual’s readiness level, although a child may not be doing a same activity as another.
For this month’s theme, the class will be touching on the topic of ‘Life cycle of a butterfly’. During this period of time, the children will be covering the sub stages of a butterfly’s life cycle, learning about its habitat and characteristics. As the children are fairly new to this topic, I will try my best to plan the lessons according to their learning pace and abilities. As each child’s readiness level is different, I believe that differentiated learning will be ideal for the class.
To further illustrate how differentiated learning will be used, here is an example of modification to give you a rough idea.
1. For children who may have difficulty in writing: They can use drawings to illustrate the 4 stages of a butterfly’s life cycle.
2. For children who are able to write simple sentences: They can write about the characteristics of any 2 stages in a butterfly’s life cycle.
3. For children who are advanced in writing sentences: They can draw the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle and write about its habitat in less than 200 words.
All the lessons planned are ensured to cater to the learning needs of each child according to his or her readiness level, so that the children will not feel pressurized to excel and demoralized should they be unable to complete a task. I am keen on using this approach as I feel that learning can be modified and catered to children’s suitability, which will make learning an enjoyable process for them. I understand that some of you parents may be concerned about using differentiated learning, as your child may be doing something different from another child. But let me ensure you that the lessons planned are designed to suit your child’s readiness level in learning, and not that because your child may be weaker in certain areas, which puts him in doing something that is not so advanced such as drawing. There will come a time, when every child will have to do proper writing.
Should there be any questions or concerns that you would like to discuss with me, please do not hesitate to contact the centre, or drop me an email to josephinewonghb@yahoo.com.sg . I will try my best in assisting you, as we work closely to maximize your child’s potential.
Yours sincerely,
Miss Josephine Wong
Class form teacher
Blog Entry Option 1
4th September 2008
Dear Parents/ Guardians,
I am Jasmine Hung, teacher-in-charge of kindergarten one class. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on the topics that I intend to cover with children for this coming new semester.
For the coming semester, our theme will be on Zoo Animals. Children will be going on field trips and be involved in various activities. Activities provided for children will not only allow them to gain knowledge on animals but also provides opportunities for creativity and self-expressions. Children will be learning about the different types of animals present in the zoo; the behaviour patterns of animals; life cycles and habitat of animals and lastly the different type of food each animal consume. More importantly, the children will be able to have fun and yet learn at the same time. Hence, it will be a more effective as we are able to capture their attention and imagination to the fullest.
I would be focusing on differentiated instruction in conducting activities with children. As children’s needs and learning styles are different, differentiated instruction involves planning of different activities that comes in different content and produces different products. Activities provided for children are of different challenging levels. Activities planned are according to children’s abilities and learning needs thus the learning experience will be more effective. In catering to all children, children will work on a variety of tasks. For example, for auditory learners, I would provide audio stations to help children to better their understanding by having other teachers to read out the characteristics of the animals. For children who are mathematically inclined, I would provide activities that involve estimation such as asking the children to estimate the length of a giraffe or the weight of an elephant.
Despite using differentiated instructions, I would like to stress that all children will be given equal amount of attention and opportunities. The well-being and safety of the children will also not be compromised as there will be a certain number of teachers appointed to take care of the respective groups of children.
Lastly, please do feel free to contact me at my mobile at 91234567 or email me at jasminehung@hotamil.com for any enquires or feedback regarding our ‘differentiated instruction' programme.
Yours Sincerely,
Jasmine hung
Hung Yirong (Jasmine)
Group A
letter to parents
Dear parents of K1 Violet,
I am Miss Pam, the teacher-in-charge of K1 Violet. I would like to take the opportunity to use this letter to fill you in on the curriculum and what are some of the things I would be doing with your child this term.
The theme for this term is ‘Transportation’ and is chosen based on the children’s interests. There are many different activities lined up for your child and I am sure they would be having a fun-filled and enriching experience in class. In order to ensure that each and every child’s potential is fully maximized, our school have decided to adopt the method of using differentiated instructions in our classroom. What is meant by differentiated instructions is simply to have a different set of instructions to cater to the needs of every individual child.
The main objective of this approach is to ensure that every child is learning at a pace that they are comfortable with. However, this is not to say that the tasks they are doing are not challenging. The tasks that we have come up with are all challenging for your child in their own ways. I personally feel that at learning at a pace that your child is comfortable with would be much more beneficial then having the whole class learn together. This is because different children have different learning styles and readiness levels. Some might learn better by doing worksheets whereas others might learn better doing hands-on activities. Therefore, using differentiated instructions would greatly benefit your child as they would be learning in a method that works best for them.
Feel free to contact me or any of the staff at the centre and we would be more than willing to answer your questions and clarify your doubts. I can be contacted at Pamela@gmail.com or 67382746. Thank you for your kind understanding. I look forward to working alongside with you to provide the best for your child.
Miss Pam,
Teacher-in-charge of K1 Violet
Pamela
Group A
Dear parent,
Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies in the Classroom
I am Teacher Ning, an educator from ABC childcare centre. I write to share with you my views with regards to the use of differentiated instructional strategies in my classroom, how it will benefit your child learning progress and importantly, caters to your child’s individual learning needs, development and interests.
Differentiated instructional strategies is about creating multiple paths for children with different readiness level, interest and learning needs, to achieve equal learning experiences in the classroom.
We will firstly be making use of surveys to find out about the children’s interest areas. After which, we will plan the curriculum base on their feedbacks and prepare different engaging materials that caters to each child’s strength and learning style e.g. if a child is good at expressing himself/herself through art, he/she will perhaps choose to present his/her understanding of the content taught in class through drawing. Next, children with the same readiness level will be group together to do cooperative learning and solve any problem faced together. This will allow your child to work on his/her own pace and rate comfortably with his/her peers of the same readiness level. Certainly, there will be opportunities for your child to be randomly grouped and work with other children to learn from one another as he/she acquire a higher level of thinking.
As the use of differentiated instructional strategies allows choices, it will help your child increase his/her sense of independence and freedom as they receive and enjoy equal engaging and respective hands on activities. Also, it allows your children to take greater responsibilities and ownership in his/her learning.
The educator in the classroom will act as a facilitator by guiding your child in his/her learning and make necessary adjustments to stretch your child’s learning abilities when needed.
I understand that this approach may be new to you and I seek your patience to view the positive progress of your child and the effectiveness of using differentiated instructional strategies in the classroom. The educators will constantly be reviewing your child’s learning progress in the classroom with you, through his/her completed tasks and some of the educator’s recorded observations of your child’s learning processes.
To further address to any concern that you may have, please contact me at 61234567 or email me at ning_owaez@hotmail.com. I looked forward to hearing your views of using differentiated instructional approach in the classroom.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely
Lee Ningzi (Educator from ABC Childcare Centre)
Blog Entry Option 1 - Letter to Parents:
Dear Parents,
I am Teacher Sarah, the form teacher of your child's K1 class. I would like to give you an update on what is going on in your child’s classroom.
For the upcoming term (Term 3), the class will exploring the topic of Transportation, through Differentiated Instruction. They will learn about the different types of transportation, their various parts, as well as in-depth concepts like how to make a car travel faster.
To answer your queries regarding what “Differentiated Instruction” is, it is allowing the child to learn at his/her own pace, with peers learning at the same pace, through a wide variety of activities. Here’s an analogy to help you understand this concept better: when people arrive at a computer shop, they want to buy a computer that best suits their needs and abilities. Some buy a desktop computer; some buy laptops; some buy hand-help computers like the Palm Pilot, or the IPhone. After buying their computers, different people learn to operate their computers differently. Some read the manuals themselves; some recall the visual demonstration provided by the salesperson at the computer shop; some call up the computer dealer’s hotline for verbal step-by-step instructions. From this, we can see that different people have different interests and needs, and learn through different methods. This is also the case for children. Therefore, by adopting the concept of “Differentiated Instruction”, I hope to cater lessons to each child’s interests and needs, as well as their varying learning styles.
Through Differentiated Instruction, the class will be divided into different groups, based on their interests. For instance, one group may be working on the topic of Cars, another, on the topic of buses. Additionally, they will be engaged in different activities to cater to their learning styles, like working in pairs, small groups, or even individually. Furthermore, the children are encouraged to demonstrate their findings and understandings through methods they are most comfortable with, be it drawing, writing or dramatizing; worksheets will also be planned to cater needs and learning styles too.
I understand that you may be concerned that your child will not have the opportunity to learn about a certain topic that he may not be interested in initially. Please rest assured that time will be allocated for the children to discuss with the entire class, what they have learnt about a certain topic. This would allow the entire class to learn along with each individual group. I also understand that you may be concerned about making sure each child is actively engaged in learning. I would like to reassure you that I would be going around, group-by-group, to facilitate the children’s learning, as well as to ensure that each child is on-task.
I strongly believe that, through Differentiated Instruction, your child’s learning, growth and development would be maximized. Nevertheless, should you have any concerns and queries, please feel free to approach me when you pick up or drop off your child at the center, or drop me an email at sarah@kindergartenkidsrus.com.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Teacher Sarah.
Form teacher of K1 class,
Kindergarten Kids R Us.
[Sarah Yu, B Class]
Letter to Parents – Blog Entry Option 1
Hello Parents,
I am Samantha, and I will be your child’s Kindergarten One class form teacher for the year. In this brand new term, I would like to share with you the approach that I will take on to achieve the learning goals that I have planned out for the following term. I would be very pleased to introduce our new differentiated learning approach to you that I will be adopting in class to cater to each child’s unique learning needs.
Just a short introduction to help you learn about differentiated learning with the help of Wikipedia:
In differentiated instruction students are placed at the center of teaching and learning and student needs drive instructional planning, as opposed to more traditional education methods of teachers, text materials, or curriculum determining what students should be learning. Differentiated instruction is a way to enhance learning for all students by engaging them in activities that respond to particular learning needs, strengths, and preferences and is effective in addressing the needs of gifted or high-achieving students, students with special needs, as well as second language learners who are in the same classroom.
Often referred to as an educational philosophy, differentiated instruction is viewed as a proactive approach to instruction and an idea that has as many faces as practitioners. The model of differentiated instruction requires teachers to tailor their instruction and adjust the curriculum to students’ needs rather than expecting students to modify themselves for the curriculum. Teachers who are committed to this approach believe that who they teach shapes how they teach because who the students are shapes how they learn.
As each child has a different learning need and readiness level, it would be important to cater to all of their different learning needs in class and be sure that they achieve something out of the lesson learnt. It is therefore important to develop challenging yet engaging task for each child. Lessons will be conducted as usual but when it comes to individual and group work, children will select the materials that they feel most comfortable expressing with and they will be group accordingly into groups to cater to their learning needs. Children will also pick tasks that either challenges them the most or tasks that help them easier acquire knowledge.
Through differentiated learning, your child would be able to work independently and confidently through ways that she feel most comfortable with. Through this approach she would also have a sense of autonomy for her learning, which will develop her into a whole child with the facilitation of her teachers.
By the end of the school year, your child will be exposed to the different learning styles and would be able to solve problems on her own through critical thinking. Nevertheless, she would also be able to work well with the different pupils in class through the participation of various activities and usages of a variety of materials and methods.
As this is a new approach which you might not even have heard before, and there might be doubts and lots of questions that you wish to clarify regarding the concerns that you have in mind, feel free to contact me. I would be glad to be of help to you. You can contact me at 61234567 or email me at Samantha@hotmail.com
May you have a happy day.
Yours sincerely,
Teacher Samantha
Form Teacher of Kindergarten One
28 August 2008
Samantha Chia (Group A)
Letter to Parents - Option 1
Dear Parents,
My Name is Nur'Hazwani Ab Mutalif the form teacher of K1 "Star" class. I am writing you this letter to inform you about a change in conducting the curriculum, using differentiated learning,as we feel that the more ways we teach, the more student we reach.
Today’s classrooms present a number of challenges to people in the field of education. It used to be that teachers would use the same teaching style and strategies for all students and not take into consideration that not all students learn the same. Over the years this approach and philosophy has greatly changed mainly because we all know that students are not all the same, nor do they learn the same. Thus, the school feel that it is now the time to adopt the srategy of using " differentiated instruction" in our classroom.
Differentiated instruction is a process to approach teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student’s growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is, and assisting in the learning process.
One example is the use of flexible grouping, where Learners are expected to interact and work together as they develop knowledge of new content. Teachers may conduct whole-class introductory discussions of content big ideas followed by small group or pair work. Student groups may be coached from within or by the teacher to complete assigned tasks. Grouping of students is not fixed. Based on the content, project, and on-going evaluations, grouping and regrouping must be a dynamic process as one of the foundations of differentiated instruction.
I believe with the support from the school and parent, "differentiated strategy" will defenitelt be a sound and successful academic approach.
If you have any queries or futher clarification, please drop me an email @ dy_haz20@hotmail.com or contact me at 1234567. Thank you for you kind attention.
Yours sincerely,
Nur'Hazwani Ab Mutalif (Ms)
form teacher of K1 "Star"
Dear parents,
I am Ms Surya, your child’s teacher from Apple Kindergarten. As the new term is approaching, I am sharing with you a new approach towards teaching to be placed this year.
Through this strategy, we hope that your child will learn to be independent learners by the end of this term. Children will learn concepts based on his or her own understanding on the topic.
Thus, differentiated instruction will be used to support your child in his or her learning this term.
“Differentiated instruction is a way to enhance learning for all students by engaging them in activities that respond to particular learning needs, strengths, and preferences and is effective in addressing the needs of gifted or high-achieving students, students with special needs, as well as second language learners who are in the same classroom”(Cast,2008)
In the classroom your child will be able to be skilled independent learners. They will be able to
• Choose between teacher-assigned and student-selected task.
•Choose different mode of learning (Computer software, drawings, writing).
•Learn in groups or individually.
•Use learning contracts.
•Learn with reading buddies.
This approach is beneficial to every child as it does not limit to a teacher directed approach to teaching. Your child will gain through learning at his own pace and abilities. Children need different instructions and styles as each one of them is unique and do not learn in only one way. Using these strategies, children can learn through many different techniques.
I would like to seek for your support in this coming term’s program. Comments and Suggestions are welcomed. If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 56553290 or send an email to AppleK@gmail.com. Thank you.
Surya Tewi (Grp B)
option 2: letter to the principal
Dear Ms Judy,
Re: Recommendation of using the Differentiated Instruction Approach for the next term.
After observing the children for a term, I see that children are not progressing to the next level in the same pace and that some are unable to concentrate when a lesson is going on. Some children were also observed to be not engaged when they were having free time at the various learning centres. Thus, I would like to recommend that we adopt the differentiated instructions approach to our curriculum.
The adoption of the differentiated instruction approach will work towards the benefit of the children and thus helping them to learn in a way that best caters to their interest and needs. For instance, when doing a theme on fruits, children can be asked to vote on topics such as tropical fruits, fruits with/without seeds and etc. The teacher can then develop the activities in the class that children are interested in. Other than that, as the approach aims to help children learn a level most appropriate to them, the teachers can create activities that ranges from simple to difficult. For instance, activities in the learning centre can come in 3 different levels. With these strategies being implemented in the class, children will be attracted to the lessons that are being carried out and will become more engaged when they are at the learning centre.
Having mentioned the benefits that the approach can bring for the children, I understand that there may still be some concerns that the principal and the parents might face. Firstly, the principal may be concerned about the availability of resources such as fundings, materials and training of teachers. With regards to fundings and materials, I would suggest that teachers make use of recyclable materials so as to reduce the cost. Teachers can also work with one another by having weekly conferences to share on the progress of the children as well as whether the different strategies work for the children. They can also share ideas and suggestions on how to make situations better or solve a problem that a teacher is facing. Secondly, the parents may have different views towards the approach. Thus, I would like to suggest that the school conduct a little workshop with the parents to give them an overview of the approach and how it benefits their children’s learning. During parent teacher conferences, teachers can also highlight the progress that the children had made as a result of the approach. This will further convince the parents the effectiveness of the differentiated instructions approach.
At the end of the letter, I sincerely hope that the principal will look into the suggestion of adopting the differentiated instruction approach for the next term and give it some thought.
Yours sincerely,
Pearlyn Tan
Nursery Teacher in-charge
Dear Parents,
I am Teacher Pei Lin, the form teacher of Kindergarten 2 this year. As part of our centre’s new program goal ‘to cater to the needs of a diverse group of children’, I would be implementing ‘differentiated instructions’ in our class. In this letter, I would be sharing with you some of the benefits of differentiated instructions and address some of the concerns you may have regarding this approach.
I strongly believe that every child is unique and have their strengths as well as weaknesses. Hence, the aim of this approach is to provide a curriculum that caters to the readiness level, interest and learning style.
During this period of time, I would be introducing topics that children express interest in and I would get children to explore these topics through activities that are of their readiness level, yet provide challenge for them. Children will be given opportunities to do peer or group work according to their interest areas and readiness level so that children can work comfortably at the same level as their peers.
Secondly, children have different learning styles and there is a need to cater to these learning styles. For example, some children may be musically inclined; some may be artistically talented, while some may be good at language. Therefore, the activities that I would provide for the children would complement children’s learning styles, enabling them to perform and succeed in the tasks given. One way that I would be addressing this is to create different learning corners with materials and activities that they can work with independently or in groups. Children will also be given opportunities to explore other learning styles to encourage them to develop holistically.
During the implementation of this approach, I would be conducting assessments to evaluate the success of the program and hold discussions with other teachers to continue to improve on this approach.
If you have any feedback or enquiries, feel free to contact me at 67718626 or cpl58@gmail.com. Thank you for taking time to read this letter.
Yours Sincerely,
Chua Pei Lin
Raihan pens as follows ......
September 1, 2008.
Dear Parents,
SUMMARY OF THEMATIC LEARNING IN SEPTEMBER
I am Ms Raihan, the new form teacher of Kindergarten-2 class. To facilitate enriching classroom teaching, I will be implementing new learning experiences for your child. I have planned many interesting activities in language arts, numeracy, environmental awareness, aesthetic and creative expression, and loco-motor and health. This is an important platform for your child’s holistic development.
For the whole month of September, the theme is TRANSPORTATION. During the first two weeks, the sub-theme will be LAND TRANSPORTATION. I have lined up a variety of thematic activities for K2 children. One is an outing to Shell Road Safety Park, located at East Coast Park. The children will also construct their favourite land vehicle, using recycled materials, or paper clay. At the Science Learning Corner, your child will help me and other children in setting-up a vehicle repair workshop.
To create authentic learning environment, your child will team-up with other children to design a road system on the floor, connecting all the classrooms. Along this road system, there will be instances of traffic light, traffic rules and road symbols. This set-up helps to extend your child’s prior knowledge in land transportation.
In order to meet your child’s learning expectations, I will be implementing differentiated instructions in my classroom teaching. To facilitate such instructions, I will group all the children into one group of 5 children, three small groups of 3 children and two smaller groups of 2 children respectively. Your child will be assigned to a group and complete an activity, which is comparable to other group members.
As each child is unique and comes with a different learning style. I believe differentiated instruction provides opportunities for your child to learn at a pace and level of difficulty which she/he is comfortable and ready for. The rationale behind differentiated instruction is to provide a variety of hands-on activities to match your child’s level of readiness, level of difficulty, area of interest and learning style.
These age- and developmental-appropriate activities will be planned to compliment and manifest a differentiated learning. At the end of the day, your child will able to complete the task successfully. This learning process increase your child’s confidence level and self-esteem, which are the essential factors to instil a sense of personal satisfaction and motivation, and bring your child to the higher level of learning.
If you have any enquiries or feedback regarding my new teaching plans, I can be contacted at 1234-5678. Or, if you prefer, you can leave a message at this email: hraihan@sussex.edu.sg I will reply within two schooling days.
Regards,
Raihan Ariff (Ms)
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