Classroom Differentiation: Tailoring Learning for Every Student

Strategies for Individualized Writing Instruction

Students bring a variety of skills and experiences to the writing classroom. Some students arrive writing sentences with strong vocabulary, while others are still learning to form letters and words. Many sit somewhere in the middle. Teachers see this range every day, yet they are still expected to address each learner’s needs through effective teaching methods and help them make progress in the learning process. Often, this all takes place with limited time and limited curriculum support, in learning environments where student engagement can be a challenge.

We recently hosted a live Zoom conversation on our Facebook page between educators and Dr. Karen Harris, creator of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) and a leading researcher in the science of writing. Dr. Harris spoke directly to the challenge of developing content that meets the diverse needs of students. She explained that differentiation does not mean 25 different lesson plans. It means understanding what students can already do, knowing what each group needs next, and helping them move forward with clear, strategic instruction.

This blog brings together the key ideas Karen shared. It shows how SRSD, when applied within an effective learning environment, enhances the learning process through effective classroom strategies and makes the approach to differentiation both possible and manageable in real classrooms.

Watch the entire video discussion by clicking her image:

Start With Formative Assessment: “A Wealth of Information”

Dr. Harris began with one of the most important tools for differentiation: formative assessment. In SRSD, teachers collect student writing samples before instruction begins. This is a baseline, not a test.

Teachers should carefully consider how they introduce this step. She warns that many students panic when they hear the word “test,” even in early grades. To alleviate these fears, teachers can try telling students:

“I want to see what you already know. This isn’t for a grade, and only I will see it.”

This simple shift reduces anxiety and leads to more honest writing. That authentic baseline becomes the foundation for understanding each learner.

Once teachers review student samples,teachers can sort them into three manageable groups:

1. Students who already show many of the skills you plan to teach
2. Students performing in a typical grade-level range
3. Students who begin far behind through no fault of their own

The goal is not to label students. The goal is to understand readiness levels so instruction can support each group.

“Practice Makes Progress”

Dr. Harris reminded teachers that the purpose of writing instruction is growth, not perfection. SRSD helps students progress through repeated practice, clear strategies, and gradual release. Some students may write a strong essay early on. Others may only write a few sentences at first. Both groups can grow.

However, students who begin behind often make the largest gains when instruction is explicit and supportive.

But Karen noted a second truth: advanced writers often do not grow as much as they could because they aren’t sufficiently challenged.

Differentiation must lift all learners, those who need heavy scaffolds and those ready for more independent work.

Challenging Strong Writers: “Look at the Next Grade’s Standards”

Karen also shared a simple way to stretch advanced writers: look ahead one grade level.

She encourages teachers to review the next grade’s standards and ask:

• Which skills could some students work toward now?
• How can these goals connect to SRSD strategies my students already use?
• What goals can students select for themselves?

Advanced goals might include:

• adding dialogue in narratives
• using more complex sentences
• adding stronger evidence or facts
• weaving in a single source before the full research process
• trying different hooks or openings

When writers help choose these goals, their ownership increases, and their self-regulation strengthens.

Differentiation Does Not Mean 25 Lesson Plans

Teachers do not need to create a different set of lesson plans  for each child. Instead, Dr. Harris recommends:

• grouping students by similar writing characteristics
• adjusting goals and rubrics for each group
• rotating groups as needs change
• using peer support to extend teacher capacity

Groups should shift across the unit. Some days may work best with mixed-readiness groups. Other days may call for small groups with specific needs.

Differentiated instruction is not about sameness; it is about adopting classroom strategies and teaching methods that ensure meaningful progress for each learner. It is about adapting to different learning styles and ensuring meaningful progress for each learner.

Stations: Built-In Differentiation Inside SRSD

SRSD Online encourages teachers to use stations for guided practice. Karen noted that stations are a natural way to support differentiation.

Examples include:

• a self-talk station for students who need more internal language
• a planning station with a leader modeling POW + TREE
• a revision station where students practice checking specific goals
• mixed-ability pairs working on topic sentences, reasons, or sentence variety

Teachers may assign stations or allow students to choose based on their goals.

Stations keep practice active, focused, and responsive to what each student needs.

What the Research Says About Differentiation

The ideas Dr. Harris shared in her conversation line up with what her research team has documented for years. Two studies in particular show how SRSD supports differentiation when teachers receive clear guidance, ongoing support, and chances to reflect on student work:

Making it work: Differentiating Tier Two writing instruction with Self-Regulated Strategy Development in tandem with School-Wide Positive Behavioral Support for second graders.

Illuminating growth and struggles using mixed methods: Practice-based professional development and coaching for differentiating SRSD instruction in writing.

SRSD Can Be Adapted for Different Learners

In this first study, researchers examined how SRSD worked as a Tier 2 intervention in second-grade classrooms where student needs varied widely (Sandmel et al., 2009). Teachers used SRSD alongside school-wide behavioral supports. They modified parts of instruction, materials, and pacing while keeping the core of SRSD intact.

The study showed two important things:

1. SRSD is flexible. Teachers could adjust tasks, supports, and expectations while still delivering the strategy instruction students needed.
2. Students with different readiness levels benefited. Even with adaptations, students made meaningful gains in writing quality and independence.

This research reinforces something Karen often tells teachers: differentiation within SRSD is about adjusting what students practice, how much support they receive, and which goals matter most at a given moment.

Teachers Grow as Differentiators When They Receive Coaching

The second study linked above followed three teachers who implemented SRSD after  practice-based professional development (PBPD) and expert coaching (McKeown et al., 2016). The teachers served diverse groups of students and were learning SRSD for the first time.

The researchers found that:

• At first, teachers were unsure how to differentiate SRSD instruction.
• With coaching, all teachers learned to make whole-class adaptations.
• Some teachers learned to group students more strategically, and vary scaffolds without watering down instruction.

When following an approach rooted in PBPD, teachers have models, feedback, and time to practice. All of this helps improve teacher differentiation, and coaching helps them understand when and how to adjust instruction.

Why This Research Matters for Today’s Classrooms

Differentiation can feel overwhelming, especially in writing, where skill gaps can be wide and student attitudes vary. The research reminds us that teachers do not have to guess. They need:

• clear strategies
• explicit routines
• predictable steps
• and a framework that supports adjustment

SRSD was built for this.
It provides the structure teachers need to teach writing clearly and the flexibility they need to support every learner, from those who enter far behind to those who are ready for more challenges.

Supporting Student Motivation: Breaking the Cycle of Frustration

Motivation is key to learning in any subject. However, Dr. Harris shared that writing enjoyment drops sharply after third grade. Many students report disliking writing by fourth or fifth grade. This often comes from repeated frustration and the pressures of mandated testing

Students have told Karen:

• “You’ll never teach me to write.”
• “I was born this way.”
• “I can’t change.”

But after SRSD instruction, many of these same students show pride and confidence.

Differentiation requires paying attention to how students feel, not just what they can produce. To address this, teachers should:

• watch student emotional responses during lessons
• help students set and track individual goals in simple ways
• support students in developing individualized self-talk
• set students up for successful writing experiences

SRSD already supports this work through self-monitoring, reflection, and goal setting.

Rubrics Should Match Group Goals

Rubrics can support or hinder differentiation depending on how teachers use them, and they should include content that aligns with each group’s specific goals. Dr. Harris encouraged teachers to align rubrics with each group’s goals, not with generic expectations.

A student starting far behind might work toward:

• stating an opinion
• generating at least one reason
• organizing ideas with POW + TREE

An advanced student might work toward:

• varied sentence types
• stronger evidence
• more complex openings

Rubrics help clarify when they align with readiness. They become tools for growth rather than fixed measures of success.

Peer Support: “One of the Most Powerful Differentiation Tools We Have”

Importantly, Karen also emphasized the importance of peer collaboration among learners. Peers can reduce anxiety and help students plan, revise, and understand the writing process more clearly.

Helpful routines include incorporating content to enhance understanding:

1. Peer Prompt Analysis Partners pull apart the prompt before planning.
2. Peer Planning Students talk through POW and make notes for TREE, which allows them to share the cognitive load.
3. Peer Feedback Teach students to praise first, then offer a helpful idea.
4. Peer Leadership Strong writers lead stations or model parts of tasks.

Peer collaboration expands the teacher’s reach and reinforces SRSD strategies.

Use Ongoing Assessments to Adjust Groupings

Differentiation is fluid. Dr. Harris recommends quick “show me what you can do” writing moments during the unit. These are not tests. They are short checks to see where students are.

These check-ins help teachers see:

• new strengths
• lingering gaps
• shifting group needs
• pacing adjustments

This information guides the next instructional moves.

Stage 5: Where Differentiation Matters Most

Stage 5 is for supported writing and often feels challenging. Students begin writing with less direct modeling and more independence, making differentiated instruction essential.

For advanced writers, teachers may give time for independent practice, or ask them to guide peer practice. Teachers should also consider how to:

• raise expectations
• offer more complex prompts
• encourage stronger examples and sentence variety

For writers who need more support, teachers should consider how to:

• slow the release of independent writing responsibility
• revisit steps of the strategies
• offer targeted scaffolds or revised organizers
• use small-group check-ins
• increase peer planning opportunities

Differentiation Creates Opportunity and Equity

Karen closed with a reminder that many students have not had access to the differentiated instruction they need to grow as writers. Differentiation is not an optional step. It is a way to give each student a fair chance to develop their skills and confidence.

SRSD was designed for this exact challenge. Its structure, explicit modeling, strategy instruction, self-regulation, gradual release, targeted rubrics, graphing, and station work, allows teachers to adjust instruction and meet individual student needs.

Differentiation helps every student move forward. SRSD gives teachers a practical way to do it.

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