Importance Of Classroom Readiness In The Classroom

Elementary teachers face the difficult task of providing meaningful learning experiences that challenge individual students at just the right readiness level for learning to occur. Yet reality is that each student enters the classroom with a unique readiness level, prior learning experiences and exclusive interests. A single learning task assigned by the teacher is far from fitting the wide variety of student needs found in todays elementary classrooms. It is difficult to provide learning experiences for students at different levels of readiness. When students are working on tasks at their level of readiness, direction and instructions are specific to the tasks students are completing. Students must have a sense of autonomy to complete a classroom

Students should experience a sense of ownership when they are able to seek and choose challenging learning experiences (Tomlinson, 2001). In order to provide students with choice at their level of readiness differentiation must occur in the classroom. Author and expert in practical differentiation strategies, Tomlinson (2001), defines a differentiated classroom as one where, “the teacher proactively plans and carries out varied approaches to content, process, and product in anticipation and response to student differences in readiness, interest, and learning needs” (p.7). When students work independently or with a partner on a task specific to their level of readiness the teacher is differentiating process. The goal of the teacher is to challenge students beyond their “comfort zone.” When the student is in the zone of proximal development the student is able to learn from a competent teacher, peer, or when the teacher provides

Differentiated menus allow students choice when committing to a task or taking on a learning experience. Differentiated menus provide tiered assignments all leading toward the same objects that allow students to choose how they will learn and demonstrate their learning. Diane Heacox (2012) an author and expert in providing tools that allow teachers to differentiate in their own classrooms defines tiered assignments as, “…differentiated learning tasks and projects that you develop based on your diagnosis of students’ needs” (p.97). Tomlinson (2001) views tiered assignments as a powerful strategy essential within a differentiated classroom to enable students to learn at their appropriate readiness level. When tiered assignments are provided they are not harder or easier’ they are simply avenues for students to achieve objectives at an appropriate level. Heacox (2012), recognizes tiered assignments as a meaningful tool for teachers to use after a student’s ability level has been identified. As a result, the goal of tiered assignments is to reach student needs by providing a good “match” between student needs and instruction (Heacox, 2012). As a result, tiered assignments within a differentiated menu allow for student choice at an appropriate level of