Different teachers instruct their students in different ways. Some schools prefer a more streamlined approach, while others promote differentiated instruction as a way of learning in a classroom setting. Both types of instruction and learning have their advantages and disadvantages, and it's up to parents, teachers and school administrators to decide which type of instruction will benefit the most students.
Features
Streaming, which also is called "tracking" in some schools, involves testing the children and placing them in groups based on their ability and potential. A high-functioning child is in a higher group, while a child who does worse on testing is in a lower group. Differentiated instruction refers to teachers who adapt their teaching strategies to meet the various needs of different children in the class. A child who has a lower-functioning learning ability might get a slightly different lesson than children who are higher functioning.
Benefits
When children are streamed, it means that each child is with peers who have similar learning capabilities. They can learn quickly together, and teachers can easily differentiate the higher-functioning students from the lower-functioning students and plan lessons accordingly. Children in a differentiated instruction class get the instruction that they need through tiered activities, according to the website ReadingRockets. Each child is an individual, making the learning process a much more personal affair.
Disadvantages
Opponents of streaming warn that children in the lower learning levels can be stigmatized, according to Education Week. Children who are in a lower group for one grade level might stay in that group all through school and never seek to increase potential. It also can create conflict between the various levels in the class, creating cliques and bullying opportunities. Placing Children in differentiated learning classes makes for extra work for the teacher, who must create different levels of handouts and activities for the children of various learning capacities in the class. It also can slow the learning of children who are farther ahead in learning capacity.
Strategies
A streaming strategy begins with testing the children and sorting them into groups. Then the teacher creates lessons to teach to the various groups. According to the website Edutopia, differentiated instruction involves creating learning opportunities for the various learning levels in the class. Although a teacher might teach the same concepts to all children, a child who has a lower learning capacity might have an easier assignment.
Misconceptions
Both differentiated instruction and streaming are old teaching concepts that educators are adapting to an increasingly inclusive approach to teaching. Parents, educators and administrators should work together to find a method of teaching that includes all levels of learning while giving each child an equal opportunity to learn and grow.
