Differentiation strategies in numeracy
Rachel Stone, 01-Mar-04

Ways to meet varying needs within a group
One of the biggest challenges for teachers of adult numeracy is how to respond to the range of learning needs across a class. Learners can vary not just according to level, but also with respect to learning style, first language, literacy needs, disability, learning difficulty, culture, age and previous learning experience.

Rather than adopt a 'one size fits all' approach, here are some ideas for differentiation.

Classroom management
The following suggestions encourage peer support and free up the tutor to allow time to work more closely with individuals:

• Group learners of similar levels together, or a higher level learner with a lower level one.
• Encourage learners to work in small groups/pairs, or individually and then compare results.
• Enable learners to self-check (e.g. by giving answer sheets) or peer-check (mark each other's work).
• Have different activities/tasks in different parts of the room (a 'carousel') - learners can choose which one to do, or work round them one by one at their own pace. The tutor can intervene where appropriate, to support or advise.

Materials

• Have different worksheets according to level - and allow the learners to choose which one to start with - this encourages self-awareness and a transfer of responsibility for learning from the teacher to the learner. People can always put a sheet back and choose again if the first one is too hard or too easy.
• Create 'support' sheets to go with a particular task, e.g. times table grid, labelled axes for drawing a graph - learners can opt to use these if they need them, or complete the task without them if they don't.
• Have materials which cater for different learning styles - e.g. jigsaws, dominoes, flashcards for tactile learners etc. Also, getting learners to make their own materials for use at home (or with their children) is a great way to encourage thinking about numeracy facts, and can introduce other skills such as measuring and shapes!
• Use realia (everyday objects from learners' own experience, e.g. food for weighing) wherever possible, and encourage learners to bring in their own.

Ways in which to introduce a topic

• Allow learners to access or discover information at their own pace, in their preferred learning style - e.g. putting together a jigsaw with the key information on, looking in a newspaper for large numbers, sorting wooden shapes (they decide how to classify them), making a pictogram from differently coloured sweets. (Pictogram with sweets idea from Karen Hannah of South Thames College.)

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