Same Difference

3/5/2010

While on the topic of differentiation, I’d like to share my experiences at this summer camp I conducted for kids aged two and half to 6years. As you can imagine in such a varied group the level of differentiation to be catered for is quite vast….not only between the various age-groups but also amongst learners of the same age-group.

All the children (varying from 8 -18, in number, on any given day) were given the same basic activity but were allowed to go the extra mile depending on their ability. So for example, if the whole group was making masks, they all had a choice of either choosing a pre-cut template and just colouring it or they could go the whole hog and start from scratch and actually design a template, cut it out themselves, colour it/decorate it with sequins or glitter glue or beads and add extra details like whiskers or ears etc. So while the whole group ended up making some pretty neat and interesting masks, no learner was either bored or over-burdened.