Differentiating the Curriculum

In mixed-ability classrooms, it is inevitable that students will have different learning styles, backgrounds, prior knowledge, experience and willingness to learn. While teachers may be unable to change the content prescribed by their school, they have an enormous amount of control in the way they assign this content to their students.

Differentiating the Curriculum: Supporting Teachers to Thrive in Mixed-Ability Classrooms adopts the principles of the Pirozzo Model, which offers six approaches teachers can use to effectively implement differentiation in their classroom.

The Pirozzo Model consists of the following strategies:

• Ability Grouping
• Cooperative Learning Teams
• Learning Contracts
• Learning Centres
• Multi-age Grouping
• Individual Learning Plans

Based on the author’s extensive work with over 20,000 educators, the Pirozzo Model is a dynamic teaching tool that empowers teachers with six different approaches to maximising student learning potential.