Gayle H. Gregory

This handbook is a companion volume to Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn’t Fit All written by the same author and published in 2007. The two books together provide a recommended and very practical plan for instituting differentiation in an entire school. The handbook provides many many handoust, planning sheets and flow charts for each stage of planning, developing, teaching, and assessing the work of both the adults and the students involved. A CD contains all the forms in the books so that they are reproducible. Like many other professionals books in education, there is no reference to the one vast store of information, materials, and knowledgeable partners who would and could be the key to differentiating for a diverse group of students – known as the library and the teacher librarian. I suppose one cannot complain because none of the other specialists in the school receive any attention. So, once again, the onus for success is entirely on the classroom teacher. However, the framework for collaboration is stressed in the plan, so that any specialist who noses their way into the “tent” of the professional learning community would find much to contribute. There are a number of great books about differentiation on the market including the works of Carol Ann Tomlinson. And, the strategies of Richard and Becky DuFour are must-have guides. That being said, there are enough interesting strategies complete with planned handouts in this work to make it a worthwhile purchase. Recommended.… (mais)