Thing #5 Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated instruction is a process of teaching students of differing abilities in the same class. In order to maximize each student's growth and success we must meet each student where he or she is and assist them in the learning process.  For this portion of the assignment we were asked to jot down some notes about things we already do to differentiate instruction.   .
CAST lists the following components as essential parts of differentiated instruction:

Several elements and materials are used to support instructional content.
Within my literacy instruction, I offer many different materials for student use--we maintain book boxes featuring "good fit" books, listening centers with books on tape or CD, digital recordings of some materials, a student computer and various videos and streaming sources for content areas I need to teach.
Align tasks and objectives to learning goals.
We make daily learning targets as incremental steps toward our bigger Standards goals.
Instruction is concept-focused and principle-driven.
I try to use broad concepts rather than lots of minute details, whereby regardless of the means of gathering the information, we can arrive at common perceptions of the concepts being taught.
Flexible grouping is consistently used.
In our school, we use the Daily Five, which allows for flexible and ever-changing grouping.
Classroom management benefits students and teachers.
Initial and on-going assessment of student readiness and growth are essential.
We use the Fountas & Pinnell leveling system for reading which we use to drive individualized instruction.  We conference with each child several times weekly for on-going assessment, and we offer the F&P benchmark assessments three times a year. 
Students are active and responsible explorers.
Vary expectations and requirements for student responses.
Clarify key concepts and generalizations.
Use assessment as a teaching tool to extend rather than merely measure instruction.
As stated earlier, our benchmark assessments and weekly conferencing allow us to use formative assessments to drive our instruction.
Emphasize critical and creative thinking as a goal in lesson design.
Engaging all learners is essential.
Provide a balance between teacher-assigned and student-selected tasks.
The entire premise of the Daily Five is to offer mini lessons, but then allow the children to choose their learning paths for that day; they also choose what books they read.

I have long been a staunch believer in differentiated instruction.  As an elementary school teacher, I saw too many kids gets swept under the rug trying to function in classrooms where the material was simply too difficult for them.  No one wants to come to school every day and be met with one failure after another.  Differentiating instruction makes learning accessible to everyone...it takes some work on the part of the teacher to research and ready materials, but the pay off for the struggling student is tremendous.