Chapter 9 Differentiating Instruction
Multiple Choice
1. ____are basic skills necessary for performing more complex skills.
a. Prior skills
b. Preskills
c. Post skills
d. Primary skills
2. Clarrisa transferred into her current high school two months ago. Because Clarrisa’s math grades were
good, she was placed in an advanced algebra course. But now, Clarrisa is struggling and is starting to pay
less attention in her math class, even though her classmates are doing well in the class. What
recommendation would you make to Clarrisa’s teacher?
a. Talk to Clarrisa’s other teachers and recommend her for an IEP evaluation.
b. When lecturing the class, break down the new algebra information into smaller parts and introduce
each part at a slightly faster rate.
c. Assess Clarrisa’s algebra preskills and provide extra practice and instruction on the preskills she
may lack.
d. Distribute a partially completed algebra concept map to Clarrisa and help her complete it in class.
3. You can help students make discriminations between current and previous problem types by ____.
a. introducing many different problem types at the same time
b. slowing down the rate of introduction of new skills
c. increasing the number of practice items each day
d. adding examples of skills previously taught as soon as students can perform them without error
4. Smita’s teacher has noticed that Smita repeatedly has difficulty completing a particular section of her
spelling book. In this particular segment, students are asked to spell words that look and sound similar.
Which of the following accommodations would most likely assist Smita’s spelling performance?
a. providing more direct instruction on review words for Smita
b. adjusting the rate of introduction of new words for Smita
c. altering the sequencing of some of the words for Smita
d. relating the questions to material Smita has just read
5. When introducing new skills to students with special needs ____.
a. avoid using examples and non-examples
b. introduce the skills quickly to help retention
c. introduce the skills in large steps
d. introduce the skills in small steps
6. Ms. DuBois stated orally the steps that students needed to do to complete the day’s math problems. Ms.
DuBois then assigned the students ten problems to complete independently at their seats. Soon, Ms.
DuBois discovered that many students, with and without special needs, were unable to do the problems.
What is the major problem with how Ms. DuBois taught this skill?
a. Stating the steps orally at the beginning probably bored her students.
b. Not enough review of previous skills was provided.
c. There is no problem and Ms. DuBois needs to wait until the students discover how to do the
problems on their own.
d. Not enough direct instruction on how to solve the problems was provided.
7. Jolene and her classmates learned about the nine planets of the solar system in October. But when her class
was discussing space travel in December, Jolene could not remember any of the planets’ names or
locations. Jolene has a problem with ____.
a. attention
b. retention
c. the rate of instruction
d. study of time
8. The amount of background knowledge students have about a content-area lesson ____.
a. is an important consideration for students with reading disabilities only
b. has little influence on whether or not students can read subject matter with understanding
c. is often far less important than the quality of the textbook for students’ understanding of the
material
d. is often just as important as the instructional presentation for students’ understanding of the
material
9. PReP ____.
a. is a general term for outlines and abstracts that emphasize important information in the text.
b. primarily focuses on the tool skills for reading, writing and math
c. is a teaching strategy for determining how much knowledge students already have about a topic
d. is a study skills strategy which focuses on previewing the reading material before actually
studying it
10. ____ consist of a series of statements, some of which may not be true, related to the material the student is
about to read.
a. Anticipation guides
b. Planning think sheets
c. Graphic organizers
d. Concept maps
11. ____ encourage students to make predictions about what they are about to read.
a. Graphic organizers
b. Concept maps
c. Anticipation guides
d. Planning think sheets
12. ____ help writers focus on background information needed for writing as well as on the audience and
purpose of the paper.
a. Graphic organizers
b. Concept maps
c. Anticipation guides
d. Planning think sheets
13. Which of the following instructional practices makes the content of a book or lecture more understandable
by putting the content within a more general framework?
a. preskills
b. anticipation guides
c. advance organizers
d. concept guides
14. The statement, ‘the purpose of today’s lesson is to be able to select and sequence instructional examples’ is
an example of ____.
a. an anticipation guide
b. an advance organizer
c. a study guide
d. a concept map
15. ____ words such as ‘similar/different and problem/solution’ help students organize important information
in textbooks.
a. Cue
b. Study
c. Vocabulary
d. Mnemonic
16. A general term for outlines, abstracts or questions that emphasize important information in the textbook is
____.
a. student guide
b. preskills organizer
c. anticipation guide
d. advance organizer
17. ____ give students a visual format to organize their thoughts while looking for main ideas.
a. Anticipation guides
b. Study guides
c. Graphic organizers
d. Visual guides
18. Which of the following statements is false regarding graphic organizers?
a. Teachers can use graphic organizers at all phases of instruction, from beginning to review.
b. Graphic organizers are sometimes called concept maps.
c. Graphic organizers should be as simple as possible.
d. Most students with special needs are confused by graphic organizers.
19. Definitions ____.
a. should be limited so as not to confuse the students
b. should help students discriminate the new word from other words
c. are not necessary when teaching concepts
d. should only contain words students already know
20. When a textbook is not written clearly, students with special needs ____.
a. can still make critical connections on their own
b. are able to recognize they do not understand material and express their questions
c. can look to the end of the chapter for a main idea summary
d. do not ask questions and do not employ strategies to clarify the information
21. A method that combines the definition, positive examples and negative examples approach with graphic
organizers is ____.
a. a concept diagram
b. a visual synonym
c. a pre-skills plotter
d. key idea graphing
22. Which of the following recommendations would you make to a new teacher about giving oral directions?
a. Be sure to give a long series of directions together so that students can see their interrelationship.
b. Be sure to use concrete terms in the directions.
c. Avoid giving demonstrations along with directions.
d. Avoid using cue phrases like ‘please listen’ before giving directions.
23. ____ help the teacher find out whether students have the basic understanding necessary for higher-level
thought.
a. Evaluative questions
b. Divergent questions
c. Lower-level questions
d. Higher-level questions
24. Wait time ____.
a. is the amount of time you give students to think about the answer before responding
b. is the amount of time you allow between giving examples and negative examples
c. has to do with modifying the pace of your instructional presentation
d. has to do with providing timely feedback to your students
25. ____ allows more student opportunities for practice and recitation.
a. Unison responding
b. Group volunteering
c. Massed practice
d. Grouped practice
26. Recommended wait time should be ____.
a. the time you select for each question
b. as long as it takes for students to respond
c. 4–6 seconds
d. up to 3 seconds
27. Which of the following is a suggested guideline for using the INCLUDE strategy?
a. establish a standard wait time
b. ask only students who volunteer
c. ensure the questions match the instructional level
d. ask questions beyond the student’s level
28. An elementary student involved in parental tutoring should participate in sessions no longer than ____.
a. 10 minutes
b. 15 minutes
c. 20 minutes
d. 30 minutes
29. Which of the following is a true statement concerning practice activities?
a. Practice activities do not need to be monitored frequently.
b. Practice activities should include new content and mastered content.
c. All students should have the exact same practice activities.
d. Students should be able to complete practice activities independently.
30. When written directions for students with special needs are difficult, ____.
a. skip the assignment altogether
b. add practice items you can do with the whole class
c. keep them the same, which prepares students for the real world
d. allow students to struggle before giving them help
31. Which of the following is the major reason why students with special needs may have difficulty completing
their homework assignments?
a. There is too little time for students to complete all assignments.
b. Assignments are too difficult to begin with.
c. Assignments are not of interest to the student.
d. Parents do not encourage students to complete difficult assignments.
32. Which of the following homework strategies is best for students with special needs?
a. Wait until the second grading period to assign homework.
b. Build student responsibility by requiring students to complete all of their homework at home.
c. Avoid parents at first, because they put too much pressure on their children.
d. Give homework on skills that students can already perform.
33. Before assigning homework, which of the following questions should be considered?
a. What background knowledge is needed to complete the assignment?
b. Can answers to the assignment be found online?
c. Do students like the assignment?
d. Have students chosen the assignment?
34. Which of the following is the purpose of an environmental inventory?
a. Decrease the number of classroom modifications needed.
b. Monitor student participation in the classroom environment.
c. Increase student participation in classroom and community environments.
d. Decrease student participation in classroom and community environments.
35. According to your textbook, which of the following questions regarding an environmental inventory should
be asked when modifying methods/materials for students with moderate to severe disabilities?
a. Will the modification increase independence of the student?
b. Is the student intelligent enough to perform this task?
c. Is this modification too basic?
d. Is the modification the responsibility of the teacher?
True/False
1. Assessing relevant pre-skills is the responsibility of the special educators.
2. The way instructional examples are sequenced can affect how easily students learn.
3. The range of instructional examples should match the range of the problem types used when assessing
student learning.
4. Slowing down the rate of introduction of skills is recommended to reduce the amount of curriculum to be
learned.
5. The amount of background material can greatly influence if the student can read subject matter.
6. Study guides are efficient substitutes for direct instruction.
7. Graphic organizers are helpful because students can organize their thoughts while looking for main ideas.
8. Teachers should help students create visually complex graphic organizers to help the students remember
isolated details.
9. Asking students a series of positive and negative questions is not recommended for special needs students.
10. The closer the pronoun is to its referent, the easier it is to translate.
11. The most common way that teachers inform their students of what they want them to do, is through written
directions.
12. Higher-level questions are most appropriate for teaching basic skills to students who are at risk.
13. Only higher-level thinking questions are important when assessing student learning.
14. The INCLUDE strategy recommends you make accommodations that fit the assignment not the student.
15. An environmental inventory is an example of modifying materials for students with moderate to severe
disabilities.
16. Graphic organizers focus on the information presented to the audience.
17. Putting information in a more general framework to make the content more understandable is an advance
organizer.
18. Selecting and sequencing examples is an aspect of differentiating instruction for basic skills.
19. A balance between higher and lower level questions is not recommended for math instruction.
20. Non-examples can be used effectively in concept diagrams.
Short Answer
1. Explain the key points of a ‘planning think sheet.’
2. Explain the primary purpose of an ‘advance organizer.’
3. Explain two items generally included in a ‘study guide.’
4. Compare an ‘anticipation guide’ to a ‘concept diagram.’
5. Explain the purpose of a ‘graphic organizer.’
6. Explain what instruction is included in ‘basic skills.’
7. Explain ‘rate of skill introduction’ as it applies to teaching a student with special needs.
8. You have determined a peer tutor for spelling would be very helpful to Jason. Explain two things the peer
tutor would be expected to do to assist Jason.
9. Explain ‘Tier 2’ instruction.
10. Provide one example of where Tier 2 instruction might take place and who would be responsible to carry
out the instruction.
11. Explain the role of the general education teacher in Tier 2.
12. Explain when practice is most effective.
13. Web-based programs can improve student writing performance. Explain the ‘supported report’ device.
14. What are the two problems students at risk may have related to background knowledge?
15. List the three major steps of the ‘PReP’ strategy.
16. Explain on way to construct a bridge to new information by using both true and untrue statements.
17. Provide one way to differentiate instruction by using a study guide. Include a specific example of the
accommodation.
18. Explain what is meant by ‘when the textbook is not written clearly the student may not be able to make
critical connections.’ Provide two examples discussed in your textbook.
19. Provide two examples of how the ‘wait time’ benefits a special needs student.
20. Provide one example of differentiation activities you may find utilized in a Learning Center.
Essay
1. Discuss four aspects of basic skills instruction effective for differentiating instruction.
2. Using a topic of your choice, explain how you would use the three steps of the ‘PReP’ strategy to assess
how much background information the students already have about the topic.
3. What steps would you follow to develop a graphic organizer for a content area of your choice? Provide an
example of the graphic organizer and explain how you would use it in your class.
4. Asking questions is a powerful teaching strategy when used correctly. Explain the guidelines for using
questions in classroom instruction.
5. Compare the role of a teacher v. the role of the parent of a special needs student in the homework process.
6. Before giving your students a homework assignment, you should ask yourself a series of questions to insure
students will be more successful. Discuss three of the six suggestions listed in your textbook.
7. Mrs. Richey has been teaching third grade reading in a large group setting since September to all of her
students. Mrs. Richey is noticing three students are falling behind and she has decided to implement Tier 2
of the RtI process. Explain when, where and for how long Tier 2 instruction would take place. Include in
your response specific examples.
8. Mr. Evans is creating a study guide for a Social Studies chapter related to the role of Congress in United
States Government. Mr. Evans has four students with special needs in his class. Discuss four specific
ways he can differentiate his Social Studies instruction by using the study guide strategy.
9. Discuss three steps for teaching terms and concepts using definitions that employ positive and negative
examples.
10. Six guidelines have been provided in your textbook for ‘asking questions.’ Select three of these guidelines
and provide an explanation including examples of each guideline you have selected.
Chapter 9
Multiple Choice
True/False
Short Answer
Essay
