Creating Tiered Assignments

 Many of us work with students who see any math problem and automatically see it as "too hard".  They won't even try because they feel they can't do this.  One way around it, is to use tiered assignments because students have a choice and can choose those problems they think they can do.

Tiered assignments are a form of differentiated instructions that can be as simple as letting students choose problems based on their ability to having a much more complex structure.

Lets look at how to create tiered assignments for your classroom so you meet the needs of everyone, not just one group.  In order to create a tiered assignment there are some things you have to think about first.

The reasons for using tiered assignments include having students begin where they are, reinforces or extends material, allows students to have work which they do not perceive as too hard.  It promotes success.  

Before writing the assignment, you need to decide what part can be tiered?  Is it content? or process? or product?  Is this material being used to check readiness, interest, or test scores?  Then when you begin writing the actual assignment make sure it follows these suggested guidelines.

1. The task needs to cover the key concepts or generalization that is essential to the topic.

2. Use a variety of materials of differing levels of difficulty.

3. Adjust the task by complexity, number of steps, and independence.

4.  Let students know the grading criteria.

A good way to create the actual lesson is to answer these three questions.

1. What is the range of learning abilities?
2. What should students know, understand, and be able to do at the end of the lesson?
3. How will you hook students? What will they be able to do at the end of the lesson?
4.  Prepare three levels of the same assignment from easy to more challenging.

This process can be used for preparing lessons taught in the class and for daily assignments.  Tomorrow, we'll look at writing tiered lessons in detail to go with the tiered assignments.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.