differentiate
dif-uh-REN-shee-ayt
/ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃieɪt/
To adapt teaching methods, content, or environments to match individual students' learning needs and abilities.
In education, it means tailoring instruction for diverse learners; in general contexts, it means distinguishing between items.
The story behind the word. From Latin roots meaning 'to carry apart', the word entered English science and mathematics to mean recognizing distinctions. In the late 1990s, educational scholar Carol Ann Tomlinson popularized it as a central pillar of modern classroom pedagogy.
Word relationships
- tailor: Tailor refers to customizing anything, while differentiate in education specifically targets varied learner readiness.
- distinguish: Distinguish means noticing differences, whereas differentiate often involves acting upon differences.
- standardize: Standardize means applying the exact same approach to every individual regardless of differences.
Commonly confused with
- individualize: Individualizing gives each student a distinct goal, whereas differentiating helps students reach the same goal through varied paths.
Word family
- differentiation (noun): The process of adapting instruction to meet diverse student needs.
- differentiated (adjective): Modified to suit varied learning profiles.
Collocations
- differentiate instruction
- differentiate learning
- differentiate content
- differentiate assessment
Example sentences
- "To differentiate instruction is to recognize students' varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preference in learning and interests." Pedagogical Theory
- "Teachers differentiate lesson tasks by offering audiobooks to visual learners and advanced problem sets to gifted pupils." Lesson Planning
Memory hook
DIFFER-entiate = treating students according to their DIFFERENT needs. Make learning fit different needs.
When not to use
Do not confuse with discriminating against someone unfairly.
Fun facts
- In calculus, 'differentiate' means finding the rate of change of a function, completely unrelated to pedagogy!
Related words
Explore more words
accommodate, differentiation, adapt, differ, discern, adaptability
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.