Above are links to worksheets (of differentiated levels) that I created for my practicum classroom with my team teaching partner, Minji Kim.
This was a regular practice during my practicum teaching. We wanted to ensure that there was an appropriate worksheet for the varying ability levels of our students. This gave all students the opportunity to participate in all of the activities to the best of their ability, which is very important for me as a teacher.
By creating varying levels of worksheets I was able to use my knowledge of student growth and development to create meaningful assignments for them to complete. In the above example, we gave students the opportunity to create a poster for Dora the Explorer’s missing squirrels. Depending upon their writing and researching skills students were given varying amounts of lines to fill in with information they learned about the different kinds of squirrels through information sheets we provided.
Vygotsky’s theory on the Zone of Proximal Development explains that students should be challenged just enough to ensure optimal performance in their education. This theory has influenced my thinking on how to help students develop and grow. Achieving this optimal level is incredibly difficult, but incredibly rewarding for myself and my students.
Moving ahead I hope to continue to further my understanding of the Zone of Proximal Development and to use it to make meaningful assignments and learning experiences for my students.