Differentiation and the Brain

In Differentiation and the Brain: How Neuroscience Supports the Learner-Friendly Classroom, Second Edition, authors David A. Sousa and Carol Ann Tomlinson examine the basic principles of differentiation in light of what the current research on educational neuroscience reveals. This research offers information and insights that can help educators decide whether certain curricular, instructional and assessment choices are likely to be more effective than others. The authors also offer suggestions on how to establish and manage differentiated classrooms without imposing additional heavy burdens on teachers – teach differently and smarter, not harder.

The second edition includes updated references and findings from new educational neuroscience research that support the elements of differentiated instruction. It includes updated instructional strategies and teacher-tested examples related to implementing differentiated instruction components, as well as offering new guidance on working with issues related to learning profiles.

This book will help F–12 educators:

• discover ways to better meet the needs of increasingly diverse students
• learn more about how the brain learns and about approaches to differentiation
• sharpen their knowledge of the science that produces effective teaching to teach the best content in the best possible way
• use the knowledge of educational neuroscience to benefit the students they teach
• design and implement strategies for effective differentiated teaching
• create a positive and productive learning environment.