Lesson Differentiation Planner Template
Differentiation goes faster when it follows a fixed structure. This planner mirrors the four-step process in our differentiation guide: core, barriers, tiers, scaffolds.
How to use it
- Write the core first — what every student must be able to do
- Name the actual barrier (reading, language, stamina, output) before picking supports
- Review tiered versions with a quick check question each
The template
LESSON DIFFERENTIATION PLANNER Lesson: ______________________ Date: ________ Subject: __________ THE CORE (same for every student) By the end of this lesson, every student will be able to: ______________________________________________________________ BARRIERS [ ] Reading level [ ] Vocabulary / language [ ] Stamina / steps [ ] Output (writing vs. ideas) [ ] Attention / environment Notes: ______________________________________________ FOUNDATION TIER (same core, supported entry) Text/changes: _____________________________________________ Check question: ___________________________________________ ON-GRADE TIER (assignment as written, optional scaffolds) Available scaffolds: ______________________________________ ADVANCED TIER (same core, extended application) Extension: _________________________________________________ UNIVERSAL SCAFFOLDS (everyone) Vocabulary preview: ________________________________________ Sentence starters: _________________________________________ Worked example: yes / no REVIEW NOTES (after teaching — what worked?):
Related resources
Spark automates these structures
The templates are free forever. Inside Spark, the same structures fill themselves from your daily data — goal logs, behavior records, and parent updates that write themselves.
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