Differentiating Mathematics Instruction

The importance of teaching students based on their levels of development and ability, or differentiated instruction, has been used in Language Arts classes increasingly over the last decade. However, it is only recently that attention in research has been given to the use of differentiated instruction in a mathematics lesson. This paper aims to explore what research is being done to not only improve mathematics instruction in the classroom, but to better prepare future teachers for teaching mathematics using a variety of strategies. Further, this paper aims to explore what some more specific methods are that have been found to work in the classroom when helping students, both struggling and in general, to succeed in mathematics. The study first explores two pieces of research on what is being taught to future teachers in the university and if those strategies are being implemented in the classroom. It then focuses specifically on different types of instruction being explored in the field of mathematics instruction and the benefits these have for a variety of students. The fourth section draws some conclusions from these articles and makes a brief suggestion for further development of this topic.