differentiating math Archives - Tanya Yero Teaching

3 Ways to Differentiate Math Practice for Students

Tanya Yero — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:32:18 +0000

Finding ways to differentiate math practice for students can be tricky. As teachers, we NEED to do it and WANT to do it. However, sometimes we are short on time or unsure of the best ways to do it. After you teach a new math skill during whole group instruction, it’s time to give your students some practice time with the new skill. Here are 3 ways to differentiate math practice for students in your classroom:

1. SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION

As teachers, we should constantly be providing small group instruction to students in all subject areas. There have been quite a few years in which I’ve had a wide range of learners in my class. Pulling small groups and providing tailored support is extremely important so that you can provide every student with what they need. Some may need more support, and some may need enrichment, depending on the lesson taught. For instance, you may have 5 or 6 different levels of math groups in your room. Check out How to Start Differentiating During Your Math Block for help with how to group students.

Power Math Reference Mats

One activity that I love to use during small groups for differentiation is POWER Math Reference Mats. POWER Math Reference Mats help assist teachers during math rotations. Each math target skill comes with various problems for you to give to your students when working in small groups. Group A is for students who are in need of remediation, Group B is for students working on grade level, and Group C is for students who need enrichment. Each mat comes with target skills that match the needs of each student level in your class. In addition, there are questions/problems for each target skill to give to your students. The best part is that these are LOW PREP which is every teacher’s dream! All you need is whiteboards and expo markers or paper and pencils to go with them.

2. ASSIGN AUTO-GRADING ACTIVITIES

Have you ever tried assigning auto-grading activities? It is seriously life-changing as a teacher! How many times have we given up part of our personal life to grade student papers at 8 pm on a Friday night? For those moments when you can’t be there, auto-grading resources are a great way to differentiate. Why? They provide immediate feedback to students and you when the activity is complete. If you use or create activities in Google Sheets or Google Forms, they most likely have an auto-grading feature. Read more on why digital math activities are perfect for the classroom.

Digital Pixel Mystery Pictures

My favorite auto-grading activities for math differentiation are Digital Pixel Art Mystery Pictures. My students go crazy for these! These are ready-to-go activities for Google Excel that review a specific math skill. As students correctly answer various questions (both procedural and conceptual based) a fun mystery picture will start to reveal. This activity is both self-grading and interactive for students! These work perfectly to see if students grasped the new concept after whole group instruction. You can also add them into math centers, use for morning work or just use for fun! These are especially great because they are ALL DIGITAL. This means that there’s no sloppy coloring or students taking too long to color in each answer.

4-5 HOLIDAY BUNDLE

6TH GRADE BUNDLE

SHOP ALL DIGITAL PIXEL ART MYSTERY PICTURE RESOURCES

3. USE TIERED ASSIGNMENTS

The next best thing besides you providing support is pulling resources that have BUILT-IN scaffolding. I’m talking about using resources that support different levels of understanding . Tiered assignments have the same content and objectives, but the levels are differentiated depending on student needs. This is what is so great about them! Level On Differentiated Math Tasks are the perfect assignments for math practice that do this.

Level On Differentiated Math Tasks

These are ready to print math tasks with high interest topics. The questions build in complexity are tiered so you can differentiate your classroom based on student ability. All students get the same information sheet. Then there are 3 levels of differentiated questions about it. There are small (discrete) icons at the top of each question sheet so you can give students the questions that apply to their math level.

SHOP ALL LEVEL ON RESOURCES

ALWAYS TRY TO DIFFERENTIATE MATH PRACTICE

Remember, not all students are on the same level in your classroom. Differentiation is very important in all subject areas, especially math and ELA. When you differentiate instruction, your students will be happier and more confident in math. Once you start to plan for differentiation in math, it becomes easier each week. Use these tips for 3 ways to differentiate math practice for students and let me know how it goes!

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How to start differentiating during your math block

Tanya Yero — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:06:48 +0000

Your students all learn differently and at different paces. While some students may come in your classroom with certain standards already mastered, others may struggle with basic skills. That’s why differentiation is so important. To challenge and help all learners meet their standards, it’s vital to meet your students where they’re at. With so many different learning styles and understandings in your classroom, differentiating can be challenging in math class. Learn how to start differentiating during your math block!

Start small!

Don’t feel like every day has to be completely differentiated. At the start of a unit, for example, you’ll most likely introduce the lesson as a full group. Using rotations or centers is an easy, effective way to differentiate instruction. Use once-a-week complete rotations or use periodic centers to start out with small, simple lessons. While most students are completing activities in their rotations, you can work 1-on-1 or with smaller groups that need additional help.

Group your students by ability.

In your rotations, students can be grouped by ability. This helps students who have mastered the standards to be challenged and work on extension materials, students who are still mastering the the standards focus on their grade-level skills, and students that are struggling to receive scaffolding and additional 1-on-1 support.

Use data to group students.

Use data from your own formative assessments or pre-tests to group students. In addition, your school or district may implement progress monitoring tests like Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) that has tools in the reports that will group students according to mastery in specific skills. Your groups may change depending on the concepts and standards your teaching. While some students may be proficient and specific concepts, they may struggle or need additional help when new content comes up. Be flexible with your groupings and use data to inform your instruction.

Tier the work that you complete in the rotation.

In your rotations, you’ll have three levels of students. There may be more than one small group for each level, typically with the on grade level students. I love using Guided Math Reference Mats that focus on various concepts and skills throughout the year. Every math reference set has three differentiated levels. The mats look similar, so your students will feel comfortable with the content they are receiving. Group A is for students who are in need of remediation, Group B is for students working on grade level, and Group C is for students who need enrichment. You’ll introduce the activities as a whole group, then have students get into their rotation groups. Because the activities are now digital as well, these can be completed at home during distance learning as independent work.

Have struggling students work their way up to on grade level work.

Even if your students are working on Group A material, they shouldn’t necessarily stay there all year! Encourage and help struggling students make their way up to grade-level work. Some students that really struggle with math may not make it there, but it’s important to give them all the tools and support they need to go beyond the scaffolded instruction.

Differentiated work should be span across MULTIPLE grade levels.

Although you should try to stay on grade level as much as you can, it’s important to review prior year content and challenge students who have met the standards to go beyond the current grade’s content. Your standardized testing is on grade level and the assessments you are expected to give throughout the year according to your district are too. In addition, each grade level in your school should be differentiating instruction. Work together with your staff or department to help all students receive differentiation in math.

Keep data.

Keep assessment and skill data on students, especially those who are in need of intervention. When considering testing students for special education, they don’t just jump into services. It’s important to take notes and keep data to support additional intervention and service needs. Learn more about how to effectively use intervention in your math instruction. Get started differentiating during your math block by using rotations, challenging your students meeting standards, and helping your students in need of interventions get additional support.

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