Adaptive Teaching Without Three Different Worksheets

For years, teachers were told to differentiate by preparing separate tasks for different groups: an easier sheet, a standard sheet and a challenge sheet. In practice this created huge workloads and sometimes fixed expectations for children placed in the “easier” group.

In England, guidance for teachers now talks more about adaptive teaching. The aim is to keep high expectations for everyone, teach the whole class towards the same goal, and adapt the support so that every child can get there. Small, well-chosen adjustments often work better than separate worksheets.

Start with a clear goal

Be precise about what every child should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson. When the goal is clear, it is easier to see where a child might get stuck and what support would help them reach it.

Teach the hard parts explicitly

Many children struggle not because the work is too hard, but because a step was skipped or assumed. Model the thinking out loud. Show a worked example. Then show a partly completed example, and let children finish it.

This “I do, we do, you do” sequence helps every learner and gives extra time to those who need it.

Pre-teach key vocabulary

Children with language difficulties, those learning English as an additional language, and many pupils with SEND benefit from meeting key words before the lesson. Introduce three or four terms with pictures and simple definitions, either at the start of the lesson or in a short session beforehand.

Adapt the support, not the goal

Instead of a different task, change the scaffolding around the same task.

• Sentence starters for written answers
• Word mats with key vocabulary
• Number lines, multiplication squares or manipulatives in maths
• A partly completed table or diagram
• A checklist breaking the task into steps

As children grow in confidence, remove the scaffolds gradually.

Use flexible grouping

Fixed ability groups can limit children. Group pupils flexibly for different purposes: mixed pairs for discussion, a small group with the teacher for a misconception spotted earlier in the lesson, independent work for those ready to practise. Change groups often.

Check understanding during the lesson

Adaptive teaching depends on noticing who is stuck while there is still time to help. Quick checks include:

• Mini whiteboards, where every child shows an answer at once
• Hinge questions with multiple-choice answers that reveal common misconceptions
• Thumbs up, sideways or down for confidence
• Walking the room and reading work as it is written

Then adapt: re-explain to a small group, give an extra example, or move a confident group on.

Offer depth, not just more

For children who finish quickly, more of the same rarely helps. Offer depth instead: explain your method to a partner, find a different way, spot the mistake in a worked example, or apply the idea to a new situation.

Keep it manageable

Adaptive teaching is not about doing more. Many of these strategies, such as worked examples, vocabulary mats and mini whiteboards, can be reused across many lessons. The goal is a lesson where every child is working towards the same ambitious target, with the right support to reach it.