You know what differentiated instruction is. (And if you don't, that's why we're handily linking to our article on that very topic).

Next step: how to implement it?

There are a number of tactics you can employ to begin differentiating your instruction regardless of subject matter. Yes, seriously. Math? Art? Science? ELA? No matter the content, you can work to reach more students by trying any—or all—of the following. Because really—if an article on differentiated instruction can't give you some stuff that applies to different subjects (as well as different students), where the heck else can you look?

1. Do a quick poll (who doesn't love a good poll) of your students to figure out how they think they learn best. For example, by reading, observing, listening, physical manipulation and experimentation, dance, you name it. You can go all the deeper with this analysis by having them take the 16 question VARK assessment online (want more background first? All about VARK right here). You can also go about it the pragmatic way, with a simple question everyone (in this day and age) should be able to answer:

When you get a new phone or gadget, do you figure out how to use it by:

• reading the manual?
• watching a YouTube video?
• getting someone else to explain it?
• pressing buttons and hoping for the best?

And voila: your students' answers to the question can help you determine how much and what kind of differentiation you may need to do.

Don't quite get it? Here are some for instances for you:

• For the students in the class who say they learn best by reading, you'll do well to include a lot of written materials in your course. For these learners, you may also need to provide quiet, reflective time, since many people who prefer to get information via words tend to run with the introverts (that is, in a pack of one).
• For students who say they'd go straight to YouTube, you'll want to make sure you include videos and demonstrations for these more visual learners. (Psst: the readers will at least think it's interesting, even if it's a little noisy.)
• Students who prefer a friend's explanation may benefit from opportunities for group work or "pair and share" activities, while those who jump straight to pressing buttons may get the most out of props, models, and opportunities to move and interact with materials.

2. Introverts are so much more than just shy kids. Just like extroverts are usually more than know-it-alls and class clowns. So think about the differing styles and learning needs of introverts and extroverts in your classroom, and differ your instruction in kind. The short answer for how to accommodate each without teaching two separate classes is to provide lots of opportunities for group work and class discussions for the extroverts and plenty of independent learning and quiet reflection time for the introverts. For the longer answer, click that link.

3. Get cozy with the theory of multiple intelligences. While the theory's progenitor, Howard Gardner, insists that the MI are not "learning styles" (per se), many teachers have reached students by appealing to their dominant intelligences in the classroom (which is basically what you do with a learning style). Some quick examples: allowing a student with high musical intelligence to demonstrate understanding of a novel or a math concept by writing a song about it, or letting an athlete demonstrate the trajectory of a football throw to keep up morale in physics class.

4. Offer as much student choice as possible. And that means content, topics to be explored, methods of exploration, and demonstrations of learning. The more choice students have, the more engaged they're likely to be in their learning and the more motivated they will be to complete assignments. They'll still need guidance, of course. But when they feel that they're at least partly responsible for what they're being guided on, that's a recipe for success.

5. Regardless of how your students view themselves as learners (i.e., visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, kinesthetic, or something else entirely), it's a good plan to get into the habit of presenting information in multiple formats. If you're lecturing, try to include visual aids, pass out an outline of key points, or incorporate movement (even if it's just a quick stretch break) into your lesson.

Additionally, try to provide time for students to offer input and feedback and allow them to offer it in multiple ways: in writing, verbally, in large and small groups, or, in the case of a class vote, by moving around the classroom to vote with their feet (an "everyone who agrees move to that corner" or "people who choose option 1/2/3 over here/there/somewhere else" approach). Getting multiple parts of their brains (and hey, that includes their bodies) active means that learning is happening in that many more ways.

6. Experiment with grouping students according to their learning styles or levels for some activities. Lots of teachers do this already, such as in reading classes which feature small groups of readers at the same basic reading level. One group of students may be reading and discussing Madame Bovary while another group works on Maniac McGee. Okay, the levels may not vary that much (if we're talking one grade), but you get the picture.

You can also consider grouping students according to interests and asking them to find a way to incorporate their interest into whatever you happen to be studying. Say you're reading Brontë, for example (and we could really be talking Emily or Charlotte here—sorry, Anne). So, outdoorsy types might decide to do a presentation about the flora and fauna of the English moors, while history buffs or mathletes could consider constructing precise family trees or putting together data and statistics relating to average life spans or the economy of the mid-1800s. And that's how you bring literature to life.

7. Re-survey your students about their learning preferences after each activity or unit. What worked best for them? What didn't really work at all? What ideas might they have for future lessons?

Psst! When you revisit learning preferences with your students, remember to let them respond in a variety of ways over a slightly extended time frame. Some students will have answers immediately and their hands will shoot into the air, or they'll just shout their answers out. Gotta love that. Other students might get ideas a little later, after processing for a bit, and prefer to submit comments via email or a fancy shmancy app. Once again, variety is key.

8. Use a Think Dots template (or a similar method) to encourage your students to try out different approaches to analyzing information or demonstrating understanding. You'll find two blank templates at the Think Dots link above, as well as a few examples of differentiated activities for a few disciplines and grade levels.

The basic idea: create six different questions, activities, assignments, or approaches students can use to analyze or respond to a topic. Each corresponds with a number 1-6, represented by dots, the way they would appear on a die. Give your students the assignments, give them a die, and let them roll to determine which one they need to complete. It's teaching them to gamble without the casino. What could be better?

Of course, you can always just let your students choose the one the appeals to them—student choice is an important part of differentiation, too (we even dedicated #4 to that idea). But if you want to encourage them to take a chance and maybe step outside their comfort zones, rolling the die may be the way to go.

9. Offer students options by compacting. If you're getting ready to teach something that you know some of your students have already mastered (persuasive essays, say), make time to get together with those students to make an alternate plan for them.

This doesn't have to be a huge time commitment—you can probably accomplish what you need to in 15-20 minutes. Just sit down, talk about what they already know and either (a) give them a more challenging assignment (their persuasive essay must go beyond simply presenting one side of an issue and also clearly present and debunk the "other side," for instance) or (b) have them come up with a more challenging assignment for themselves.

Option "b" would be our preference based on that whole student-choice thing. It also makes things easier on you and puts more of the responsibility for learning on your students, which is a great place for it to be—for everyone's sake.

The key to differentiation is—yup, you guessed it—keeping things different. And that applies to students' learning preferences, the subjects you cover and how you cover them, and what you bring to lunch every day.

Hey, you never know what could have a positive impact.