Differentiation in Teaching Reading Comprehension and Motivation of Students

Abstract

From introduction: Meeting the needs of all the students in a classroom is probably one of the biggest challenges teachers face today. Teachers are given goals by the federal government through the No Child Left Behind Act, and by the standards set forth by the state of New York. In addition, local school districts also have initiatives they want teachers to focus on to help students meet these standards. The amount of curriculum teachers have to cover can limit how they go about teaching it. Helping teachers connect to the students can seem daunting as they are faced with all the varied learners within their classrooms. Can the way the teachers teach the curriculum affect the students' desire to learn the curriculum? Teachers try to engage their students through many different styles of instruction. Is there one style specific to each student's needs which, if applied, will make learning more meaningful for him/her?