Different Strokes for Different Folks

As I understood this assignment...you'd like to hear what's on my mind regarding Differentiated Classrooms. So, I'm going to share with you my mammoth "ah ha" moment today. We were talking about the fact that some teaching some skills/subjects require a hierarchy of skills which makes it difficult to do anything other than divide kids into higher and lower level groups. As we were discussing this you suggested differentiating the groups by something OTHER than student readiness (or in other words skill level). I know you'd said that in class, in fact I found that in my notes but I didn't really SEE it until I thought of an application later in the afternoon. You said that group flexibility was important too and again I didn't SEE that until I thought about this.....My kids were always put into reading groups by skill level for independent reading. The groups never varied, but I thought: 'What if the groups were sometimes varied by interest?' This grouping has the potential to increase the thinking skills of a lower-level reader because he/she would be more engaged." Ah ha....you CAN differentiate in classes even when the skills are hierarchical. And by varying the groups, you're not just trying to make the lower-level skilled kids feel better...but actually challenging them in a different way!
Now if I can just get my brain around Concept-Attainment in this same way! :)