ABSTRACT
Carol and Dick accepted responsibility for helping each of their sons become the best that particular child could be. Essential to that goal was establishing a healthy and positive learning environment in which everyone valued individuality. Reflecting on what Carol learned as she effectively parented three very different children is helpful in thinking about what effective teachers do when they differentiate instruction in their classrooms. Examining her experiences at home can help parents understand why differentiation should happen at school, what differentiation means at school, and even how it might look at school. In academically diverse schools, it is important for parents to understand the concept of differentiated instruction so that they can affirm teachers’ positive efforts to address learner variance and encourage continued efforts in that direction. A teacher determined to make school work for her students becomes a persistent hunter and gatherer of information on each child.
