Differentiation in the IB PYP Classroom

Helping Every Inquirer Grow

If you've been teaching within the IB PYP framework for a while, you’ll know that differentiation is more than a concept—it’s a mindset. It's an approach to teaching.  It’s about meeting every learner where they are, guiding them forward with intention, and designing experiences that are as inclusive as they are rigorous.

In an inquiry-based classroom, differentiation doesn’t mean multiple lesson plans for 25 learners (phew!)—it means providing the right level of support and challenge so that each student can think deeply, inquire independently, and feel successful.

Let’s break it down into three essential aspects: form, function, and assessment. The video is a snippet from Essentials for Inquiry members' community. Each month, I share professional learning along with classroom ready tools to support your application of this learning within your planning and teaching.  Find out more about the membership here. 😎

1. Form of Differentiation: What Does It Look Like?

Form is about the visible structures you put in place to support learners' diverse needs. In the PYP, this goes beyond grouping and leveled readers. It’s about designing learning experiences that are responsive to readiness, interest, and your learners' profile. 

Here’s how you might differentiate the form of learning:

• Content – Use varied resources (videos, texts, visuals, artefacts) to explore the same concept at different levels of complexity.

• Process – Offer different ways for students to explore ideas, such as role play, research, hands-on investigation, or peer dialogue.

• Product – Let students show their understanding in different ways—through writing, presentations, art, videos, or even designing a game!

• Environment – Consider flexible seating, quiet corners, and movement breaks. Environment matters when it comes to inclusion.

Differentiating the Inquiry Process

The goal isn’t to simplify inquiry—it’s to make it accessible for all learners. This kind of structure supports independence and helps build student agency step by step.

One of the most empowering things you can do is scaffold how students inquire. I have created many tools to support this scaffolded approach, no matter the skills you are focusing upon. You can offer:

• Guiding questions tailored to different levels of thinking - These Provocation Starters Task Cards support your students as they learn to formulate questions, understanding how questions can influence the depth of our inquiries. 

• Visible thinking routines and graphic organisers reduce cognitive load - I created these graphic organisers and the task cards to align with the concepts & Learner Profile attributes, connecting with literacy. This was to support my guided reading groups which flow between ability & mixed ability depending on our focus. ▶️Take a look at the Graphic Organisers here and the Learner Profile in Literacy task cards here. 
  

• Choice boards or inquiry menus - We want to encourage choice. Choice brings a sense of ownership to the task and allows the children to develop an awareness of their progress: What might challenge me? What will allow me to best demonstrate my understanding? I've created many choice boards for everything from ATL Skills development, summative assessments with our units of inquiry to maths concepts. Take a look at the collections below:

• Maths Concepts Choice boards, ATL Skills for Little Kids, Learner Profile for Little Kids, Transdisciplinary Themes Choice Boards

• Conversation Spinners - Gamifying formative assessment, these were a game changer when I was on a mission to help develop both reflective thinking and communication skills. Designed using SOLO taxonomy to differentiate the conceptual questions, these spinners allow me as the teacher to support my learners according to their ability AND are a fun, hands on way to encourage critical and creative thinking and conversations too. Win-win-win! 😎 There is a set for ALL age levels  - take a look at the Lower Grades bundle here and for grades 3-5, check out the bundle here.  

• Tiered research tasks - this can be a mix of teacher expectations with your students' feedback. Structure the tasks to include the objectives that have to met and allow the children to add their ideas as to how they can best reach those goals. You aren't necessarily moving the goal post, you're simply offering different routes to reaching it, with open ended outcomes. 

• Peer scaffolding, learning buddies or inquiry partners - think along the lines of creating opportunities for peer scaffolding, allowing students to learn from one another's strengths and unique perspectives. This supports differentiation by enabling personalised pacing, varied entry points and divers modes of expression. And let's not forget how this indolence brings a sense of agency too, which, as we know, enhances engagement and confidence. Best Answer is an easy to implement, collaborative strategy structured to support collaborative thinking, building upon each others' knowledge, understanding and reflective thinking. In small groups, ability or mixed ability, the children answer a question. They then analyse each answer, highlighting the key points on each answer before collaboratively creating their best answer, using those key points. The questions can be differentiated according to your focus, they can be the same within a mixed ability group - where peers are supporting each other. 

You’ll find lots more practical strategies and tools for collaborative learning and structuring the inquiry in my blog:

👉5 Keys to Effective Collaborative Learning
👉 Developing Student-Led Inquiry in the IB PYP

2. Function of Differentiation: Why We Do It

So what’s the function of differentiation in an inquiry-based classroom?

In short, it’s to help every learner access the conceptual understandings and transfer their learning in a meaningful way. It's about maintaining engagement and focus, supporting them through conversations and collaboration. It's about knowing HOW they learn best and then giving them the tools - skills + supports -to help themselves towards understanding. 

It’s not about giving "easy work" to struggling students or "extra work" to high flyers. It’s about providing the right entry points for managing themselves, thinking, questioning, and creating.

Here’s what it looks like in action:

• 🔄 Flexible grouping based on interest, readiness, or learning styles

• 🎯 Targeted mini-lessons for small groups or individuals

• 🛠️ Toolkits and scaffolds like vocabulary banks, sentence stems, and strategy cards

• 🎨 Student choice in how they explore or present ideas

• 🌍 Real-world connections to make learning more relevant and engaging

The real magic happens when students feel seen, supported, and stretched—that’s when they’re empowered to take ownership of their learning.

Differentiation fuels student agency, and when paired with concept-driven inquiry, it creates a learning environment where every student has the power to think deeply and act intentionally.

3. Differentiation in Assessment

Let’s talk about the part that often feels trickiest: assessment.

Assessment in the PYP isn’t just about checking for understanding—it’s about supporting growth. When done well, it’s a natural extension of inquiry and another chance to differentiate.

This might look like:

• ✅ Offering students different tools to reflect (rubrics, checklists, journals, voice notes)

• ✅ Allowing choice in how they demonstrate learning (digital portfolio, sketch notes, mind maps, video presentations)

• ✅ Scaffolding formative tasks with guided prompts or peer feedback

• ✅ Using a continuum or SOLO taxonomy to track progress over time

The point is not to fit all students into the same mold, but to recognise and support the unique journey of each learner.

If you want to dig deeper into strategies that make assessment more responsive, flexible, and student-centered, this article will help.
👉 Read this blog: Assessment Strategies for the IB PYP

It includes easy-to-implement tools and strategies that you can adapt for any unit or year level.

Final Thoughts

Differentiation in the PYP classroom is about designing with intention and flexibility.

You’re not expected to do all the things—start small, try one new strategy, reflect, and build from there.

When we differentiate with purpose, we create space for our students to:

• Think independently

• Take action with confidence

• Grow into curious, capable, and compassionate inquirers

And isn’t that exactly why we teach?

Enjoy! 

P.S. My monthly membership brings you professional learning videos, classroom ready tools to support your learning and an ALL ACCESS Pass to pick and choose your own resources. Every. Single. Month! With your membership, you have access to an entire webinar sharing more about differentiation within the student-led inquiry based classroom. Find out more here!