In this guide
Cambridge Veritas · Original TESOL self-study resources
Understand the idea
Offer different support or extension where learners face different barriers. Review the material after use: who could complete the task, what language appeared and what needed excessive teacher explanation? This turns materials evaluation into an ongoing process.
What you will practise
- Explain the key idea in “Differentiation and reviewing resource impact” using a concrete example.
- Choose a teaching response that fits the learner and the purpose.
- Identify evidence you could collect to evaluate that response.
A closer look at the teaching
A materials review can identify who was helped, who was blocked and what caused the difference. Distinguish a language problem from an unclear instruction or an unnecessary response demand. Revise the smallest relevant feature, then test it again. A resource becomes more useful through this cycle rather than a single pre-use rating.
A teaching resource is useful when it helps these learners achieve this objective in these conditions. Evaluate content, layout, procedure and preparation demands together. Then decide what to keep, supplement, remove or replace. The decision should have a reason that can be checked after teaching. This turns materials use into a cycle of evaluation and adaptation rather than a choice between following a resource unchanged and discarding it altogether.
In the classroom
Half the class finishes quickly while others cannot start.
Before choosing an activity, identify what the learner needs to understand or communicate. Separate the language demand from other demands such as reading instructions, managing equipment or speaking to a large group.
A teaching sequence you can adapt
Use these stages as a starting point for this topic. Keep the language goal visible, and change the support when learner responses show a different need.
- 01
Define the learner need and select a small set of relevant evaluation criteria.
- 02
Try the resource from the learner’s perspective and identify barriers or unnecessary demands.
- 03
Adapt the smallest useful part while preserving or improving the communication goal.
- 04
Review learner responses after use and record a practical change for the next lesson.
Record one observed barrier, one adaptation and the learner response to that adaptation.
A common mistake to avoid
Do not judge a worksheet only by whether all its pages were completed.
When reviewing the activity, distinguish what you observed from what you inferred. Use the task outcome and a fresh example to decide whether another explanation, a different scaffold or more independent practice is needed.
Adapt it for your learners
Make the task accessible.
Provide readable layout, concise instructions and one worked example before adding more content.
Extend the thinking.
Compare two resources for the same aim and justify the choice using learner and contextual evidence.
Keep the intended outcome consistent when comparing responses. Record which support was available so you do not confuse a supported performance with the same task completed independently.
Try it, then compare.
Take a moment to make your own decision. Compare your reasoning with the example, then adapt it for a teaching context you know.
Try it in a teaching context
Revise the material for next time.
Your questions, answered.
What is a common mistake with Differentiation and reviewing resource impact?
Do not judge a worksheet only by whether all its pages were completed.
How can I check whether the teaching worked?
Record one observed barrier, one adaptation and the learner response to that adaptation.
How can I support learners who find the task difficult?
Provide readable layout, concise instructions and one worked example before adding more content.
How can I add a useful extra challenge?
Compare two resources for the same aim and justify the choice using learner and contextual evidence.
Quick revision
- The key idea: Offer different support or extension where learners face different barriers.
- The context to remember: Half the class finishes quickly while others cannot start.
- A useful next step: Revise the material for next time.
For your teaching portfolio: keep a brief plan, a note of what learners actually did and one change you would make next time. Use anonymous examples.
Take the module self-checkSources and authorship
This module maps to the supplied syllabus PDF, Choosing and using teaching resources (4 pages). The study notes, examples, application tasks and self-checks on these pages are original Cambridge Veritas resources.
View the supplied PDF ↗ · Publication reference: source chapter
Written by Cambridge Veritas. Updated .
Use these resources for preparation and reflection. Browser self-check results are for personal study and do not award a qualification or replace observed teaching practice.