Instructional Playbook

Planning for Advanced Learners #1: Try Another Way Ask: “How else could this be done? ” Encourage alternate methods or solutions. #2: Take Something Away Remove a scaffold, step, or tool and let students adapt the task. #3: Change the Rules Modify a condition or constraint and explore the impact. #4: Add a Second Subject Connect to another content area or real-world discipline. #5: Fix the Flaw Find and improve a mistake, weak idea, or incomplete argument. #6: Shift the Perspective Consider another point of view, time period, or stakeholder. #7: Be the Expert Edit, evaluate, or improve someone else’s thinking or work. #8: Add a Layer of Complexity Push students to extend a task by introducing abstractions, themes, or patterns (e.g., power, change, structure). #9: Spot What’s Missing Identify what isn’t being shown, explained, or assumed. #10: Ask “What if…?” Use open-ended scenarios to explore alternate outcomes. 10 Quick Moves to Increase Challenge

Increase Your Impact

Pre-Assess First

Clarify the learning goal. Use quick pre-checks to identify students who already know the content, have the skill, or show interest. Use to plan upward. Think deeper, not just faster or more. Add complexity, abstraction, or interdisciplinary connections. Shift from practice to application, creation, or transfer.

Compact When Appropriate Skip or streamline mastered content.

Replace with deeper or broader tasks.

Vertically Differentiate

Choose a skill or standard. Differentiate by readiness or interest. Start with your most advanced version of the task. Then “clone down” 1–2 rungs for other learners. Match students to the right level of complexity.

Try This: These strategies are best used before instruction. Start with pre-assessment, observation, or a quick check-in, then offer a higher-level pathway right away.