When using smart match as a working form with students aged 6 to 10, you can easily differentiate at three levels: beginner, advanced and expert.
Beginners:
- Provide smaller, simpler tasks where the obstacle is obvious.
- Offer hints or partial suggestions for materials needed.
- Encourage working in pairs to support problem-solving.
Advanced learners:
- Use more complex or ambiguous problems that require independent thinking.
- Limit hints, so students must brainstorm multiple solutions themselves.
- Encourage reflection on why certain solutions may or may not work.
Experts:
- Introduce open-ended or multi-step obstacles where the problem may have multiple possible solutions.
- Students must anticipate potential challenges and identify materials independently.
- Encourage them to evaluate the effectiveness of their solution critically and consider alternative strategies.