Differentiated Lesson Plan
Three-tier support plan, blank.
The Differentiated Lesson Plan template provides a three-tier blank frame that prompts teachers to plan the same lesson concept at three levels of support: scaffolded support for students working below grade-level expectations, on-level instruction for the core group, and extension or enrichment for students ready to go deeper. All three tiers share the same learning objective box at the top, reinforcing that differentiation is about varying access and complexity, not lowering or abandoning the standard. Inclusive classroom teachers, special-education co-teachers, and literacy or numeracy intervention specialists find this template invaluable during unit-planning sessions. It makes the intentional design of tiered tasks, resources, and assessment evidence visible in a single document, which is especially useful during moderation meetings or when justifying instructional decisions to parents and school leaders.
Learning objectives
- Plan tiered tasks that give every learner access to the same core learning objective
- Document scaffolds, on-level activities, and extension tasks side by side
- Make differentiation decisions explicit before the lesson rather than reactive during it
- Support co-teaching by clarifying which teacher works with which tier
- Create a record of inclusive planning for professional review or accreditation
How to use this template
- Download and print the blank template or open it digitally.
- Write the shared learning objective at the top — all three tiers work toward the same goal.
- Complete the Tier 1 (scaffolded) column first: note the additional supports, modified materials, or pre-teaching needed.
- Fill in the Tier 2 (on-level) column with the core activity, resources, and success criteria.
- Complete the Tier 3 (extension) column with the challenge task, enrichment resource, or open-ended inquiry that deepens the same concept.
Classroom & home ideas
- Use the three-column layout at a co-planning meeting to split responsibility between the classroom teacher (Tier 2) and the learning support teacher (Tier 1).
- Colour-code printed task cards to match each tier so students can self-select without public labelling.
- During a maths lesson, use Tier 1 for concrete manipulatives, Tier 2 for representational tasks, and Tier 3 for abstract problem-solving — a natural CPA progression.
- Share the completed template with a teaching assistant before the lesson so they know precisely which group to sit with and what the scaffolded task involves.
- At the end of a unit, review three or four completed plans together to check whether the same students are consistently placed in Tier 1 and whether they are making growth.
Skills & curriculum links
Frequently asked questions
Does Tier 1 mean the student is below grade level?
In this template, Tier 1 refers to the highest level of instructional support, not the lowest ability. Every student can benefit from scaffolding at times, and placement may shift lesson to lesson depending on the topic.
Can I use this template for a subject other than English and maths?
Yes. The blank three-tier layout works for science, humanities, languages, arts, and PE — any lesson where students need varied entry points to access the same concept.
How do I assess all three tiers against the same standard?
Use the success criteria or evidence column within each tier to note what acceptable demonstration of the objective looks like at each level of complexity. The standard remains constant; the evidence form varies.
Is this template compatible with Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks?
The three-tier language directly mirrors RTI's universal, targeted, and intensive support model, making this template a natural planning tool within RTI or Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) programmes.
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