Answer 1

1)  Differentiating Instruction is the best teaching method a first grade teacher can use with her students by enganging multiple types of learners due to it being a variety of methods in one method itself.

2)  I observe a kindergarten class for my Independent Component 1, and not only them, but also the teacher.  Ms.  Underwood is presently a kindergarten teacher, but also was a first grade teacher years back.  I see this method, Differentiating Instruction, at work when I observe her and the class (so what I see are examples themselves).  She was the one who introduced me to this method in the interview.  Differentiating Instruction is 'an approach that assumes there is a diversity of learners in every classroom and that all of those learners can be reached if a variety of methods and activities are used.  The article, "A Teacher's Guide to Differentiating Instruction" states that 'Carol Tomlinson (2000), a noted expert on differentiation, points out that research has proven that students are more successful when they are taught based on their own readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles.'  This teaching method does not ingnore the needs of the different types of learners there is, and recognizes that there is a variety of learners.

3)  As mentioned before, I was introduced to this method by Ms.  Underwood from my third interview.  She is a Kindergarten teacher and was a First Grade teacher.  Also, my First Independent Component has allowed me to observe this method in action; then, there is the article "A Teacher's Guide to Differentiating Instruction".