How to Use AI to Differentiate Instruction: Reading Levels, Scaffolds and Extensions

Differentiation means giving students different routes to the same learning goal. It is also time-consuming. In the 2026 RAND-fielded survey of math and science teachers, differentiation techniques were among the top three requested training topics (67%), and adapting activities for different learners was among the most common uses for teachers who used AI (source). Part of the AI for Teachers hub.

Before you paste anything: never put student names, grades, IEP/504 details, health or behavior records, or other personal student information into a general AI chatbot. See AI for teachers: student privacy and FERPA basics, and follow your school or district policy.

Describe groups, not students

Ask for materials for a type of learner ("students reading two grade levels below," "English learners at an intermediate level," "students ready for extension"). Do not paste names, diagnoses, IEP or 504 content. Apply the right version to the right student yourself, with your special education and EL teams.

Useful tasks

Adjust reading level

Rewrite the passage below for a 5th grade reading level.
Keep all key facts and vocabulary words in bold.
Define each bolded word in a short glossary.
Do not add new facts.

[paste a passage you are allowed to use]

Check that meaning is preserved: simplified text can lose or distort content. Also check copyright for the passage you paste.

Add scaffolds

• Sentence starters for written responses.
• Worked examples with a step missing for students to complete.
• Graphic organizers or checklists for multi-step tasks.
• Vocabulary previews with simple definitions and examples.

Add extensions

• "Write 3 open-ended challenge questions on [topic] for students who finish early."
• "Give a real-world application problem that needs the same skill in a new context."

Offer choice

Ask for three ways students could show the same learning (a written paragraph, a labeled diagram, a short oral explanation), each with a simple success checklist.

Accuracy and fairness checks

• Is the lower-level version still correct and still rigorous about the key idea?
• Does it avoid stereotypes, or assumptions about students' backgrounds?
• Is it accessible (clear fonts, alt text for images, plain structure)? Accessibility needs of specific students should come from the student's support team.

Related guides

Lesson planning, quizzes and rubrics, and summarizing documents with AI.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI write IEP accommodations?

IEPs are legal documents built by a team. Do not put student information into an AI tool, and do not use AI output as a substitute for the team's decisions. Generic ideas can be a brainstorming aid only.

Is AI-simplified text trustworthy?

It needs checking. Compare it against the original for missing or altered facts.

How do I know the reading level is right?

AI estimates are rough. Read it yourself and test it with your students rather than trusting the label.

Can students use these tools themselves?

Student-facing use has extra age, consent and privacy rules. Only use tools approved by your school; see student privacy basics.