D.I. to enhance A.L.T.PE @ ZPS

For students to be confident and willing to learn, they first need to know how to identify their strengths and the skill level that they are at. This is our starting point at Zhangde Primary, to set the stage where in all PE lessons, students start at the level they are proficient in and work towards the next level. With this in mind, Differentiated Instructions (DI) enables us to ensure students experience success and joy of learning in PE.

Differentiation in Groups

Students are grouped according to ability based on observation and/or pre-assessment. It allows students to work on specific skills and gradually advance to a higher level. Students are made aware of the learning objectives and are given opportunities to evaluate their own skill levels. In essence, students are given the choice to choose where they want to start from, monitor their own progress and take charge of their learning.

Students are also grouped in mixed ability groups where they work in pairs, with one student being more skilful teaching another, or in groups where they coach each other in a game situation where one plays the role of the observer while others are practicing the task. This is possible when the students have the disposition to peer support and guide each other to learn. 

Differentiation in Process or Tasks

In differentiation by task, we can start easily by setting different targets for the students. For example, in the skill of dribbling with one hand, we can get students who are less skillful to dribble the ball ten times while those who are very proficient to dribble fifty times.

We can also vary this by getting them to use only their dominant hand, or non-dominant hand, alternate between each hand or using a two-handed bounce if we see that they are struggling. Moving on, we can alter the complexity and difficulty level of the skill tasks. Hence, the instructions we give the students would also be differentiated to help them achieve the intended learning objectives.

Differentiation of Equipment

At Zhangde, we are consistently renewing our PE resources to provide our students with a variety of implements that can be matched to their skill level to enhance learning. In the module of fundamental skills, students with higher proficiency may be given a harder and larger ball to practice with, while a student who is just beginning to learn how to dribble may use a softer and more bouncy ball. Students with special needs get “home-made” paper balls that are larger and have less bounce to help them practice their throw and catch. Occasionally, we give students a choice to choose the type of ball, hoop or equipment they want to work with. This gives them the opportunity to try and arrive at the conclusion on their own, exploring what works best for them and how they can modify practice task to make further improvements in their skills. Another example is in a gymnastics lesson where students are allowed to discuss which equipment they would like to use to develop their sequence based on confidence level and skills. For instance, students can choose between apparatus of varying height and width based on what is sufficiently challenging. By implementing DI strategies, our PE teachers are now able to create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment that meets the needs of our students. 

Contributed by: 

Chung Wei Yin is an experienced HOD PE / CCA / Asethetics with 30 years of teaching experience in primary schools. She has led her team of PE teachers in implementing the PE and CCA curriculum to suit the needs and abilities of her students. 

She has presented school projects at the cluster and national levels. As an advocate of outdoor education, Wei Yin played a critical role in leading the school in attaining its Learning for Life programme in Outdoor Education.

Email: chung_wei_yin@schools.gov.sg

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Back to content page - 2023 SPEA Newsletter Issue No.1 (June/July)

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