In recent years, teachers and researchers in early childhood education have explored the topic of the changing kindergarten from various angles (Goldstein, 2007; Graue, 2001; Gullo, 2006; Hatch, 2005). At stake is figuring out how teachers can address the twin demands for increased levels of student performance and the implementation of a standardized content, performance, and program expectations in a developmentally appropriate manner that recognizes the needs of their individual students. Middendorf enters this discussion carrying the voice of a practitioner. Her goal in this text is to provide teachers with an introduction to strategies that they can use to differentiate their instruction so that their students can be addressed in a manner that helps each of them succeed.

   Middendorf begins her book by stating that differentiation is a philosophy of teaching that puts children first (p. 10). In making this claim, she adds two important points. First, once teachers understand what differentiation entails, they will then realize that they've probably been putting many of these ideas into practice. Second, Middendorf recognizes that the pressure to improve student performance that teachers face from multiple audiences makes it difficult to take on any new tasks, but in this case, she believes differentiation can help students achieve this goal. While this task of teaching to each student's needs seems daunting, Middendorf, here and throughout the book, reminds the reader that no teacher can differentiate every lesson for each child.

  A practitioner friendly tool that Middendorf introduces in the first chapter and uses in each additional chapter is a set of examples that she terms "A look inside a differentiated classroom."

   These examples cover various types of lessons (whole group, center time, etc) that occur throughout a typical kindergarten day, and in them, Middendorf provides detailed examples of what differentiation looks like in practice. Along with these "look-ins," she uses sidebars to provide tips for implementing these strategies, facts about how young children's brains develop, and quotes about teaching and children that are meant to inspire teachers.

   Middendorf connects brain research, the theory of multiple intelligences, and developmentally appropriate practice to frame the need for differentiation. She address this research by explainin the importance in teaching across the modalities (vision, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic) and addressing Gardner's (1983; 1993) multiple intelligences (verbal-linguistic intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, logical-mathematic intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, visual-spatial intelligence, musical intelligence, and naturalistic intelligence).

   In Chapter 3, Middendorf makes the case that teachers must know their students as learners so that they can differentiate instruction to meet their children's needs. To do this, she shows the reader how to make a learner profile for each student that includes informal observations, notes from such things as the child's permanent record, teacher and student selected work samples, and formal assessments, such as kindergarten screeners. Middendorf also provides sample checklists for end-of-year expectations in literacy and math and a modalities of learning checklist to help teachers with this process of assessment. In getting to know students, Middendorf highlights the importance of connecting with families in this process, and she offers practical tips in establishing a line of communication with them. She ends this chapter by providing some useful examples as to how a teacher can develop children's self-assessment skills.

   The final two chapters of this text get to the heart of the discussion about practices that kindergarten teachers can engage in to differentiate their instruction. Chapter 4, which Middendorf titles Setting the Stage, begins by stating that teachers must let children and families know from the beginning of the school year that their instruction will be tailored as much as possible to meet each student's needs. To get this point across, she provides a beginning of the year activity that gets families involved by asking them to fill out a questionnaire about when their child learned to walk, talk, and tie his/her shoes. Using this information, Middendorf demonstrates how a teacher can make a series of graphs to show his/her students how each one of them develops at their own pace. Middendorf also provides examples of how a teacher might use these graphs to teach his/her students different math skills.

The book also includes some helpful tips in assisting students to develop self-management skills so that a teacher can work with children either one-on-one or in small groups, and provides examples of "sponge activities" that children can engage in either when they complete their work or are waiting to work with the teacher. While lacking in detail, these activities (e.g., puzzles, exploration station, or a book nook) offer students the chance to reinforce concepts they've already learned. Middendorf gives examples of how some of these activities can be turned into center-based lessons that teach students new knowledge and skills. It includes a detailed example of a teacher engaged in differentiating literacy centers for individual students.  Here, Middendorf provides a glimpse into the questions, directions, and statements that teachers can use to help tailor varying literacy activities to their students' skill levels.

   In Chapter 5, Middendorf focuses on implementing skill building activities in developmental and academic areas. She begins with suggestions to build a child's fine motor and visual skills and then moves into literacy using children's names and class books.  She also explores activities that use numbers to build children's math skills. Middendorf rarely uses worksheets in addressing this process of skill building. She provides useful examples of how teachers can differentiate such topics as the concept of "equal" in math through typical classroom situations.  Middendorf ends her text with suggestions for managing the classroom and providing techniques that help the child feel like a successful learner.

   As a former kindergarten teacher who sat through one-too-many in-service days where the speaker directed his/her talk towards differentiating instruction for students who already knew how to read, write, and do basic math, Middendorf's book offers a breath of fresh air, and she provides useful examples that teachers can use immediately in their kindergarten classrooms.

   To be clear, this book is directed towards practitioners. Middendorf assumes that her readers do not need detailed explanations about scheduling, the classroom environment, etc. I would suggest looking at Seefeldt and Wasik (2002) or Hatch's (2005) work for more detailed conversations about these issues. Finally, while I appreciate the practitioner-friendly nature of this text, I would make three suggestions to improve this work.

   First, it would be helpful if Middendorf spent a moment defining developmentally appropriate practice. This is term has been thrown around so much that is has become almost useless.

   Second, the research Middendorf cites to support her argument for differentiation is somewhat dated, and by tapping into what more recent empirical work states about how children learn (e.g., National Research Council, 2000) her argument could be strengthened significantly.

  Finally, her discussion on informal observation is unrefined, and I would recommend those interested in strengthening their skills in this area to look at such work as Jablon, Dombro, and Dichtelmiller's (1999) for a more detailed and theoretical discussion of methods of assessment that teachers can implement in their classrooms.

References

Gardner, H. (1983) . Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H. (1993) . Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.

Goldstein, L. (2007) . Embracing pedagogical multiplicity: examining two teachers' instructional responses to the changing expectations for kindergarten in U.S. public schools. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 21(4), 378-400.

Graue, E. (2001) . What's going on in the children's garden? Kindergarten today. Young Children, 56(3), 67Ð73.

Gullo, D. F. (Ed.) (2006) . K today:Teaching and learning in the kindergarten year. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Hatch, J.A. (2005) . Teaching in the new kindergarten. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning.

Jablon, J.R., Dombro, A.L., & Dichtelmiller, M.L. (1999) .

The power of observation. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc.

National Research Council (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded Ed.).

Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Retrieved October 15, 2007 from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368

Seefeldt, C., & Wasik, B. (2002) . Kindergarten: Fours and fives go to school. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill- Prentice Hall.

Christopher P. Brown, PhD, is an assistant professor of early childhood education at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.