90 Copyright © 2018, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 5 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-3955-1.ch005 ABSTRACT This chapter explores the practice of diferentiating instruction for young English Language Learners (ELLs) in the academic content areas. While ELLs are the most rapidly growing demographic in US K-12 public schools, they are also the most diverse, and will thus beneft from dynamic instruction that meets their needs to provide challenge, success, and ft. Based upon earlier applications of diferenti- ated instruction (such as those in Tomlinson, 1999), this chapter profers four examples of diferentiated activities for young ELLs in math, science, social studies, and language arts. It then extends traditional implementation of diferentiated instruction to include students’ funds of knowledge and their linguistic repertoire, thereby providing teachers of young ELLs more holistic means to extend student engagement with the content and the type of language favored in academic settings. INTRODUCTION Differentiated instruction (DI) is considered both a philosophy of and an approach to education designed to address learner variance in classrooms by providing challenge, success, and fit for today’s diverse learners (Tomlinson, 2001). English Language Learners (ELLs) in particular will vary along factors such as level of literacy in their first language (L1), level of academic content-area knowledge, socioeconomic status, whether the student is foreign-born or not, family situation and other personal experiences (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2007). Thus, differentiating the content of lessons, the process by which the teacher presents the new information, and the products created by students may be an effective route to provide ELLs in K-12 public schools with maximum access to core curricula. Teachers may wonder how to differentiate instruction for ELLs due to language issues, core cur- riculum standards and high-stakes testing (Van Lier & Walqui, 2012). However, supporters of DI assert Differentiating Instruction for Young English Language Learners in the Content Areas Kristen M. Lindahl The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA