Hi, I’m Rebecca Davies — a teacher, homeschool mom, and the person behind Differentiated Teaching. If you’ve ever looked at a classroom (or a kitchen table) full of kids reading five different levels, thinking in five different ways, and needing five different things from you at once — you’re in the right place. Helping teachers and homeschool families reach every learner without burning out is the whole reason this site exists.
I build standards-aligned, research-backed resources for grades 1–8 — with a soft spot for the upper elementary and middle school teachers who are teaching real rigor to a very wide range of readers.
A Little About My Background
Before I transitioned to homeschooling, I spent more than 15 years in public education, and I wore just about every hat there is — special education teacher, classroom teacher, and instructional coach. I’ve taught everywhere from pre-K to middle school, including a multi-grade classroom for students with social-emotional and behavioral needs, and I’ve worked alongside gifted learners, English language learners, students who’d experienced trauma, and kids who needed intensive support to access grade-level work.
On the academic side, I hold degrees in Psychology, School Psychology, Educational Administration, and Curriculum & Instruction, along with teaching certifications in multiple areas. I’m currently working toward a Doctorate in Educational Psychology because I believe the day we stop learning is the day we stop being useful to the kids in front of us.
Today, I homeschool my middle daughter while my other kiddos attend school. While all three kids were homeschooled at different points, we are very much a family who wants to meet each learner where they are. This means school doesn’t look the same for each kiddo in our family. Honestly, parenting learners who are wired differently has taught me more about differentiation than any single classroom ever did…and it’s why the resources I create are built for the kids who don’t fit the one-size-fits-all mold.
How Differentiated Teaching Started
In 2012, I had my daughter and started creating and sharing classroom resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, mostly to stay connected to teaching while I was on maternity leave. What began as a way to keep one foot in the classroom slowly grew into something bigger: a whole library of resources, and eventually the shift to homeschooling so I could give my own kids the individualized support they needed.
The turning point I still think about was teaching my daughter to read. We had a wonderful tutor, and we were doing everything the “gold standard” said to do, but the data wasn’t moving the way it should. My data-driven heart knew something was off, so I went with my gut, stepped outside my comfort zone, and started working toward EBLI certification so I could teach reading myself.
It was slow going at first for both of us. But about a third of the way through, she read her first chapter book. That experience is baked into everything I make now: trust the child in front of you, watch the data honestly, and don’t be afraid to change course when the standard playbook isn’t working.
What makes my resources different
I don’t believe more is better. I believe in precision.
I’d rather give students one deep, meaningful question than a page of shallow ones — because a single quality question, asked well, can pull more thinking out of a kid than an entire worksheet. So the resources here are built on what the research actually says works: spaced practice, retrieval, and morphology-based vocabulary and spelling instruction. Cognitive science, made classroom-ready.
And just as importantly — I don’t treat a struggling reader or a bored gifted kid as a problem to fix. I treat it as information about where a learner is and what they need next. Every resource is designed to meet students where they are and move them forward, without asking you to sacrifice rigor, your prep time, or your evenings.
What you’ll find here
Whether you teach in a classroom or at your kitchen table, this is where I keep the resources and ideas I’ve built over the years:
- Novel studies — chapter-by-chapter units that build real comprehension, not just chapter questions.
- Reading intervention & comprehension — accommodations, close reading, fluency, and strategies for readers who need something different.
- Spiral review, morphology & vocabulary — daily practice that makes skills stick through spaced retrieval.
- Seasonal & monthly resources — ready-to-go activities that keep engagement high all year.
- Sub plans, daily edits & problem of the day — the low-prep routines that quietly save your week.
You can also find my full catalog in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop.
What I believe about teaching
A few things I come back to, no matter what I’m making:
- Learning can be fun and engaging without sacrificing rigor.
- Differentiation accelerates growth by setting students up for success.
- Students put in more effort when we build the relationship first.
- Learning isn’t just for the kids — we have to keep growing as educators, too.
- You can reach all your students without sacrificing your personal or family life.
Let’s keep in touch
If you’d like practical, research-backed ideas visit my Teachers Pay Teachers shop or follow along on Pinterest