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Three Ways to Level the Playing Field for Every Learner
By: Mikayla Lee on Sep 2, 2026, 2:28:29 PM
One of my favorite things about my classroom was also the most challenging. In seven years of teaching, one thing stayed constant across every group of students: their differences. From ability level, to interests, to learning styles, to home lives and cultures, I was constantly fascinated by the variety of students in front of me.
There are so many amazing things about teaching a diverse group of students. Watching a student light up when the content connects to something from their own life. Learning about traditions and holidays I'd never experienced before. Realizing a student brought knowledge to the classroom that I didn't have. The list goes on. But so do the challenges. Differentiating materials for a wide range of skill levels. Language barriers that made it hard to gauge what a student understands. And simply finding the time to plan instruction that meets every learner's needs.
The truth is that this is also one of the areas where I know I could have done better. Meeting the needs of a diverse group of students is one of the hardest challenges educators face. It can feel like a never-ending mission, pulled in so many directions at once. Focus on one student's needs, and you risk dropping the ball on another.
While many tools, initiatives, and EdTech products claim to help teachers meet the needs of their students, not all of them deliver, and some just add more to an already full plate. What I wish I'd had were true equalizers: tools that meet students where they are, support individual needs, and don't cost extra time or energy to make happen. Here are three things I believe can do exactly that.
1. Quality Nonfiction Texts
Finding the right text to support your objectives is harder than it sounds. Too often, teachers are left choosing between dense, inaccessible texts or content so simplified it loses its value. Neither serves students well, especially in a diverse classroom where background knowledge varies widely.
What actually moves the needle is access to texts built to scaffold content knowledge the way a great teacher would. That means introducing vocabulary in context rather than assuming students already have it, building ideas sequentially, and meeting students where they are without talking down to them. When texts do that work, students with less background knowledge can access the content, and students who already have some can deepen it. The text becomes an equalizer.
2. Built-in Accessibility Tools
Even with the right text, access isn't guaranteed. As a teacher, I spent a significant amount of time hunting down the right supports for my English language learners and students with learning differences. A translated version of this worksheet. A read-aloud option for that article. An alternative font for a student who needed it.
Now imagine if those tools were already there. Built into the assignment, available on the spot, no extra steps for the teacher. When accessibility features like language translation, read aloud, and accessible fonts are baked in, every student can access the same content. Students with diverse learning needs are not pulled out or handed a watered-down version of the assignment. They work with the same text as everyone else, just with the supports they need to get there. That is the definition of leveling the playing field.
3. On-Demand, Low-Stakes Support
Quality text and built-in accessibility tools can take students far, but without support to complete an assignment, some students will get left behind. Many of my students who needed help the most would sit quietly and wait rather than raise their hands. The fear of asking a "silly question" in front of peers is real, and for some students, that fear is enough to shut down entirely.
When students have access to on-demand support, something shifts. They can ask the questions they actually need answered, things like "How do I get started" or "What does this question mean," without any of the risk. That kind of low-stakes support does more than just get students through an assignment. It builds confidence and independence. And over time, it builds the habit of seeking help rather than avoiding it. When students feel supported in the moment, they are more likely to stay engaged, push through challenges, and complete the work in front of them.
These three equalizers are not just something I dreamed up. They all exist in one platform: ClassMate by World Book. ClassMate includes a library of content-area texts written and verified by the World Book editorial team, covering a wide range of subjects with more than half a million articles to choose from. Built-in accessibility tools, including translation in over 100 languages, read aloud, font options, and a built-in dictionary, are available to students directly within every article and assignment. And Nudge, ClassMate's AI support, is there when students need a nudge in the right direction to work through a text or tackle a tough assignment.
While I can't go back in time to give my students the instruction they deserved, I love knowing that teachers today don't have to choose between honoring what makes their students different and giving every one of them a fair shot at the same content. That's what leveling the playing field looks like.
Ready to see what ClassMate looks like in your classrooms? Schedule a ClassMate demo today, or if you're a teacher, sign up to be first on the list for a free experience.