Differentiated Instruction

1
Differentiated Instruction

• Massachusetts Reading First Plan and John Silber
  Early Literacy Initiative
• Advanced Seminar
• Dorothy S. Strickland, Ph. D.
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

2
Implementing and Responding to Intervention

• Three Tier Model
• Prevention model aimed to catch students early
  before they fall behind
• Safety net for struggling readers writers
• An alternative to the discrepancy (wait until
  they fail) model

3
3 Tier Model

• Tier 1 Core Instruction
• All (100) students receive core instruction
• Tier 2 Supplemental Intervention
• At-Risk, Struggling Students (20-30)
• Tier 3 Intensive Intervention
• Students with persistent difficulties who are not
  responding to Tier 1 and 2 (5-10)

4

Organizing for
Tier 1 a typical plan

• Instructional Leader Classroom Teacher
• 90 -110 minute literacy block
• - differentiation and progress monitoring
  using core program
• - whole group, small group, one-to-one
• - focus on key literacy components

5
Organizing for Tier 2a typical plan

• Instructional Personnel may require specialized
  instruction in addition to classroom teacher
• Use of benchmark assessments and progress
  monitoring twice monthly
• 30 additional minutes of strategic reading
  instruction daily in small group
• Continued focus on key literacy components
• Specific skills/strategies targeted for teaching
  monitoring
• Skills/strategies reinforced from core reading
  program
• May use specialized intervention materials

6
Organizing for Tier 3a typical plan

• Instructional Personnel requires specialized
  instruction
• Use of benchmark assessments and progress
  monitoring (twice monthly or weekly)
• Minimum of two additional 30 minutes of strategic
  reading instruction daily in small group or
  individualized instruction OR 90 mins. of
  explicit instruction that supplants the core
  program.
• Skills reinforced from core reading program
• May use specialized intervention materials
• Continued focus on key literacy components

7
Differentiating Literacy Instruction some
Evidence Based Areas of Focus for educators

• Scientifically-Based Reading Research (SBRR)
• Balancing instructional practices
• Organizing for Differentiation
• Scaffolded Instruction
• Responsible test preparation

8
Scientifically-based Reading Research from
National Reading Panel Report

• Phonological/Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Vocabulary Development
• Reading Comprehension
• Fluency

9
Balancing instructional practices for
differentiation --- Areas of Contention

• Skills vs. Meaning Emphasis
• Explicit vs. Indirect Instruction
• Content vs. Process
• Trade books vs. Text books
• Informal Classroom Assessment vs.
• High Stakes Standardized Tests

10
Organizing Planning for Differentiated
Instruction

• I. Teacher-Pupil Ratio II. Group Constituency
• Whole Group
  Heterogeneous
• Small Group Homogeneous
• One-to-one
• III. Specific Needs -
• English Language Learners
• Struggling Readers Writers Advanced
  Learners

11
Organizing Planning for Differentiated
Instruction

• IV. Materials and Modalities
• - Varied opportunities for reading and writing
• - Varied ways to achieve goals
• V. Intensity and Duration
• - depth of focus on a single skill or strategy
• - time commitment short term or long term

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Language Arts Block Grades 1-6, 90 Minutes
(approx.)

• Note Independent Reading Focused Writing
  Instruction are scheduled separately
• Strategies are reinforced through content
  areas.
• Whole Group
• (Approx. 25 35 minutes)
• Explicit Instruction Skills/Strategies
• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Comprehension
• Fluency
• Vocabulary

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Language Arts Block Grades 1-6 90 minutes
continued

• Small Group/One-to-One
• (Approx. 60 minutes)
• Follow-up to Whole Group
• Special Needs
• Small group teacher-led Reading instr.
• Literature Circles
• Teacher-Pupil Conferences

14
Differentiating with structured Independent
Reading Time

• Independent Reading Time
• Minimum - 3X30 mins. per week
• 1. Brief Intro.
• 2. Silent Reading
• with personalized conferences
• 3. Selected Sharing

15
Focused Writing InstructionReading-Writing
Connections

• Minimum 3 X 30 minutes per week
• Short-term focused lessons linked to a
• long- term writing effort and reading
• 1.Focus Lesson
• 2. Independent Writing with Teacher
  Conferences
• 3. Selected Sharing

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Ex. Differentiating with Texts in Theme-based
Instruction

• Themes may be content or literary
• and linked to reading and writing
• Whole group teacher choice
• Teacher reads aloud guides student response
• Small group negotiated choice -
• Students read and respond
• Teacher guides/monitors
• Individual student choice -
• Teacher monitors

17


Ex.
Differentiating with Scaffolded Instructionwhole
group - to small group - to individuals

• Instruction that involves
• Modeling and Demonstrating
• (as students watch)
• Guided Collaboration with students
• Monitoring and Assisting
• (as students work independently)

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Using Assessment to Differentiate Instruction
foster Responsible Test Preparation

• Apply data driven techniques with student work
  samples (useful data)
• Focus on underlying tasks required to
  successfully complete test items
• Teach to specific needs through existing
  curriculum
• Avoid mindless practice