Differentiation and Small Group Instruction

1
Differentiation and Small Group Instruction
2
Data-Based Decision Making

• Planning the content of daily instruction based
  on frequent, ongoing assessment data
• Grouping and regrouping students based on shared
  needs observed from data

3
Matching Text to Readers

1. Instructional and independent levels are based on
   an individual students reading ability
2. What instructional and independence for one
   student may not be instructional or independence
   for another student in the same classroom

4
Why Differentiate Instruction?

• The range of reading ability in a typical
  classroom is about five years and is more
  academically diverse than anytime in history.
• Kameenui Carnine, 1998 Mathes, Torgesen,
  Menchetti, Santi, Nicholas, Robinson, Grek,
  2003

5
Concept of Definition Map
What is it?
Nonexamples
Examples
Differentiated Instruction
What is it like?
6
Concept of Definition Map

• With your partner, write your own definition of
  differentiated instruction.
• Brainstorm examples of how a teacher might
  differentiated instruction.
• Brainstorm examples that do NOT depict
  differentiated instruction.
• Identify synonyms that describe what
  differentiated instruction is like.

7
Concept of Definition Map
What is it?
Examples
Nonexamples
Teaching students according to their individual
needs.
Teaching targeted small groups Flexible grouping
patterns Using assessment data to plan
instruction Matching text level to student
ability Independent projects tailored to student
ability
Whole class instruction Small groups that never
change (tracking) All students reading same
text Same independent seatwork assignments to
entire class
Differentiated Instruction
What is it like?

• Data-based instruction
• Individualized instruction
• Scaffolding

8
What isDifferentiated Instruction?

• Varying instructions to meet the needs of all
  students within the same classroom
• Taking students where they are and moving them
  forward
• Flexibly grouping and regrouping students
  according to shared needs and abilities

9
The Academic Continuum
Advanced Readers Read fluently and with expression Read independently Have advanced decoding skills Have good comprehension
Typical Readers Read less fluently Developing independence Developing advanced decoding skills Developing strategies for comprehension
Struggling Readers Read with labored fluency Have poor decoding skills Comprehension hindered by poor reading
10
The most effective learning arrangements increase
academic engagement.
11
Effective Classroom Management Factors

• Frequent monitoring
• Nonverbal signals
• Use of routines
• Models routines first
• Frequent positive interactions (4 to 1 ratio)
• Reinforce student accomplishments

12
Develop a Classroom Plan for Differentiated
Instruction

1. Routines are the key to sanity.
2. Arrangement of the classroom.
3. Time Allocation.
4. Scheduling.

13
Establishing Routines

• Rules for Centers
• Moving to centers
• Asking for help
• Being accountable
• Activities
• Previously learned
• Academically engaging

14
Moving to Centers

• At the beginning of the year practice the routine
  of moving with the students
• Role play how to ask for help
• Three before me
• Exit slips
• Students complete a half sheet of paper that
  contains a rubric for self-evaluation
• Attach to completed work

15
Activities

• All activities should be previously learned
• Use new words for word sort
• Extend word activities into writing activities
• Academically engaging
• As much fun as cutting out boots and pasting on
  glitter might be to the students, it is not
  instructionally relevant.

16
Other Guidelines

• Make literacy stations an important part of
  learning each day not something to do when
  everything is finished.
• Have no more than two or three work stations.
• Stations are always the same!!!!!!
• Less is more!!!!!
• Dont have to be cute, just well thought out.

17
Instructional Delivery

• Well organized
• Task oriented
• Explicit
• Reduces practice of errors
• Demonstration, guided practice
• with prompts, and feedback

18
Instructional Delivery

• Classroom is well organized.
• Desks are arranged so that all students are in
  the teacher's instructional zone.
• Instruction is explicit (no guess work).
  Students know what and why.
• All students are being engaged in instruction.
• No students are on the peripheral only marginally
  participating.
• No students are sitting alone confused.
• No student has been written off.

19
Time Matters

• This means
• Allocating more time to reading is only a first
  step.
• Carefully choosing instructional materials and
  activities based on what research suggests is
  most effective.
• Reducing down time and related activities time.

20
Focus on Academics

• Engaged Time
• Critical Factor
• Time students actually spend performing an
  academic task
• Students are sitting alone doing things they
  dont understand

• Increasing Engagement
• Doesnt have to be cute!
• Unison responses
• Partner Activities
• Peer Tutoring
• Cooperative Learning

21
Grouping Patterns

• Teachers who get the best outcomes use multiple
  grouping patterns to accommodate students
  academic diversity.
• Whole Group
• Small Group
• Peer pairing
• Cooperative projects
• Dependent on the the activity and student ability
• Eye on increasing active engagement.

22
Grouping Practices
23
Daily Small Group Lessons

• Can include multiple tracks.
• Each track will be visited for only a brief time.
• Amount of new information should be reduced.
• Most of each lesson should be review and
  generalization.

24
The Differentiated Classroom

• Look for
• Routines
• How classrooms are arranged to facilitate
  differentiation
• How teachers use many techniques for increasing
  academic engagement during both teacher directed
  and student directed instruction 

25
Teacher-Directed
Student-Directed

• Clear expectations for student behavior
• Clear academic objectives
• Read, write, discuss, and practice critical
  skills
• Multiple and varied opportunities to practice
• Interactive
• Engaging
• Differentiated

• Gives immediate and specific feedback
• Reteaches as necessary
• Teaches to mastery

• Read, write, discuss, and practice critical
  skills independently
• Accountable for their own learning

26
Grouping Arrangements

• Teacher-Directed
• Whole group
• Small group
• Same Ability
• Mixed Ability
• Individual

• Student-Directed
• Work stations
• Peer activities
• Collaborative groups
• Independent work

27
Increasing Academic Engagement During
Teacher-Directed Instruction

• Increase every students opportunity to respond
  to the teacher.
• Use techniques other than calling on one student
  at time.

28
TechniquesCheck for Understanding

1. Everybody Questions
2. Thumbs-Up, Thumbs-Down
3. Use of White Boards
4. Response Cards

29
Academic Engagement During Student-Directed
Instruction

• Work stations
• Computers
• Peer-assisted learning
• Collaborative group routines

30
Work Stations

• A work station is not always completed in a
  special location in the room.
• Most stations can be completed at students
  desks.
• Some stations will need to be completed somewhere
  else in the room.

31
What about the students with whom the teacher is
not working?

• Want to see lowest students getting double
  dose.
• Instructional routines for the students who are
  not being taught directly by the teacher.
• Every student knows routines.
• Objectives support other aspects of instruction.
• Students are partnered.
• Students are reading and discussing text
  selection following specific routines.
• Should be active, but not a zoo!

32
Peer Partners

• All students in class are paired with peers.
• Partners should be different learner types.
• Those needing more intense reading instruction
  paired with typical readers
• Typical readers paired with advanced readers

33
Peer Pairing Scheme

• Rank-order your students in terms of reading
  skill.
• Split them in half (more skilled half and less
  skilled half).

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student
5 Student 6 Student 7 Student 8 Student 9 Student
10 Student 11 Student 12
Student 13 Student 14 Student 15 Student 16
Student 17 Student 18 Student 19 Student
20 Student 21 Student 21 Student 23 Student 24
34
Peer Pairing Scheme

• Pair the top-ranked student in the more skilled
  half with the top-ranked student in the less
  skilled half.
• Continue this process until all of your students
  have partners.
• Consider individual needs and personalities.

35
Other ImportantGuidelines for Pairings

1. Reassign partners every four to five weeks.
2. Do not change partners in response to student
   requests or complaints

36
Review of What We Learned

• In this section you learned
• how to plan differentiated instruction using
  student assessment data,
• how to use flexible grouping arrangements,
• techniques to increase academic engagement during
  both teacher directed and student directed
  instruction,
• how to arrange your classroom to facilitate
  differentiated instruction.

37
Reflections on Effective Differentiated
Instruction

• Currently Do

• New Techniques

Pledge I commit to implementing the following 2
new techniques in my classroom___________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________ Signature______________
_______
38
Remember...

• Most reading difficulties can be prevented.
• To provide targeted student instruction, student
  progress must be assessed and evaluated
  continually.
• You are the best intervention strategy your
  students have.
• (Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998)