1. Planning Differentiated Instruction Sharon Walpole University of Delaware Michael C. McKenna University of Virginia

2. RAND Model of reading Reading comprehension is our goal. It involves extraction of ideas from text and construction of ideas in the head of the reader. It is influenced by characteristics of the reader, the text, the activity, and the context in which it happens. http://www.rand.org/multi/achievementforall/reading/readreport.html

3. Stage models of reading When children are acquiring literacy – developing the skills necessary for reading comprehension – they tend to move through stages in which their focus is very different. All along, during each stage, they are developing oral language skills. Oral Language Fluency Alphabet Knowledge Phonemic Awareness

4. Start thinking... If you were trapped on a desert island until you could come up with an ideal reading program for your school, what would it include? To what extent does your current program include these things? If there are missing elements, why don’t you think the designers included them?

5. Overview Define differentiation Describe instructional tiers Propose instructional diets and groupings Introduce a planning process

6. “At its most basic level, differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to variance among learners in the classroom. Whenever a teacher reaches out to an individual or small group to vary his or her teaching in order to create the best learning experience possible, that teacher is differentiating instruction.” Carol Ann Tomlinson, Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest. http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-2/elementary.html

8. Defining Differentiation (adapted from Tomlinson) ContentWhat a student needs to learn ProcessActivities and instruction to accomplish that learning ProductEvidence to demonstrate that learning Learning Environment Procedures and opportunities for support and collaboration

9. Let’s think it through You’ve read aloud a piece of children’s literature to develop vocabulary and comprehension. How could you differentiate for students on or above grade level, just below grade level, and well below grade level? Would you choose to differentiate content, process, product, and/or learning environment? Why?

10. Let’s think it through Make it more complex. You have a class of 20 students and a well-designed core reading program. Your goal is to develop at least grade- level competence in decoding, fluency, and comprehension. How could you differentiate for students on or above grade level, just below grade level, and well below grade level? Would you choose to differentiate content, process, product, and/or learning environment? Why?

11. Researchers have long tried to focus differentiation for reading “Balanced reading” was a critical concept in literacy history. It curricularized differentiation as one part of reading instruction. Teachers read aloud from children’s literature, engaged in shared reading from big books and posters, formed flexible groups for guided reading of little books and leveled books, and finally provided time for independent reading from a wide range of materials.

12. Guided reading … “takes advantage of social support and allows the teacher to operate efficiently, to work with the tension between ease and challenge that is necessary to support readers’ moving forward in their learning.” (p. 6) Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (1996). Guided reading: Good first teaching for all children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

14. Defining Differentiation (Fountas and Pinnell) PlanningForm groups based on fluency. Choose a text for each group. Before Reading Introduce the text. Conduct a picture walk to develop comprehension. During Reading Listen and take notes about strategy use. Discuss the story. Confirm and support problem-solving for words. After Reading Discuss, respond to the story. Assess understanding.

15. Let’s think it through You have first graders, 12 of whom have been identified as at-risk in the area of decoding by your screening assessment. How would a guided reading format support their development? What would you gain by planning guided reading for all of them? What would you lose by planning guided reading for all of them?

16. This text was dedicated specifically to coaches and teachers in Georgia. It is derived from challenges and lessons in implementing Reading First.

17. Differentiation is “instruction that helps [children] accomplish challenging tasks that are just out of their reach” “instruction that targets a particular group of children’s needs directly and temporarily” “instruction that applies a developmental model” Walpole, S., & McKenna, M. C. (2007). Differentiated reading instruction: Strategies for the primary grades. New York: Guilford Press.

18. The concept of three tiers of instruction The 3-tier model (University of Texas System/Texas Education Agency, 2005) is a general framework — and just a framework — for explaining how any research-based program can be executed in a school. ( http://www.texasreading.org/utcrla/materials/3tier_letter.asp ) Sharon Vaughn

19. Tier I: Core Classroom Reading Instruction 1. A core reading program grounded in scientifically based reading research 2. Benchmark testing of all kindergarten through third-grade students to determine instructional needs at least three times per year (fall, winter, and spring) 3. Ongoing professional development to provide teachers with the necessary tools to ensure that every student receives quality reading instruction

20. Tier II: Supplemental Instruction For some students, core classroom reading instruction is not enough. Tier II is designed to meet the needs of these students by providing them with additional small-group reading instruction daily.

21. Tier III: Instruction for Intensive Intervention A small percentage of students require more support in acquiring vital reading skills than Tier II instruction can provide. For these students, Tier III provides instruction that is more explicit, more intensive, and specifically designed to meet their individual needs.

22. In Georgia Reading First All students should have access to both Tier I and Tier II instruction during the 135- minute block Our ideal is that all students have small-group differentiated instruction every day Tier III instruction (Intensive Intervention) occurs outside the block and is reserved for those students for whom Tiers I and II are not working

23. Do children come in tiers, too? Think about last year’s instruction. How well did your strongest students do? How well did your middle group do? How well did your struggling students do?

24. It may be hard to accept, but the results you’re getting are the results you’re supposed to be getting. In other words, whatever you are doing right now is bringing you the results you are getting right now... Change what you are doing and you can change your results. Pretty simple really. Vitale, J. (2006). Life's missing instruction manual : The guidebook you should have been given at birth. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

25. I define insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results. – Einstein

26. Our state-level data indicate that we are not yet meeting the needs of all students; our school visits indicate that differentiated instruction is not yet fully realized.

27. Setting the stage for differentiation requires careful analysis of the core.

28. Decide what to teach when. We are more likely to achieve improvements in vocabulary and comprehension for K and 1st grade during whole-group read-alouds, using both core selections and children’s literature. We can introduce and practice phonemic awareness and phonics concepts during whole group, but we’re more likely to achieve mastery during small-group time.

29. Decide what to teach when. We are more likely to achieve improvements in fluency and comprehension in 2nd and 3rd grade if we introduce them in whole- group and practice in small-group time. We can introduce word recognition concepts during whole-group time, but we will likely achieve mastery only during small-group time. What do we have to do to accomplish this?

30. Make more time for small groups. Literacy coaches and grade-level teams must determine exactly how to use the core program Sort core instructional components from extension and enrichment activities Moderate and control instructional pacing so that early introductions and reviews are fast What do we have to do to accomplish this?

31. Make a very simple centers rotation. Look for materials already in the core. Consider daily paired readings and rereadings. Consider a daily activity linked directly to your read-aloud. Your children can write in response to that text every day. Make your centers coherent! They are not babysitting stations but tools to reinforce and extend what you teach. Consider a daily activity linked directly to your small-group instruction. Your children can practice the things you’ve introduced. What do we have to do to accomplish this?

32. Considerations for K Centers Strategic and intensive children are struggling with LNF Computer station? Letters for distributed practice at home? Only half the children are established with ISF. Only 5 children are low risk for PSF Picture sorts Pictures to say and spell

33. Considerations for 1st-grade Centers Fluency: Paired rereading of old stories Paired reading of additional texts (benchmark) Phonics: Picture sorts, word sorts Spelling for sounds Vocabulary/Comprehension: Listening station

34. Considerations for 2nd-grade Centers Fluency: Assisted fluency work for intensive Paired rereading of old stories for strategic Paired reading of additional texts for benchmark Phonics: First grade materials? Intervention materials? Practice with core vocabulary Vocabulary/Comprehension: Listening station with retelling sheet (intensive) Leveled books and expository texts with retelling sheets (strategic and benchmark)

35. Considerations for 3rd-grade Centers Fluency: Assisted fluency work for intensive Paired rereading of old stories for strategic Paired reading of additional texts for benchmark Phonics: First grade materials? Intervention materials? Practice with core vocabulary Vocabulary/Comprehension: Listening station with retelling sheet (intensive) Leveled books and expository texts with retelling sheets (strategic and benchmark)

36. Now you have set the stage for differentiated reading instruction. It’s time to plan. 1. Gather your resources. 2. Consider your children’s needs. 3. Try it out.

37. Gather your instructional resources. Remember that time is a resource! Make a daily or weekly schedule for instruction at each grade level. The more collaborative it is, the better. The more specific it is, the better. The more time you reserve for small-group instruction, the better. The more specific you are about the texts for read-alouds, the better.

38. Where’s the teacher? – Walpole & McKenna, The Literacy Coach’s Handbook

39. A Basic Template Whole-Group Instruction Needs-basedCenter or Intervention Center Needs-basedCenter Needs-based Whole-Group Instruction

40. For First Grade, perhaps Whole-Group Instruction Vocabulary & Comprehension with Core/Read-Aloud Core PA/Phonics/Fluency Phonics/Fluency Intervention Comprehension Center Comprehension Center Core PA/Phonics/Fluency Fluency Center Comprehension Center Core PA/Phonics/Fluency Whole-Group Instruction: WR and Fluency with Core/Shared Reading

41. Gather your instructional resources. Summarize, in list form, the scope and sequence of instruction at each grade level. What order for letter names? What order for letter sounds? What order for letter patterns? What order for high-frequency words? What order for comprehension skills and strategies?

42. Gather your instructional resources. Examine ALL assessments that are designed as part of your core; they would be useful to test the extent to which your children are keeping pace with the pace of the core. Make decisions about exactly which assessments to use, for which children, and when. Make decisions about exactly which assessments to omit and why.

43. Gather your instructional resources. Once you know what assessments you have in your core, gather others together from your professional books; we proposed a checklist Walpole, S., & McKenna, M. C. (2006). The role of informal reading inventories in assessing word recognition. The Reading Teacher, 59, 592-594.

44. Make an assessment toolkit. For phonemic awareness A test of phonological awareness levels (e.g., syllable, onset-rime, phoneme) A test of phoneme segmentation

45. Make an assessment toolkit. Alphabetic principle Letter name inventory Letter sound inventory Phonics inventory Pseudoword decoding test Spelling inventory

46. Make an assessment toolkit. Word recognition High-frequency word reading test High-frequency word spelling test Graded word lists

47. Make an assessment toolkit. Fluency Set of graded passages Norms for reading rate Prosody rubric

48. Monitor Student Progress: Words Correct per Minute GradeSpring Benchmarks Rasinski (2003) DIBELS ORF GPSHasbrouck & Tindal (2005) (50th percentile rank) 160406053 29490 89 3114110120107 4118123 5128139 6145150 7167150 8171151

49. Make an assessment toolkit. Comprehension Retelling rubrics for narratives and information texts Passages with comprehension questions

50. Consider your children’s needs. Given your screening data, you will know that some portion of children are likely at benchmark, some are just below grade level, and some are well below grade level. For children at benchmark, you can decide to focus small-group time on fluency and comprehension or on vocabulary and comprehension. Only the below-grade-level children need additional assessments.

51. McKenna, M. C., & Walpole, S. (2005). How well does assessment inform our reading instruction? The Reading Teacher, 59, 84-86.

52. Word Recognition Deficit Revealed by Screening Next Steps … Oral Reading Fluency Screen in phonics If there is a problem in phonics, do not group for fluency Screen for sight vocabulary If there is a problem with sight vocabulary, do not group for fluency If phonics and sight vocabulary are adequate, provide needs-based fluency instruction. Walpole & McKenna, 2007, p. 27

53. Word Recognition, continued Deficit Revealed by Screening Next Steps … Sight Vocabulary Screen in phonics Plan needs-based sight word instruction based on words inventoried Phonics Screen in phonological awareness If there is a problem in phonological awareness, do not group for phonics. Give phonics inventory to determine specific deficits Provide targeted phonics instruction Phonological Awareness Give a phonological awareness inventory Use the inventory to determine level of awareness Provide instruction designed to bring student to next level.

54. Sample Cases Involving Word Recognition Let’s look at some cases that illustrate the Cognitive Model in the area of word recognition. Don’t make them too complicated! They are simply intended to lead you quickly through the process of determining a child’s instructional needs.

55. Case 1: Adam  Beginning grade 2  Fall ORF is strategic  Model suggests you screen in phonics  Fall NWF is strategic  Fry Inventory: Adam knows nearly all  What additional assessment/s should be administered?  What should be the instructional focus?

56. Case 2: Eve  Beginning grade 2  Fall ORF is intensive  Model suggests you screen in phonics  Fall NWF is benchmark  Fry Inventory: Eve knows about half  What should be the instructional focus?  What additional assessment/s should be administered?

57. Case 3: Ryan  Beginning grade 2  Fall ORF is strategic  Model suggests you screen in phonics  Fall NWF is intensive  Fry Inventory: Ryan knows only 100  What additional assessment/s should be administered?  What should be the instructional focus?

58. Case 4: Peg  Beginning grade 2  Fall ORF is Strategic  Model suggests you screen in phonics  Fall NWF is Benchmark  Fry Inventory: Peg knows nearly all 300  What should be the instructional focus?  What additional assessment/s should be administered?

59. Case 5: Latrelle  Beginning grade 1  Fry Inventory: Latrelle knows only 3  Fall NWF is Benchmark  Do you need to consider PA results?  What should be the instructional focus?  What additional assessment/s should be administered?

60. Case 6: Demetrius  Beginning grade 1  Fry Inventory: Demetrius knows 100  Fall NWF is Intensive  Fall PSF is Benchmark  What should be the instructional focus?  What additional assessment/s should be administered?

61. Case 7: Pam  Beginning grade 1  Fry Inventory: Pam knows 200  Fall NWF is Intensive  Fall PSF is Strategic  What should be the instructional focus?  What additional assessment/s should be administered?

62. Case 8: Jeff  Beginning grade 1  Fry Inventory: Jeff knows 150  Fall NWF is Benchmark  Fall PSF is Intensive  Is this really possible since PA is required for phonics learning?  What would you do?

63. Consider your children’s needs. Make instructional groups. Differentiated groups will not be of equal size – they will have similar needs. Your benchmark children may constitute one group. Make additional groups with similar needs, based on your new data.

64. Consider your children’s needs. Using the Cognitive Model of Reading Instruction (McKenna & Stahl, 2003), choose your focus for each group: Phonemic awareness and phonics Phonics and fluency Fluency and comprehension Vocabulary and comprehension

65. Phonemic awareness and word recognition. These children still need to work on learning letter names and sounds, and they are not yet able to segment phonemes automatically. They will work on coordinated activities to manipulate phonemes, learn new letters and sounds and review letters previously taught. They will work with letters and words during small- group time.

66. Word recognition and fluency These children still need to work on decoding, but they can segment and blend phonemes to read some words. They will work on coordinated activities to learn new letter patterns and review patterns previously taught. They will work with words and with phonic- focused texts during small-group time.

67. Fluency and comprehension These children have relatively few decoding problems, but they lack automaticity. They will work in a repeated reading format; they may review particularly challenging words (for their pronunciation or their meaning), but they will use most of their time reading and rereading challenging leveled texts and discussing text meaning.

68. Vocabulary and comprehension These children are at grade level in the areas of decoding and fluency. They will extend what they know into new texts and new text types. They will write in response to reading.

69. Consider your children’s needs. Choose instructional strategies from the scientific literature in each of the two target areas for each group. These strategies should be simple to implement repetitively. These strategies should be adequate to use for daily instruction for three weeks.

70. Consider your children’s needs. Plan three week’s instruction for each of your groups. Gather manipulatives. Make word lists. Select texts.

71. Try it out! If you are going to differentiate, you have to be flexible. Make a plan and give it time to unfold. Evaluate your own implementation of the plan. Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan in addressing the needs of each child in each group. Start again for another three weeks!

72. The Big Picture It is essential to keep the big picture in mind as you plan for small groups. The following slides show how small-group planning is nested within your overall planning for the block. These examples come from Differentiated Reading Instruction.

73. Walpole & McKenna (2007). Differentiated reading instruction: Strategies for the primary grades. New York: Guilford.

75. Walpole & McKenna (2007). Differentiated reading instruction: Strategies for the primary grades. New York: Guilford.

76. Walpole & McKenna (2007). Differentiated reading instruction: Strategies for the primary grades. New York: Guilford.

77. Our goal We have designed this year’s professional development plan so that coaches work with teachers to increase the effectiveness of differentiated instruction. We will provide you guidance and activities; you need to make time for planning and implementing these small groups.

78. References Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (1996). Guided reading: Good first teaching for all children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. McKenna, M. C., & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Assessment for reading instruction. New York: Guilford. McKenna, M. C., & Walpole, S. (2005). How well does assessment inform our reading instruction? The Reading Teacher, 59, 84-86. RAND Reading Study Group. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading comprehension. Santa Monica CA: RAND. (Downloadable at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1465/) Tomlinson, C. A. (2004). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Tomlinson, C. A. (2001-02). Differentiation of instruction in the elementary grades. ERIC Digest. (http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-2/elementary.html) Vitale, J. (2006). Life's missing instruction manual : The guidebook you should have been given at birth. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Walpole, S., & McKenna, M. C. (2007). Differentiated reading instruction: Strategies for the primary grades. New York: Guilford. Walpole, S., & McKenna, M. C. (2006). The role of informal reading inventories in assessing word recognition. The Reading Teacher, 59, 592- 594.