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Using Literacy Levels to Differentiate by Readiness January Institute Day 2013 Allison Doyle
Using Literacy Levels to Differentiate by Readiness
January Institute Day 2013
Allison Doyle
The view from their desk…
You have three minutes to read the section and answer the questions that follow.
GO!
Activity Experiences
First Thoughts
?Reactions
?Purpose?
Today’s Objectives:
I will be able to: Explain the purpose and
benefits of differentiating by readiness.
Identify the literacy levels of my students.
Create readiness groups using student literacy levels.
Identify and create instructional activities that are appropriate for each of your readiness group.
Agenda: The What, How, &
Why of DI by readiness
Strategies & Application
Your turn! Time to plan a lesson/assessment that uses literacy levels to DI by readiness
What is Readiness?
“Current knowledge, understanding, and skill level a student has related to a particular sequence of learning” (Tomlinson & Strickland 6).
Readiness is influenced by a student’s prior learning and life experiences, attitudes about school, and habits of mind (Tomlinson 3).
Readiness, NOT ability!
For more information and examples, see pages 1-8 in your packet.
Purpose of Differentiating by Readiness
Why? To appropriately
challenge ALL learners
Goal: “Make the work a
little too difficult for students at a given point in their growth- and then to provide the support they need to succeed at a new level of challenge” (Tomlinson & Strickland 6).
Challenge is necessary for growth!
Zone of Proximal Development
The Zone of What?!
Possible Anxiety
Possible Boredom
For more information and examples, see pages 5-6 in your packet.
When we differentiate by readiness, we should consider
The students’:Knowledge, understanding, and skill
with the topic“Attitude (toward school & topic)Experience with the topic (outside of
school or previous courses)Preconceptions about the topicOvergeneralizations about the topicGeneral communication, thinking, &
reasoning skills”http://www.foridahoteachers.org/differentiation_framework.htm
Pre-Assessment In-Class /Formative
Assessment (During the Unit) White Boards Knowledge Rating Chart KWL
Homework Assignment Entrance & Exit Slips
• Explore, Plan, ACT(EPAS Data)
• Read 180
• AIMS Web Data
• NWEA Map Data
• Aleks Data
• Formal Educational Testing
Things all teachers can do to obtain information:
Formal Assessments that can provide information:
Ways to get the information you need to differentiate by Readiness
http://www.foridahoteachers.org/differentiation_framework.htm
LT gives those tests…but how do I access the scores?
Infinite Campus (individual students)
Decision Ed (whole class) Same as above, but can access spreadsheets of entire classes (we know-amazing!)I wish they’d
tell us how to find that information!
Wish Granted.
Infinite Campus *Instructions are on page 8-no need to write anything *
What you’ll see…
Accessing Decision Ed to see class reading levels *Instructions are on page 8-no need to write anything *
What you’ll see…
Ok…now what?
Tiering: A Method of Differentiating by Readiness
“Tiering is a process of adjusting the degree of difficulty of a question, task, or product to match a student’s current readiness level.”
Strickland, A Strategy for Readiness Differentiation
To Tier an Assignment:1) Determine the KUD
statement2) Identify the readiness
ranges relative to the KUD goals
3) Create an activity that is engaging & rigorous
4) Replicate the activity to address differences in readiness• Use similar knowledge &
skills• Yields the same
understanding5) Use assessment data to
match the task to the student
Strickland, A Strategy for Readiness Differentiation
For more information and examples, see pages 9-32 in your packet.
Purpose of Tiered Activities
Working too far above students’ readiness level will not lead to growth, only frustration
Working too far below students’ readiness level will not lead to growth, only boredom
p.29-31/p.89 in unit plan/p.95 in unit plan
The GameEveryone wants to play the game.In order for me to play it, the game has to start where I am.In order to continue playing it, the game has to grow as fast as I do.If that doesn’t happen, I won’t play the game.
Tiering in a Nutshell
“…it is critical during a unit to find a way to teach to a learner’s need rather than only to an imaginary whole-class readiness” (Tomlinson 84).
Students work in a variety of groups Homogeneous Heterogeneous. Interest, Learning Profile, &
Readiness
Create groups that make the most sense given the learning outcome(s) of the lesson.
Flexible Grouping: A Method of Differentiating by Readiness
For more information and examples, see pages 33-48 in your packet.
Flexible Grouping: An exampleFlexible Grouping: An Example
Using students’ literacy levels, arrange the students from highest to lowest performance.
1 2 34 5 67 8 910 11 1213 14 1516 17 18
Homogenous Group: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
Heterogeneous Group: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18
Example in Handout
For more information and examples, see page 36 in your packet.
Use small group instruction as a regular part of instructional cycles. (Tomlinson p. 84)
Mini-lessons or mini-workshops on particular skills are a useful tool when differentiating.
Teacher quickly convenes an instructional group based on observation of need. The entire class does not need
to hear the same information!
Small Group Instruction: A Method of Differentiating by Readiness
Classroom Management Tips
Set clear procedures for group time Student agreements Transition expectations Material management
procedures Anchor activities
A task to which a student automatically moves when an assigned task is finished
Anchor Activities for literature Bingo
Directions: If you are finished with a class assignment or are ahead in your reading, work on any of these anchor activity options. If you get a BINGO (5 in a row, any direction), you’ll get a prize!
Write a letter to a pen-pal, friend, relative (About novel, connections, a review, etc.)
Write the prequel to the story/novel. (What happened before we got here?)
Advice column: Write two advice entries for two different characters in the novel. (“Dear Abby” style)
Recipe for _____________ (What does a character need to do to reach a goal/avoid an outcome?
Email your teacher (Connections, a review, whether or not s/he should keep teaching it, etc.)
Write a newspaper article (The 5 W’s & H of an event or character in the novel)
Write the rules for a game (Board game or video game)
Create an advertisement (For the novel, movie, or a place in the novel)
M.V.P. defense (Choose the most valuable passage in the novel and defend your choice).
Create a Facebook page of a character Include profile, “likes,” statuses, character wall posts, etc.
Decorate and write a thank you card from one character to another (For being there, for tough love-whatever!)
Write a Twitter Feed 140 characters or less! What would a character tweet? Who would follow? RT?
FREE SPACE
Write a poem (You choose! Character, topic, POV…)
Interview a character (Write the questions and answers & comments)
Most Important Word (Choose the most important word in the novel and defend your choice).
Write a skit or a scene (You choose! Character(s), topic, something that didn’t happen but could/should have…)
“You know what grinds my gears…” (Family Guy: What really got you angry/worked up while reading the text? Why?)
Create a collage (You choose! Character(s), topic, POV, events in the story…)
Dear Diary… (Write two diary entries from the POV of a character)
Write directions from one place to another for someone that hasn’t read the book.
Top 15 words to know Create a study method for someone that hasn’t read the book
Create a cartoon or comic strip (You choose! Character(s), topic, something that didn’t happen but could/should have…)
Rewrite a section of the novel (Have a character make a different decision)
Design a web page (For the novel, movie, or a place in the novel)
For more information and examples, see pages 42-48 in your packet.
But how can I give (& assess) different assignments?
Focus on the KUD no matter what level the activity is designed at!
Teacher observations, checklists, rubrics can all be based on a scale from 1-4
To what extent do the students demonstrate that they…
For more information and examples, see pages 59-62 in your packet.
It’s your turn!Imagine that you’ve placed your “students” into
three groups based on literacy levels.
1. Create a KUD for a unit/lesson/activity that your team teaches
ORUse the KUD that you created with your team earlier today!
2. Use the graphic organizer to plan a lesson based on your KUD. WHAT WILL EACH GROUP DO?!
3. Insider note: TYPICALLY, the KUD has to be the same… BUT with readiness, the U stays the same, You can alter the K and the D!
Today’s Objectives:
I will be able to: Explain the purpose and benefits
of differentiating by readiness. Identify the literacy levels of my
students. Create readiness groups using
student literacy levels. Identify and create instructional
activities that are appropriate for each of your readiness group.
I get it! I’m excited! (Now what?)
Realistic goals Ask reading specialists in the
building for help! (There is a list in your packet on
page 49). Use resources for leveled
readings (lexile.com) Try something out!
For more information and examples, see pages 49-62 & the full unit plan at the end of your packet.
References:Ford, M.P. (2005). Differentation Through Flexible Grouping:
Successfully Reaching All Readers. Learning Point Associates: Naperville, Illinois.
Strickland, C.A. (2011). Differentiation of instruction at the high school level. ASCD: Alexandria, Virginia.
Tomlinson, C.A. & Strickland, C. A. (2005). Differentiation in practice: A resource guide for differentiating curriculum – Grades 9-12. ASCD: Alexandria, Virginia.
(2007). Tools for high quality: Differentiated instruction. ASCD, 12.
(2012). LTHS professional learning communities glossary. LTHS: LaGrange, IL.
http://www.act.org/standard/planact/reading/index.htmlhttp://www.derry.k12.nh.us/dvs/staff/cmccallum/differentiation/tiered.pdfhttp://www.foridahoteachers.org/differentiation_framework.htmhttp://www.lexile.com/analyzer
Thank you for attending!
