Florida Center for Reading Research Empowering Teachers Web Resource: Practical Solutions for Everyday Instruction Kimberly Russell Randee Winterbottom Florida Center for Reading Research July 1, 2008

Session Objectives Participants will… Learn to access and navigate the Empowering Teachers Web Resource Become familiar with the content of the Empowering Teachers web Resource Be able to use the Empowering Teachers Web Resource to enhance instructional practices Go over objectives and then turn over to Kim to introduce ET.

If you go to the home page of FCRR (www. fcrr If you go to the home page of FCRR (www.fcrr.org ) and look on the right hand column, you will see a link for Empowering Teachers

Just as an FYI, we are in the process of redesigning the ET website to be a little more user friendly and intuitive as well as more attractive. None of the changes will affect the content it will just have a little different look. We are planning to reorder the left navigational bar so that it is more linear. Right now, if you want to start with background information you have to start with Elements of Instruction At this time I would ask that you ignore your computers and just pay attention up here so we can all stay on the same page. I promise you will have the opportunity to browse this web resource before the end of the presentation. Also, you don’t have every single page of the web site in your handout. We just did screen captures of some of the things we will be highlighting so you can make notes as we go alon.

The first place we are going to look is Elements of Effective Instruction which lays the foundation for the entire ET resource. This graphic provides a nice summary of the elements of effective instruction. On the left of this graphic we see the teacher is forming groups based on the data. Then, depending on identified student needs, the content or the “what” is delivered. Content is presented along continuums of instruction involving different levels of explicitness, modeling, scaffolding, etc. After instruction you then reassess students to determine if the skills taught have been mastered, and based on those results, the process begins again. Remember - that red words are live links – if you click on explicit it will bring you to the next screen. CLICK ON EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION

All the routines were developed using the explicit instruction model. NOTE: You will notice that on some pages it is necessary to scroll to see the entire section.

Kim When I clicked on the Components of Reading heading, it brought me to this graphic. Clicking on any one of these components will bring you to a new web page that explains the component and its importance.

Kim When I clicked on Comprehension from the webpage with the circular graphic, I came to this graphic organizer. This graphic explains what happens when a student reads, and by clicking on any part of this, reader characteristics or cognitive processing etc. , you will find a definition explaining the importance of that concept. If you look at the side bar menu on the left and click on the Layers of Instruction, it will bring you to… (next slide)

This section provides information on 3 of the most common types of assessment used in schools and I’m sure that you are probably quite familiar with them. If someone needed to have background knowledge on any of these you would just click on any of them to get a brief description.

Here we have the layers of instruction Let’s click on Intensive and see where that takes us. Each layer is hot and will take you to a brief narrative for further explication of each layer.

This next section is Assessment and it provides a great deal of detail about this element of effective instruction. We are going to skim through this part of the website because most folks are quite familiar with these types of measures. However; I do want to click on PMRN because this section includes some important information about how to read the various reports.

This section provides an overview of the various reports available from the PMRN and how to interpret them. We used the CLASS STATUS REPORT for the development of the groups we used to illustrate differentiated instruction.

Now let’s look at the ‘How to Differentiate Instruction” section Now let’s look at the ‘How to Differentiate Instruction” section. It provides three descriptions that are essential to understand. The first is the definition of differentiated instruction, the second is when differentiated instruction is implemented, and the third is how differentiated instruction is implemented in the classroom. At the bottom are the various grade levels. Depending on the grade you are interested in, you will find additional information regarding how to form small groups. For each grade level there is a sample class with 4 small groups each. We will highlight this in more detail in the next couple of slides. Click on 1st grade.

After clicking on the first grade symbol at the bottom of the How to Differentiate Instruction page, you will see this image. It illustrates a typical small group formation with instructional targets for the 90-minute reading block. If you want to take a look at the whole class status report you simply click on the red CLASS STATUS REPORT If I click on one of the groups, I will be brought to a screen shot of that group’s data. Click on group 2.

Here is the data for group 2 Here is the data for group 2. Along the bottom of the page are the other groups for me to see along with their data. Click NEXT

I can see narrative about how this small group was formed and the instructional areas that will need to be addressed this group are highlighted. Now I will click on the 90 minute block

This is an overview of the 90 minute reading block summarize what’s here Click next 3 more times These next slides give further detail about the 90 minute block

This is a sample weekly schedule of the 90-minute reading block with 4 groups of students. You will notice that some of these groups are getting more small group instruction than other groups, depending on their level of need. This is to help “accelerate” their learning. Remember this is just a sample class and your timing my vary a little from this example

Kim The next heading we will discuss is “Questions to Guide Instruction”. At this point, we’ve used the data to form our small groups, but how do we know what to work on with each group? By clicking a grade level, you will be taken to a set of guiding questions to help you figure this out. Let’s click on first grade to explore further.

Instructional planning guides and student progress records are also available on this website. Each grade level is organized around the Sunshine State Standards’ learning objectives and linked to the DIBELS measures to help teachers plan whole and small group reading lessons. (Click on one of each to show examples)

Empowering Teachers Web Resource: Practical Solutions for Everyday Instruction Worksheet Sample Question As a principal, you recently hired three new Kindergarten teachers, two have alternative certification and one is a first year teacher. All of these teachers would benefit from more information about the components of reading. Where in the Empowering Teachers website could you refer them to begin conversations to build their capacity? Essentials for Reading Success Components of Reading

Since you are the reading coach, an experienced first grade teacher asked you for support with small group instruction. The teacher said she is trying to pinpoint where she should begin instruction in phonics with one of her small groups. Where in the Empowering Teachers website could you direct her to better identify where she should begin instruction? Questions to Guide Instruction First Grade Questions to Guide Phonics Instruction

2. As a principal, you have done numerous walkthroughs of a particular third grade classroom. Each time you have walked through, the teacher is with a small group and he is providing implicit instruction that is lacking a clear explanation of the targeted skill. You have noticed that two of the students in the group consistently lack understanding of the skills that he is trying to teach. Where in the Empowering Teachers website could you direct this teacher to learn more about instruction? Elements of Effective Instruction Next Next Explicit Instruction

3. You are the reading coach and a second grade team of teachers wants you to help them find an organizational tool to keep track of the phonics skills they are teaching. Where in the Empowering Teachers website could you refer these teachers to find this type of tool? Instructional Planning Guides and Student Progress Records Second Grade Phonics Instructional Planning Guides

4. A kindergarten teacher asks you, her reading coach, to assist her with locating vocabulary instruction for teaching new vocabulary with a small group. The teacher already has a student center activity to use following strong initial instruction. Where in the Empowering Teachers website could you direct this teacher to obtain a lesson for explicit instruction to teach new vocabulary? Instructional Routines Kindergarten and First Grade Kindergarten New Vocabulary

Questions / Concerns?