Flexible Grouping Enhances Core Reading Selection -Linda Lane

What’s the objective? Grouping students for success depends upon lesson objectives. Grouping students for success depends upon lesson objectives. Skills based lessons Skills based lessons Comprehension based lessons Comprehension based lessons

Considerations Students’ conditions for success: Students’ conditions for success: Reading level Reading level Skill level Skill level Independence level Independence level Personality types Personality types Creating a safe working environment for all Creating a safe working environment for all

Grouping Options Homogeneous or Heterogeneous-depends on your objective Homogeneous or Heterogeneous-depends on your objective Whole group Whole group Small group Small group Partnerships Partnerships Key-groups are flexible and change as students grow Key-groups are flexible and change as students grow Grouping options can change within one lesson or across consecutive lessons. Grouping options can change within one lesson or across consecutive lessons.

How can grouping help our students become active, independent readers of the core weekly story? Students who require support, will flourish with teacher or peer support. Students who require support, will flourish with teacher or peer support. Students who are independent learners will appreciate the added independence. Students who are independent learners will appreciate the added independence. Students will practice and apply reading strategies to create meaning. Students will practice and apply reading strategies to create meaning. Students will enjoy reading the rich literature Reading Streets provides. Students will enjoy reading the rich literature Reading Streets provides.

Grouping Strategy Rank students from highest to lowest using STAR Reading data Rank students from highest to lowest using STAR Reading data Place students on grid-redo grid after each STAR testing Place students on grid-redo grid after each STAR testing Horizontally-small homogeneous groups Horizontally-small homogeneous groups Partners- every other row or two ex: 1 with 7 or 10, etc.-gives students enough support to be successful Partners- every other row or two ex: 1 with 7 or 10, etc.-gives students enough support to be successful Make considerations for positive student partnerships Make considerations for positive student partnerships

Grouping Grid

How can I apply grouping to the weekly core story? Pre-reading Whole Group Pre-reading Whole Group Build Concepts Build Concepts Teach Skill and Strategy Teach Skill and Strategy Use read aloud to model your thinking-show students how to apply skill and strategy Use read aloud to model your thinking-show students how to apply skill and strategy Involve students in applying skill and strategy with skill/strategy selection Involve students in applying skill and strategy with skill/strategy selection Build Background Knowledge Build Background Knowledge Vocabulary Development Vocabulary Development

During Reading-Small groups and partners During Reading-Small groups and partners Partners read and respond to selection-work together to support one another Partners read and respond to selection-work together to support one another Small group working with teacher to read and respond to selection-guided practice/modeling as needed Small group working with teacher to read and respond to selection-guided practice/modeling as needed Teacher choice-entire selection/half Teacher choice-entire selection/half Align student response to skill and strategy of the week Align student response to skill and strategy of the week

After Reading-Small heterogeneous groups After Reading-Small heterogeneous groups Discussion Circles guided by question sticks Discussion Circles guided by question sticks Sharing reading responses Sharing reading responses Task cards to insure all participate Task cards to insure all participate

What happens when my support group isn’t quite ready for after reading work, but everyone else is? Extensionactivities that truly extend learning Extension activities that truly extend learning HOT Schools strategies-integrate the arts HOT Schools strategies-integrate the arts Fluency-reread parts of text, capture the character’s voice, poems, readers theater Fluency-reread parts of text, capture the character’s voice, poems, readers theater Read companion leveled reader Read companion leveled reader Read companion selection Read companion selection

Make an Extension Activities Chart List Describe Write Question Predict/Rate Create Vocabulary Characters Setting Problem/ Solution Genre Author Word Work Connection

What Makes It All Work? Consistent routines Consistent routines Explicit expectations Explicit expectations Redo grid to form groups as children grow Redo grid to form groups as children grow Different weekly partners Different weekly partners

Resources Ford, M.P. (2005). Differentiation through flexible grouping: successfully reaching all readers. IL: Learning Point Associates. Paratore, J. Grouping for instruction in literacy: what works and what doesn’t. IL: Pearson Education, Inc. Pavelka, P. (2009). Differentiating instruction in a whole-group setting. CT: Husky Trail Press LLC.