1. Allison Doyle & Tammy Miller
Using Literacy Levels to Differentiate by Readiness October Institute Day 2012
Allison Doyle & Tammy Miller

2. The view from their desk…
You have three minutes to read the section and answer the questions that follow.
GO!
A list of procedures and steps, or a lecture slide with media.

3. Activity Experiences
First Thoughts?
Reactions?
Purpose?

4. Today’s Objectives: Agenda: The What, How, & Why of DI by readiness
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

5. 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!
Introductory notes.
For more information and examples, see pages 1-8 in your packet.

6. 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

7. The Zone of What?! Possible Anxiety Possible Boredom
For more information and examples, see pages 5-6 in your packet.

8. 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 topic
Overgeneralizations about the topic
General communication, thinking, & reasoning skills”

9. Ways to get the information you need to differentiate by Readiness
Things all teachers can do to obtain information:
Formal Assessments that can provide information:
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

10. 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!)
Wish Granted.
I wish they’d tell us how to find that information!

11. Infinite Campus *Instructions are on page 8-no need to write anything * What you’ll see…

12. Accessing Decision Ed to see class reading levels
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?

13. 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:
Determine the KUD statement
Identify the readiness ranges relative to the KUD goals
Create an activity that is engaging & rigorous
Replicate the activity to address differences in readiness
Use similar knowledge & skills
Yields the same understanding
5) 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.

14. Purpose of Tiered Activities
Working too far below students’ readiness level will not lead to growth, only boredom
Working too far above students’ readiness level will not lead to growth, only frustration
p.29-31/p.89 in unit plan/p.95 in unit plan

15. Tiering in a Nutshell The Game Everyone 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.

16. Flexible Grouping: A Method of Differentiating by Readiness
“…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.
For more information and examples, see pages in your packet.

17. Flexible Grouping: An example
For more information and examples, see page 36 in your packet.

18. Small Group Instruction: A Method of Differentiating by Readiness
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!

19. 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
For more information and examples, see pages in your packet.

20. 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 in your packet.

21. 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 OR
Use 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!

22. 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.

23. 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 & the full unit plan at the end of your packet.

24. References: Thank you for attending!
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 ASCD: Alexandria, Virginia. (2007). Tools for high quality: Differentiated instruction. ASCD, 12. (2012). LTHS professional learning communities glossary. LTHS: LaGrange, IL
Thank you for attending!