1. Differentiated Reading Instruction: Strategies for the Primary Grades
Sharon Walpole
Michael C. McKenna

2. Overall Goals: Place differentiation inside the reading program
Consider targeted, temporary differentiation
Commit to improvements

3. Strategies We’ll do some theory building work
We’ll provide models of use of time in small groups
We’ll direct you to additional resources

4. Our Web site
ding/projects/garf

5. Approaches to Differentiation
Informal reading inventories
Traditional basal instruction
Groups move at same pace
Groups are all but permanent
Differentiation is in all areas
Parallel skill “strands” used
By instructional level By fluency level By assessed needs
Conventional basal approach, scope and sequence, mud ducks
Guided reading, not so concerned with comprehension
Our take, we assume whole-class & small-group mix
Small-group is determined by data
Groupings should be flexible and temp.

6. Approaches to Differentiation
Differentiation by leveled books
Decoding skills not a target
Fountas & Pinnell
By instructional level By fluency level By assessed needs
Conventional basal approach, scope and sequence, mud ducks
Guided reading, not so concerned with comprehension
Our take, we assume whole-class & small-group mix
Small-group is determined by data
Groupings should be flexible and temp.

7. Approaches to Differentiation
Assess for differentiation
Screening + diagnostic
Groups are temporary
Groups are flexible
Target areas of greatest need
Goal is “upward mobility”
By instructional level By fluency level By assessed needs
Conventional basal approach, scope and sequence, mud ducks
Guided reading, not so concerned with comprehension
Our take, we assume whole-class & small-group mix
Small-group is determined by data
Groupings should be flexible and temp.

8. 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.
Achievement press
Temporarily!
Developmental we mean predictable stages -- we know where they are headed
Revisit slide

9. Guided Reading and Differentiated Instruction

10. Determining Group Membership
Overall leveled placement assessment, such the DRA
This process ignores the specific skill deficits in the areas of phonological awareness and word recognition
Screening and diagnostic assessments in phonological awareness, phonics, sight words, and/or oral reading fluency.

11. Diagnostic Assessment
Running records are used to analyze oral reading errors (miscues), a practice that has been called into question in light of current views of the reading process.
The cognitive model of reading assessment is used to systematically determine skill needs on the basis of developmental stage theories of reading acquisition.

12. 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
Alphabetic Principle
Phonemic Awareness

13. Three Cuing Systems
Decoding
Syntactic
Context
Semantic
Context

14. We want to move children to the point where they decode first and then use context to select the intended meaning of a word.
We do not want to encourage them to predict the word from context and only “sample” its letters to the extent needed to confirm this prediction.

15. Three Cuing Systems
Decoding
Syntactic
Context
Semantic
Context

16. Instructional Focus Fluency is always the primary focus.
In guided reading, the teacher coordinates reading components (comprehension, word recognition, fluency)
Fluency is the focus
only for grade 1 and above
only if decoding skills are strong.
In differentiated instruction, the teacher isolates reading components to address deficits

17. Fluency
Instruction
Fluency techniques do not proceed from most to least supportive.
Fluency techniques progress from most to least supportive:
Echo reading
Choral reading
Partner reading
Whisper reading

18. Text Types
Predictable books are preferred for beginning readers in order to promote fluency. Such books provide little basis for decoding instruction.
Decodable books are preferred for beginning readers in order to promote decoding in context. Such books provide little basis for comprehension instruction–so there is none.

19. Comprehension Instruction
Comprehension instruction is based on texts at fluency level.
This means that the easiest texts provide very little basis for asking reasonable questions or modeling strategies, but this practice is still encouraged.
In the primary grades, comprehension instruction is based on small-group read-alouds for children who are at benchmark in word recognition.
Comprehension instruction is linked with fluency or vocabulary but not with word recognition instruction.

20. Word Recognition Instruction
Word recognition needs are not systematically addressed during guided reading.
Rather, they are addressed on an as-needed basis.
Word recognition needs are identified through the cognitive model of assessment and are addressed on this basis.

21. Measuring
Progress
Running records are used to determine readiness for the next text level.
Three-week post-assessment focuses on areas targeted by instruction.
The assessment question is whether a child should move to a more advanced focus, remain at current focus, or move to a more basic focus.

22. Measuring
Progress

23. Our focus, then, is different from the focus of Guided Reading
Consider whether this difference is justified for your school, given your current resources and your current level of student achievement

24. Whole-Group Instruction
A Basic Template
Whole-Group Instruction
Lowest Group
Center or Intervention
Center
Middle Group
Highest Group
1st row push in if you have personnel then 1st row = low
if not, 1st row should be middle
Can’t have low with 2 stations in a row
In VA, time may be different due to not necessarily contiguous

25. 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.
( aterials/3tier_letter.asp)

26. 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 every student receives quality reading instruction

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. Setting the stage for differentiation requires careful analysis of the curriculum.

30. 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, both from the core selection and from 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.

31. 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.

32. 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

33. Make a very simple centers rotation
Look for materials already in the core.
Consider daily paired readings and readings.
Consider a daily activity linked directly to your read aloud. Your children can write in response to that text every day.
Consider a daily activity linked directly to your small group instruction. Your children can practice the things you’ve introduced.

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

35. Gather your instructional resources
Review the state standards and the scope and sequence in your instructional materials
Review the state assessments, the district assessments, and any assessments that come with your core; fill in gaps with informal assessments

36. 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

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

38. A Stairway to Proficiency
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Fluency and Comprehension
Word Recognition and Fluency
PA and Word Recognition

39. These Assignments are Temporary!
Challenging
Instruction, not practice
Explicit
Every item modeled;
Clear instructional talk
Engaged
Every pupil response strategies
Systematic
Repetitive instructional strategies each day;
New content each day;
Cumulative review each day

40. Phonemic awareness and phonics
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

41. Every Day for 3 Weeks Phonemic Awareness and Word Rec Group
Alphabet Review
3 Minutes
Initial Sound Sorting
2 New Letter Sounds; Review Old Letter Sounds
2 New HF Words;
Review Old High Frequency Words
Concept of Word
Phonemic Awareness and
Word Rec Group

42. Every Day for 3 Weeks Phonemic Awareness and Word Rec Group 2
Oral Segmenting and Blending
3 Minutes
Short Vowel Patterns
6 Minutes
4 New HF Words;
Review Old High Frequency Words
Phonemic Awareness and
Word Rec Group 2

43. Phonics 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 letters patterns and review patterns previously taught
They will work with words and with phonic-focused texts during small- group time

44. Every Day for 3 Weeks Word Recognition and Fluency Group 1
Decodable text Whisper Reading
3 Minutes
Sounding and Blending
4 Minutes
New HF Words;
Review Old High Frequency Words
Word Recognition and Fluency Group 1

45. Every Day for 3 Weeks Word Recognition and Fluency Group 2
Teaching Letter Patterns
6 Minutes
New HF Words;
Review Old High Frequency Words
3 Minutes
Decodable text Whisper Reading
Word Recognition and Fluency Group 2

46. Fluency and comprehension
These children have relatively few decoding problems, but they lack automaticity
They will work in a guided 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

47. Every Day for 3 Weeks Comprehension Group Fluency and
Preteach Difficult Words
2 Minutes
Choral or Echo Read New Text Portion
5 Minutes
Partner or Whisper Read Same Text Portion
Summary or Inference Questions
3 Minutes
Comprehension Group
Fluency and

50. 50

51. You can serve this group in many other ways too.

55. 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

56. Every Day Vocabulary and Comprehension Group Preteach Vocabulary
3 Minutes
Review Comprehension Strategy
1 Minute
Teacher Read-Aloud or Children Whisper Read
7 Minutes
Comprehension Discussion
4 Minutes
Vocabulary and Comprehension Group

57. In this example, you will role-play K or first-grade students, and I will use a read-aloud format.

66. You can serve this group in many other ways too.

75. Think about it Are you current strategies targeted?
Are they reasonable and repetitive?
Are they designed to be temporary?

76. How to find out more … swalpole@udel.edu mmckenna@virginia.edu