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Reading First in Georgia: A professional development system to improve differentiated instruction. Georgia Reading First Team. Overall Goals:. Share the vision for differentiated instruction that we’ve developed together
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Reading First in Georgia: A professional development system to improve differentiated instruction Georgia Reading First Team
Overall Goals: Share the vision for differentiated instruction that we’ve developed together Introduce large-scale professional support initiatives to serve multiple stakeholders Invite you to talk with a member of our team
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
Approaches to Differentiation By instructional level By fluency level By assessed needs
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
Approaches to Differentiation By instructional level By fluency level By assessed needs
Approaches to Differentiation • Differentiation by leveled books • Decoding skills not a target • Fountas & Pinnell By instructional level By fluency level By assessed needs
Approaches to Differentiation By instructional level By fluency level By assessed needs
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
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.
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. (http://www.texasreading.org/utcrla/materials/3tier_letter.asp)
Tier I: Core Classroom Reading Instruction A core reading program grounded in scientifically based reading research Benchmark testing of all kindergarten through third-grade students to determine instructional needs at least three times per year (fall, winter, and spring) Ongoing professional development to provide teachers with the necessary tools to ensure every student receives quality reading instruction
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.
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.
Setting the stage for differentiation requires careful analysis of the curriculum.
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.
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.
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
Make a very simple centers rotation Look for materials already in the core. Consider daily paired readings and re-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.
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.
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
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
Consider your children’s needs Using the Cognitive Model of Reading Assessment (McKenna and Stahl, 2003) choose your two-part focus for each group: • Phonemic awareness and phonics • Phonics and fluency • Fluency and comprehension • Vocabulary and comprehension
A Stairway to Proficiency Vocabulary & Comprehension Fluency and Comprehension Word Recognition and Fluency PA and Word Recognition
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
Phonemic Awareness and Word Recognition Group
Phonemic Awareness and Word Recognition Group 2
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 letter patterns and review patterns previously taught They will work with words and with phonics-focused texts during small-group time
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
Fluency and Comprehension Group
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
Take a minute -- how does this differ from differentiated instruction in your school?
Vision Leaders see themselves as the catalyst of support for all educators in their project. Leaders look upon assessment as the key to improvement. Leaders understand the need for collegiality among staff in their building–and they participate. Leaders take on the responsibility of student achievement and encourage project implementation and development.
Strategies Administration agreed to participate in professional learning as assured in the approved state grant application. Administration and coaches worked with GARF staff to develop schedules that promote solid project implementation. Principals and system leaders attend “Leadership Forums.” Principals brief and debrief with state staff on their monthly visits.
Lessons Learned Effective GARF programs have a dedicated, strong instructional leader. Principals and APs need to attend professional learning in order to provide support for the coach. State staff must view their role as the support to the administration. Steps need to be in place to assist new leaders in taking over the “helm” of an existing project.
Vision • In recognition of research on effective professional development • Literacy Coaches work directly with the teachers in implementation of a research-based literacy program in the school, including best practices in reading instruction, assessment and intervention for struggling students. • “The coach’s school day will be composed of staff development, meetings, and diagnostic testing of identified children…”(From Georgia’s Reading First Grant Proposal, 2003)
Strategies • Literacy Coaches will receive training under direction of PD Architects, Regional Consultants and Georgia Reading First project manager • Literacy Coaches form Cohort Teams to provide instruction in SBRR to teachers in Georgia through Teacher Academies • Literacy Coaches will provide continued support for SBRI in their schools through study groups, explanation, demonstrating and modeling best practices • Literacy Coaches will facilitate monthly assessment meeting identify instructional needs of students.
Lessons Learned • Change is difficult! • Literacy Coach success depends on administrative support and/or consistency; • Professional development is not always re-delivered to coaches and/or teachers consistently; • Literacy Coach must become an expert in curriculum and professional development; • It takes many repetitions and revisits to really implement the strategies suggested by the professional development;
