DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES IN LITERACY: BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE

Ashlei Livingston

WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATION?
Concerns the ways in which teachers tailor the curriculum and pedagogic practices in the unique cognitive and socio-cultural understandings and practice that each child brings to the classroom, while at the same time maintaining group cohesion.
Louden et.al, pg. 225

Am I clear about what matters?

Is the curriculum richconceptually based, QUESTIONS TO ASK meaningful to the learner, and built upon Do I, as a teacher, have a complex ideas?

variety of instructional models and strategies to use in developing, refining, and differentiating the curriculum?

SMALL GROUPS Versus WHOLE GROUP

Literacy Centers Inquiry-based

Minilessons Choice

Interactive

Types of Centers
Reading Center Big Book Center

Developing Literacy Centers

Use activities that have been practiced with the whole class

Listening Center
Reading Plus Listening Center Writing Center ABC Word Study Center

Have clear rules that are reinforced

Active, thinking activities, not worksheets Include 3-6 activities per center

Rotate 1-2 activities per center each week

Limit each center to 4 students Have a monitoring system in place

SAMPLE CENTER MENU

ABC Word Study Center
1. Word Sort (yellow cards) Use the word sort cards and place them on the mat under the title they match with. 1person per sort Use the blue cards and put the words on each card in ABC order. 1 person per bag
Fill in the blanks with the type of word listed. Example, adjective: blue. 2 people per sheet Pick a sheet from the idiom folder. Read the picture, then draw a picture for the idiom. I person per paper.

2. Alphabetical Order (blue cards)

3. Madlibs

4. Draw an Idiom

WHOLE GROUP INSTRUCTION

Challenge Individualization Inclusion Variation Connection

LESSON PLAN CHECKLIST

___ Facilitate learning and development through joint productive activities ___ Access student's prior knowledge and learning ___ Provide teaching and learning activities in the context of the experience and skills of the students ___ Challenge students toward more complex solutions and higher-level thinking in problem-solving ___ Engage students through ongoing verbal dialogue ___ Relate academic content to students' own cultural environment/experiences. ___ Integrate the curriculum so multiple content areas/skills are addressed and reinforced over time and in content ___ Cognitive and academic goals are addressed ___ Students are challenged with high expectations ___ Cultural values/ norms are valued

REFERENCES
Arquette, C. (2007). Multiple activity literacy centers: Promoting choice and learning differentiation. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 35(3), 3-9. Retrieved from http://indianola.pbworks.com/f/25743059.pdf. Hedrick, K. A. (2012). Differentiation: A Strategic Response to Student Needs. Education \Digest: Essential Readings Condensed For Quick Review, 78(4), 31-36. Retrieved from http://www.eddigest.com/.

Hoover, J. J., & Patton, J. R. (2005). Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction for English-Language Learners
with Special Needs. Intervention In School And Clinic, 40(4), 231-235. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ693709. Louden, B., (2005). 8. Literacy teaching practice: Differentiation. (2005). Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 28(3), 225-231. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/8.+Literacy+teaching+practice%3a+differentiation.-a0140655940. Murray, R., Shea, M., & Shea, B. (2004). Issues in education: Avoiding the one-size-fits-all curriculum: Textsets, inquiry, and differentiating instruction. Childhood Education, 81(1), 33-35, DOI: 0.1080/00094056.2004.10521291.