Differentiation in the Elementary School Reading Program and Student Achievement

Differentiated instruction ensures that the instructional needs of all students are met. Students are given work that is at their level. Differentiation is not always easy to achieve. A typical classroom can have students with many different learning levels. Although difficult, It is imperative for teachers to differentiate instruction so students needs are met. Many educators believe that if they use a particular instructional method that differentiation is built in. Even when using a set format there is always a concern that differentiation is not taking place. Based on the literature related to differentiating instruction in reading; it shows that teachers are aware of students varying levels of ability; but there is a need to implement best practices and strategies for improved student achievement. Differentiation and Reading Achievement 1 Chapter One: Introduction Today’s educators learned early on in their training about the importance of differentiating instruction. As educators we know that our students do not learn in the same way. It is also known that students do not always learn by the same teaching methods. “A typical classroom today is a jigsaw puzzle of learners. It is not unusual for a teacher to have in one class students from multiple cultures, bringing with them varied degrees of proficiency with English and an impressive array of learning exceptionalities (both identified and not identified), as well as a broad array of economic backgrounds” (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2008, p.18). One of the most important areas for differentiation to happen in the classroom is the reading program. When a student struggles in reading then most likely that student will struggle in science, social studies and math. The purpose for this study is to identify those practices that effectively differentiate reading instruction and increase student achievement. Students in grades three, four, and five, in the state of New York, are required to take state assessments in reading and math. The scores from these assessments can be a precursor for a student not moving up to the next grade level. For students to meet state reading standards, instructional practices should meet the student’s academic levels. Instructional differentiation is one of the ways teachers can help their students meet their reading goals. It can be said that reading programs are already differentiated if you think about leveled books and the scripted instruction. The question is; are those scripted reading programs and materials really helping the struggling reader? We can also ask; are those Differentiation and Reading Achievement 2. scripted reading programs helping the exceptional student? It is said that students need to feel successful in school and becoming a successful reader can provide that outcome. The final question is; are teachers doing everything they can for students to achieve success? Differentiated Reading Instruction There are many approaches to reading instruction. Many school districts use a guided reading approach where students are separated into reading groups according to their ability. This approach can also include centers where students rotate through various activities related to literacy such as word study, listening/comprehension, and writing response. This is only one approach to reading instruction and there are many more approaches that are used. Research shows that reading instruction and its practices are always changing, always trying to improve upon itself. In the article, “Teaching all Students to Read in Elementary School,” it states, “Appropriately differentiated instruction involves even deeper teaching skills than wholeclassroom instruction, because it requires teachers to diagnose individual needs and make appropriate adjustments to their instructional focus and instructional routines” (Torgesen, Houston, Rissman & Kosanovich, 2007, p. 16). In the article, Differentiated Learning (2010) Huber states,” differentiated instruction is defined as an approach to teaching and learning where students with varying learning abilities work within the same class. Huebner (2010) also states, “That the purpose of differentiated instruction is to maximize student growth and individual success by meeting students where they are (Huber, 2010, P. 79). Huber’s statement is thought provoking because it suggests that Differentiation and Reading Achievement 3. students are not in the category of onefitsall. Does it also suggest that curriculum needs to fit the student? Review of Literature Early literacy development has become a key issue in education. The important question is; at what age is a child ready to learn how to read? “In the 1930s, the research of Arnold Gresell developed the belief among educators that children had to mature until they reached the point where they were ready to learn to read. Gesell and Frances IIg (1949), among their followers, believed that before children reached “reading readiness,” it was pointless to provide instruction that could move them toward readiness to learn to read” ( Robb, 2003, p.14). In the 1930’s and 1940’s literacy experts believed that a child’s maturation was key to when they were ready to learn how to read. Today research supports, “the belief that immersing children in literacyrich environments stimulates curiosity and motivation to learn” (Robb, 2003, p.15). When the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed in 2001, educators thought that the new instructional requirements placed on teachers and students would narrow the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged youth and their counterparts. Unfortunately this has not come to fruition. “In particular, achievement gaps among culturally, linguistically, ethnically, and economically diverse groups pose great concern to educators and policymakers (Beecher & Sweeny, 2008, p.1). The achievement gap on reading is extremely daunting and new ways of reaching students from diverse backgrounds is in the forefront. Differentiation and Reading Achievement 4. There have been many books and articles that researchers have written in regards to reading differentiation. In a article entitled, “How to differentiate instruction in mixedability classrooms (Tomlinson, 2001) describes differentiation, “Differentiating instruction means “shaking up” what goes on in the classroom so that students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn. In other words, a differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquiring content, to processing or making sense of ideas, and to developing products so that each student can learn effectively,” (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 1). The task that educators have is to indentify those reading programs that include the best practices for student success. In the article, Differentiated Instruction in Reading: Easier than It Looks (Knowles, 2009), “reading differentiation can be completed in three main areas. These areas include content, process, and product. Content refers to the information that the students need to learn, process refers to how the students will learn the material, and product refers to the manner in which the students demonstrated that they have learned the material,” (Knowles, 2009, p.26). The three components of instruction that can be modified based on a teacher’s ongoing assessment are the content, the process, and the products. In a book entitled, The Teacher's Guide to Success, written by Ellen Kronowitz, she explains how instruction can be modified, “You can modify content by choosing the way you “input” it. You can simplify for those who are not yet ready and enrich the content for those who have mastered it. Some ways of varying the “input” include using: Some of the ways you can modify the process are by helping students make the learning experience relate to their Differentiation and Reading Achievement 5. needs and interests and by focusing attention on multiple intelligences. You can make the material more meaningful (the process) when you include some of the strategies that were covered in this unit. These strategies include graphic organizers of all sorts, group investigation, classifying and sorting, cooperative learning, reciprocal teaching, advance organizers, and analogies and metaphors. You can modify the product by designing product options for your students based on Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences or tiered assignments. Students can be given a list of options to show their mastery of the content and you can assess them based on predetermined criteria or rubrics” (Kronowitz,, 2001, P. 295). One way to understand how your students differ from each other and what each brings to the classroom is through Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. “Gardner’s work (1993, 2000) proposes that instead of a single, fixed intelligence, there are actually eight facets of intelligence. In other words, we are all smart, but in different ways. The exciting part of this theory is that teachers can organize learning to take into account the differing intelligences in the classroom” (Kronowitz, 2007, p.292-293). In the article, Standards-Based Differentiation: Identifying the Concept of Multiple Intelligence for use with Students with Disabilities it speaks of open-ended exploration and why differentiation is important, “New teachers in the field, particularly those working with students with disabilities, should understand that students learn best in environments that allow freedom of choice, open-ended exploration, and validation of their experience(s) (e.g., curiosity, playfulness, imagination, creativity, wonder, wisdom, inventiveness, vitality, sensitivity, flexibility, humor, and joy). So often, instructors are Differentiation and Reading Achievement 6. overloaded with high-stakes testing and assessments and feel pressured to get the information “out there”, not really taking into account their learners. In