The Best Kept Secret of Successful Differentiation
Successful differentiation is a goal that many teachers strive for. As educators, they know that differentiating instruction can help to better meet the needs of all students in their classroom. However, what many teachers don't realize is just how easy it is to implement differentiated instruction in their classrooms and why this is so important.
All Differentiation IS NOT Created Equal
When it comes to differentiation, there are many different types of instructional strategies that can be used to meet the needs of a heterogeneous classroom. Some teachers use pull-out groups, while others may use small groups, while others still will take advantage of technology to differentiate instruction. However, these methods all differ greatly depending on purpose. When it comes to differentiation, not all forms are created equal!
One form that many teachers implement is differentiated instruction in the form of leveled books in their classrooms. Leveled books are used across grade levels and across subject areas and for years have been used by English language arts teachers to provide struggling students access to complex text and challenging concepts. However, leveled books have been criticized considerably by many teachers who don't feel that they provide a "level playing field" for all students.
Is Leveled Book Instruction in Your Classroom?
As educators begin to look to guide their students towards more critical thinking skills and deeper comprehension of difficult text, leveled book instruction can be a great option. Studies show that students who read texts that are at the fourth-grade level or higher demonstrate greater critical thinking skills than those who do so only with texts of lower difficulty levels. Teachers should be prepared, however, to teach these strategies as they are not actually taught in schools.
Why Leveled Book Instruction?"
Leveled books provide struggling readers with access to complex texts that they otherwise might not experience. Research has shown that students who regularly read text of their own level can gain a significant amount of comprehension. Additionally, research shows that students who are given access to texts at the level of their peers demonstrate better growth in skills such as reading comprehension and even gain higher self-esteem from doing so. As many teachers know, once a child is able to experience texts at the level of their peers, it can be incredibly empowering for them as they begin to feel successful within the classroom and more competent both academically and socially.
Why the Haters?
Unfortunately, however, leveled books have been found to have other negative effects on students. Research has shown that students who are reading texts at their own level demonstrate lower levels of motivation and attention than those who are reading text at a more difficult level. Additionally, students who read texts at their own level tend to view reading as a "waste of time" when compared to students who regularly read texts that are at the level of their peers. Although some may argue that these effects should be expected, the research does indicate that other methods should be used with these struggling readers in order to positively benefit them.
Leveled books are among the most commonly used forms of differentiation. They can be used with all students, in all grade levels and subject areas, and across a wide variety of reading skills. However, they should not be the only means by which struggling readers are able to become successful learners. Other methods can help students learn critical thinking skills and deeper comprehension that leveled books simply cannot offer them. If teachers truly want to provide the best differentiated instruction for their students, they may need to take a hard look at whether it is failing them or not.
Leveled Book Instruction: The Best Kept Secret for Successful Differentiation
By: Mandy Perkins
Source URL (retrieved on 11/17/2013): http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/articlshome.cfm?ArticleID=5922&secID=212
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Author information: Mandy Perkins is a doctoral student in social studies education at the University of Missouri. Her research interests include innovative uses of technology in history and citizenship instruction, teaching with war-related primary sources, and creative approaches to engage students in learning U.S. Government and Civics. She has experience as both a middle school U.S. History and a high school Economics teacher, and spent one year working as an educational consultant for Anatomy Warehouse Ltd. Additionally, she is the founder and administrator of WikiEducator.org, a wiki devoted to providing research-based strategies for teaching and learning.
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"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela
25 years ago, in 1987, I graduated from high school and entered a university that was experiencing a massive growth in enrollment. This meant that I had the opportunity to attend classes with a larger percentage of students who were learning English as their first language than my previous high school. As a result, I was exposed to many different cultures.