Marcia L. Kosanovich, Ph.D.Teresa Logan, M.S.

Connie Weinstein, M.Ed.The Florida Center for Reading Research

Florida State Universitywww.fcrr.org

Just Read, Florida! Leadership ConferenceAugust 5-8, 2007

Differentiating Instruction by Implementing & Managing Student Center Activities in

Grades 4 and 5

“We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children to read. We already have reams of research, hundreds of successful programs, and thousands of effective schools to show us the way. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far” (McEwan, 1998).

Objective for Today

• To learn about Student Center Activities and Professional Development created at FCRR.

• To learn how to use this resource to differentiate instruction to increase student learning.

What I Know AboutDifferentiated InstructionK

What I Know

WWhat I Want to

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LWhat I Learned

K-W-L Chart

What I Want to Know About Differentiated InstructionK

What I Know

WWhat I Want to

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LWhat I Learned

Characteristics of the Reading Block

• High Quality Instruction

• Minimum of 90 minutes of uninterrupted instruction– Whole Group Instruction– Small Group Instruction and Practice

• Teacher-Led Instruction– Flexible– Differentiated– Homogeneous

• Independent Student Centers– Differentiated

Reading First Site Visits(conducted by FCRR)

• Classroom Observations

• Student Data

• Interviews

– Teachers

– Reading Coaches

– Principals

Determination:

To assist teachers in differentiating instruction

4-5 Project MaterialsThree Books and a Professional Development DVD:

1. Advanced Phonics and Fluency Student Center Activities

2. Vocabulary and Comprehension Student Center Activities

3. Teacher Resource Guide to accompany the professional development DVD

Who is this resource for and what are the expectations?

• Originally created for Florida Teachers and Coaches– THREE SETS HAVE BEEN SHIPPED TO THREE SETS HAVE BEEN SHIPPED TO

EVERY FLORIDA SCHOOL THAT HAS EVERY FLORIDA SCHOOL THAT HAS GRADES 4 & 5GRADES 4 & 5

• Not mandatory

• A free resource

• Also available at www.fcrr.org

Role of the Coach• If the Student Center Activities are

going to be used, it is expected that the Reading Coach will provide professional development for the teachers.

• The Teacher Resource Guide and the DVD are designed to support this professional development.

Teacher Resource Guide

• Frequently Asked Questions • The Five Components of Reading Instruction• Implementing and Managing Student Centers in

the Classroom• Interpretation & Implementation of Activity

Plans • Crosswalk• Glossary & References

VIDEO for questions 1 and 25:10-10:14

FAQ’s Concerning Reading Centers (p. 1-4)

1. Why should Student Center Activities be implemented in fourth and fifth grades?

2. What is differentiated instruction?3. What is a Reading Center?4. What are examples of Reading Centers and

Activities?5. How are these Reading Centers different from

the Centers of the past?6. Should all five components of reading (even

Phonemic Awareness) be included in fourth and fifth grade reading instruction?

Why should Student Center Activities be implemented in 4th & 5th grades?

What is differentiated instruction?

What is a Reading Center?

What are examples of Reading Centers and Activities?

Reading Centers of the Past Reading Centers of Today

were used by teachers to keep students busy so they could plan or complete paperwork.

are utilized by teachers to provide systematic, explicit, small group instruction that meets the needs of the students (Teacher-Led Center).

were only for students who finished their assigned work.

are for all students.

incorporated only theme-based activities

incorporate activities that reflect previously taught reading skills.

engaged all students in the same activities.

engage students in specific activities that are selected to differentiate instruction for each student (or a small group of students).

often included only worksheets. include hands-on, targeted activities that reinforce and are aligned with previously taught skills.

incorporated a lot of non-academic and trivial projects.

keep students academically engaged in meaningful activities that reinforce and extend learning.

The Five Components of Reading Instruction (p. 5-16)

• For each of the 5 components of reading:– Definition– Goal & Purpose– Research Notes– Sequence of Student Center Activities (how the

Student Center Activities support reading growth

– Teacher Tips– Resources (tools to support foundational

knowledge of the reading process)

Sequence of Activities Fluency

• Word Parts

• Words

• Phrases

• Chunked Text

• Connected Text

Implementing and Managing

Student Centers in the Classroom (p. 17-30)

I. Form Flexible Groups Based on AssessmentII. Identify Appropriate Center Activities Based

on AssessmentIII. Design Center Management SystemIV. Implement a Behavior Management SystemV. Give Explicit Center DirectionsVI. Organize the ClassroomVII. Manage TransitionsVIII.Establish Accountability

I. Form Flexible Groups Based on Assessment (p. 18-25)

• Teacher-Led Groups– Group size (from 3-8 students)– Keep high-risk group sizes small (3-5

students)– Work with each small group differently based

on instructional need as determined by results of the various reading assessments.

I. Form Flexible Groups Based on Assessment (p. 18-25)

• Monitor progress of those most at-risk students more frequently for making instructional changes to accelerate learning:– Size of the small group– Group members– Level of explicitness– Amount of scaffolding– Length of time for targeted instruction

II. Identify Appropriate Center Activities (p. 25-26)

• Choose Activities that target each group’s instructional need.

• Plan with the learning objective in mind, not the product.

III. Design Center Management System (p. 26-27)

• Establish time efficient routines and protect instructional time– Group Formation– Activities– Center location/areas– Systematic movement of student groups– Scheduling of center time

III. Design Center Management System (p. 26-27)

• Center management boards are graphic organizers that answer Where? When? and What?– Large– Matching words/icons– Student should know how to read it

independently

IV. Implement Behavior Management System (p. 28)

• Students need to know– What to do when something does not work– What to do when they do not understand

the Activity at a Center– What to do when they complete an Activity

at a Center– How to clean up– How to decide who goes first

IV. Implement Behavior Management System (p. 28)

• Questions to ask yourself– Did I introduce too many Centers at once?– Did I do an effective job explicitly teaching the

activity?– Have the students mastered the skill and need to

move on?– Is the activity interesting to the student?– Do students 3 and 6 work well together?– Is this Activity to difficult for students to do

independently?

V. Give Explicit Directions (p. 29)

• Teacher Models and Explains Activity

• Teacher Provides Guided Practice

• Teacher Provides Supported Application

• Students Engage in Independent Practice

VI. Organize the Classroom (p. 29)

• Allows students to– Easily locate materials– Focus on academics– Use Center time productively

VII. Manage Transitions (p. 29)

• Protects and maximizes valuable instructional time– Routines– Expectations– Use the time instructionally

VIII. Establish Accountability (p. 30)

• Prevents students from making the same errors

• Provides opportunity for teachers to instill the importance of quality work

• Conveys the importance of each academic task

Interpretation of Activity Plans (p. 31-36)

• Activity Plans– Used by the teacher to plan and teach an activity– Sequenced by concept in a logical order within each

component

• Activity Masters– Used by the students– May need to be copied– Can be laminated and stored for future use

• Student Sheets– Used by students (consumable)– Need to be copied for each student

Interpretation of Activity Plans

Implementation of Activity Plans (p. 37-39)

• Preparing and Organizing Materials• Setting Up Centers• Computer-Based Centers• Selecting Quality Computer Software

and Technology-Based Curricula Materials

• Materials Needed for all Student Center Activities

Crosswalk (p. 41-64)

Crosswalks are sorted by1. Activity Number, Name, and

Subcomponent (this is the primary Crosswalk and contains all information p. 42-48)

2. DIBELS (Oral Reading Fluency p. 49-50)

3. Fourth Grade Sunshine State Standards (p. 51-57)

4. Fifth Grade Sunshine State Standards (p. 58-64)

Glossary & References (p. 65-77)

Book One

Book Two

What I Learned About Differentiated InstructionK

What I Know

WWhat I Want to

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LWhat I Learned

Acknowledgements

Just Read, Florida! at the Florida Department of Education

2-3 Development Team at FCRRMarcia Kosanovich, Ph.D.

Teresa Logan, M.A.Connie Weinstein, M.Ed.

Kelly Magill, M.S.

Curriculum Review Team at FCRRGeorgia Jordan, M.S.Michelle Wahl, M.S.

Mary Van Sciver, M.S.Lila Rissman, M.S.

Elissa Arndt, M.S. CCC

Thank You!Thank You!

www.fcrr.orgwww.fcrr.org