Comprehension: Why Differentiate?
It is important to teach comprehension skills in small groups in order to determine individual needs. Small groups allow you to find out what students have learned and what they might still struggle with (Morrow, 2009).
Teaching these strategies in small groups allow you to differentiate instruction. When differentiating instruction, you have similar goals for all children in the different groups, but lessons are designed for the students needing more challenging or easier work. Comprehension in small groups to differentiate instruction can be done easily, with more interpretive conversation for those we can engage in it and less with children who are struggling (Morrow, 2009).
Teaching these strategies in small groups allow you to differentiate instruction. When differentiating instruction, you have similar goals for all children in the different groups, but lessons are designed for the students needing more challenging or easier work. Comprehension in small groups to differentiate instruction can be done easily, with more interpretive conversation for those we can engage in it and less with children who are struggling (Morrow, 2009).
Within each classroom, there will be a unique group of students. Most teachers will experience higher level learners, lower level learners, and English Language Learners (ELLs). In order to teach these students effectively, strategically, and explicitly, a variety of instructional practices must be implemented.
Differentiated Instruction for Comprehension
Students Grades K-2:
-Use a retelling rubric for primary students can be used
-Differentiated comprehension questions
-Before reading activities, During reading activities and After reading activities
Students Grades 3-6:
-In depth concept maps -Using prior knowledge
-Author Studies -Generate questions
-Literature Circles -KWL chart
-QAR -Story Map
-Illustrating the story -Comic Strips
In the upper grades, there is a need for students to start thinking inferentially and critically about the text and beyond the text.
Students in the upper grades should also be engaging in before reading activites, during reading activities and after reading activities.
-Use a retelling rubric for primary students can be used
-Differentiated comprehension questions
-Before reading activities, During reading activities and After reading activities
Students Grades 3-6:
-In depth concept maps -Using prior knowledge
-Author Studies -Generate questions
-Literature Circles -KWL chart
-QAR -Story Map
-Illustrating the story -Comic Strips
In the upper grades, there is a need for students to start thinking inferentially and critically about the text and beyond the text.
Students in the upper grades should also be engaging in before reading activites, during reading activities and after reading activities.
This website has activities and ideas for beginning readers, learning readers and advanced readers.
Supporting English Language Learners
English Language Learners:
*Using prior knowledge
*Thinking literally about text and making connections
*Before-during-after reading activities
*KWL
What you can do to support ELLs in your classroom during reading:
-Encourage students’ language and literacy development
-Buddy reading and writing
-Repeated Readings of a story
-All manipulatives! Games, puppets, visual figures, etc.
-Cloze activities – fill in the blank
-Cut up sentence strips to sequence
While ELL students are developing their comprehension skills, you can:
-Give student a “buddy”/peer assisted learning
-Tasks should be active (can be nonverbal)
-Activities – maximize the use for language
-Modeling and direct instruction
-Practice! (with guidance and then independently)
(Morrow, 2009)
The websites below share comprehension strategies for English Language Learners.
*Using prior knowledge
*Thinking literally about text and making connections
*Before-during-after reading activities
*KWL
What you can do to support ELLs in your classroom during reading:
-Encourage students’ language and literacy development
-Buddy reading and writing
-Repeated Readings of a story
-All manipulatives! Games, puppets, visual figures, etc.
-Cloze activities – fill in the blank
-Cut up sentence strips to sequence
While ELL students are developing their comprehension skills, you can:
-Give student a “buddy”/peer assisted learning
-Tasks should be active (can be nonverbal)
-Activities – maximize the use for language
-Modeling and direct instruction
-Practice! (with guidance and then independently)
(Morrow, 2009)
The websites below share comprehension strategies for English Language Learners.
Supporting Special Education Students
Here are some things to keep in mind when working with your Special Education students:
Making Predictions
Story Structure
sketch a picture while reading or listening to a descriptive story.
look at wordless picture books and then write the words that would create the pictures in the books.
dramatize a story
Making Predictions
- read the title of the book and discuss what clues about the story does the title provide
- discuss the illustration on the cover and ask student what it makes them think of
- discuss if this is a real or make-believe story
Story Structure
- create and fill out a chart detailing the four parts of a story, including the characters, plot, conflict, and resolution.
- draw or write a comic strip recreating the story
- Use a graphic organizer or story map to chart out the structure of the story
Summarization
- take articles from a newspaper and cut off the headlines and then have students write their own headlines of the story.
- with different colored highlighters have students underline key words, phrases, vocabulary and ideas that are relevant to understanding the text.
- use a graphic organizer with Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
See the link below for more Special Education resources.
Home Connection: Working with Families
-Lay a strong foundation for reading success
-More reading time and less TV time
-Reading aloud and thinking aloud
-Let your child be the teacher
-Keep it interesting and relevant
See link below.
-More reading time and less TV time
-Reading aloud and thinking aloud
-Let your child be the teacher
-Keep it interesting and relevant
See link below.