5 Steps to Help You Set Up Small Group Differentiated Instruction that will Grow Readers!

This week, I want to give you some practical ways to differentiate your literacy instruction using technology during your Guided Reading time. The reading station structure I use is largely based on the Daily 5 instructional method.  I have been going over in my mind how to share this with other people for a long time now, so lets jump in and see where it takes us!

My instructional Reading block is roughly 75-90 minutes long, depending on my kiddos needs and the day of the week.  For the purposes of this blog post, lets plan for 75 minutes of uninterrupted time for a "typical" day in my classroom for Reading.

1. Assess and Use Grouping Strategies to Optimize Learning

Students take a benchmark assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of the year, with a variety of progress monitoring check ups in between. That is how I determine which student goes into which reading groups. I use a mix of grouping by Lexile range score, overall scaled score, or grade level equivalent score depending on the group of learners I am trying to reach from year to year. The groups change fluidly dependent on student needs also for behavior clashes and skills mastery practice. In other words, what the kids need is what they get. For awhile I have all my highest readers in one group together, but if an assessment or observation calls for it, I will start seeing a group made up of a mix of high readers and low readers at the same time if they are all struggling with the cause and effect skill in the same way (this might just be another blog post!).

2. Choose How and Where Learning Stations and Tasks are Experienced

After my groups are formed, I set up my stations around the room or at student desks. The arrangement might be something like THIS.

The rationale behind where my stations happen is based on my relationships with students and knowing what subjects they like to experience in what ways. For example, if I know they love clipboards and stretching out all across the carpet for writing station, it will happen there for them. If they don't focus as well when they are allowed to spread out, then the writing will be taking place at the large table in the back, etc.

My stations are based on Daily 5 concepts, and are:

1. Word Work
2. Teacher Time
3. Writing
4. Read to Self
5. Speaking and Listening

I will explain the learning tasks and types of activities I use for each, and how I change them to keep things fresh, later on.

3. Get Picky about Learning Goals and What the Work Looks Like 

Once I determine where in the room these stations will be most effectively experienced, I cross check the goal of the station work, with the standards I need to be teaching at the given time of year. Once I have a clear picture of the learning goals that need to be practiced, I choose the activities that I will facilitate for the students, and design opportunities for learning that are engaging and--this is most important--routine.

The next phase of differentiating my learning stations is making a schedule for when I will spend time with each group. This requires careful thought. No matter how routine your station activities are, you will have to revisit the expectations for those each day.  In my room, the most challenging stations for keeping kids on task and motivated to follow directions are Word Work and Writing, so I don't want my readers with higher needs--they need the explicit instruction in many areas like reading, behavior, handwriting, etc.-- to go to those stations first because they are more challenging. Therefore, I name my groups by color (because I can change colors up all the time and they don't really know what the color stands for), and bring the groups with highest teacher directed needs to my table on the first and second rotation. That way, not only have they heard me reiterate the directions for the stations whole group, but I can give them directions and reminders one more time for their next station before they leave my table.

So, my schedule might look something like this:

If you'd like a freebie copy of my schedule for groups, please comment below with your email address and I will send you one directly through Google Drive :)
I am not very fancy, and I like things "no nonsense" like my blog name suggests, so it is a pretty easy document to generate on your own but I am happy to provide you with mine as an example.

Moving, right along, I want to say a few things about the teacher as an experienced decision maker. Teachers have a lot of pressure on them to use all these cool things from Pinterest and blogs and the dollar tree, only to find out it was a waste of instructional time to try something just because it seemed Pinterest worthy, trendy and like a good photo op with no real educational impact. Don't get me wrong-- Pinterest and TPT and all those easy access sites are a wonderful source of ideas-- but please don't forget to make them your own before you put them into practice. The smart cookie teachers that design and sell those units don't make them for your students--they make them for theirs. Only you can know and reach your students in the intimate instructional ways that count. Be very picky when you're looking for inspiration and once you have found it, be picky again!

4. Be Purposeful in Deciding What Skill You Want To See From Your Students After Each Station

Another thing to integrate into your planning and preparations for the Literacy Block is determining what final products of learning you want to observe, collect, and give feedback on after a station task is complete. 

I will go into much more depth and explanation of how I do this part in another blog post, which I will link to here, but for now, let me suggest some practical no nonsense learning tasks that have high yield impact on your students' reading growth over time.

These are my go-tos for starting off learning stations for the school year, or refreshing expectations mid year, or just anytime I don't have a lot of time to plan and prep for the week. When I have these old standbys ingrained into their routine, the students always grow!

Word Work: 

First, you should make sure YOU like the activities the students have to choose from, and you can use their spelling words, word families, onsets and rimes, or seasonal vocabulary for them to practice at word work. This allows the students to explore spelling with a variety of writing supplies and colorful,  visual ways to remember the words. I even had an IEP student discover his love for writing with pens this way, and now he is much more motivated to complete his work in every subject!

Teacher Time: 

This one is probably most tricky. Each teacher has their own method of delivery and instruction for the time students spend with them at their table. I want to remind you again right here that you should absolutely be as picky as possible when deciding which text to use with your readers at each special  level. Once you get into the flow of things, this will take less time. But, honestly when I am choosing books that will last me for the next two weeks of small group instruction, It could take me 2 hours to choose the just right reads. I like picking from the Scholastic Book room at school, Reading A-Z, and Readworks.org.

Once I have chosen, I choose a Guided Reading Target Skill to deliver to each group, but in different ways.  I might be covering Cause and Effect, Fact and Opinion, Character Traits, Compare and Contrast, Plot, or Informational Text Features--the list goes on. I pick based on the Common Core State Standards and My District's approved curriculum guide. Here comes the best part--I don't even run off worksheets or graphic organizers for my teacher time instruction! It all comes from the students doing the work, and me facilitating their thoughts about how THEY should experience a text to gain the most understanding from it as possible! Something I commonly prompt the kids with is, "Ok, we know that we gain knowledge by reading things. We have this new book and we have made some predictions, what could we try now to get more knowledge from this story about the Kids at Wayside School?"  Then, depending what they come up with, I guide them into examining the skill for the week and writing about it somehow with an easy foldable flap book or post it note and sharing that out. Oh, by the way--no one eve reads aloud during my guided reading unless it is me sometimes. Mostly, i set a timer for 4 minutes and let them read a section to themselves. I observe while they do this, or prep text based questions for when they are finished. 

Writing: 

At the writing station, the old standard is to write a friendly letter to your teacher. Do not underestimate the power of this skill! Students nowadays struggle not only with thinking about things to write, but also with understanding why they would be writing unless it would be to talk through text to someone. So, to play to their needs and meet some common core writing standards, I use the friendly letter format to address different types of writing throughout the year, and I always respond. An example of a student letter to the teacher and a response from me might look like this: 

A note here-- this could be a paper pencil letter, or a digital email. More about that in a different blog...

Read to Self: 

Read to self time is sacred. It happens during learning stations and also after lunch. That is it. I don't put any frills on it, no muss no fuss. I set purpose before they begin (usually to build stamina), I provide a reading log telling them to "give yourself credit for the practice you do", and I often incentivize their focused time by letting them earn "book bucks" from me for the good focused reading I see. Once a student earns 5 book bucks from me, I use my Scholastic Book Club Bonus points to let them choose a five dollar book for free! See my post: Look! Wonder! Ask! Students are reading to themselves books which are at their independent reading level-- NOT the books from their reading time with me. Those are at their instructional level! I usually make sure the students are aware of their general Lexile range, and show them how to pick from books I have displayed. Occasionally, I attend their library time with them, to guide the choices they are making for read to self books. 

Speaking and Listening (or, Read to Someone): 

This is probably my favorite station, like, I wish I could get a turn to go to this one :)

At the Speaking and Listening Station, my students have several independent reading level books to choose from, usually on the easy side of independent, and they read the book aloud to their iPad by making a youtube style video of themselves. The beauty of this is that many children are highly motivated by the idea they could get their video n the class youtube channel, and the videos are safely stored on the individual iPad memory for me to review when I have time once a month.   This also works if your school isn't fortunate enough to have 1:1 technology, because when the students rotate through stations you only need about 5 devices at a time. This can also be refreshed and be made more engaging by providing them funny glasses or wigs to wear as the book reader in their video :). It has been a real game changer for my classroom!
Speaking and Listening Video

5. Give Yourself Permission to Leave the Stations the Same for a Month Before Being Picky All Over Again

The heading says it all.... 

Once you have everything chosen and get up and running-- LEAVE IT ALONE FOR AWHILE! The kids don't fully feel the comfort of the routines if they are switching around all the time. Optimal learning takes place when the students feel comfortable with the tasks, are provided with differentiated materials, and can practice the same thing over and over. Of course, you'll switch out the words in the word work station each week or two, and the independent level books in Speaking and Listening, and you may have to change the colors of markers and pens they use in writing, but overall, let it simmer.  You will find the most growth happens that way, I promise. 

Thank you fro reading my ideas! I hope you try this stuff. DOn't be afraid to reach out to me and let me know how its going, or ask me questions.  I would love to hear from you 😊.