Flexible GroupingFlexible Grouping

Enhances Core Reading Enhances Core Reading SelectionSelection

-Linda Lane-Linda Lane

What’s the objective?What’s the objective?

Grouping students for success Grouping students for success depends upon lesson objectives.depends upon lesson objectives. Skills based lessonsSkills based lessons Comprehension based lessonsComprehension based lessons

ConsiderationsConsiderations

Students’ conditions for success:Students’ conditions for success: Reading levelReading level Skill levelSkill level Independence levelIndependence level Personality typesPersonality types Creating a safe working environment for Creating a safe working environment for

allall

Grouping OptionsGrouping Options

Homogeneous or Heterogeneous-depends Homogeneous or Heterogeneous-depends on your objectiveon your objective

Whole groupWhole group Small groupSmall group PartnershipsPartnerships Key-groups are flexible and change as Key-groups are flexible and change as

students growstudents grow Grouping options can change within one Grouping options can change within one

lesson or across consecutive lessons.lesson or across consecutive lessons.

How can grouping help our students How can grouping help our students become active, independent readers of become active, independent readers of

the core weekly story?the core weekly story?

Students who require support, will Students who require support, will flourish with teacher or peer support.flourish with teacher or peer support.

Students who are independent learners Students who are independent learners will appreciate the added independence. will appreciate the added independence.

Students will practice and apply reading Students will practice and apply reading strategies to create meaning.strategies to create meaning.

Students will Students will enjoyenjoy reading the rich reading the rich literature Reading Streets provides.literature Reading Streets provides.

Grouping StrategyGrouping Strategy Rank students from highest to lowest using Rank students from highest to lowest using

STAR Reading dataSTAR Reading data Place students on grid-redo grid after each Place students on grid-redo grid after each

STAR testingSTAR testing Horizontally-small homogeneous groupsHorizontally-small homogeneous groups Partners- every other row or two ex: 1 with 7 Partners- every other row or two ex: 1 with 7

or 10, etc.-gives students enough support to or 10, etc.-gives students enough support to be successfulbe successful

Make considerations for positive student Make considerations for positive student partnershipspartnerships

Grouping GridGrouping Grid1. 2. 3.

 

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15.

16. 17. 18.

19. 20. 21.

22. 23. 24.

How can I apply grouping to How can I apply grouping to the weekly core story?the weekly core story?

Pre-reading Whole GroupPre-reading Whole Group Build ConceptsBuild Concepts Teach Skill and StrategyTeach Skill and Strategy Use read aloud to model your thinking-Use read aloud to model your thinking-

show students how to apply skill and show students how to apply skill and strategystrategy

Involve students in applying skill and Involve students in applying skill and strategy with skill/strategy selectionstrategy with skill/strategy selection

Build Background KnowledgeBuild Background Knowledge Vocabulary DevelopmentVocabulary Development

During Reading-Small groups During Reading-Small groups and partnersand partners Partners read and respond to selection-Partners read and respond to selection-

work together to support one anotherwork together to support one another Small group working with teacher to Small group working with teacher to

read and respond to selection-guided read and respond to selection-guided practice/modeling as neededpractice/modeling as needed

Teacher choice-entire selection/halfTeacher choice-entire selection/half Align student response to skill and Align student response to skill and

strategy of the weekstrategy of the week

After Reading-Small After Reading-Small heterogeneous groupsheterogeneous groups

Discussion Circles guided by question Discussion Circles guided by question sticks sticks

Sharing reading responsesSharing reading responses Task cards to insure all participateTask cards to insure all participate

What happens when my support What happens when my support group isn’t quite ready for after group isn’t quite ready for after reading work, but everyone else reading work, but everyone else

is?is? ExtensionExtension activities that truly extend activities that truly extend

learninglearning HOT Schools strategies-integrate the HOT Schools strategies-integrate the

artsarts Fluency-reread parts of text, capture the Fluency-reread parts of text, capture the

character’s voice, poems, readers character’s voice, poems, readers theatertheater

Read companion leveled readerRead companion leveled reader Read companion selectionRead companion selection

Make an Extension Activities Make an Extension Activities ChartChart

List

Describe

Write

Question

Predict/Rate

Create

Vocabulary

Characters

Setting

Problem/ Solution

Genre

Author

Word Work

Connection

What Makes It All Work?What Makes It All Work?

Consistent routinesConsistent routines Explicit expectationsExplicit expectations Redo grid to form groups as children Redo grid to form groups as children

growgrow Different weekly partnersDifferent weekly partners

ResourcesResourcesFord, M.P. (2005). Differentiation through flexible grouping: successfully reaching all readers. IL: Learning Point Associates.

Paratore, J. Grouping for instruction in literacy: what works and what doesn’t. IL: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pavelka, P. (2009). Differentiating instruction in a whole-group setting. CT: Husky Trail Press LLC.