from curriculum to instruction: designing and implementing sound instructional diets

From curriculum to instruction: Designing and implementing

sound instructional diets

Don’t be overly concerned with your weight, it’s just a number!

DIBELS Benchmark Test

Low Risk Some Risk At Risk

Core Core + Core + Small-Group Intensive Core Intervention Intervention

Core Intervention Intervention Assessments Assessments

DIBELS Progress Monitoring

Low Risk? ContinueIntervention

DiscontinueIntervention

NoYes

CoreAssessments

Goals of this session:

Predict needs based on reading development

Plan for sensible instructional blocks, including whole-group and needs-based time

Establish initial priorities for classroom instructional schedules

And in our classrooms . . .

We can do the “teacher-centered” modeling for all children

We can share responsibility during needs-based groups . . . but what are the other children going to do?

We can release responsibility to children to practice and apply what we are teaching

But who needs what?

We can anticipate that all children will benefit from explicit and systematic instruction invocabulary (K-3), phonemic awareness (K-1), word recognition and decoding (K-3), fluency (K-3), and comprehension (K-3)

The strengths of the new core programs

Explicit: they include teacher talk and modeling of cognitive processes in reading

There is “how to” talk rather than only “what to”Systematic: they establish a reasonable

scope and sequence for each grade levelReview previous grade level’s accomplishments Introduce, review, and assess new

accomplishments

Why isn’t that enough?

We can anticipate, based first on knowledge of reading development and then on actual assessment data, certain log jams. Most children will need additional practice. Many children are likely to need additional instruction. A small number of children are likely to need intensive intervention.

And in your core

What are the strengths for use in whole-class instruction?

What provisions are made for small-group instruction? Are there any differentiated materials?

What provisions are made for providing children with reading practice?

Some pretty safe bets

Decoding: Many kindergarten and first grade children and some second grade children will need extra instruction

Fluency: Many children will need extra instruction and practice

Comprehension: Many second and third grade children will need extra instruction

How can we have well managed classrooms and teach small groups?

Establish a cycle so that while teachers are providing extra instruction, other children are getting important practice

Where’s the teacher?

Whole class, grade level reading instruction Needs -based instruction with teacher

Practice with vocabulary and comprehension

Practice with decoding and fluency

Practice with vocabulary and comprehension

Needs -based instruction with teacher

Practice wit h vocabulary and comprehension



Needs -based instruction with teacher

Whole class, grade level writing instruction

Some other variables

How much time do you have for instruction?

Are other adults available so that you can have two instructional groups at once?

How many groups are indicated in the data? How large are they?

And how much time should we spend in each area of the curriculum?There is no SBRR answer to this question,

but think about the concept of a healthy diet

It is harder to get started than to maintain It allows you to choose specific foods you like within

broader categories The rules change as you get older Some people need very specialized diets to

maximize their good health

If there’s no SBRR answer, why ask?

Pacing mattersEven with new materials, teachers choose

how much time and emphasis they place on specific activities

In general, we always feel rushed

A kindergarten diet

Phonemic awareness 10 minutes

Phonics/Decoding 20 minutes

Fluency and automaticity

20 minutes

VocabularyComprehension

40 minutes

A first grade diet

Phonemic awareness 15 minutes


Fluency 25 minutes


25 minutes

A second grade diet

Phonemic awareness


Fluency 40 minutes


40 minutes

A third grade diet

Phonemic awareness


Fluency 30 minutes


50 minutes

School-based scenarios

These are real examples that combine attention to curriculum areas, time, and staffing.

How are you going to use the people and the minutes and the materials you have?

Kindergarten

2 hours for literacy1 hour for content (including reading and

writing)4 heterogeneous classroomsParaprofessionals in each classroom2 intervention providers

Class A, Class B Class C, Class D

8:15-

9:15

Whole Group Core Phonemic Awareness Read Aloud Fluency

Small group rotation Reading (intervention)Guided writing (parapro)Word study (teacher)

9:15-

10:15

Small group rotation Reading (interventionist)Writing for sounds (parapro)Phonics (teacher)

Whole Group Core Phonemic Awareness Read Aloud Fluency

1:00-

2:00

Content area vocabularyContent area readingContent area writing

Content area vocabularyContent area readingContent area writing

First Grade

2 hours 15 minutes for reading45 minutes for writer’s workshop4 heterogeneous classrooms2 intervention providers

Class A, Class B Class C, Class D8:00

-9:30

Small group rotation (with help)

2 groups with teachers for phonics and fluency

1 group in phonics and fluency center

Whole group basalPhonemic awarenessRead aloud and dictationVocabulary and

comprehensionPhonicsWriter’s Workshop

9:30-

10:15

Whole group basalPhonemic awarenessRead aloud and dictationVocabulary and

comprehensionPhonics


2 groups with teachers for phonics and fluency

1 group in phonics and fluency center

10:15-

11:00

Writer’s Workshop

Second Grade

1 hour for needs-based fluency work1 hour for whole-group instruction1 hour for writer’s workshop3 heterogeneous classrooms1 intervention provider

Class A Class B Class C8:00-9:00


1 group in phonics1 group in reading1 group in fluency

center

Whole group coreComprehension

strategiesVocabulary Fluency

Whole group core

9:00-10:00

Whole group basal

Small group rotation

Writer’s Workshop

10:00-11:00

Writer’sWorkshop

Writer’sWorkshop

Small group rotation

Third Grade

20 minutes for read aloud30 minutes for writer’s workshop30 minutes for content90 minutes for needs-based reading

Whole Group Small Group Independent

8:10-

9:30

Core instructionRead aloudWriter’s WorkshopContent

9:30-

11:00

Reading group #1Reading group #2Reading group #3

Writing about reading

Fluency center

Listening center

What should you do?

Work to understand the possibilities within your core for teacher directed, shared responsibility, and student practice

Watch your teachers and think about the instructional diets that they are providing to children

Help teachers think and rethink their classroom instructional schedules

Always try to see the glass half full.

from curriculum to instruction: designing and implementing sound instructional diets

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