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How do elementary teachers in an urban school adapt guided reading instruction to meet individual students' needs?
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Shearer, Mary Ellen |
| Copyright Year | 2008 |
| Abstract | Differentiated instruction continues to be an important focus in education today as many classrooms contain quite diverse groups of learners. Teachers need to find what helps individual students’ succeed and provide instruction accordingly. However, despite opportunities for teachers to gain knowledge on differentiation, many teachers aren’t able to provide this level of support for all students’ at their levels, interests and modes of learning. This study focuses on urban elementary teachers in grades 1-3 and how they use differentiated instruction during guided reading in their classrooms. Findings indicated that the teachers participating in the study have varying understandings of what differentiation is and differ according to collaborating with colleagues to provide students’ with the best individualized instruction. Shearer suggests that administrators and teachers work together to create a plan to make differentiated instruction work in all classrooms by providing faculty with the resources and support needed. Differentiating Guided Reading Instruction 4 Introduction By far my biggest concern with teaching is trying to meet the needs of all students. Classrooms today contain such a range of students who have different needs, that it can be rather difficult for teachers to provide the appropriate instruction. Through interactions in various schools and with teachers and students, I have come to realize that we still aren’t differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all of our students. So many times I have been in classrooms where teachers are providing whole group instruction to students that is completely above or below many of the students’ level. I have seen the student’s get frustrated and give up. This very reason is why I choose to research differentiated instruction. The problem is even though many teachers are provided the professional developments on differentiation, there doesn’t seem to be any further support or follow through to help ensure teachers begin putting differentiated instruction in place. The goal of this study is to use the data obtained through actual one on one interviews with teachers to find out what makes differentiated instruction work. I would like to be able to use this information myself as a teacher and also pass it on to other teachers who have the same concerns as I do. Meeting the needs of all students is a difficult job, but there has got to be a way to make it work. Review of Literature Literacy is something people encounter everyday everywhere all around us (Kucer, 2005). The process of acquiring literacy is continuous throughout our lives (Larson & Marsh, 2005). We are endlessly learning information that helps us understand Differentiating Guided Reading Instruction 5 the world and the people around us (Kucer, 2005). Kucer (2005) says that literacy is involved in everything that we do. Literacy is dynamic multidimensional term that’s meaning varies for different disciplines (Kucer, 2005). Literacy is a social practice that includes reading and writing, mental processing and group expression (Kucer, 2005). In attempting to understand literacy it is also important to know the meaning of discourse (Gee, 1989). Every individual is a member to several different groups within society and each group uses language in an established way that is particular to that group (Gee, 1989). Individuals think and act a certain way within each given discourse (Gee, 1989). There are two types of discourse, primary and secondary (Gee, 1989). Primary discourse is a type of oral language usually used within a family or small community by members that are very close with each other (Gee, 1989). Secondary discourse is communication with a less close group of people (Gee, 1989). This can include but is not limited to people you come into contact with at work, school, at stores, or in business settings (Kucer, 2005). Literacy involves having power over secondary discourse (Kucer, 2005). Discourse can also be broken into two separate distinctions, oral and written (Kucer, 2005). Oral language refers to speech; it is immediate and perishable (Kucer, 2005). Kucer (2005) describes written language, or print, as more permanent. Written language has a recursive nature, meaning that you can refer back to it for clarification (Kucer, 2005). Written language is most useful for informational purposes. It also tends to be more formal and structured and use a wider vocabulary (Olson, 2006). There are advantages and disadvantages for both these types of discourse. One may find that depending on the situation one type may work better than the other (Kucer, 2005). Differentiating Guided Reading Instruction 6 Literacy is also broken down into three different types; dominant literacy, powerful literacy and critical literacy (Cushman, 2001). Dominant literacy is having control of dominant and secondary discourses (Cushman, 2001). Powerful literacy refers to having the ability to evaluate discourse the way they are positioned within society (Cushman, 2001). The highest level of literacy is called critical literacy (Cushman, 2001). A person using critical literacy looks at information that is often seen as true and asks questions searching for reasons to prove its validity (Cushman, 2001). Using critical literacy leads to an empowerment in which a person can identify misinformation and make changes (Cushman, 2001). The sociocultural theory has aided my emerging definition of literacy (Kucer, 2005). The sociocultural theory states that literacy is a social practice within a society where happenings within discourse cause people to use language to communicate (Kucer, 2005). Therefore communication is the motivation for literacy (Kucer, 2005). We have a need to communicate with the people in our immediate and extended environments. As a result we use a system of language that allows us to communicate effectively (Kucer, 2005). Language grows as peoples need to communicate develops (Kucer, 2005). Research has played a significant role in how instruction takes place in classroom (Larson & Marsh, 2005). As new theories develop different approaches to literacy instruction are adapted. Some tactics have proven successful while others are fads that are quickly eliminated. While there is still not one “right” way to focus on literacy instruction, research moves us closer to educating youth in the most efficient and effective ways (Larson & Marsh, 2005). Differentiating Guided Reading Instruction 7 Acquiring literacy can be both a conscious and unconscious practice. Regardless of a persons purpose some form of literacy is needed to function everyday. Developing literacy is often thought to be something that happens in an educational environment however, contrary to this belief literacy is acquired almost anywhere and anytime (Cushman, 2001). There are numerous ways in which people acquire literacy. It is acquired both in and out of school (Cushman, 2001, Kucer, 2005, Larson & Marsh, 2005). Environment also plays a role in acquiring literacy (Cushman, 2001). Acquiring literacy is a developmental process in which we learn as we grow. Mediators such as parents and teachers play a role in a child’s acquisition of literacy (Kucer, 2005). Along with the impact that humans make, technology also plays a part (Larson & Marsh, 2005). During the developmental process of obtaining literacy through each form of language, there is a common motivation due to a curiosity of the learner as well as a drive to make meaning of their thoughts. While the learner is trying to make sense of their curiosities, they generate hypotheses and are enabled to follow their intuition as to how unknown realms of the language may work. Trying out their hypotheses and receiving feedback from others is key to their developmental process. Adults help mediate the learning process by scaffolding, or building upon previously learned notions, both in school and at home. By scaffolding children build on their prior knowledge and experience. The adult is the support for the child’s learning; they create situations where they provide children with the foundation for learning. Both forms of language are learned mostly from one’s environment, which provides cues to assist the learner in the acquisition process. Differentiating Guided Reading Instruction 8 Teaching strategies are an integral part of literacy instruction within schools. There are many different strategies to use within a classroom to create constructive learning environments. Based on the New Literacy Studies the most learning conducive environment is a classroom set up with an emphasis on social education (Larson & Marsh, 2005). “New technologies are changing how we use and interpret literacies, and for what purposes. Studying new literacies has opened up exciting research possibilities and new pedagogical spaces that build on children’s language and literacy across contexts (Larson & Marsh, 2005, p. 127).” Students acquire literacy both at home and at school many different ways (Kucer, 2005, Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Guided reading is a model many teachers follow in their classrooms to help children learn to read (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). “Guided reading has become one of the most significant and popular contemporary reading instructional practices in the United States (Fawson & Reutzel, 2000, p. 84).” "Guided reading has become one of the most significant and popular contemporary reading instructional practices in the United States. “When implementing guided reading in classrooms, children are matched with books that provide a level of challenge and familiarity that appropriately support the development of each child's self-extending reading strategies. In short, children receive instruction during guided reading that focuses on their use of specific reading strategies so that they are able to choose from and apply a variety of reading strategies (Fawnson & Reutzel, 2000, p. 84). ”During gu |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://reflectivepractitioner.pbworks.com/f/Shearer+Capstone.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
