Differentiation Strategies for Reading to analyze grade-level text and provide evidence to show a...

1. Readiness

1.1. Readiness: Jin Hee has the ability to read at the fifth and sixth grade level in English, but due to her lack of vocabulary, reading at this level is slow and difficult. To improve her vocabulary, I use books at the third and fourth grade levels.

2. Learner profiles help the teacher and administration get to know and understand the students' interests, strengths and weaknesses. By creating a Learning Prolfile, teachers can potentially thwart problems students may have before they begin. At the beginning of the year, I will create learning profiles for each of my students.

3. Readiness

3.1. Readiness: John reads at the fifth and sixth grade level in English, but due to his lack of vocabulary, finds reading at this level slow and difficult. To improve his vocabulary, I use books at the third and fourth grade levels.

4. Teaching Strategies

4.1. 1. Literature Circle is a strategy I like to use for teaching literature. In particular, I could assign Jin Hee the role of Connector and have her compare and contrast the main character of the book being read to the main character of another book previously read.

4.2. 2. To increase Jin Hee's vocabulary, I could employ Word Detective which requires students to find new words as they read through the book. I would give her a list of key words to search for and she would then write each word and its sentence on a sticky note. She would place the notes on her desk each time she finds a word from the list. At the end of the day, she spends a few minutes reviewing the words. In addition, she could create a clue game to use during group discussion to help others learn the new words as well.

5. Learning Profile

5.1. Jin Hee is in the 6th grade. She speaks English at an intermediate level.

5.1.1. Interests - She enjoys reading and writing and prefers this quiet method to complete her studies. She is very much an analytical learner.

6. Learner Profiles

7. Sources

7.1. 1. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/learning-profiles-john-mccarthy

7.2. http://inclusive.tki.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Developing+Learner+Profiles+infosheet.pdf https://www.edutopia.org/blog/learning-profiles-john-mccarthy http://petruccidoi.blogspot.kr/2012/03/creating-learner-profile-for.html https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-learner-interest-matters-john-mccarthy http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar97/vol54/num06/What-Does-It-Mean-to-Be-Smart%C2%A2.aspx http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-5-ideas-instructing-vocabulary http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-teaching-tips/119245-literature-based-teaching-strategies/

8. Learner Profile

8.1. ADHD: One of my students, John, has ADHD and isn't able to focus on one task for longer than 15 minutes.

8.1.1. Interests - John is interested in Youtube videos: music, travel videos, games and visual storytelling. He is creative and very much a visual and auditory learner.

9. Teaching Strategies

9.1. 1. Literature Circle is a strategy I like to use for teaching literature. In particular, I could assign John the role of Researcher and have him create a video presentation that describes the plot, characters and conflict in the story. This is something John can complete in his own time, stopping when he needs to take a break.

9.2. 2. Word Walls are effective for increasing vocabulary and are both creative and visual. I could have John highlight vocabulary from the book that he doesn't understand and create a  mind map using mindmeister to display via our laptop, for the class to look through at their convenience. This is another activity that John can complete on his own, taking breaks when needed.