Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Middle School Literacy Instruction: Seven Practices to Maximize Learning

Leslie Laud, Pooja Patel

Corwin Press, Nov 28, 2012 - Education - 232 pages

Formative assessment and differentiated instruction made manageable

We all recognize the countless benefits of differentiated instruction. The challenge is in its implementation. Faced with a classroom of 25 students—each with very different needs—how can we possibly keep every student on track and motivated? Through formative assessment and efficient follow-up instruction. This start-to-finish guide will show you how through seven classroom-tested practices for maximizing student learning.

Established experts on this subject, Leslie Laud and Pooja Patel demonstrate how to:

• Establish new classroom norms
• Involve students in the use of assessment data and feedback to inform their next steps
• Clarify end-of-unit criteria to help map learning progression
• Apply assessment data to grouping students for tiered activities
• Differentiate assignments based on student readiness, characteristics, and interest

Best of all, Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Middle School Literacy Instruction is packed with vignettes, sample worksheets, and charts to assist you through each step in the process. Armed with this toolkit, you′ll quickly discover new ways to keep all students engaged in their learning.

Contents

• GETTING STARTED WITH FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: 1
• An Introduction To The Formative Assessment Framework: 2
• The Purpose Of Formative Assessment: 5
• Three Ways To Begin Using Formative Assessment: 6
• Preassessments Before a New Unit: 7
• Midunit Concept CheckIns: 8
• Determining How Much Formative Assessment You Already Use In Your Classroom: 10
• Steps To Establishing A Classroom Culture That Supports Formative Assessment Practices: 12
• Establish a Climate of Respect: 15
• Cultivate SelfDirected Learning: 16
• STANDARDS FEEDBACK AND ASSESSMENT OPTIONS: 19
• Recommendations For Feedback on Mastery of Standards: 24
• Feedback on More Than Accuracy: 26
• Feedback to Foster SelfDirection: 27
• Preassessment Options: 34
• Tips for Preassessments: 35
• Continuous Formative Assessment: 36
• WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION?: 41
• Differentiating Lessons by Student Characteristics: 43
• Differentiating Lessons by Interests: 46
• Differentiating Lessons by Instructional Characteristics: 48
• Differentiating Lessons by Processes: 53
• Differentiating Lessons by Products: 55
• HOW DO I DIFFERENTIATE LESSONS?: 59
• Format For Differentiated Lessons: 60
• Identifying Standards: 64
• Using Data from Preassessments: 65
• Teaching WholeClass Lessons: 67
• Creating Tiered Lessons: 69
• Analysis of a Differentiated Lesson: 70
• Six Strategies For Tiering Activities: 71
• Making Small Adjustments: 72
• Challenging All Learners: 78
• Minimizing Task Differences: 80
• Crafting Sophisticated Questions: 81
• Increasing Goals: 84
• TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES: 87
• Planning Lessons and Units: 88
• Use a Unit and Lesson Planning Checklist: 93
• Cut Scoring Time by Designing Feedback Systems: 95
• Using Rubrics as SelfFeedback or Peer Feedback Tools: 101
• Have Students Write Clear Specific and Focused Reflections: 102
• Managing Students Who Are Working On Different Tasks: 104
• Post Directions and Guidelines to Minimize Questions: 105
• Provide for Additional Independent Work: 106
• Assigning Homework: 109
• Vary the Amount of Time Spent: 110
• Vary the Level of Difficulty: 112
• Support Students Who Do Not Turn in Homework: 113
• Grading: 114
• SUPPORTING STUDENTS WHO ARE LOW ACHIEVING: 117
• Foundational Reading Skills Decoding and Fluency: 118
• Decoding and Fluency Standards: 119
• Decoding and Fluency Accommodations and Interventions: 120
• Decoding Automaticity Assessments: 126
• Reading Comprehension Skills Recall Of Basic Facts Main Idea and Vocabulary: 129
• Reading Comprehension Interventions: 130
• Reading Comprehension Assessments: 136
• Vocabulary Standards: 137
• Vocabulary Supports: 138
• Writing Skills Organization and Sentence Variety: 140
• Writing Interventions: 141
• Writing Assessments: 150
• CHALLENGING STUDENTS WHO ARE GIFTED OR HIGH ACHIEVING: 151
• Typical Classroom Behaviors Of Gifted Or HighAchieving Students: 152
• Best Instructional Practices For Using Formative Assessment To Differentiate Lessons For Gifted or HigherAchieving Students: 154
• Exemptions: 156
• Curriculum Compacting: 159
• HigherOrder Thinking Activities: 163
• Independent Study: 178
• Cluster Grouping: 180
• The Importance Of Challenge: 181
• Strategies To Avoid: 182
• To Wrap Up: 183
• REFERENCES: 185
• INDEX: 199

About the author

Leslie Laud has differentiated math instruction in her own classroom and in her co-teaching with her math colleagues, and has been doing so for almost two decades. She teaches an online course on Differentiated Middle School Math Instruction at Bank Street College of Education. Additionally, she has presented at many conferences both nationally and internationally, including The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference. She has also published many articles in leading journals such as Educational Leadership and Teaching Exceptional Children. She currently leads staff development groups with teachers in school systems in the Boston area. She received both her doctorate in curriculum and instruction and her master’s in special education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Pooja Patel M.Ed. is a learning specialist who is currently working as a middle school English and Humanities teacher at United Nations International School. She has taught a class on writing instruction at Bank Street College of Education. She also has presented at some national conferences, including the Council of Exceptional Children and the New York Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (NYBIDA). Additionally, she has published many articles in peer reviewed journals such as Preventing School Failure and Teaching Exceptional Children. She received a master’s degree from the reading specialist program from Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to working in the general education classroom, she works with students one-on-one outside of the classroom.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Middle School Literacy Instruction: Seven Practices to Maximize Learning
• Authors: Leslie Laud, Pooja Patel
• Publisher: Corwin Press, 2012
• ISBN: 1452284091, 9781452284095
• Length: 232 pages
• Subjects: Education / Teaching / General; Education / Teaching / Subjects / Language Arts; Education / Testing & Measurement; Language Arts & Disciplines / Literacy