differentiating curriculum and instruction in prek and k...

Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction in

PreK and K Programs Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Ph.D.

Mary Ruth Coleman, Ph.D. Pam Elwood, ME.d.

Melanie Reese, ME.d. Ashley Lyons, ME.d.

Welcome from your Webinar Guides

Kristie Pretti-Frontczak

Intro, Tier 1 differentiation

in a Curriculum Framework

Melanie Reese

UDL, PreK Case

Example

Pam Elwood Kindergarten

K Case Example

Mary Ruth Coleman,

Agenda , DDDM, PreK/K, Closing

Remarks

Ashley Lyons

Online Moderator

For information, contact:

Why “Differentiating Curriculum”? •  Differentiation is critical for success within

multi-tiered approaches to supports and service at both the Universal and Targeted Tiers (I and II)

•  Pre-K and K can learn from each other •  Alignment of practices Pre-K to K will help

with transitions for children and their families

Agenda at a Glance

Webinar Objectives • Define curriculum differentiation as it applies to serving young children (i.e., preschooler and Kindergarteners) with diverse abilities.

• Generate specific strategies for ensuring children participate and engage with materials in varied and different ways across daily activities and routines.

Compare current practices with a recommended multi-tiered approach to instruction where supports and services are differentiated to meet the needs of children with differing abilities.

•  Characteristics of Tier 1 Instruction •  Characteristics of quality Tier 1 •  Reliance on UDL principles to increase access

and participation and level the play field and avoid modifications

•  Need to engage in data driven decision making because quality tier 1 is not enough

•  Teachers must differentiate the content, processes, and products and meet children’s diverse learning needs.

Universal design for learning is an “approach to planning and developing curricula in ways that promote access, participation, and progress in the general curriculum.” (Orkwis & McLane, 1998)

With UDL, every student is an individual with unique interests, needs, and abilities.

Multiple Means of Representation

Various formats:

visual auditory

kinesthetic

Multiple Means of Engagement

Attention curiosity motivation

Interests preferences personal style

Multiple Means of Expression speaking signing gestures

pointing drawing assistive technology singing

PreK Case Example

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Felt Board Activity Outcomes

•  Children will begin to make predictions

•  Children will gather, sort and compare objects by similarities and differences

•  Children will participate in the recitation of books, poems, chants, songs and nursery rhymes

Materials list (supplies and tools):

•  Several copies of the book (played/read through FM Listening system)

•  Felt board surface and pieces (e.g., old lady, fly, spider, bird, cat)

•  Pieces should have features that can be identified through touch

Environmental setup (preparation):

• Place felt board where multiple children can see and access. Copy of book for adult and copies for children.

• Announces the name of the book and introduce by taking a picture walk. Play audio/video or read story. Pause after the Old Lady eats each animal to allow children to put the felt version of the animal in the Old Lady’s mouth.

Encourage children to recite the story by speaking/ signing, making gestures (e.g., pointing to the animal that was just swallowed), or following printed text with their fingers.

• The adult can then put the books and tape/CD/video in the Listening Center where children can have additional opportunities to hear/read/ discuss the story.

•  Group children in pairs to recite each page of the story or discuss what might happen next.

•  The children can draw pictures of the characters in the book and put them in sequential order to create their own books.

•  Motivates all students to participate •  Includes all students in all activities •  Reduces teacher time management •  Increases learning •  Increases acceptance of children with

disabilities •  Provides full access to content for all •  Reduces frustration during the lesson for both

students and teachers

Data Driven Decision Making •  Focuses on the child’s strengths

and needs and matches these with instruction

•  Allows for input from multiple perspectives

•  Facilitates collaborative planning for success

•  Documents baseline and charts progress

•  Allows for more strategic teaching

What is needed is a change of perspective concerning assessment and evaluation to ask…

•  That we see what children are doing rather than what they are not doing.

•  That we understand children learn & progress developmentally & uniquely, not by grade level.

•  That assessment & evaluation match instruction in the classroom, with the teacher & student as the primary evaluators.

•  That the progress of a child is documented over time & based upon a variety of evidence rather than on a test.

•  That we find other ways to show growth rather than relying only on numerical summaries.

Janine Batzle. Portfolio Assessment & Evaluation. Cypress, CA: Creative Teaching Press, 1992.

Data: Information that “drives” or helps in planning & decision making

•  Achievement (Knowledge & Skills)

•  Interests/Passions/Motivation •  Learning Styles & Preferences •  Aptitude & Ability Areas •  Disability & Challenge Areas •  Physical Development •  Social & Emotional Needs •  Ecology/Context Home & Family

© Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

What Kinds of Data Do we Have? Pre-K

•  Observations •  Work Samples •  Dibbles •  Individual Growth and

Development Indicators •  Language Development •  Other?

K •  Reading Measures •  Math Measures •  Work Samples •  Curriculum Based

Measures •  Observations •  Other?

Interviewing Your Data

I.  What does my data have to tell me? A.  Broad Patterns/Trends for the group/class

1.  Clusters: a.  High b.  Middle c.  Low

2.  Group Strengths/Needs 3.  Outliers:

a.  These children don’t cluster easily.


Interviewing Your Data cont. II.  Specific Question:

A.  What does this tell me about… 1.  Content/Curriculum 2.  Students 3.  Environment Learning (instruction)

B.  Why does this pattern exist? III.  What is missing?

A.  What do I need to know that my data does not tell me?!

B.  How can I collect this data? (Coleman, 2004)


General Class Summary of Data

Content # below # on target # above # outliers (Pre) Reading

Writing

(Pre) Math

Science

Social Studies

Other

Teacher __________________________ Class _____ Grade/Age _____ Year _____ Month_____

# Students _____ # Boys _____ # Girls _____ # Exceptional _____ # ELL _____ # Advanced _____

Comments about special needs of students for consideration planning: ______________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Strategies to Differentiate for this class should include: ___________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary Ruth Coleman, 2008

Data Driven Decision Making Helps us Place Every Child on a Trajectory for Success

Differentiation in Kindergarten teacher’s response to learner's needs

guided by general principles of differentiation such as

respec&ul tasks flexible grouping ongoing assessment adjustment

Teachers can differentiate

Content Process Product

according to student's

Readiness Interests Learning Profile

Differentiation •  Product: What do children produce: Language, relationships,

engagement, actions, creations, constructions, motor movement, solutions. Anytime we can “see a child’s development” . (e.g. actions, work samples, photos, videos, annotations, documentation). Product is the “observable child’s thinking”.

•  Content: What should children learn and be able to demonstrate. (e.g Big Ideas, Curriculum, Early Learning Standards). This is your Tier 1 scope and sequence.

•  Process: How does the teacher structure her actions and responses to promote positive outcomes for all children (e.g. strategies, intentional responsive teaching). Process is observable teacher actions.

Mr. Brown’s Kindergarten

Start with the Data •  22 children with a chronological age range of 14

months (5-6 year olds) •  3 children identified for ELL support •  2 children with IEP support for language and

cognitive •  School data system reports 70% free and

reduced •  Entry DIBELS data

Tiered Activity

Differentiation 1.  Select the activity organizer

– Concept – Skill – Generalization

Essen1al to building a framework for understanding

Data •  Think about your students or use

assessments – Readiness skills –  Interests reading – Learning profile thinking – Talents information

Create an activity that is •  Interesting •  High level •  Causes students to use key skills to

understand an idea

Think about •  High Skill or

Complexity

•  Low Skill or Complexity

Kindergarten

Problem Solving & Classification

Toad’s Button

• The button is NOT black. • The button is NOT square. • The button is NOT small. • The button does NOT have two holes. • The button is NOT thin.

Problem Solving & Classification

•  The button is NOT black. • The button is NOT square. • The button is NOT small. • The button does NOT have two holes. • The button is NOT thin.

Vocabulary and Content •  Thin or not thin (thick) •  Circle or square •  Small or large •  Count to 4 and remember •  Black or white •  “not”

Adding Data to the Decision •  Do they need the concrete “real” buttons or can

they sort with the abstract “print” buttons? •  How many attributes can a child attend to? •  What is their problem solving approach? How do

they explain or represent their thinking as they work through the problem?

•  What prompting will support their process? •  How much prior experience with the properties

of buttons? Multiple experiences through open exploration with materials.

Process: Don’t lose the Problem!

•  What is the child’s strategy? •  How can you prompt if they get stuck? •  How will you “see” their thinking?

Product •  In this case is the solution

– How would you differentiate the product? – Hint: is related to differentiating the content!

References and Resources For more information, please visit: UDL: www.cast.org Differentiation:

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