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Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Student-Centered and/or Differentiated Instruction

Cierra D. Luna

Regent University
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Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Introduction

In this paper, I will be discussing how I differentiated my small group lessons for my high and

low learners. Differentiation is important in the classroom because it focuses on students specific

learning needs like being challenged or breaking things down to a lower level that’s easier to

comprehend. The authors of Principals of Classroom Management say that effective

differentiated instruction allows for small groups to meet learner needs, uses a variety of

materials to reach a learners needs, and allows learners to move at different paces(Levin &

Nolan, 2014, pg. 141). Small group instruction is an excellent way to differentiate instruction

based on the students in that small group.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

Artifact 1: Word Study- High Group

My first artifact is a picture from one of my high word study groups. At the beginning of

student teaching, I directed Mrs. Calicchio in transitioning the highest word study groups to

novel study to further engage their thinking. After doing so, I was left with one low word study

group and one high word study group for each class; totaling 4 word study groups. My artifact is

a picture from my high word study group in my first class that was taken on March 24, 2021.

This particular group of students were completing typical word studies with ease, so I decided to

add books to encourage higher thinking. In our reading specialist room, I was able to locate a

book entitled “Sweet Pea, the Black Sheep” that incorporated what they were learning that week

in word study; ee, ie, e, and ea. On the first day of reading the book, I asked the students to find

and write on their white boards the words that contained ee, ie, e, or ea. On day two, I asked the

students to go through and find those same words and manipulate them. In my artifact, one of my

students is pictured writing the word “weak”. She can manipulate it by changing the “ea” to
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Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

make a new word such as “week”, “wek”, or “wiek”. I had my students do this because even if

the words are not real words, the students should be able to say the sound correctly. For example,

if she took “week” and changed the “ee” to “ie”, it would be “wiek”. She would pronounce it like

“why-k” and that would show me that she understands the sound. My high word study group did

this with three words that they found in the book and they shared them with the group.

Artifact 2: Word Study- Low Group

My second artifact is a picture of a used and unused copy of my word study plan for my low

word study group in my second class. In this particular group, I only have one student because

she requires one-on-one small group instruction. For this particular lesson, we were focusing on

r-blends (br, cr, dr, fr, gr, tr, pr). Each of my word study plans for my low groups are broken into

a four day plan. On day one I introduce the blend, have the student(s) push chips for each sound

that they hear(push-its), and they sort pictures based on the blend sound that they hear. On day

two I have them do push-its, word building, and a word sort with words instead of pictures. On

day three they do “tap-its” which is where they tap their fingers for each sound that they hear,

word building, chunk-chunk blends, and a passage that incorporates the blend that they are

learning about. On day four we review the blends and they are assessed on their understanding

on the blend. Although this is the day-by-day plan for word study, the pace that I go is dependent

on how well the student is understanding the blend.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

For my first artifact, I incorporated books in to my higher word study group because they began

to surpass my expectations. The author of, “Differentiation in a Rigid Curriculum” explains

that when students reach a goal, you must consider how their learning can be

challenged and extended to allow higher thinking (Nieves, 2018). Similar to Nieves, I
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Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

noticed that my students were exceeding my expectations for word study so I added

books to challenge them and encourage higher thinking. For my second artifact, I had

to modify my word study lesson plans to fit the needs of my student. The authors of

Principals of Classroom Management explain that a teacher should “modify the learning

environment to accommodate different student needs. The physical environment can be

manipulated in many ways to create individual work stations or desks...”(Levin & Nolan, 2014).

Once I realized that my student was falling behind in her word study group, I had to manipulate

her environment and give her the one-on-one learning that she needed. In all that I have done

with differentiation with my students, I have done my best to allow the light of Jesus shine

through me. Psalm 32: 8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go, I

will counsel you with my loving eye on you”. I am teaching my students in the best way that I

can, but I have also tried to love them along the way. Some of my students, especially the student

in a group by herself, can tend to feel secluded because of their learning needs. To combat this, I

try to encourage them each day and show them Christs’ love.
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Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

References

Levin, J. & Nolan, J. (2014). Principles of classroom management. Upper Saddle River,

NJ: Pearson

Nieves, Kathryn. “Differentiation in a Rigid Curriculum.” Edutopia, George Lucas

Educational Foundation, 2 Nov. 2018, http://www.edutopia.org/article/differentiation-

rigid- curriculum.