Differentiated Reading Instruction In Grades 4 & 5

"This book is fantastic! I have been looking for an effective guide to differentiating reading instruction, but there was nothing on the market that met my needs--until now. By addressing the real-world concerns of fourth- and fifth-grade teachers, the authors fill an important void. Their model for differentiation is considerate of upper elementary curriculum demands; it incorporates differentiation for every student (even talented readers); and it includes a frank discussion of the gap between struggling students' achievement and state standards."--Judy Mullins, MEd, fifth-grade teacher, Lone Oak Elementary School, Spartanburg, South Carolina

"Practical and easily understood, this book provides specific, ready-to-implement suggestions for teachers who are ready to increase student achievement. It describes instructional practices and scheduling strategies that target all students' needs and build their abilities and engagement with texts. The authors take an honest look at difficulties that may arise and help teachers become more comfortable with taking much-needed risks in assessment and instruction."--Melodie D. Fulcher, MEd, K-12 literacy specialist, Effingham County (Georgia) schools

"This book looks closely--quite literally, minute by minute--at intermediate-level reading instruction, offering the best synthesis to date of research and its implications for practice. The authors present strategies, activities, organizational tools, and resources in an explicit, practical, and compelling manner. Novice and more experienced intermediate educators alike will find this an indispensable guide to effective and thoughtful differentiated reading instruction."--Shane Templeton, PhD, Department of Educational Specialties, University of Nevada, Reno

"There is a great deal of confusion about what counts as effective differentiated instruction in our era of high-stakes reform. This book offers grounded guidelines that extend the authors' successful K-3 model into the upper elementary grades. Writing in a style that is accessible to teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, and graduate students, the authors address the need for all students to meet or exceed grade-level standards. Most impressive is how the book walks the reader through the design of the model, provides rich examples, and supplies all the tools needed to get started."--Linda D. Labbo, PhD, Department of Language and Literacy Education (Emeritus), University of Georgia

With a unique focus on grades 4 and 5, this book explains how to design and implement a research-based reading program that helps all students build major literacy skills (word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). The expert authors present ready-to-use activities, strategies, and lesson plans, along with detailed guidance for assessing students and providing instruction in differentiated small groups. Teachers get a clear understanding of how differentiation works in a tiered response-to-intervention model and how it aligns with the Common Core Standards. In a convenient large-size format, the book includes extenxive reproducible checklists and forms.

This book has been replaced by Differentiated Literacy Instruction in Grades 4 and 5, Second Edition, ISBN 978-1-4625-4081-5.

Sharon Walpole, PhD, is Associate Professor of Education at the University of Delaware, where she teaches graduate courses and conducts research in the area of literacy. She is coauthor (with Michael C. McKenna) of four previous books. Dr. Walpole’s extensive experience both as a literacy coach and as a professional developer working directly with coaches in a number of states has informed her insights into school reform. Her research has been sponsored by the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, and her investigations led her to earn an Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference (now the Literacy Research Association). She has worked with Reading First teachers and coaches in eight states. Michael C. McKenna, PhD, is Thomas G. Jewell Professor of Reading at the University of Virginia. He has authored, coauthored, or edited 21 books and more than 100 articles, chapters, and technical reports on a range of literacy topics. Dr. McKenna’s research has been sponsored by the National Reading Research Center and by the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement. He was a member of the National Reading First Expert Review Panel and has worked with Reading First teachers in eight states. Zoi A. Philippakos, MEd, is a doctoral student in Literacy Education at the University of Delaware. She has her master’s degree in Reading and has worked as an elementary school teacher and literacy coach. Her interests include reading and writing instruction for students in the elementary grades. Ms. Philippakos provides professional development to teachers about effective reading and writing strategies. She is a cochair and cofounder of the Writing Study Group at the Literacy Research Association (LRA) and a cochair of the Graduate Students as Researchers Study Group also hosted at the LRA. She piloted many of the instructional strategies included in this book.

1. Differentiation and Tiered Instruction 2. Research on Upper Elementary Readers 3. Designing an Upper Elementary Reading Program 4. Choosing and Using Assessments 5. Building Word Recognition 6. Building Fluency 7. Building Vocabulary 8. Building Comprehension 9. Creating a Climate for Extensive, Meaningful Reading and Writing 10. Putting It All Together • Appendices. Reproducible Classroom Materials A. Tier 1 Planning Templates B. Informal Decoding Inventory C. Word Recognition Lessons D. Reciprocal Teaching Reminders E. QAR Reminders F. Book Club Reminders G. Text Structure Graphic Organizers H. Word Recognition and Fluency Sample Plans I. Fluency and Comprehension Sample Plans J. Vocabulary and Comprehension Sample Plans • Glossary of Reading Terms