A day of activity and exploration on ways to make differentiation come alive in K-5 classrooms. Writing, research, literature circles, journal responses, and classroom based strategies are included.

1. It’s All about Thinking –
differentiation in K-5 classes
Saltspring Island
Nov. 13, 2009
Faye Brownlie

2. Frameworks
It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009

3. Universal Design for Learning
Multiple means:
-to tap into background knowledge, to
activate prior knowledge, to increase
engagement and motivation
-to acquire the information and knowledge to
process new ideas and information
-to express what they know.
Rose & Meyer,
2002

4. Backwards Design
• What important ideas and enduring
understandings do you want the students
to know?
• What thinking strategies will students need
to demonstrate these understandings?
McTighe & Wiggins,
2001

5. My students need to learn to
record notes when reading
information text.
Can I introduce the double-entry
journal to my grade 2/3 class?

6. Students need:
• A model
• Guided practice in following
the model
• An opportunity to practice the
strategy, with support as needed
• Choice in the degree of
complexity they use to complete
the task

13. How can we best use our resource
time together? Can we
introduce writing in a playful
way to a diverse group of K
children?

14. Students need:
• To see themselves as writers
• To have fun
• To develop a sense of sound/
symbol relationships
• To find their stories
• To work with criteria

15. Learning Intentions – Kindergarten
Think of ideas
to
write about
“OLI (our learning intention) tells us what we
have to learn”
“He is there to make sure we are learning
what we are supposed to”
OLI

16. Criteria – K/1
Big, Bold, Bright Make a picture
Tell some letters Try some sounds
you know you know
What’s Next for This Beginning Writer? – Reid, Schultz,
Petersen

17. K- Writing:
1
Model - pictures & print
Refer to criteria
Kids draw & write
Refer to criteria
Pearson & Gallagher (1983)

24. How can we best use our resource
time together? How can we help
our students enhance their
vocabulary use in their writing?

25. Students need:
• To see themselves as writers
• To work with criteria
• To have models of powerful
language
• To practice over time
• To receive feedback while
writing and after writing, 2 stars
and 1 wish

26. Grade 2/3 Writing Criteria
• An opening sentence with a hook
• Details
• Distinguished words

31. Autumn Bear
Author-Diane Culling
Illustrator - Cindy Vincent
Snowberry Books, 2007
ISBN 978-0-9736678-2-0

32. One September morning •a piece of fog touched me.
As I looked out my window the gold leaves drifted out
of the tree as I dragged my feet down the stairs to
breakfreast, as I waited for the school bus I feel puffs of
wind pick up my hair when the school bus came I
slowley walk up the stairs as I bundled • in a seat as I
went down the steps I saw birds migrating south as if
leaves followed them it looked like they were air
dancing.• -Allyson, gr.2

33. • As the cool fall leafs fall the aniamails
hide in thir hafertat an the people put
worm fire on and they have hot chocolet
with mashmao. If feel couze with the
blaket on you. You feel like you want to
stay home forever. The wind hits your
face it feels like somebudys teeching
except it’s the breeze. -by Jason, gr.3

34. Autumn Wind
• When the Autumn wind blows it makes me shiver. It
really makes me quiver. The wind is cold and really
bold, it feels refreshing on my face. I get to keep my
own pace. My hair would blow I can be slow, I walk
on the ground I don’t have a frown, it feels so good
and it keeps me in a joyful mood it keeps me happy
for the rest of the day and I want to play and play.
After the Autumn wind blows on my face it is really
cool, it almost feels as cold as my pool. By
Samantha, gr.3

36. Learning Intention: I can write and describe a
small event from my morning.
Gr. 3 Writing:
Model – a small moment
Establish criteria
Kids write
Descriptive feedback on
criteria
Pearson & Gallagher (1983)

37. • Choose a topic
• Write in front of the students
• Students describe ‘what works’ in your writing
• Students choose a ‘morning’ topic
• Students write
• Students self-assess
• Students meet with peers to share and provide
feedback

38. All alone, I stepped into my car. With my
map in hand, I began to drive. At the lights
I turned left, then the map said to turn
right. “Oh, no!”
The sign said, “Road closed”.
“Help,” I thought. “What am I going to
do?”

39. Notices…criteria
• Mystery
• Opening
• Detailed
• Sounds like you (Voice)

43. Browsing Bags– Lousesa
Newman, Jennifer Hall
Tait Elementary
The Focus:
Children need time to
read independently and
time to respond to their
reading.

44. Browsing Bags

51. Lori Zawada & Faye Brownlie
Grade 2/3
Tait Elementary
Richmond
Learning Intentions
Questioning
Descriptive Feedback
Ownership

52. Learning Intention:
• I can examine a picture and infer what is
happening
• I can provide ‘because’ reasoning
(evidence) for my inference

57. • Peter’s Poofect Pet - Tina Powell
• www.bigfatpen.com

58. K-3 Collaborative Study
• Goal: to help students use
their own questions to develop
a real understanding about
insects
• Teachers:
• Lisa Schwartz-K/1
• Colleen Reimer - 1/2
• Louesa Neuman - 2/3

59. The Process:
Modelling
• Brainstorm-Categorize (know)
• Read (wonder and discover)
• “Insect Absolutes” - developed as a
class (learned)
• Own flip books - content criteria

60. 3 classes, 3 insects
K/1 - ants
1/2 - butterflies
2/3 - bees

61. Guided Practice
• Read
• Generate class questions
• Read in 3’s and 4’s to answer questions
• Take notes
• Class discussion
• A/B partners:explain and coach
• Write
• 3 D model

68. Independent Practice
• Read
• Choose insect
• Choose 3 questions
• Multi-age groups, insect based
• Note-taking: MI and details
• Partner talk
• Write for poster
• Diorama and 3D model
• Present

74. Grand Conversations,
Thoughtful Responses
Faye Brownlie
Portage and Main Press

75. Literature Circles
• no assigned roles
• no limits on amount of reading
• constantly changing discussion groups
• student choice of books
• journals
• bi-weekly comprehension strategies

76. The Storm
In my bed all safe and warm
I like to listen to the storm.
The thunder rumbles loud and grand-
The rain goes splash and whisper; and
The lightning is so sharp and bright
It sticks its fingers through the night.
-Dorothy Aldis

77. Lit Circle Conversations
• begin with ‘say something’
• each student responds in turn
• general conversation can follow
• teacher meets with each group
• other students are reading

78. Criteria for an effective group discussion:
•all voices must be included
•everyone must feel included
•everyone’s ideas are respected
•the discussion should move us to new
understandings

79. Response Journals
 double-entry journals
 initially, written in class, together
 develop criteria for powerful responses

80. Left Side Right Side Notes
Early Stages:
1 Title of the Book One sentence I can read from the book. Writing is very limited in the
2 Title of the Book (After reading a pattern book) early stages.
A sentence of my own following the
pattern of the text.
3 Title of the Book My Opinion (e.g. The part I like best is
...
My favourite character is
…)
End of Grade 1/Beginning of Grade 2:
4 S u m m a r y (What Happened?) My Thinking About What Happened Initially, expect a lot more
writing on the left side than
on the right at this stage.
Later:
5 Two Events My Thinking About These Events Gradually expect the length
of the writing to become
more balanced on each side.
6 A Quotation from the Text My Interpretation/Thinking of the By Intermediate, expect 1 –
Meaning of this Quotation 2 sentences about an event
and a paragraph of personal
response.