Discuss the effectiveness of differentiation and include evidence from the below passage for support. My class consists of 15 students in the 1st grade. This is my reading class during our "Walk to Read" portion of the day. The most relevant characteristic influencing my instructional strategies was the varied range of reading abilities. Students will model reading comprehension strategies to

Discuss the effectiveness of differentiation and include evidence from the below passage for support.

My class consists of 15 students in the 1st grade. This is my reading class during our "Walk to Read" portion of the day. The most relevant characteristic influencing my instructional strategies was the varied range of reading abilities. Students will model reading comprehension strategies to construct meaning from print. Students will model fluent and expressive reading. Students will demonstrate reading accuracy and decoding strategies. Students will work toward continued growth in writing, spelling, and self-reading evaluation. These goals are based on their individual and whole-class reading needs derived from current assessment and observational data. Each portion of the Daily Five format is designed to help them construct meaning from text. Specifically, based on current assessment and observational data, I presented a reading accuracy strategy called "flipping the sound." This involves them attacking difficult words they are struggling with and flipping individual letter sounds until they can decode the word. I observed them guessing and skipping difficult words in their reading text. Flipping the sound will provide them with another method of attacking difficult words. I presented "flipping the sound" in the whole group setting. They listened to books on tape to hear fluent reading and read into iPods and Audacity computer software to practice and analyze their reading fluency, expression, and prosody. They use a rubric to rate their reading through my conferences on the computers and iPods. Technology has been integrated into the reading. They use a voice-analyzing software tool called Audacity to monitor their reading expression. They use a program on the iPods called iTalk. This program records their voice reading and allows them to compare their reading expression over time. The classroom environment fosters them actively and purposefully constructing meaning from reading through the hub of our classroom. The strategy cards under the main headings were created for students by students. The classroom displays an environment fostering and revolving around reading and language arts development. The entire back wall is dedicated to reading development, where student reading goals and a running record of current reading strategies are posted. Our student library has cushions and chairs to provide a comfortable reading environment. The walls are covered with student-generated posters of reading expectations. The word wall features words pertinent to our current word work, spelling, and writing goals. There are 2 separate listening centers as well. The center near my teacher's desk provides access to 2 iPods where they can read into microphones and record their reading on iTalk. The 2nd listening center is our "listening to reading" center. The entire room facilitates an environment where they can read with partners, read to themselves, listen to reading, work on word work, and write. Based on our Daily Five activities, they work on identified instructional reading goals. They utilize the entire reading environment to further their goals through group instruction, reading to self, listening to reading, conferencing with me, and working on word work. The reading instruction begins with a read-aloud and is followed by a student presenting their current reading goal and strategy sharing. This allows them to practice the new skills immediately and build upon previous learning. I continued our class read aloud as a whole group by reading another chapter of Matilda by Roald Dahl. The strategy focus was "flipping the sound." I scaffold the instruction through modeling. The most crucial instructional resource in my classroom is our CAFÉ menu. Students have their current reading goals and strategies posted here. CAFE stands for comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and expanding vocabulary. Students create the strategy cards under each goal, becoming experts and ensuring the material is developmentally appropriate. Above the CAFE, they helped make reading expectation posters such as reading with a partner, reading to self, and picking "good fit" books. Having these posters provides them with a continuous reminder of our reading expectations. They use iTalk on their iPods to record their reading voices to self-monitor reading fluency and expression. Similarly, the Audacity software on the computer records the students' reading voice. After using iTalk or Audacity, they complete a self-assessment rubric to rate their reading expression. I used the Smartboard technology to give them access to an internet-based site called Spelling City. I have my current spelling and phonics word list downloaded on this site so they can practice their words. I use a lot of teacher-to-student as well as student-to-student interactions.