Hi Rob! Thank you for your feedback. You're right—ThinkUp! is designed to match the depth of knowledge and rigor required by your state learning standards. When we deconstruct learning standards, the high expectation to reach mastery of the standard is surprising.
Since you mentioned reading specifically, I'll share a few differentiation tips and examples using that frame of reference.
Differentiation can/should occur in three areas during the learning journey—content, process, and product—and can be used with any student who needs support. Try a couple of these ideas and let me know how they work!
—Try using the Close Reading strategy to help students navigate the selection first from a more explicit, surface-level view before diving deeper into inferential knowledge.
—First reading: Begin the unit assessment selection with a read-aloud and debrief using the routine in your ThinkUp! Teacher Edition. Second reading: The next day, invite students to read and discuss the selection with a shoulder partner. Third reading: Now it's time to allow students to read independently and answer the unit assessment questions.
—Try chunking the selection. This helps students process and comprehend the selection in more bite-sized pieces.
—Work through the selection in small groups rather than during whole-class instruction.
—Keep an eye on the DOK level. Each question and activity is coded for Revised Bloom's Taxonomy and Depth of Knowledge level in your Teacher Edition. Try leading with lower-level questions first. When students are confident and ready to move forward, circle back to the activities or questions that are more complex.
—Invite students to begin with a dynamic retelling orally before answering questions in a testing format.
—Don't underestimate the power of Debriefing during Guided Instruction. Think of it as a super-charged think-aloud that models deep processing and comprehension. Each unit in the Teacher Edition includes guidance for debriefing.
—For students with IEPs, remember that level doesn't necessarily equal grade. Consider matching the ThinkUp! level to the student's zone of proximal development (ZPD) defined in their individualized education plan.
—The strategies and activities found in the Intervention section in your Teacher Edition don't have to be used exclusively for intervention students. It's okay to implement a few during your Tier 1 instructional routine as well.
Hope these tips are helpful!
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