Session Information
31 SES 08, The Role of Pupils' L1 for Literacy Across School
Paper Session
Contribution
Reading is an important component of learning and reading instruction influences students’ future learning experiences. Significant changes in student demographics and conflicting evidence from successive national/international surveys in student literacy performance in Ireland and in America have resulted in renewed focus on approaches to literacy in primary/elementary schools. Recent policy initiatives prioritise teaching/learning strategies, the role of assessment and the provision of achievable goals for all students. Differentiated reading is one instructional model that that is compatible with these literacy strategies and responds to learner variance. It involves a restructuring of teaching and learning activities directed by continuous assessment to provide meaningful and developmentally appropriate learner-responsive, teacher-facilitated activities.
The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers’ understanding of differentiated reading relates to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and to teachers’ own pedagogical practice. It examined teachers’ implementation of differentiated reading through content, process and product and it identified the differentiated reading practices used by teachers. The research investigated the extent to which differentiated reading implementation is impacted by teachers’ conceptions, philosophies, motivation, pedagogical and curricular knowledge. The three research questions were:
How does teachers’ understanding of differentiated reading relate to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development?
What is teachers’ implementation of differentiated reading in relation to content, process and product?
What differentiated reading models are used by teachers?
Vygotsky’s social cultural theory and zone of proximal development (ZPD) provide a theoretical framework for differentiated reading. Using the ZPD the teacher helps the child move from assisted performance through guided apprenticeship to independent attainment. Vygotsky believed that cultural contexts, guided participation and social tools are parts of children’s learning processes and this accommodates different students’ needs, interests, culture, readiness and past experiences. Differentiated reading instruction aims to accommodate the same needs. Many researchers believe that Vygotsky’s social constructivist learning theory is pivotal in the redevelopment and restructuring of classroom management and instructional strategies to accommodate student variance.
Vygotsky’s learning theory incorporates the child’s intellectual development, the transitions from one stage of mastery to another and the multifaceted social-interactions of learning activities within the classroom. Vygotsky examined the complex relationships between language and thought as well as learning, imitation and play. He believed that the social interactions between children and teachers/significant others in their lives greatly influence children’s higher order thought processes and interpretations of events.
Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ describes a level of development accomplished when students engage in social behaviour with the ‘scaffolding’ or ‘guided participation’ of a teacher or knowledgeable peer. Through scaffolding, teacher support/assistance or social mediation the child internalises the expected concepts/ behaviours/strategies to complete a set goal. By recognising a student’s ZPD level the teacher can consider the student’s readiness level which is required in order to differentiate instruction and modify content, processes and products to suit ability levels. Key elements within the ZPD are personal empowerment and transformation and societal tools of critical thinking and creative problem solving. By considering a student’s potential the teacher can plan strategic instruction that encourages a sequence of inner-developmental processes in students through collaborative interactions leading to further development
The ZPD involves careful assessment of the child’s ability, guided participation by the teacher and active learning or engagement from the child to achieve mastery in a particular skill. All three activities – informal assessment, guided participation or support and active learning and engagement from the child are core elements of differentiated instruction.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
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