Leveled texts for differentiated instruction
A Reader's Workshop Approach to Test Readiness is designed to introduce young students to the genre of reading tests. Reading tests have predictable structural features as well: introductory directions that may contain important information about a passage's content, question stems that contain key information, illustrations, captions for those illustrations where students might find evidence to support answer choices, and many more key features that students can learn to recognize easily Knowledge of these features allows students to develop and apply the specific reading strategies they need to be successful.
Teaching the Test Genre
Teachers and administrators who know the work of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project will recognize key elements of this program:
- Structured minilessons follow the structure outlined by the workshop model developed at Columbia University. Students learn through brief modeling and guided application of new strategies.
- Embedded professional development is included through suggestions for classroom management, teacher language, and sample student responses. Each session also has sidebar mentor commentary, highlighted important elements of the lesson, potential modifications, and possible conceptual hurdles for students.
- Teacher resource pages contain carefully crafted model passages and questions with which teachers can model strategies for students.
Leveled Texts for Differentiated Instruction
Each test passage appears in the student book at four different reading levels, allowing teachers to provide truly differentiated instruction. Students can read:
- at test level
- slightly below test level
- far below test level
- above test level
This allows students to learn strategies while working with accessible text. Regardless of the level at which students read, all students answer identical test questions, allowing students who are working at different reading levels to come together and share strategic approaches to test questions.