Differentiating literacy instruction for student diversity in Stage 2 classes: An observational study

Abstract

In Australian primary school classes student populations have become increasingly more diverse. The literature provides a myriad of research-based best practices for effective teaching in inclusive classrooms. Consequently. teaching and learning for students may be as diverse as the students - abilities and as variant as the teachers' instructional strategies they employ to meet individual students' needs. Differentiated instruction has evolved as one approach to meet the diverse educational needs of students in the regular classroom. Additionally, a major concern is students who still have difficulty learning to read. This paper reports an observation study investigating the relationship between student diversity and differentiation of literacy instruction in Stage 2 primary classes in Australia. Following a pilot' study. literacy lessons in four classes were observed over two terms. An amended version of the Code for Instructional Strategies and Student Academic Responses - Mainstream version (MS-CISSAR) was used to code variables in three major categories: classroom ecologies, teacher instruction and behaviours of students with low-, average- and high-reading ability in each class. The results provided some indication of relationships between the three categories and some differentiated literacy instruction for students with different abilities. However, findings of specific differentiated practices such as flexible grouping, contracts or learning centres were limited in this study.