Home Toolkit Toolkit for Differentiating Reading Instruction for Grades K-3

Introduction

This Toolkit is a set of free professional development materials to help educators provide evidence-based, differentiated reading instruction for students in grade K-3. It is based on the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse practice guide Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades. This Toolkit focuses on Recommendation 2 from the practice guide: Provide differentiated reading instruction for all students based on assessments of students’ current reading levels.

Toolkit overview

The Toolkit offers separate professional developmental materials for Grades K–1 and Grades 2–3 since instructional needs differ significantly from Kindergarten through Grade 3. For each grade band, the Toolkit features three professional developmental modules that help teachers use data to deliver effective differentiated instruction. It is designed for use by a team of teachers, such as a department, grade-level team, or professional learning community. The team is led by a facilitator and receives support from school or district leaders.

Each module aligns with a recommended step from the practice guide and includes related content, videos, and activities:

  • Module 1: Collect and Interpret Student Data
  • Module 2: Determine Data-Driven Decision Rules and Plan for Teacher-Led Small Group Differentiated Instruction
  • Module 3: Plan and Implement Small Group Differentiated Instruction and Manage the Classroom

Each module follows a four-step collaborative learning cycle that guides teachers to: Build Knowledge, Collaborate and Practice, Apply and Reflect, and Dig Deeper.

The modules are designed to be used as a complete sequence. Since later modules build on key concepts introduced earlier, the recommended delivery is to implement all three modules in order over a nine-week period. At the same time, we recognize that schools and educators vary in available time and experience with differentiated Tier 1 reading instruction. To support this flexibility, the Toolkit includes strategic adaptation points for leaders, facilitators, and participants to consider.

Toolkit FAQs

A practice guide is a publication that presents recommendations for educators to address challenges in their classrooms and schools. They are based on reviews of research, the experiences of practitioners, and the expert opinions of a panel of nationally recognized experts. Response to Intervention (RtI) is part of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework.

There are five recommendations in the Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades practice guide and this Toolkit focuses on Recommendation 2: Provide differentiated reading instruction for all students based on assessments of students’ current reading levels (tier 1, general education). The full list of recommendations from the practice guide is listed below:

  • Recommendation 1: Screen all students for potential reading problems at the beginning of the year and again in the middle of the year. Regularly monitor the progress of students who are at elevated risk of developing reading disabilities.
  • Recommendation 2: Provide differentiated reading instruction for all students based on assessments of students’ current reading levels (tier 1, general education).
  • Recommendation 3: Provide intensive, systematic instruction on up to three foundational reading skills in small groups to students who score below the benchmark score on universal screening. Typically, these groups meet between three and five times a week for 20 to 40 minutes (tier 2).
  • Recommendation 4: Monitor the progress of tier 2 students at least once a month. Use these data to determine whether students still require intervention. For those students still making insufficient progress, school-wide teams should design a tier 3 intervention plan.
  • Recommendation 5: Provide intensive instruction on a daily basis that promotes the development of the various components of reading proficiency to students who show minimal progress after reasonable time in tier 2 small group instruction (tier 3).

The Toolkit includes three professional development modules organized by grade bands (grades K–1 and grades 2–3), with each grade band having its own Participant Guide:

There are also videos that accompany each module, which are also organized by grade band.

There are separate guides and videos for school leaders and professional development facilitators. These guides should be used alongside the participant guides.

There are also self-reflection checklists, one for teachers and one for leaders and facilitators. These are available as Excel versions here and as 508c accessible word versions in the Participant Guides.

The Toolkit professional development modules are designed to be completed in approximately nine weeks. The Toolkit can be implemented at any part of the school year, but implementation is most useful near the beginning of the year (for example, after the first month or toward the end of the first quarter).

Teachers will engage with the content of the professional development modules for up to 20 hours, which includes completing content and activities independently and collaborating in meetings.

The role of facilitator is extremely important. Like any professional development, there is planning, communication, and responsibilities to complete before implementation can begin. The facilitator will be the lead communicator, logistics coordinator, and coach for successful implementation. Facilitators will communicate with leadership to garner their support and with teachers to encourage their on-going participation. Facilitators will coordinate logistics such as scheduling the team meetings and ensuring participants have their materials. You will also serve as a coach to:

  • Encourage teachers to complete the independent activities between team meetings,
  • Support a positive learning environment during and between team meetings,
  • Facilitate meetings using the   Facilitator Guide (1 MB), and
  • Check-in with teachers as time allows to determine how you might support their differentiated instruction.

For more information, see the Facilitator Resources section.

Educational leaders, such as principals and district leaders, and literacy leaders, such as reading coaches, play an important role in supporting and providing teachers’ professional learning. To ensure successful implementation of the Toolkit, leaders should:

  • plan to spend 4-6 hours planning for Toolkit implementation;
  • collaborate with the Toolkit facilitator to ensure there is adequate time for teachers to collaborate in meetings and time for teachers to complete the Toolkit activities between meetings; and
  • support teachers to make instructional changes to incorporate evidence-based practices for differentiating literacy instruction.

For more information, see the Leader Resources and download the   Leader Guide (907 KB).

Each module follows a four-step collaborative learning cycle that provides a structure for teachers to: Build Knowledge, Collaborate and Practice, Apply and Reflect, and Dig Deeper.

Step Description and materials

STEP 1
Build Knowledge

Independently:

  • Complete the Self-Study Reading to build or confirm background knowledge.
  • Watch Videos and complete the Video-Viewing Guide to link content of videos to current instructional practice.

STEP 2
Collaborate and Practice

In a team meeting, complete Collaborative Activities to practice and debrief with colleagues using provided sample data. You will not need to administer any assessments for this step. The sample data for the activities are provided for you in the Toolkit materials.

STEP 3
Apply and Reflect

Independently:

  • Complete Classroom Application Activities to apply what was learned from Steps 1 and 2 using your own assessments and students’ data.
  • Answer the Prepare to Share Activity questions to reflect and prepare for the next team meeting.

STEP 4
Dig Deeper

Deepen knowledge and commitment to sustain successful implementation of differentiated instruction by engaging in vetted resources: research-based articles, IES products, and other resources.

Get Started

Begin your learning journey! Select the tab at the top of the page that best fits your role to get started.

Grade K-1 Modules

Module 1: Collect and interpret student data

Welcome to Module 1! The resources in this module will help you:

  • Deepen your understanding of the various components of reading to inform assessment selection and use;
  • understand screening and progress monitoring; and
  • interpret reading data.

The module consists of two meetings and a set of independent activities, all of which should take about 5-7 hours to complete.

To learn more about the content of this module, review the Module 1 Resources and select each of the module steps below.

MODULE 1 RESOURCES

The   Grade K-1 Module 1 Participant Guide (2 MB) contains all module activities and resources.

During this module, you will also complete the   Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Pre) (75 KB). Please save your completed checklist, as you will need to refer to it in Module 3.

The first step in Module 1 focuses on building and confirming your background knowledge about collecting and interpreting student reading data to help you differentiate tier 1 instruction.

This module starts with a meeting to kick off using the Toolkit. After the meeting, teachers will independently complete the   Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Pre) (75 KB). This tool will help you assess how your current differentiated instructional practice aligns with the practice guide recommendations and to identify priority area(s) as you participate in the Toolkit modules.

You will then complete the self-study reading, including watching videos 1 and 2. Next, you will complete Activity 1, during which you will view and reflect on videos 3-8.

Completing this step should take about 2-3 hours.

During Step 2, you and your colleagues will work together on a series of activities focused on using data to differentiate reading instruction.

First, you will collaboratively interpret sample assessment data to place hypothetical students into groups during Activity 2. The   Grade K-1 Module 1 Participant Guide (2 MB) includes sample data for kindergarten and grade 1 students.

Next, in Activity 3, you will practice incorporating informal data into the student groupings that you made during Activity 2.

Finally, in Activity 4, you and your colleagues will discuss the reading data that you have available at your school and how you can best use it to differentiate instruction.

Completing this step should take about 1.5-2 hours.

During Step 3, you will independently apply the data interpretation approaches that you practiced during Step 2. For Activity 5, you will use your own classroom data to identify students for differing levels of reading support. Activity 6 will help you prepare to share insights with your colleagues based on your work in this module so far.

Completing this step should take about 1 hour.

Step 4 will help you deepen your knowledge about collecting and interpreting student data to differentiate instruction. You can select a resource to review from the provided resources and reflect on what you learned from that resource in Activity 7.

Completing this step should take about half an hour.

Module 2: Determine data-driven decision rules and plan for teacher-led small group differentiated instruction

Welcome to Module 2! The resources in this module will help you use data to:

  • form small groups for teacher-led instruction;
  • plan the content, time, and level of scaffolding for each group; and
  • monitor progress and flexibly change groupings.

The module consists of two meetings, one activity to complete in pairs, and a set of independent activities, all of which should take about 6-8 hours to complete.

To learn more about the content of this module, review the Module 2 Resources and select each of the module steps below.

Module 2 begins with a meeting to debrief and share insights about the data interpretation you completed in Module 1.

You will then independently complete the self-study reading, which covers how to determine data-driven decision rules for differentiated small groups and planning for small group instruction. Videos 9 and 10 provide examples of how teachers plan scaffolds and monitor progress for small groups.

During Activity 8, you will watch and reflect on Videos 11 and 12, in which teachers describe how they plan for differentiated small group instruction.

Completing this step should take about 2 hours.

During Step 2, you will collaboratively form small groups using student data, determine the instructional focus for each small group, and create differentiated lesson plans for the group with the most significant instructional needs. Like in Module 1, you and your colleagues will use sample data about hypothetical students for these activities.

Completing this step should take about 1.5-2 hours.

Note that Step 2 was designed to be completed collaboratively, but Activities 9-12 can be completed independently if this is not feasible.

During Step 3, you will practice using the small group planning approaches that you practiced in Step 2 with data from your own classroom.

After you independently practice in Activities 13-15, Activity 16 asks you to meet with a colleague to discuss your data, the composition of your small groups, and the lesson you developed.

Activity 17 will help you prepare to share insights with the rest of your colleagues based on your work in this module so far.

Completing this step should take about 2-3 hours.

Step 4 will help you deepen your knowledge about successfully implementing differentiated instruction. You can select a resource to review from a list of provided resources and reflect on what you learned from that resource in Activity 18.

Completing this step should take about half an hour.

Module 3: Plan and implement small group differentiated instruction and manage the classroom

Welcome to Module 3! The resources in this module will help you:

  • explicitly teach high priority content in teacher-led small groups;
  • establish learning expectations for student-led small groups; and
  • manage small groups in the classroom.

The module consists of three meetings, a set of independent activities, and observing a colleague’s classroom, all of which should take about 6-8 hours to complete.

To learn more about the content of this module, review the Module 3 Resources and select each of the module steps below.

MODULE 3 RESOURCES

The   Grade K-1 Module 3 Participant Guide (1 MB) contains all module activities and resources.

During this module, you will also complete the Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Post). Please open the Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Pre) you completed and saved in Module 1, as you will need to reference your previous answers.

Module 3 begins with a meeting to debrief and share insights about your work planning for small group differentiated instruction in Module 2.

You will then independently complete the self-study reading, which covers how to plan for explicit instruction, how to establish group expectations, and creating a positive learning environment in differentiated small groups. Videos 13 and 14 show teachers using instructional approaches covered in the reading.

In Activity 19, you will watch and reflect on Videos 15-18, which show how teachers use practices from this module in their classrooms.

Completing this step should take about 2.5-3 hours.

Step 2 begins with a meeting, during which you will review and discuss a video showing differentiated small group instruction (Activity 20) and collaborate with your colleagues on a management plan for differentiated small group reading instruction (Activities 21). Finally, in Activity 22, you will visit a colleague’s classroom, complete the peer checklist for differentiated instruction, and debrief with them about what you saw.

Completing this step should take about 1-1.5 hours.

During Step 3, you will complete Activities 23-25 independently to reflect on and plan for differentiated small group instruction.

After you complete Activity 25, you should also complete the Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (post) which is included in the Participant Guide or as a downloadable excel file.

Finally, you will meet to debrief Module 3 and reflect on your experience using the Toolkit.

Completing this step should take about 2-3 hours.

Step 4 will help you deepen your knowledge about how to implement small group differentiated instruction and manage the classroom while students are working independently at reading centers. You can select a resource to review from a list of provided resources and reflect on what you learned in Activity 26.

Completing this step should take about half an hour.

Grade 2-3 Modules

Module 1: Collect and interpret student data

Welcome to Module 1! The resources in this module will help you:

  • deepen your understanding of the various components of reading to inform assessment selection and use;
  • understand screening and progress monitoring; and
  • interpret reading data.

The module consists of two meetings and a set of independent activities, all of which should take about 5-7 hours to complete.

To learn more about the content of this module, review the Module 1 Resources and select each of the module steps below.

MODULE 1 RESOURCES

The   Grade 2-3 Module 1 Participant Guide (2 MB) contains all module activities and resources.

During this module, you will also complete the   Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Pre) (75 KB). Please save your completed checklist, as you will need to refer to it in Module 3.

The first step in Module 1 focuses on building and confirming your background knowledge about collecting and interpreting student reading data to help you differentiate tier 1 instruction.

This module starts with a meeting to kick off using the Toolkit. After the meeting, teachers will independently complete the   Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Pre) (75 KB). This tool will help you assess how your current differentiated instructional practice aligns with the practice guide recommendations and to identify priority area(s) as you participate in the Toolkit modules.

You will then complete the self-study reading, including watching videos 1 and 2. Next, you will complete Activity 1, during which you will view and reflect on videos 3-8.

Completing this step should take about 2-3 hours.

During Step 2, you and your colleagues will work together on a series of activities focused on using data to differentiate reading instruction.

First, you will collaboratively interpret sample assessment data to place hypothetical students into groups during Activity 2. The   Grade 2-3 Module 1 Participant Guide (2 MB) includes sample DIBELS assessment data for Grade 2 and Grade 3 students.

Next, in Activity 3, you will practice incorporating informal data into the student groupings that you made during Activity 2.

Finally, in Activity 4, you and your colleagues will discuss the reading data that you have available at your school and how you can best use it to differentiate instruction.

Completing this step should take about 1.5-2 hours.

During Step 3, you will independently apply the data interpretation approaches that you practiced during Step 2. For Activity 5, you will use your own classroom data to identify students for differing levels of reading support. Activity 6 will help you prepare to share insights with your colleagues based on your work in this module so far.

Completing this step should take about 1 hour.

Step 4 will help you deepen your knowledge about collecting and interpreting student data to differentiate instruction. You can select a resource to review from the provided resources and reflect on what you learned in Activity 7.

Completing this step should take about half an hour.

Module 2: Determine data-driven decision rules and plan for teacher-led small group differentiated instruction

Welcome to Module 2! The resources in this module will help you use data to:

  • form small groups for teacher-led instruction;
  • plan the content, time, and level of scaffolding for each group; and
  • monitor progress and flexibly change groupings.

The module consists of two meetings, one activity to complete in pairs, and a set of independent activities, all of which should take about 6-8 hours to complete.

To learn more about the content of this module, review the Module 2 Resources and select each of the module steps below.

Module 2 begins with a meeting to debrief and share insights about the data interpretation you completed in Module 1.

You will then independently complete the self-study reading, which covers how to determine data-driven decision rules for differentiated small groups and planning for small group instruction. Videos 9 and 10 provide examples of how teachers plan scaffolds and monitor progress for small groups.

During Activity 8, you will watch and reflect on Videos 11 and 12, in which teachers describe how they plan for differentiated small group instruction.

Completing this step should take about 2 hours.

During Step 2, you will collaboratively form small groups using student data, determine the instructional focus for each small group, and create differentiated lesson plans for the group with the most significant instructional needs. Like in Module 1, you and your colleagues will use sample data about hypothetical students for these activities.

Completing this step should take about 1.5-2 hours.

Note that Step 2 was designed to be completed collaboratively, but Activities 9-12 can be completed independently if this is not feasible.

During Step 3, you will practice using the small group planning approaches that you practiced in Step 2 with data from your own classroom.

After you independently practice in Activities 13-15, Activity 16 asks you to meet with a colleague to discuss your data, the composition of your small groups, and the lesson you developed.

Activity 17 will help you prepare to share insights with the rest of your colleagues based on your work in this module so far.

Completing this step should take about 2-3 hours.

Step 4 will help you deepen your knowledge about successfully implementing differentiated instruction. You can select a resource to review from a list of provided resources and reflect on what you learned from that resource in Activity 18.

Completing this step should take about half an hour.

Module 3: Plan and implement small group differentiated instruction and manage the classroom

Welcome to Module 3! The resources in this module will help you:

  • explicitly teach high priority content in teacher-led small groups;
  • establish learning expectations for student-led small groups; and
  • manage small groups in the classroom.

The module consists of three meetings, a set of independent activities, and observing a colleague’s classroom, all of which should take about 6-8 hours to complete.

To learn more about the content of this module, review the Module 3 Resources and select each of the module steps below.

MODULE 3 RESOURCES

The   Grade 2-3 Module 3 Participant Guide (1 MB) contains all module activities and resources.

During this module, you will also complete the Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Post). Please open the Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Pre) you completed and saved in Module 1, as you will need to reference your previous answers.

Module 3 begins with a meeting to debrief and share insights about your work planning for small group differentiated instruction in Module 2.

You will then independently complete the self-study reading, which covers how to plan for explicit instruction, how to establish group expectations, and creating a positive learning environment in differentiated small groups. Videos 13 and 14 show teachers using instructional approaches covered in the reading.

In Activity 19, you will watch and reflect on Videos 15-18, which show how teachers use practices from this module in their classrooms.

Completing this step should take about 2.5-3 hours.

Step 2 begins with a meeting, during which you will review and discuss a video showing differentiated small group instruction (Activity 20) and collaborate with your colleagues on a management plan for differentiated small group reading instruction (Activities 21). Finally, in Activity 22, you will visit a colleague’s classroom, complete the peer checklist for differentiated instruction, and debrief with them about what you saw.

Completing this step should take about 1-1.5 hours.

During Step 3, you will complete Activities 23-25 independently to reflect on and plan for differentiated small group instruction.

After you complete Activity 25, you should also complete the   Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (Post) (75 KB) which is included in the Participant Guide or as a downloadable excel.

Finally, you will meet to debrief Module 3 and reflect on your experience using the Toolkit.

Completing this step should take about 2-3 hours.

Step 4 will help you deepen your knowledge about how to implement small group differentiated instruction and manage the classroom while students are working independently at reading centers. You can select a resource to review from a list of provided resources and reflect on what you learned in Activity 26.

Completing this step should take about half an hour.

Welcome, facilitators!

The role of the facilitator of this Toolkit is extremely important. These facilitator resources will support you to conduct team meetings with teachers as they participate in the modules of the Toolkit and to provide ongoing support for teachers to implement effective differentiated tier 1 reading instruction.

Facilitator Resources

To implement the Toolkit, you will use the Toolkit's   Facilitator Guide (1 MB) alongside the Grade K-1 teacher professional development resources or Grade 2-3 teacher professional development resources. The Facilitator Guide covers the materials across grades K–3 and will be used whether the Toolkit modules are implemented by individual grade-level, by grade-level bands (K–1 and 2–3), or across grades K–3.

Facilitators will also complete the   Self-Reflection Checklist for Leaders and Facilitators (58 KB).

The role of facilitator is extremely important. Like any professional development, there are planning and communication responsibilities to complete before implementation can begin. The facilitator will be the lead communicator, logistics coordinator, and coach for successful implementation. Facilitators will communicate with leadership to garner their support and with teachers to encourage their on-going participation. Facilitators will coordinate logistics such as scheduling the team meetings and ensuring participants have their materials. You will also serve as a coach to:

  • Encourage participants to complete the independent activities between team meetings,
  • Support a positive learning environment during and between team meetings,
  • Facilitate team meetings using the Facilitator Guide (1 MB), and
  • Check-in with teachers as time allows to determine how you might support their differentiated instruction.

The Toolkit includes three professional development modules organized by grade bands: grades K–1 and grades 2–3, with each grade band having its own Participant Guide:

There are also videos that accompany each module, which are also organized by grade band.

There are separate guides and videos for school leaders and professional development facilitators. These guides should be used alongside the participant guides.

There are also self-reflection checklists, one for teachers and one for leaders and facilitators. These are available as Excel versions here and as 508c accessible versions in the Participant Guides.

The Toolkit professional development modules are designed to be completed in approximately nine weeks. The Toolkit can be implemented at any part of the school year, but implementation is most useful near the beginning of the year. Teachers will engage with the content of the professional development modules for up to 20 hours, which includes completing independent activities and team meetings.

The objectives and suggested schedule for the Toolkit professional development modules can be found in table 7 of the   Facilitator Guide (1 MB).

Since the professional development modules are organized by grade bands: grades K–1 and grades 2–3, you can adapt implementation of the modules based on your context. For example, you can facilitate the Toolkit modules by individual grade-level, by grade-level bands (K–1 and 2–3), or across grades K–3.

The collaborative meetings can take place during already scheduled times, such as grade-level meeting time, professional learning community time, or professional development days, or any other time that suits teachers' schedules.

You may consider having two facilitators, which will reduce the preparation and facilitation time for you.

The professional development modules for teachers were designed to be used as a complete set of materials. Because later modules use critical information from earlier ones, the delivery includes all three modules in sequential order during a nine-week period. However, because Toolkit users might have varying degrees of available time and varying experience levels implementing differentiated tier 1 reading instruction, we have built in strategic adaptation points to be considered by leaders, facilitators, and participants.

The Getting Started Checklist in table 10 of the Facilitator Guide (1 MB) is designed to help facilitators prepare for successful implementation of the Toolkit. It is recommended that the responsibilities on the checklist be completed about two weeks before Toolkit implementation begins with teachers.

Before each module's team meeting, facilitators should also:

  • Read the appropriate Participant Guide (grades K–1 and/or grades 2–3) and watch the videos for the module.
  • Review the section of the Facilitator Guide aligned to the module, including meeting agendas.
  • Prepare the module materials needed for the team meetings.
  • Send a reminder to participants before each team meeting with the date, time, location, and materials needed.

The Toolkit includes two Self-Reflection Checklists to help teachers, leaders, and facilitators to prioritize certain aspects of differentiated instruction.

The Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist is designed for teachers to use before, during, and after participating in the three modules of the Toolkit. The purpose is for teachers to determine how closely their differentiated instructional practice aligns to the practice guide, to identify how it changed, and to develop an action plan to further their professional learning and confidence in differentiating instruction. The Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (75 KB) is available as a fillable, Excel document and as a 508c accessible version in the Participant Guides.

The Self-Reflection Checklist for Leaders and Facilitators can be completed by school administrators or literacy leaders individually, or as a team, at any time to determine the aspects of differentiated instruction they need to specifically support, and to create an action plan to do so. The Self-Reflection Checklist for Leaders and Facilitators (58 KB) is available as a fillable, Excel document and as a 508c accessible version in the Facilitator Guide or Leader Guide.

Each module follows a four-step collaborative learning cycle that provides a structure for teachers to: Build Knowledge, Collaborate and Practice, Apply and Reflect, and Dig Deeper.

Step Description and materials

STEP 1
Build Knowledge

Independently:

  • Complete the Self-Study Reading to build or confirm background knowledge.
  • Watch Videos and complete the Video-Viewing Guide to link content of videos to current instructional practice.

STEP 2
Collaborate and Practice

In a team meeting, complete Collaborative Activities to practice and debrief with colleagues using provided sample data. You will not need to administer any assessments for this step. The sample data for the activities are provided for you in the Toolkit materials.

STEP 3
Apply and Reflect

Independently:

  • Complete Classroom Application Activities to apply what was learned from Steps 1 and 2 using your own assessments and students' data.
  • Answer the Prepare to Share Activity questions to reflect and prepare for the next team meeting.

STEP 4
Dig Deeper

Deepen knowledge and commitment to sustain successful implementation of differentiated instruction by engaging in vetted resources: research-based articles, IES products, and other resources.

To help you make informed decisions about your use of this Toolkit, we have created Strategic Adaptations. These adaptations represent decision-points, where you can both choose when to change the learning experience and also monitor the impact of your modifications.

The strategic adaptations include If...Then...statements in call out boxes and are embedded at the beginning of Steps 1, 2, and 4 of each module. The statements are illustrated by a yellow snail indicating where to pause and a green car indicating where to move ahead.

Welcome, leaders!

Your support is extremely important for successful implementation and sustainability of the practices included in this Toolkit.

These resources will provide you with background on the Toolkit and its modules so that you can support teachers’ long-term implementation of differentiated, tier 1 reading instruction.

Educational leaders, such as principals and district leaders, and literacy leaders, such as reading coaches, play an important role in supporting and providing teachers’ professional learning. To ensure successful implementation of the Toolkit, leaders should:

  • plan to spend 4-6 hours planning for Toolkit implementation;
  • collaborate with the Toolkit facilitator to ensure there is adequate time for teachers to collaborate in meetings and time for teachers to complete the Toolkit activities between meetings; and
  • support teachers to make instructional changes to incorporate evidence-based practices for differentiating literacy instruction.

For more information, download the   Leader Guide (907 KB).

The Toolkit includes three professional development modules organized by grade bands (grades K–1 and grades 2–3), with each grade band having its own Participant Guide:

There are also videos that accompany each module, which are also organized by grade band.

There are separate guides and videos for school leaders and professional development facilitators. These guides should be used alongside the participant guides.

There are also self-reflection checklists, one for teachers and one for leaders and facilitators. These are available as Excel versions here and as 508c accessible versions in the Participant Guides.

This Toolkit provides free, ready-to-use resources, including downloadable files for district and school leaders, facilitators, and grades K–3 teachers.

Districts and schools will need to provide personnel, materials, and other resources to implement the Toolkit. This includes about 16-20 hours of the facilitator’s time, 4-6 hours of a school leader’s time, and about 20 hours of teachers’ time.

For more information, see Table 1 in the   Leader Guide (907 KB).

Since the professional development modules are organized by grade bands: grades K–1 and grades 2–3, you can adapt implementation of the modules based on your context. For example, you can implement the Toolkit modules by individual grade-level, by grade-level bands (K–1 and 2–3), or across grades K–3.

The collaborative meetings can take place during already scheduled times, such as grade-level meeting time, professional learning community time, or professional development days, or any other time that suits teachers’ schedules.

You may consider having two facilitators, which will reduce the preparation and facilitation time for facilitators.

The professional development modules for teachers were designed to be used as a complete set of materials. Because later modules use critical information from earlier ones, the delivery includes all three modules in sequential order during a nine-week period. However, because Toolkit users might have varying degrees of available time and varying experience levels implementing differentiated tier 1 reading instruction, we have built in strategic adaptation points to be considered by leaders, facilitators, and participants.

About one month before you plan to implement the Toolkit, leaders should identify 1-2 facilitators, the teacher participants, and explore whether professional learning credits can be offered.

A few weeks before implementation, the leader and facilitator can review the Toolkit materials, confirm meeting locations, and finalize the schedule.

One week prior to implementation, leaders can contact participants and schedule a kick-off meeting.

For more information, see the Checklist for planning Toolkit implementation in Table 4 in the Toolkit’s   Leader Guide (907 KB).

The Toolkit Professional Development Modules are designed to be completed in approximately nine weeks. The Toolkit can be implemented at any part of the school year, but implementation is most useful near the beginning of the year. Teachers will engage with the content of the professional development modules for up to 20 hours, which includes completing independent activities and team meetings.

The suggested schedule for the Toolkit professional development modules can be found in Table 5 of the   Leader Guide (907 KB).

The Toolkit includes three professional development modules focused on how teachers can use data to implement effective differentiated reading instruction for students in grade K-3. Each module is based on a recommended step in the practice guide and includes related content, videos, and activities:

  • Module 1: Collect and Interpret Student Data
  • Module 2: Determine Data-Driven Decision Rules and Plan for Teacher-Led Small Group Differentiated Instruction
  • Module 3: Plan and Implement Small Group Differentiated Instruction and Manage the Classroom

Each module follows a four-step collaborative learning cycle that provides a structure for teachers to: Build Knowledge, Collaborate and Practice, Apply and Reflect, and Dig Deeper.

Step Description and materials

STEP 1
Build Knowledge

Independently:

  • Complete the Self-Study Reading to build or confirm background knowledge.
  • Watch Videos and complete the Video-Viewing Guide to link content of videos to current instructional practice.

STEP 2
Collaborate and Practice

In a team meeting, complete Collaborative Activities to practice and debrief with colleagues using provided sample data. You will not need to administer any assessments for this step. The sample data for the activities are provided for you in the Toolkit materials.

STEP 3
Apply and Reflect

Independently:

  • Complete Classroom Application Activities to apply what was learned from Steps 1 and 2 using your own assessments and students’ data.
  • Answer the Prepare to Share Activity questions to reflect and prepare for the next team meeting.

STEP 4
Dig Deeper

Deepen knowledge and commitment to sustain successful implementation of differentiated instruction by engaging in vetted resources: research-based articles, IES products, and other resources.

The Toolkit includes two Self-Reflection Checklists to help teachers, leaders, and facilitators to prioritize certain aspects of differentiated instruction.

The Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist is designed for teachers to use before, during, and after participating in the three modules of the Toolkit. The purpose is for teachers to determine how closely their differentiated instructional practice aligns to the practice guide, to identify how it changed, and to develop an action plan to further their professional learning and confidence in differentiating instruction. The Teacher Self-Reflection Checklist (75 KB) is available as a fillable, Excel document and as a 508c accessible version in the Participant Guides.

The Self-Reflection Checklist for Leaders and Facilitators can be completed by school administrators or literacy leaders individually, or as a team, at any time to determine the aspects of differentiated instruction they need to specifically support, and to create an action plan to do so. The Self-Reflection Checklist for Leaders and Facilitators (58 KB) is available as a fillable, Excel document and as a 508c accessible version in the Facilitator Guide or Leader Guide.