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Differentiated Instruction

Topics Covered

A ll students are capable of and can benefit from learning a second language. However, today’s students bring into the classroom a wide range of needs, interests, motivations, home languages, and literacy levels. This diversity presents heightened challenges to both curriculum and instruction. It should be clearly acknowledged that individual needs of some students require additional specialized support. However, the goal of a comprehensive program remains the provision of teaching all students to develop proficiency in Spanish. All students should have access to a communicative and culturally rich program in addition to whatever specialized intervention may be required. Auténtico has been developed especially to meet the diverse needs of students in Spanish classrooms.

Success in Teaching All StudentsAll students are able to access learning when teachers provide curriculum and instruction in ways that allow all learners in the classroom to participate and achieve the instructional and behavioral goals of general education, as well as those of the core curriculum. Success is achieved in classrooms that consistently and systematically integrate instructional strategies that are responsive to the needs of all learners with a special focus on students that need extra help—students with learning difficulties, heritage speakers, and students who are eligible for and receiving special education services.

Effective Instructional StrategiesHere are general strategies that deliver effective instruction for all learners in the Spanish classroom.

• Clarify the objectives for a chapter. Students need to understand theoutcomes for which they will be assessed.

• Success in Teaching All Students• Effective Instructional Strategies• Teaching Today’s Students• Teaching Spanish to Students with Learning Disabilities• Accommodating Instruction• Accommodations for Students with Special Needs• Accommodation in AUTÉNTICO• Heritage Speakers

Teaching Heritage Speakers

Teaching Heritage Speakers with Para hispanohablantes

Teaching Heritage Speakers with AUTÉNTICO 2• Teaching All Students: Summary

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• Provide “thinking time” before students have to talk. You may want to ask a question and then count to 10 before expecting a response. If a student is struggling, state that you want him/her to think about it, and indicate that you’ll be back for the response in a minute. Move on to another student, and then return to the student for his/her response.

• Write all assignments on the board. Assignments given both verbally and visually are clearer to all students.

• Use visuals throughout the lesson. Present vocabulary visually. Use charts to present grammar. Use video that provides visual support (such as vocabulary words highlighted on the screen) and grammar videos that visualize grammar patterns. Use graphic organizers whenever possible. Connect communicative tasks to photos, art, and realia.

• Assist in time management. When requiring students to complete projects or long-term assignments, provide a calendar that breaks down requirements by due dates. Many students experience significant difficulties in self-managing the time needed to complete complex projects.

• Build in opportunities for reteaching and practicing vocabulary words and grammar. Students need many opportunities to learn new concepts and need to practice in a variety of formats.

• Build vocabulary skills by teaching the patterns of language. Teach the meaning of prefixes, suffixes, and the role of cognates. Point out connections between English, Spanish, and Latin.

• Work with students based on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. Allow students to experience success by using their strengths while working on areas of weakness.

• Consider alternative means for demonstrating understanding. Think beyond the common modes of reading and writing. Students could present information orally, create a poster or visual representation of work, record their ideas on an audio file, or act out their understanding.

• Have students begin all work in class. Prior to class dismissal, check to ensure that each student has a good start and understands what is expected.

• Assign work on Realize or create a class Web page. Homework assignments could be posted and easily accessed by parents and students outside of school hours.

Teaching Today’s Students The strategies presented on these pages provide an overview of instructional strategies that are effective with all learners. Today’s students need instruction that enables them to see how learning is relevant, that helps them organize their time and learning, that provides focus on what is important (either within instructional materials or with classroom activities), that provides multiple opportunities to learn utilizing different modalities, and that assures students know what is expected of them whether in the classroom or for homework.

“All students are capable of and can benefit from learning a second language.”

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Differentiated Instruction

Teaching Spanish to Students with Learning Disabilities

There are many reasons why students may experience difficulties in learning a second language. In general, these difficulties may be characterized by the inability to spell or read well, problems with auditory discrimination and in understanding auditory input, and difficulty with abstract thinking. Research by Ganchow and Sparks (1991) indicates that difficulties with one’s first language are a major factor in foreign language learning difficulties.

It is not always evident which students will experience difficulties with learning a second language. Many times these students are bright and outgoing. They may have experienced reading or spelling problems in elementary school, but they have learned to compensate over time. Ask students what problems they may have experienced with their first language, especially in the areas of reading and dictation.

Accommodating InstructionStudents with learning disabilities can develop a level of proficiency in a second language with some modifications to instruction and testing. These learners benefit from a highly structured approach that teaches new content in context and in incremental amounts. Teach, practice, and assess using multi-sensory strategies. Many students benefit when instruction combines seeing, hearing, saying, and writing. For example, a teacher would first show a visual of a word and say it aloud. This is followed by using the new word in context. The teacher then writes the word on the board. Students would say the word aloud with the teacher. They then write it down and say it aloud again. In subsequent days, many students benefit from frequent reviews of learned auditory materials.

Accommodations for Students with Special Needs

Here are suggestions for instruction for students with special needs. For additional support, see the Auténtico Alternate Assessment Program.

Hearing impairments

• Help students comprehend oral information or instructions. Provide written directions/materials and/or visual cues to support what is presented orally. Face the students when speaking, repeat as needed, and speak clearly. Seat these students in the front of the classroom. Provide outlines of lectures or oral presentations. Have another student take notes and make copies of notes available to all students. Use the audio and video scripts on Realize. Turn the close-caption feature on.

• Allow students to refer to their textbooks or to other written materials during oral presentations.

• Limit background noises that may distract students. Avoid seating these students where they may hear extraneous noise.

• Change listening activities and assessments to reading/writing activities. In activities that require aural/oral skills, let students demonstrate skills through alternative responses such as writing.

• Provide access to the audio and video materials on Realize. The eText provides pronunciation support, access to all Student Edition listening activities, and access to the vocabulary and grammar videos.

Visual perception problems

• Help students access information provided visually. Allow for preferred seating in the front of the class, including providing space for a guide dog, if necessary. Avoid seating students where they will be distracted by extraneous auditory or visual stimuli. Give students additional time to review visual input prior to an oral or written task. Highlight important information by providing key words, visuals, and simple outlines.

• Provide support for accessing printed information. Make sure the print is easy to read. The readings should be designed to maximize readability: easy-to-read font, layout, and design. Teach reading strategies that highlight the visual aspects of a selection: text organization, use of visuals, titles and headers, and the use of color. Provide copies of reading selections with additional support: underline key words/sentences/concepts or magnify the text in duplication.

• Teach, practice, and assess using multi-sensory strategies.

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ADHD/ADD

• Provide additional support that enables students to focus. Present information in small “chunks.” This includes new content, short instructions or directions, and shorter assignments, or break assignments into steps. Limit extraneous auditory and visual stimulation. Provide visual and written support for aural instructions or input. Repeat and explain (again) as needed. Provide outlines of oral presentations. Support readings with strategies similar to those for students with visual perception problems. Use graphic organizers.

• Verify that students “got it.” Check that students are looking at you (eye contact) when providing oral instructions. Ask students to repeat what you just told them. Move closer to students to increase attention. Provide preferential seating that allows you to monitor students’ focus and attention. Allow extra wait time when students are responding.

• Provide a variety of different learning activities that reach different learning styles. This will also allow for frequent changes of activities within a class. Provide for hands-on activities, vocabulary clip art, and grammar manipulatives.

• Use technology to provide interactive learning. These students will benefit from using the online resources on Realize.

• Be predictable. Establish a daily routine for managing the classroom and be consistent. Avoid surprises with these students.

• Help students organize themselves and their learning. Ask students to maintain notebooks that are organized by dividers. Provide study guides, summary sheets, and organizers for daily or weekly assignments.

Accommodation in AuténticoAuténtico 1 provides a wide range of support for accommodating instruction.

STUDEnT EDITIon

Clean design and layout of pages

Visualized presentation of vocabulary

Step-by-step scaffolding of activities

Online vocabulary and grammar tutorials and extra practice available on Realize

TEACHER’S EDITIon

Differentiated Instruction article

Differentiated Instruction suggestions

LEVELED VoCABULARy AnD GRAMMAR WoRKBooK: GUIDED PRACTICE

Vocabulary clip art to create flashcards

Focused vocabulary practice

Simplified grammar instruction

Answer Key in Teacher’s Resource Materials on Realize

ALTERnATE ASSESSMEnT PRoGRAM on REALIzE AnD TESTnAV

Additional suggestions for accommodating assessment for students needing extra help

AuténticoTEXAS

AuténticoTEXAS

TEACHER’S EDITION

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