2 differentiated instruction - reading for the love of...

Differentiated InstructionIn the Fall 2006 issue of Speaking of Reading, Mary Cairo, Colleen Hayward and

Al Ricci wrote the following about differentiated instruction.

Differentiated Instruction is a practice of adapting instruction to meet the needs ofthe individual student in the class. It means providing multiple options for research,gathering of facts, understanding concepts and communicating information. Thechallenge that teachers face is motivating all students and ensuring that they areinvolved in rich, quality activities. By differentiating pace, process and content,teachers are more able to support students in all stages of their learning.

Differentiated Instruction can include: using a variety of groupings to meetstudent needs: providing accommodated instruction / assessment activities whererequired; and challenging students at an appropriate level (through modifications)while considering their readiness, interests and learning profiles. (Education for All,2005) What might this look like in Science & Technology in Ontario?

Welcome to our spring newsletter.In some ways it seems like our

2007 Reading for the Love of It Conferencewas a long time ago, but as we think backto the outstanding speakers we weretreated to, the memories are still vivid! The line up of presenterscame from as far away as Australia, Africa, Europe, and theUnited States, and was rounded off by our own ‘homegrown’experts in the field. We feel privileged, once again, to havereceived delegates from almost every province in Canada.

We would once again like to thank the York University andOISE/UT teacher candidates for their outstanding efforts inhosting our speakers. Their assistance was much appreciated.

Congratulations go out to our Annual Reading Awardwinners, Elizabeth Arkwright and Violet Lippi. Hearing aboutthe work these talented teachers do everyday in connectingchildren to books and reading is truly an inspiration to us all. Ifyou know a wonderful teacher of literacy, please consider

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

Vivid Memories!

Vivid . . . continued on page 8

Differentiated . . . — continued on page 7

Spring 2007

ConferenceMemories 2

Reflections of aStudent Host 2

Reading for the loveof it with JustinTrudeau 3

Dinner with AndreaSpalding 5

News fromOutreach 6

Book Review 7

Summer Reading 8

2008 ConferenceRegistration 8

Directors 8

S P E A K I N G O F R E A D I N G !

READING AWARD

WINNERS2007

S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O L O G Y

ElizabethArkwrightfrom Selwyn P.S.and Violet Lippi fromSt. Conrad CatholicSchool were thisyear’s ReadingAward winners.The presentationswere made atthe AwardsBanquet.

2 Speaking of Reading Spring 2007

C O N F E R E N C E M E M O R I E S

Shooting the stars

It looks so easy when she does it! Raffi Cavoukian unveils Child Honoring.

"Step on it, buddy!"

Breakfast Speaker Susan Aglukark and Valerie Collins

PHOTO

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JONES

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REFLECT IONS OF A STUDENT HOST

The conference struck me primarily by how somany teachers could be so excited by reading.

There were so many different workshops fromwhich to choose that those attending were hardpressed to decide where to go.

When asked about my favourite part of theconference I reflected that it was sitting outside inthe freezing cold comparing books with an oldfriend whom I had not seen in years. We ran intoeach other on the way out and could not helpnoticing the bags we were holding and how full theyall seemed. We were both readers, and we knew it.

As a new teacher, I was overwhelmed by the joythat so many people in one place brought to theconference; joy brought on by perusing the manybooths and painstakingly going through the stacksof books. And go through them we did! Weclapped with glee when they found just the rightbook at the bottom of those stacks!

Antonio M. BelluardoTeacher Candidate, York University, CEC Site

Speaking of Reading Spring 2007 3

Reading for the love ofit with Justin TrudeauThis year Justin Trudeau was a much celebrated

luncheon speaker who won over the crowd with ease.Trudeau is both a student and a teacher. He is

currently working toward a Master’s Degree inEnvironmental Geography at McGill University and hasalready gained a Bachelor’s of Education Degree fromthe University of British Columbia. When speakingabout his four years of teaching experience, he admittedthat “no matter what I do for the rest of my life, I willdo it as a teacher.” The eldest son of the late PrimeMinister Pierre Trudeau used his passion for education toaddress the power of the teaching profession and theimportance of reading.

Trudeau explained that his passion for reading beganwith the discovery of The Chronicles of Narnia. As ayoung boy, he experienced an epiphanal momentthrough the C. S. Lewis series because of its ability totransport him into another world.

Justin Trudeau differentiated between the power ofbooks and more modern technologies like television,film, computers and video games. He believes that themain difference lies in the ability a medium has to elicitempathy. Books and reading remain important becausethey allow people to project themselves into the story, tobe another person, to understand how someone elsefeels. As empathetic people, readers become connected toa more diverse world. Trudeau used the example oftoday’s widespread use of Facebook to demonstrate theneed people have to be connected to a community.

What is the result of teaching youth to be empatheticreaders or to be relevant dreamers? Quite simply, whenpeople feel that they are part of a broader community, theyalso feel that they have the power to shape that commu-nity. When a person has the ability to dream, a person hasthe ability to build. Trudeau advocated a move away fromwhat he classified as “a capitalistic model that is focusedon short term gains.” The move would allow people tobuild instead of consume, to give instead of take.

Justin ended the session with a question and answerperiod, modeled on a game he played with his studentscalled, “Ask Mr. Trudeau Anything”. During the Q & A,


Sharon Draper reads from Ziggy #5.Barbara Greenwood with Factory Girl

Luncheon packed house hangs on every word in first Q & A at conference. . . . Justin Trudeau — continued on page 4

An “Ask Mr.Trudeau Anything” question receives careful consideration.



Absorbed in another world

Storyteller Adwoa Badoe — the calm before the . . .

Justin could not escape the fame of the Trudeau family. He answeredevery inquiry about Prime Minister Pierre with tact and willinglyshared family anecdotes in his speech. These included the fact that hereceived sex education from the sultry novels of his mother and thathe was told bedtime stories inspired from mythology by his father.

The vision presented by Justin Trudeau was an inspiring one,delivered with humour and humility. To be a teacher, in the eyes ofTrudeau, is to have responsibility for a society that does not yet exist,for a society that will be inherited and shaped by the students thatare now being educated. If members of the noble profession ofteaching can impart a love of reading to their students, this societyhas unlimited potential.

Julia LovgrenSecond Year Student, Western University

Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education and Kathy Lazarovits

Science presenter, Frank Glew Magnetic draw of print in the Exhibitors Displays never ends!

. . . Justin Trudeau — continued from page 3

Speaking of Reading Spring 2007 5

Dinner with Andrea Spalding

The weather wasn’t very spring-like but thedelicious food and friendly conversationcertainly made up for the dreary day. Our

Annual Author Dinner was once again a great success,featuring a lively presentation by Andrea Spaldingwhich held us all in rapt attention. Andrea sharedanecdotes about her childhood in England and herstruggles with dyslexia and dysgraphia. As a youngsterat school in post-war Britain these conditions wereneither acknowledged nor addressed. Andrearetreated into her lively imaginings and was seen asa daydreamer and different. Becoming a writer wasthe last thing she envisioned for someone with suchliteracy challenges.

How lucky we are that she eventually overcamethose hurdles and found a way to express her wond-erful stories. She writes in a broad range of styles andgenres and has contributed greatly to children’sliterature. Her picture books for primary children area delight to read and include: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring;

Me and Mr. Mah and The Most Beautiful Kite in theWorld. Andrea explores her interest in ancient folk-lore and mythology from her native Britain in theSummer of Magic Quarter, fantasy novels loved byjunior grades. Her most recent picture books havebeen written in collaboration with First Nations artistsand writers. Solomon’s Tree is a beautifully crafted book,highlighting native cultural traditions and rituals,and enhanced by collaboration with Victor Reece, aTsimshian carver. Her latest creation is anothervisually stunning book, Secret of the Dance, writtenwith a First Nations Elder, Alfred Scow. Andrea’srich sensory language tells the tale of a young boywho secretly witnesses a sacred potlatch ceremony.This was nominated for Aboriginal Book of the Year.

If you and your students haven’t exploredAndrea Spalding’s work, then you’re in for a treat!Get comfortable and enjoy! For more information:www.andreaspalding.comCarol Munro

Andrea Spalding and her masked assistants adding dramato the Spring Author Dinner


The Outreach Committee has been honoured this yearto support local, national and international charities.The support of our Conference delegates allowed us toprovide literacy opportunities to children in ourcommunity, to young mothers, to refugee families andto adults who are learning to read. Locally, Rosalie Hall,Literature for Life, Frontier College, Matthew House andEast End Literacy have benefited from your generosity.

We have contributed to the building of schools inTanzania and Kenya through “Free the Children” and theexpansion of a library in a small community in Mexicothrough “Entre Amigos”, an organization founded byeducators. We supported literacy in the Riverton FamilyCentre in Kingston, Jamaica, in Haiti through “SolidarityHaiti”, and in Nepal through “Elephant Thoughts”.

Our national initiative sponsored six educators fromour northern First Nations communities, includingteachers from Nakogee School in Attawapiskat. Ourguests appreciated the opportunity to network witheducators from across the province and were entertainedby Raffi, our banquet speaker. Amy, a grade five teacherwrites: “The lessons, strategies and teaching tips learnedare truly priceless. I thank you, and my students thankyou.” Monique reflects: “This was a wonderfulopportunity, one that will be remembered for years tocome.” Jane, a grade two teacher, writes: “It was a greatopportunity for us living in Attawapiskat. I was inspired

by the quality and creativity of the sessions I attendedand I look forward to implementing many of the ideasin my class.”

The Outreach Committee supported schools in ournorthern First Nations communities by providing areading kit with a selection of rich and engaging books.The titles included Something Beautiful, This Land is MyLand, Behind the Mountains and Encounter . . . to namea few. Collections were specifically selected to reflect ourdiversity, respect for equity and First Nations stories.Titles included both fiction and non-fiction and a rangeof materials for both read aloud and independentreading at the grade one to eight level. These books willenhance library collections and give educators a rich andvaried set of materials. The following schools receivedour literature box collection: Ma-tah-ha-mao; J.R.Nakogee; St. Andrew’s; Peetabeck Academy and DeloresD. Echum Composite schools.

The Association thanks all our delegates whosegenerosity and interest in our Outreach projects makesthis possible. Ongoing support has given both childrenand adults in our own community, and as far away asNepal, Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, Haiti and Jamaica anopportunity to increase their level of access to educationand literacy resources while building a love of reading.

Teresa Paoli, Outreach Chair

Outreach

All the way from the real north — educators from Nakogee School in Attawapiskat attended Reading for the love of it as part of our national initiative.

This book delvesdeeply into

each of the maincomprehensionstrategies thatgood readers use.Teachers arerequired toexplicitly teacheach of thesestrategies. Foreach strategy,the authorsbegin thechapter byrelaying anincident orpersonal reading expe-rience to demonstrate acomprehension strategy.They move next intousing a student/teacher/classroom example andfinally some teachingmethods and strategies.The authors use thisextended style of writingsince they believe thatteachers cannot helptheir students developspecific comprehensionstrategies unless theyrecognize when and howthey are using thestrategies themselves asreaders. Each chapter iscompleted with key ideasrelated to the strategyalong with a samplestrategy study that can betaken directly to the class-room and implemented.In this way, the authors

are increasingunderstanding of thevarious strategies andhelping teachers in theirprofessional development.

Appendix Four is themost immediately usableclassroom tool. It is anassessment tool that canbe used to determinethe progress a class andor individual student ismaking on using thevarious strategies.

Mosaic of Thought isuseful both to teachersnew to teaching compre-hension strategies and toexperienced educatorslooking to refresh theirunderstanding andknowledge.

Margaret Talbot

R E V I E W

7Speaking of Reading Spring 2007

Mosaic ofThought: TeachingComprehension in a Reader’sWorkshopEllin Oliver Keene and Susan ZimmermannISBN 978-0-435-07237-7 Heinemann 1997

Differentiated . . . from page 1

The three goals of Science & Technology forstudents are:1) To understand the basic concepts of science and

technology2) To develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind

required for scientific inquiry and technologicaldesign

3) To relate scientific and technological knowledge toeach other and to the world outside the school

Cairo, Hayward and Ricci wrote, “The curriculum tellsus what to teach, while differentiated instruction tells ushow to teach in order to meet the diverse needs of ourstudents.” The Science & Technology Curriculum groupsexpectations according to concepts, skills and relating.Each group of expectations in Science & Technology canbe differentiated in various ways to meet a wide varietyof needs. Teachers can differentiate content, process,and/or product for students (Tomlinson, 1999).

An example for Science & Technology instructionmight look like this:

Differentiation of content refers to a change in thematerial being learned by a student. For example, if theclassroom objective is for all students to identify parts ofa cell, some students may learn to label five major parts,while others may learn to label more parts and definethe function of each part. Differentiation of processrefers to the way in which a student accesses material.One student may explore a learning center, whileanother student collects information from the web.Differentiation of product refers to the way in which astudent shows what he or she has learned. For example,to demonstrate understanding of the food chain, somestudents may create a three-dimensional diagram, whileothers create a PowerPoint presentation. (Access Center:Improving the Outcomes for All Children K-8)

References

Access Center: Improving the Outcomes for AllChildren K-8. Education for All, Ontario Ministryof Education, 2005

Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). How to differentiate instructionin mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Catherine Little,Instructional Leader, Science and Technology, TDSB


EastYork - ScarboroughReading Association1315 Lawrence Avenue EastSuite 309Toronto, Ontario M3A 3R3416-444-7473Fax: 416-444-9282E-mail:[email protected]

We are committed to improving thequality of literacy instruction andencouraging the development of alifelong interest in reading.

Board of Directors 2006 – 2007

Toronto CatholicDistrict School Board

Deborah ChisholmMichael FranconeTeresa PaoliTony PetittiMargaret Talbot

Toronto DistrictSchool Board

Lise HawkinsVangie KalanderopoulosKathy LazarovitsJane MilliganCarol Munro

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nominating him or her. Information on nominations is sentout in the fall.

Earlier this month we held our Spring Author Dinner.Andrea Spalding, our featured author, provided us with anevening of stories, tears, laughter, as well as the inspirationbehind her beautiful picture books and novels.

Continued work is being done by our OutreachCommittee in bringing literacy to the neediest members ofour world. Outreach continues to be a top priority of ourAssociation. See the Outreach article for more information.

My two years as president of the East York-ScarboroughReading Association are coming to a close and I thank allthe volunteer members of our executive along with MaryWilson and Jennifer Baker for their ongoing efforts inbringing literacy to people near and far.

Our incoming president, Vangie Kalanderopoulos,brings a wealth of background to the position, and we lookforward to continuing our work under her leadership.Preparations are underway for our 2008 conference.

The feedback that you give us helps us streamlineReading for the Love of It and make it even better. Pleasenote that we will be re-locating to the Sheraton Hotel onQueen Street West for our 2008 conference. Recentrenovations and updates of the hotel will provide us withsignificantly more space for sessions. We are excited aboutthe emerging line-up of speakers and we invite you to joinus on February 14th and 15th of next year.

Lise Hawkins, President

Plan to attend next year’s conference onThursday and Friday, Feb. 14th and 15th, 2008at the Sheraton Hotel.Online registration at readingfortheloveofit.comwill open on October 1, 2007. We recommendthat you register early.

Vivid . . . continued from page 1

G R E ATS U M M E RR E A D I N GEcho Parkby Michael Connelly (mystery)

Exileby Richard North Patterson

The Other Side of theBridgeby Mary Lawson

The Secret Riverby Kate Grenville

Water for the Elephantsby Sara Gruen

The Memory Keeper’sDaughterby Kim Edwards

Bloodletting andMiraculous CuresbyVincent Lam

The Life andTimes oftheThunderbolt Kidby Bill Bryson (memoir)Carol Munro

The End of theAlphabetby C.S. Richardson

Shroudby John Banville

The ImmaculateConceptionby Gaetan Soucy

Suite Francaiseby Irene Nemirovsky

MyWedding DressEdited by SusanWhelehanand Anne Laurel Carter

The Judgment of Parisby Ross King

Child Honoring: How toTurnThisWorld AroundEdited by Raffi Cavoukian andSharna Olfman

Jose Molina

2 differentiated instruction - reading for the love of...

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