CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

The Challenge of Teaching Students at Different Levels

Katie, Deby, Mo, Mike, and Rob

Case Study B

Summary of Case Study

Karen Ellison has been a 6th grade teacher for 8 years.

Her class reading ability is divided, with 2/3 at or near grade level, and 1/3 below 2 to 3 years below grade level.

She is challenged with how to teach the class essential reading and writing skills.

Currently, she tries to have everyone read the same level material in a large group setting, but it is not working.

Ms. Ellison’s Dilemma

The students with higher reading ability want to read books and enjoy reading aloud.

The students with lower reading ability would rather work in their workbooks and are embarrassed when they have to read aloud.

Karen is boring the higher level students and the lower level students are struggling and discouraged.

Identifying the Problems

Karen fails to address the differentiated nature of her class

Respect is non-existent in the classroom

She doesn’t take steps to correct behavior

Fails to engage in metacognition regarding her lesson plans and methods

Solutions

Implement differentiated learning in the classroom

Use metacognition to redesign her lesson plans to be more aware of her students’ abilities and learning styles.

Group work, with same levels for reading comprehension. Each reading group will read a story that is designed for their reading level in order to improve.

Jigsaw group work with different levels to explain your group’s story and to talk about the similarities and differences.

Learning Theories

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

Metacognition

Transfer:High Road Transfer- purposely and consciously apply

general knowledge, reading comprehensionLow Road Transfer – automaticity, workbooks

Intrinsic Motivation/Extrinsic Motivation

Bolstering Student (and Teacher) Self-Efficacy

Understanding the Difference…

1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 250

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8Reading and Vocabulary Grade

Levels

Reading CompVocab Grade

Students

Esti

mate

d G

rad

e L

Evel

PQ4R Theory

Preview: Survey/Preview the material to be read

Question: Develop Qs based on the outline of section headings to better understand key concepts.

Read: While reading the assigned chapter, students attempt to answers the Qs they developed.

Reflect: Taking breaks from the reading material and relate the new info to prior knowledge and examples.

Recite: Rehearsing information

Review: mentally think through the chapters

Educational Psychology Theory and Practice by Slavin, 1994

Conclusion

Karen needs to recognize that her students have diverse needs at this stage in their development.

Students that are held back doing workbook activities and not being challenged, then they will not be motivated later on.

She needs to recognize that her lessons need to cater to the needs of the students with reading comprehension at almost a 7th grade level at the same time as a student still at a 3rd grade level.

Question & Answer

If you were Karen, what would you have done differently?

Which theory do you think best applies to this case study?

Did you have any teachers that were successful in improving the low level learners while still exciting and challenging the high achievers? If so, how did this work?