Leveled readers are categorized into three groups: below grade level, at grade level and beyond grade level. Assessing each of your students' individual reading abilities and placing them in one of the three groups will help ensure the text they are reading is at the right level for them. Have your student read one page from a book he is interested in reading. If he finds five or more words he doesn't know how to pronounce, then the book is too difficult for him. Each leveled reader focuses on the same central theme.
Another differentiated strategy for reading instruction is through specific skill ability grouping. For example, it is possible to have a student who is a strong reader, but struggles with making predictions. Using ability grouping will allow you to place this student into a group with her peers who also struggle with the same skill, thus enabling you to focus your instruction with that group solely on making predictions. Ability groups are flexible, moving students in and out as needed.
Differentiated literacy centers provide students with multiple opportunities to practice literacy skills, such as writing, spelling or reading comprehension. At each center, have differentiated tasks for each of the three leveled instructional groups. For example, a writing task at one of the literacy stations could be having your beyond grade level students write a multiple paragraph response to a prompt and your below level students write one paragraph. At a listening station, students can listen to leveled text on headphones and answer appropriate comprehension questions. For spelling, students can work with leveled spelling words during word studies.
Reading workshop operates similarly to a writing workshop, where students work independently while the teacher assists individual students. Based on "The Daily 5," by the sisters, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, students are taught to choose books at their level, read independently or work on pre-assigned literacy tasks, while the teacher circulates and works with students one-on-one. During this individual teacher/student time, the student works on skills that he has previously been identified as having difficulties with or needs enrichment. The teacher is able to observe, record and assess the students frequently, provide immediate feedback and check off essential skills as students demonstrate mastery.