Differentiated Literacy Centers: Brain-Friendly Practice
Presented by Margo Southall
www.margosouthall.com
How Do We Differentiate the Tasks at Literacy Centers?
1. Same task for same skill or strategy with
supports e.g. leveled texts, visual and tactile
cues (open-ended)
2. Same task for different skill or strategy
e.g. sets of words that vary in complexity to
complete a menu of word sorting tasks
3. Different task for same skill/strategy
e.g. level of challenge, number of steps to
complete and amount of writing varies
4. Different tasks for different
skill/strategy e.g. graphic organizers for
retelling vs. summarizing
Different
Same
practice
visuals
challenge
active
skill
novelty
Apply Three Brain Rules for Sensory Learning to the Design of Centers:
Top 3 factors that help students learn include: (Dr. Medina in Brain Rules, 2010, 2014)
1. Action: Larger muscles have the greatest impact on
learning, followed by hand gestures.
2. Visuals: 50% of our brain functions are devoted to visual
processing. Pictures are more effective than text for
learning concepts, as processing letters delays access to
the message. Sensory integration where visuals and
hands-on experiences are combined tap potential for
learning e.g. graphic text, images, picture-cued activities
and interactive graphic organizers.
3. Novelty: Humor, role-play and games gain our attention
because they stimulate that sensory part of our brain
related to pleasure.
Resources:
Ready-to-Go Differentiated Literacy Centers by Margo Southall, Scholastic
Differentiating Reading Instruction for Success with RtI by Margo Southall, Scholastic
Margo Southall, 2016 www.margosouthall.com
Differentiated Literacy Centers Plan
Comprehension Center
Group
Skill/Strategy
Task and Challenge Level
Sensory Learning Materials
Task and Challenge Level
Sensory Learning Materials
Task and Challenge Level
Sensory Learning Materials
Word Study Center
Group
Skill/Strategy
Writing Center
Group
Skill/Strategy
Margo Southall, 2016 www.margosouthall.com
Comprehension Center Tasks
Examples of differentiated literacy center tasks shared at the presentation:
Questioning:
Lotto Game Partner Format - easier level task
Picture-Cued Question Starters - easier & more challenging; images & text
Question Clues Bookmark & Flap Book - locate info. in words & pictures
Question Research Puzzles - question and answer shapes (multilevel)
Integrating Multiple Strategies & Annotating the Text:
Mark Your Thinking Spots - students mark the text using sticky flags with
icons to hold onto their strategic thinking during reading. After reading they
draw the simple icons and record their responses on the flap book. Icons are
introduced cumulatively in this multilevel task.
(Download the Coding Bookmark from my website Conference Handout for
Differentiated Small-Group Reading Lessons)
Retelling and Determining the Theme or Life Lesson:
Touch and Tell, Slide and Tell, Step and Tell, Road Game - easier level
(Download Retelling Cards from my website home page Centers Kit Sample)
Graphic Organizer Shapes - students cut and paste to create a 3D G.O.
Story Elements Vocabulary Shutter Book - more challenging task
Describing Story Structure and Character's Point of View :
Story Roller Coaster - sequence cards for Somebody Wants But So Finally
Build a Character activity and Puppets support understanding point of view
Timeline of Emotions - place emotion cards in order
Ups and Downs in Life of a Character - reactions to events & perspective,
more challenging task
Summarizing Facts and Identifying the Main Idea:
Looking for the Facts Game - students have 6 prompt cards to support an
oral and written summary
Retelling Facts Bookmark with sticky flags to mark information in the text
Build a Sequence of Events or Facts using research - more challenging
Margo Southall, 2016 www.margosouthall.com
Word Study Center Tasks
Letter-Sound Relationships and Vowel Patterns
Word Sort Tasks and Choice Menu - different groups work with different sets
of words that vary in complexity.
All students complete the same tasks with their words .
3 levels of challenge - single syllable, Oh, No! words, and multisyllabic words
Syllable Patterns and Compound Words
Build on single syllable words to scaffold reading two and three-syllable
words.
Build vocabulary with meaning clues matching game for compound words
Dominoes and I Have, Who Has? game formats
Sight Word Practice Menu
Spell It With Pictures, I Spy the Letter Clues, Comic Strip, Rebus Sentences,
Medial Vowel Sort, Flap Books, Stretch and Shrink, Tic Tac Read Game,
Flip Up Memory Game, I Know - Who Has? Word Windows, Writing with
'Glue' Words, Word Building with varied manipulatives
Writing Center Tasks
Construct a Complete Sentence
Silly Sentences - students select who, what, where, when cards to construct
a complete sentence - 2 levels of challenge
Mix and Fix a Sentence - expand and reorder simple and compound
sentences using work mat and manipulatives, more challenging
Write Narratives with a Logical Sequence of Events
Story Builder - students choose from familiar characters, settings, problems
or plots to construct a complete story, multilevel
Leads and Endings - choose an author technique from an example in a
mentor text or shared writing experience to begin or end a story, challenging
Write to Teach About a Topic; Research & Writing Projects
Procedural Writing - use transition phrases and other supports (multilevel)
Report Writing - Envelope (easier), Fancy Fact Sandwich (more challenging)
Paragraph Writing - use planning mat (web download) and manipulatives to
write topic sentence, facts with details and a closing statement (challenging)
Margo Southall, 2016 www.margosouthall.com