Core Knowledge Language Arts:
Differentiating Skills Instruction
Assessment &
Remediation Guide
Presented by
BethAnn Smith,
ELA Instructional Coach
Ed Smith Pre-K - 8
Opening Activity
Complete the following analogy:
“Teaching students to read is like _______.”
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◦
◦
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white water rafting
mountain climbing
scuba diving
other (insert your own idea here!)
Jot your response on a post-it and list at least
three ways you could compare teaching reading
to the activity you selected.
Introductions
Share out with your table about the
different activities you chose to complete
the sentence stem –
“Teaching students to read is like ______.”
Decide on one to present to the group. List at
least three comparisons.
A little transparency about today’s
session…
Objectives

Teachers will learn the tools and resources available in
the ARG and be able to identify possible applications to
support differentiated instruction and interventions.

Teachers will analyze the differences between the
different remediation lessons supported by the ARG
and the students that would be best served by each
type of lesson.

Teachers will use data and the ARG tools to create an
intervention lesson for a student or group of students
with similar needs at a specific grade-level.
CKLA:
Comprehensive Literacy Instruction
Listening & Learning
Skills
Background Knowledge
Listening
Academic & Domain Vocabulary
Phonological Awareness
Oral Language Development
Decoding
Listening & Written Comprehension
Spelling
Handwriting
Fluency
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Grammar & Morphology
Writing (skills, process & research)
Hourglass Depiction of the Relationship Between
Awareness in Oral Language and Written Syllable Decoding
Contributed by Carol Tolman, http://www.readingrockets.org/article/six-syllable-types
CKLA Skills Benchmarks & Assessments
K
1st
2nd
Unit 1:
Blending Pretest
Writing Strokes Pretest
Unit 1 Assessment –
• Copying Shapes
• Directionality
• Counting Words in
Sentences
Unit 1:
BOY Benchmarks
• Word Recognition
• Story Reading
• Pseudoword Reading
• Code Knowledge
Diagnostic
• Letter Name Test: Optional
Unit 1:
BOY Benchmarks
• Story Reading
• Word Reading
Spelling Assessment
Unit 1 Assessment –
• Dictation Identification
• Skills Assessment
Unit 2:
Unit 2 Assessment –
• Writing Strokes
• Blending
Letter Name: Optional
Letter Sound: Optional
Unit 2:
Unit 2 Assessment –
• Word Recognition
• Comprehension
• Grammar
Unit 2:
Spelling Assessments
(every 5th lesson)
Unit 2 Assessment –
• Dictation Identification
• Comprehension
• Words Correct Per Minute
Unit 3:
Unit 3 Assessment –
• Word Recognition (Part A)
• Word Reading (Part B)
Unit 3:
Spelling Assessments
(every 5th lesson)
Unit 3 Assessment
• Word Recognition
• Comprehension
Unit 3:
Spelling Assessments
(every 5th lesson)
Midpoint Decoding Assess
Unit 3 Assessment –
• Dictation Identification
• Comprehension
• Grammar
CKLA Remediation/Extension
Supports

Supplemental Materials
at the end of lessons
◦ Newly decodable words
◦ Additional word chains
◦ Phrases and sentences


Pausing Point Activities
Assessment & Remediation Guide
(ARG)
◦ Progress Monitoring & Assessment
◦ Remediation/Supplemental Instructional Support
CKLA: Assessment
& Remediation Guide
K & 1st Grade: There is an ARG for each Skills Unit. Activities in the
ARG align to the topics and skills introduced and practiced in the units.
2nd & 3rd Grade: There is one ARG for the entire year of instruction.
K
1st
2nd
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Grades K-2 Phonics
Review
Directionality
Fluency
Fluency
Phonics
Comprehension
Comprehension
Fluency
Comprehension
Teachers should refer to the ARG that addresses the earliest remediation need of a
student. ARG can also be used as a source for extension activities.
ARG! Where is the ARG?!
http://ckla.amplify.com
Log in
 Scroll down to select a
grade-level
 Scroll down to
“Assessment and
Remediation Guide”
 Download/Save to your
computer

Introducing…the ARG
Read the Introduction to the ARG
 K& 1st all the pages at the beginning with
Roman numerals.
 2nd pg. 1-6
Complete a 3-2-1
 3 important/big ideas (right there)
 2 new understandings (author & me)
 1 question (beyond the text)
Prepare to share out with an elbow partner.
A Guided Tour of the ARG
Summary of Progress
Monitoring Assessments
ARG Table of Contents
Steps for/Determining
Student Need Chart
A Guided Tour of the ARG
Lesson Templates
Dimensions of Difficulty (after sample
lesson in K; before sample in 1st)
Sample Lesson(s)
(K - Explicit Only)
A Guided Tour of the ARG
Exercises & Practice Activity
Progress Monitoring Tools
Forming a Plan

Identify a focus for potential Assessment or
Progress Monitoring.
◦ What has already been taught (or is assumed was taught)?
◦ What will you assess to determine gaps that exist?
• Consider what data you have
already collected around this skill
and what additional data you
might need to collect.
• Identify a PM tool from the ARG
to assist with your focus.
Resources: Deep Dive
Review all of the activities in the
section of the ARG related to your
focus skill.
 Consider how each exercise can be
used to support differentiated
instruction:

◦ Teacher-led small group
◦ Independent student center/review
◦ Partner seat/center work

Consider what students in your class
might benefit from each activity.
Assessing Progress & RTI
Logistics

How do I determine which students should
receive remediation/extension lessons from ARG?
(What is my system for ongoing Progress Monitoring?)

When during the day do I conduct PM or use
material from ARG?
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Morning Meeting
Whole Group
Small-Group
AIS/Pull-Out
Who is using ARG resources with students?
 Classroom Teacher
 TA, Special Ed Teacher, ENL Teacher, AIS Teacher
 Volunteer
A Versatile Tool:
ARG Models of Support

Guided Reinforcement (15-20 minutes –
focused single skill); primarily for on-grade-level
students who just need to bone up on a specific skill.

Explicit Re-teaching (30 minute lesson –
reteach multiple skills that are linked);

Comprehensive Re-teaching (45 minute
lesson, double-dose, total reteach of a specific
lesson in a new way) CAN BE USED in
replacement of primary instruction; good
for IEPs
Planning a Lesson from the ARG
Form groups of 2-4 with others who share a
similar focus for progress monitoring and
remediation (i.e. phonemic awareness, fluency,
comprehension, etc…)
 Work together to draft one of each lesson type
that you could use in your class.

Reflection
What is a goal that you have?
 What are some strategies that you’ve
considered?
 What do you want to be sure that you do
very well?
 What did you learn today that you might
share with others?
