Pletch D.A.

Inventory

Differentiated Assessments Inventory:

Here is a list of 12 differentiated assessments that I have researched, implemented, or would like to
implement in my units to show progress towards my Professional Growth Plan in PSIII. This document
demonstrates KSA 5: Differentiation, and KSA 11: Assessment.

1. Modifying Rubrics and Adapting Assessments

In my Language Arts Poetry Unit, I planned a
Poetry Portfolio project and comprehensive
rubric. I quickly realized that 4 students would
struggle to complete any part of the portfolio
independently, while another two who had
learning disabilities would need a modified rubric.
Hence, one rubric does not fit all!

Regular Rubric:

For the students with learning disabilities, I

modified a rubric so they could still be successful
in meeting the Poetry Outcomes without being
docked marks for not having all of the
organizational elements such as a Table of
Contents, glossary of terms, and ability to recreate
modelled forms of poetry. I focussed my
assessment on the essential outcome: the ability
to use figurative language and create poetry.
For four students, I created a Figurative Language
Workbook with a few examples and practice
questions for each. These students also had a
small Quiz on Figurative Language so I could
assess their ability to recognize these terms in
context as well as create a few sentences with
these figurative language concepts, instead of a
whole poem.

Modified Rubric for Students with LD:

Because most of the students in the class had a

checklist to complete the whole portfolio
independently, I could work with my group of four
to explain the terms and create a Checklist of
what they understood.
Rubrics also in Appendix.

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This assignment Adaptations checklist is from a

larger document on Instructional and assignment
Adaptations. I received this after I planned my
Poetry Portfolio Assignment but found that I
included many of these adaptations.

2. Oral Interviews and Scribing

After observing a Kindergarten class where
students drew a picture while the teacher scribed
their story, I realized that listening to kids talk
reveals a great deal about what they know, in this
case, about story-telling. Kindergarten teachers
scribe a lot! I realized that this is a missed
opportunity with my Grade 5 because I rely
heavily on written output as evidence of learning.
With this in mind, I interviewed a few of my
students in Health who struggled to complete a
written assignment. I made up Interview
Questions based on the same reading assignment,
9 important nutrients for kids, and interviewed
the students who failed or could not complete the
comprehension questions. This gave me a good
picture of what they actually learned from my
lessons about the Immune System and nutrients,
not what they could regurgitate from the reading.

I used this interview to record student answers to

questions based on our unit about Nutrition and
the Immune System.

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3. Think-Spaces, Graphic Organizers and other Visual

Strategies
At 3 lunch-hour PD sessions on English Language
Learners, I gained a new appreciation for the role
of visuals in instruction. Visuals can represent new
vocabulary or contents and benefits all students,
including ELLs, who may comprehend the concept
in their own language and experiences.
I created a graphic organizer for our chemistry
unit in which students had to draw a picture of
the vocabulary term as well as define and provide
examples.
Visuals are also important for memory. For
example, I was working with an ELL during her
Chemistry Quiz. There was one Multiple Choice
Question about Cohesion and the student had
to select the correct definition. She could not
remember the definition or meaning of this word,
but when I asked her to remember the picture she
drew on the graphic organizer, she correctly
thought of the glue and gum pictures. She could
use this image to choose the correct definition of
cohesion: The property of water that allows
droplets to stick together.
Think Spaces are another great way to help visual
learners and ELLs take notes on a subject.
Students view images and can recreate the
pictures and add words they know within the
boxes. Altogether, their pictures show a
comprehensive understanding of the concept. I
used this strategy to introduce the Weather
Watch unit and all students were engaging in
drawing.

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4. Google Read&Write
I attended a PD session on Google Read & Write
technology. Its potential for ELLs and LD students
is incredible! An app on Google Chrome, students
can open a Google Doc and use various tools to
help in writing or reading. Some of the tools
include:
Picture Dictionary: Students can highlight a word
and click on the icon. A picture will appear to
illustrate the word and can be added to the
document to create a personalized picture
vocabulary list.
Word Prediction: Students can begin typing and
high frequency words will appear. This makes the
writing process much more efficiently for students
who have fine motor difficulties. You can also
adjust the number of words that appear with each
prediction according to the students ability.
Play: Students can highlight sections of the text to
have it read to them which is also a great editing
tool. The text can also read a couple of different
languages aloud such as French, Spanish, and
Portuguese.
Speech Input: Like Dragon dictation, students can
speak into the microphone and have their speech
turned to text.
Highlight and collect words: Students or teachers
can highlight specific words such as verbs, nouns,
and adjectives and Google will organize the words
into a separate document according to the
category.
Translate: A regular google document can
translate text into many languages while Google
Read&Write can only translate into a few
languages.
As of November 30, I have only just begun to use
some of the features with a few students in
Literacy Centres writing activities.

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5. Literacy Centres and Alternate Activities

Literacy Centres from Grade 2 to 5 is a new
school-wide initiative that was launched in
November. The intention of Literacy Centres is to
allow teachers to work with a small group of
students using the Fountas and Pinnell LLI
(Levelled Literacy Intervention) program to catch
them up to grade-level while the rest of the class
focuses on practicing literacy skills. I was
fortunate to be part of the start-up of the centres.
While my TA works with the LLI group of 4
students, selected based on their F&P levels, I
facilitate the centres and can work with students
who are not eligible for the LLI group (if they are
too far behind). I love the independence that
students exhibit when its time for centres and
their engagement for the daily 30 minute blocks
of time. These small collaborative groups of mixed
ability students are motivated, engaged, and
challenged in the centres: this is best practice
teaching! In addition, each center could have
tiered activities or Cubing to differentiate for
students at different levels.
Even if I was in a teaching position without the
F&P LLI lessons, I would still set up my Language
Arts with daily centres because it allows me to
work with small groups of students who need the
extra attention.

My Literacy Center Parking Lot: mixed ability

students are grouped into Cars which move to a
different center every day. It also lists the materials
they need to bring to each center. I have found this
board helps organize students and smooths the
transition into centers.

6. Tarsia Puzzles
At ELL PD session, another strategy is to use Tarsia
Puzzles to connect concepts and vocabulary. This
is a great problem-solving and collaborative
activity for tactile learners. Originally a Math
equation puzzle, we used a Tarsia Puzzle to
consolidate our learnings of the ELL PD session.
Solving the puzzle with other teachers
represented the collaborative learning, problemsolving and critical thinking skills necessary to
solving the puzzle.
I think it would be worthwhile to add pictures to
the puzzle pieces for ELL learners and definitions
for skilled learners in addition to new Science or
Social Studies vocabulary to assess learning at the
end of the unit.
I created a Tarsia Puzzle for a Weather Review in
Science.
My Weather Review Tarsia Puzzle
Tarsia Puzzle: Geometric shapes are cut out to
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form puzzle pieces which will line up over a
template. Along the sides, words must go
together. There is only one possible solution.

7. Choice/Tic Tac Toe Boards

Tic Tac Toe Boards offer students choice in
assessment tasks and projects. Set up as a 3 by 3
square grid, students may complete any of the
tasks as long as they make one line in any
direction. This is a great tool for differentiating the
Product.
Using the example on the right, I would like to
make a Weather Watch Tic Tac Toe Board to allow
students to show me what they have learned in
Science in a variety of ways!
I used a collaborative strategy known as Pitch It
in a Health lesson where students had to find a
creative way to present their food group. There
was a rap, a miming piece, a couple of skits, a
song, and a story. The students loved the creative
performance and I think many would love to have
this if it were a tic tac toe board option.
My only concern would be how to assess the
various products since they involve a different
process and product and sometime different
outcomes. More to come on this one!
Resource:
http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/
Choice+Boards

Internet resource: Dare to Differentiate

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8. Learning Menus
Similar to a choice board, Learning Menus are
differentiated projects which allow students to
choose products to meet each outcome in a
variety of ways. There may be parts where
students must complete a task, as well as options.
The dessert may be a Bonus or Extension task.
In one example, students use a learning menu to
accompany a Social Studies chapter and prepare
for a quiz. There are teacher checkpoints with
each course: Appetizer, Entre, and Dessert. The
Entre involves a deeper learning and includes the
choice of Graphic Organizers, Timelines, and
Eulogies.
http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/Choice
+Boards
I would like to incorporate a Learning menu in my
next Language Arts Novel Study.

9. Telling Tables and Storyboards

Telling Tables are a great assessment technique
for students who struggle with writing. They can
draw simple pictures to tell a story or show what
they have learned.
I attended a PD session where the presenters
recommended using Telling Tables for reading
comprehension. This helps break down stories or
longer novels into visuals that students can revisit
to remember the plot of a story. Students do not
have to be talented artists to make this work but
they can tell you exactly what their scribbles and
stick-men mean! A great strategy for students
Telling Table
who struggle with working memory and cannot
remember a story in progress.

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I modified the Telling Table to form a Storyboard

to accompany our class novel The Crazy Man by
Pamela Porter. I read the novel aloud since I could
not access copies for the class. I modelled the first
six frames to recap the story. After each reading,
students would go back to their storyboards and
draw 4 to 5 frames.
This sample is from a student who is an extremely
reluctant writer who struggles to maintain focus.
However, the detail that he put into his
Storyboard is incredible! I could then use his
storyboard to facilitate a conversation about
events and characters in the novel to assess his
comprehension.
A great assessment for learning and reading
comprehension tool!

Student Storyboard

10. Anecdotal Notes and Checklists (Observations)

Ann Davies writes about triangulation of
assessment through Products, Conversations and
Observations in her work on Assessment. When I
observed a Kindergarten Teacher having
conversations with students and creating
checklists and observations, I realized that this is
something I dont often see in Middle School and
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High school . I create a list of my students and
would write notes as they worked in groups. I
would speak to students who I know would not or
could not write during activities. This was a very
important piece during assessment of student
learning. My notes were often informal, but
helped me to differentiate for the 6 students who
I knew would not complete a lesson handout or
activity.
Recipe Cards Organizer for Observations

11. Target Self-Assessment

This assessment I learned from a Grade 2 teacher
who used smiley faces to show each ring.
Students would colour the ring for each section of
the target according to how they felt they had
demonstrated their learning or effort. The teacher
also completes a target and the student can
compare the two.
I adapted the target to show the 4 progress
report marks: Excellent, Above, Acceptable, and
Not Yet. I found that the student responses to a
criterion such as Group Work informed my
assessment of them. Student could recognize
when they demonstrated AC or EX in group effort.
While I used the same target for all students, I feel
that the Target provided an important visual for
the students who struggle to comprehend rubrics.
This is an excellent visual of Assessment of
Learning for ELL and LD students.
The Bulls-Eye is literally the target for students
and this assessment illustrates how close they are
to nailing the target.

The Three Ring Target with smiley faces is a good

technique for early elementary students.

Teacher Assessment on the

Left, Student SelfAssessment on the Right.
The I can statements are:
- I can work well in a group. I
share responsibilities equally. (LA
5.2)
- I can demonstrate my
understanding of characters
through an skit (LA 2. 2)
- I can explain examples of
healthy coping strategies to deal
with change (Health R5-5)
- I can reflect on a characters
experience of change such as loss
(Health R5-5)

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12. Levelled Questioning, Writing Frames, and Tiered Assignments

At an ELL strategies PD session, We received
bookmarks about different levels of questioning
appropriate to different levels of ELLs. This
recognizes that ELLs are still learning outcomes
but may have limits of how to express their
learning.
I also used this idea to create two versions of a
comprehension assignment to accompany our
novel study. There was an easier version with less
questions and Sentence Starters and a more
challenging version. Tiered Assignments are about
creating different levels of challenges for
students. I found that in this assignment all
students were engaged and successful including
my reluctant writers!
The sentence starters is also part of a strategy
called Writing Frames which helps to break-up a
writing task into very small pieces. The picture on
the write shows an example. The Structure helps
students who are intimidated by a blank space.

A Writing Frame Example:

Writing Fair Share: Blog

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