Instructional Dialogs and Formative Items for Enrichment and Remediation

When working with students to teach and reinforce mastery of state standards, it is often the case where some students quickly pick up the concept. Other students need a little more instruction and guided practice, while still others may need to have more fundamental instruction to succeed.

How can the needs of all three groups be addressed? One option for teachers using Galileo Online Instructional Dialogs and formative assessments is to identify student proficiency on an Instructional Dialog or quiz drawing on their current grade level. Those students who struggle with the concept may then be assigned Instructional Dialogs and quizzes drawing on materials from earlier grades, while the students who have demonstrated proficiency appropriate to their current grade, can be given opportunities to enrich and expand their understanding with work from similar objectives at the next grade level.

As an example, a third grade standard asking students to know multiplication and division facts through 10 could be complimented by remediation in the second grade standard of multiplication by 1, 2, 5, 10,and expanded, for those students who are ready, with fourth grade work in the multiplication of two-digit numbers by two-digit, and multiple-digit by one-digit. No new materials, licenses or texts are needed. The standards for all grades for each state are assigned across the district. Teachers have access allowing them to reach forward or back within the state standards to access the Instructional Dialogs and quizzes that can help reinforce core knowledge or introduce concepts and challenges appropriate to students' current development and knowledge.

This opportunity is not limited to math. In English language arts, the recurring standards are engaged by providing grade appropriate reading content. Students may be instructed and assessed in similar standards of theme, characterization, and vocabulary from context, but a teacher may enhance learning by assigning to each student texts and questions on these common elements with readings that are best suited to the current proficiency in vocabulary and reading fluency of the individual student. By exploring the opportunities afforded by using common standards across multiple grade levels, teachers are able to increase the variety and developmental appropriateness of instructional content and assessment in the effort to foster student successes.

To get more information on how to utilize multi-grade resources for instruction and assessment, please contact the Educational Management Services Department at Assessment Technology, Incorporated.