DI Block: Differentiated Instruction

The Differentiated Instruction (DI) Block is the final component of Bookworms K–5 Reading & Writing. It is a multiple-entry foundational skills block informed by the science of reading. The block is designed to build foundational skills as quickly as possible so that students have the chance to build more complex literacy skills.

The DI design mirrors literacy development directly. Skill progression is represented as a set of stairs students climb. Students advance from work with letter names and sounds to proficient decoding to fluent and independent oral reading to competent, independent silent reading, ideally beginning in the middle of second grade.

Teachers are provided simple diagnostic assessments that they use to assign students to groups. During the 45-minute DI block, three groups of students are called to the teacher’s table for 15-minute lessons while the other students engage in productive seatwork, including written assignments and self-selected reading from the classroom library.

To successfully implement DI, teachers need the DI Block Manual: How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K–3 (Walpole & McKenna, 2017). This professional book contains essential materials for skills instruction including:

• The diagnostic assessments required to make initial placement decisions

• The lesson scripts and lesson templates that are used to facilitate each group

• The progress monitoring assessments used to evaluate success after each set of lessons

To learn more about DI structures, materials, and implementation, teachers should read the “Understanding the Differentiated Instruction Block” section of the Teacher Manual.