[MOSAIC] Differentiating literacy stations

[RR1981 at aol.com]

I currently teach in a third grade classroom, my school is Title I and we  
are in our third year of not making AYP.  We are requied to teach a 90  minute 
literacy block.  30-40 minutes of whole group instruction with a 60  minute 
rotation for stations and small group instruction.  We are NOT  permitted to 
teach any other curriculum during this time and cannot have  students engage in 
writing activities unless it is in direct response to  something they read.  We  
MUST teach from the basal in the order  dictated by the county.
 
My question is...we are supposed to be differentiating the stations for  four 
levels of abilities.  I know that we aren't doing this correctly and  
sometimes not at all.  How do we go about doing this?  We get very  little common 
plannig time as a grade level.  Our grade level chair is  expereinced with 20+ 
years of teaching, but the rest of us have little  experience.  I have looked at 
several great books but many of them assume  you get to choose the curriculum 
or can integrate other subjects into the  literacy block.  I am truly at a 
loss as to what to do.  There is no  additional adult with me during this time.  
I have about five low readers,  and the rest of the class is average or 
slightly above.  
 
HELP!!!  I feel like I am about to loose my mind.
 
Rosie



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