5 Ways to Differentiate Reading Instruction

that don't take long at all....

As reading specialists and special education teachers, we know that no two readers are alike. In any given group, you’ll have students who are decoding fluently but struggle with comprehension, others who still need phonics instruction, and a few who are just learning to attend to print.

Differentiating reading lessons can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be.

The key is to plan small, manageable adjustments that target student needs without requiring five different lesson plans. Here are five practical ways to differentiate reading instruction—strategies you can use whether you follow a structured literacy approach like Orton-Gillingham or support readers in an upper elementary or special education setting.

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1. Targeted Skill-Based Worksheets

One of the simplest ways to differentiate is by assigning practice based on the specific skill each student needs to strengthen. For example:

• Group A may need practice decoding multisyllabic words.

  
  

• Group B may still be working on consonant blends

  
  

• Group C may need more time on reading comprehension

When each student gets work that directly matches their current skill level, practice becomes more purposeful.

💡 Tip: Keep a few sets of print-and-go practice pages organized by skill (e.g., short vowel review, r-controlled vowels, prefixes and suffixes, comprehension questions). After a short assessment, assign the right version to each student. This ensures that everyone practices what they need most—without creating extra prep work.

2. Computerized or Adaptive Reading Programs

Computerized reading programs such as Lexia, ReadTheory, or Amira use diagnostic data to create individualized lessons automatically.

These programs adjust in real time—offering more support when a student struggles and advancing when they master a skill. This frees you to focus on small-group instruction while ensuring that every student is working at their own pace and level.

💡 Tip: Use progress data from these programs to guide your small-group instruction. If several students are struggling with the same skill on the computer, that’s your next mini-lesson topic.

3. Plan Teacher Small Groups on Skills

As a reading specialist and special education teacher, students would rotate to my table as part of a station teaching model. I would introduce a new skill at my station, we would practice it in a game, and read something related to the skill.

This allowed me to focus on one skill at a time in front of a smaller group of students. These mini lessons were accessible to everyone at the table, so no one was overwhelmed or bored.

As students rotated to their next station, I pulled out the mini lesson & practice game for the next group.

These groups should be flexible—changing every few weeks based on progress monitoring or informal assessments. Small, targeted groups allow you to focus instruction precisely where it’s needed most, and they help prevent students from feeling “stuck” in a level.

💡 Tip: Use running records, quick phonics checks, or comprehension exit tickets to decide who needs what each week.

4. Scaffold Lessons

Differentiation isn’t just about changing the content—it’s also about how students access that content. Scaffolds help struggling readers engage with grade-level material while building independence.

Try:

• Visual supports such as anchor charts, picture cues, or color-coded text.

  
  

• Sentence starters or frames to help students respond to comprehension questions.

  
  

• Text to speech options can help older students access grade level material even if they have decoding and fluency challenges. This can often be done through the chrome extension google read write think.

Scaffolds give every student an entry point into the lesson and make it easier for them to participate confidently.

💡 Tip: Gradually remove scaffolds as students gain skills—turning supports into opportunities for independence.

5. Offer Choice and Ownership in Reading Tasks

When students feel ownership of their reading, motivation increases—and differentiation becomes more natural. Offering choice doesn’t mean giving free rein; it means allowing students to select from options that all meet your learning goal.

For instance:

• Let students choose between three texts

  
  

• Provide several response options (written summary, oral retelling, graphic organizer).

  
  

• Use “must do/may do” menus so all students complete core work but can pick extensions that fit their interest or reading level.

💡 Tip: Even small choices—like which partner to read with or which color highlighter to use—can boost engagement and focus.

Final Thoughts on Differentiating Reading Instruction

Differentiation doesn’t mean reinventing every lesson—it means being intentional about how you match instruction to student need. By combining a few high-impact strategies—like skill-based worksheets, adaptive technology, small groups, scaffolds, and choice—you can create a classroom where every reader grows.

Remember: the goal isn’t to do everything at once. Start with one or two strategies, build routines that make them sustainable, and expand as you see what works. Differentiation becomes manageable when it’s woven into the rhythm of your teaching—one small, meaningful adjustment at a time.