Correct Response: D. In differentiated instruction, a teacher uses individualized and small-group instruction to align the content, intensity, and pacing of instruction in a particular area (e.g., spelling) with the strengths and needs of the students. Differentiated instruction would allow the teacher in this scenario to instruct students according to their current spelling strengths and needs, as indicated by the assessment data. Meanwhile, flexible grouping means that the teacher continually monitors individual student’s progress and changes the makeup of the groups as students' strengths and needs change. Option A is incorrect because this whole-group instructional approach does not take into account that some students would not yet be ready to learn certain spelling elements, while other students would have already mastered many of the elements. This would reduce the opportunities for many students to benefit from instruction. Option B is incorrect because it reflects an outdated and ineffective approach to spelling instruction, in which students memorize lists of specific, unrelated words each week instead of learning spelling skills that are generalizable to many words. Teaching generalizable spelling skills promotes students' development of orthographic knowledge that supports and reinforces both reading and spelling development, whereas memorizing random words has little benefit. Option C is incorrect because homework would not provide most students with the explicit instruction and teacher-guided practice they need to advance their spelling skills.
