Review of the Literature
According to the National Reading Panel (NRP), there are five areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension
(NRP, 2000). Research from the NRP suggests that if children are taught the five skills, then children will be more successful in reading (NRP, 2000, p.x.). "The primary focus of phonics instruction is to help beginning readers understand how letters are linked to sounds (phonemes) to form letter-sound correspondences and spelling patterns and to help them learn how to apply this knowledge in their reading (NRP, 2000, p.x.).
Knowing the relationships between the written letters and spoken sounds helps children recognize familiar words and decode new words. Phonics instruction teaches children a system on remembering how to read words.
The National Reading Panel found that phonics instruction is more effective than not including phonics instruction in teaching reading (Armbruster, Lehr & Osborn, 2003). It has been found to significantly improve children's word recognition and spelling. With phonics instruction, children can read words more accurately and quickly. Therefore, children's reading comprehension improve. It is beneficial to all children, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. The NRP also suggests that phonics instruction should be introduced at an early age, as in kindergarten and first grade
(NRP, 2000, p.x.), however, phonics instruction is not a total reading program.
Beginning readers should be taught phonics, along with phonemic awareness activities, listening to stories, reading stories, writing letters and stories, and reviewing the alphabet.

One approach to phonics instruction is onset-rime phonics instruction. Children learn to identify the first letter or letters before the vowel (onset) and the sound of the rest of the word (rime). Identifying and making oral rhymes or word families is another approach to phonics instruction. With phonics instruction, children notice the letter/sound patterns in initial consonants and consonant clusters and in the rime, which consists of a vowel plus any following consonants, such as -ake, -ell, -ook. Young children's awareness of onsets and rimes is related to success in beginning reading.
"For phonics instruction to support the reading progress of all your students, it is important to work in flexible instructional groups and to pace instruction to maximize student progress (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2003, p.x.)." This is why differentiated instruction becomes essential with phonics instruction, along with other subjects. Many studies have shown the importance of differentiating instruction to help students learn.
There are three areas of research (Teachnology, n.d.): (1) brain-based research, (2) learning styles/multiple intelligences, and (3) authentic assessments.
Brain-based research helps educators know what can affect learning. Educators need to know how students learn, so that they can provide appropriate instruction.
According to Vygotsky's Theory, it was important to look at each child as an individual who learned in different ways. He felt that language played a central role in cognitive development. He believed that a child would learn how to think through language
(Dahms, Geonnotti, Passalacqua, Schilk, Wetzel, & Zulkowski, 2007).
Research on learning styles is used to understand different ways that students use to attain information. Teachers should try to address all three learning styles when

instructing. They are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (Teachnology, n.d.). Students who learn through seeing or visual learners enjoy sitting in the front of the classroom, so that they can see the teacher's facial expressions and body language (LdPride, n.d.).
They learn best by visual displays or pictures. Auditory learners or students who learn through listening enjoy discussions, verbal lectures, or talking and listening to others.
They benefit from reading text out loud or following along with a tape recorder.
Kinesthetic learners learn from moving, doing, and touching. They need to explore and enjoy hands-on activities. Kinesthetic learners will become easily bored with lectures and sitting still for too long.
Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences has received a lot of attention from educators in the past several years. According to Gardner, there were seven different ways to justify intellectual ability. They are linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. In 1997, he added an eighth intelligence, called the "Naturalist" Intelligence. The eight Multiple Intelligences are used at the same time, and work together as people develop skills or solve problems (Smith, 2008). Gardner's theory argues that intelligence does not encompass the wide variety of abilities humans display. Schools should offer individual-centered education with the curriculum specialized to the needs of each child, instead of the same curriculum for all students.
"A considerable body of research on learning has found that we cannot simply be fed knowledge. We need to construct our own meaning of the world, using information we have gathered and were taught and our own experiences with the world (Mueller, 2005, p.x.)." With authentic assessment, students are tested on what they have been taught

and hopefully, what they have learned. It is a form of testing that requires students to perform a task rather than select an answer from a ready-made list. Students have the opportunity to select their own projects. The student is provided with choices that help each individual learn as deeply and quickly as possible. Examples of an authentic assessment would be writing a paper from observations on a science experiment, or student porfolios that include specific student projects.
Research has indicated that all individuals do not learn in the same way.
Differentiated instruction presents an effective means to address learner differences, incorporate current brain research, and support multiple intelligences and different learning styles. Differentiated instruction is a set of strategies that will help teachers meet each child where they are when they enter the classroom and move them forward as much as possible. With the benefit of differentiation, teachers can meet the needs of all students and help them meet district and state standards (Levy, 2008).
Differentiated instruction is implemented during the scheduled reading block in the regular classroom. Usually, whole group instruction is provided, and then classrooms and instruction are organized by reading centers. Reading centers are special places organized in the classroom for students to work in small groups, pairs, or individually.
Students practice, demonstrate, and extend learning independently of the teacher during reading centers. Students are provided with explicit instruction by the teacher during small group instruction. Students frequently work at independent differentiated reading centers while the teacher leads small, differentiated instruction during small group instruction.

Even though every teacher who has taught in a classroom has used differentiated instruction in one way or another, many teachers are reluctant to implement differentiation because of the lack of time, professional development, and support from administration (Carolan & Guinn, 2007). When teachers allow a student extra time to complete an assignment, they are differentiating. As educators, we can respond to each student’s needs even more by being specific in how differentiation is taught. "The core of differentiated instruction is flexibility in content, process, and product based on student strengths, needs, and learning styles" (Levy, 2008, p.x.). Content is what the teacher wants a student to learn. Process is how a teacher instructs and how the student learns. Product is the way students show how they have learned.
There is not a correct way to establish an adequate differentiated classroom.
Teachers need to find ways that work well with their individual teaching style, as well as student needs (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 2.) In a differentiated classroom, the teacher must focus on what is important to teach in each subject area. According to Tomlinson, "The brain is structured so that even the most able of us will forget more than we remember about most topics." The teacher must also understand that each student may learn in a different way and that instruction may have to be presented in different ways to be effective. Students get to work independently, in small groups according to their level or interest, or in whole-groups where a topic is introduced (Protheroe, 2007). All students should be involved and participating in instruction in a differentiated classroom.
Teachers can learn their student's distinct personalities, backgrounds, and capabilities through differentiation (Anderson, 2007).
"Differentiated instruction focuses on whom we teach, where we teach, and how we

teach. The primary goal is to ensure that teachers focus on processes and procedures that provide effective learning for varied individuals" (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006, p. 3).
Differentiated instruction will help teachers face classroom challenges because it is a proactive approach to improve learning for all students. Teachers can be proactive because they plan for varied ability levels instead of teaching to the middle of the group and depending on the "ricochet" effect to meet the needs of the rest of the students.
Many teachers, parents, and students believe that it is the sole responsibility of the teacher to make sure students learn, but the students also need to be held accountable. When students are held responsible for their own learning, their pride and motivation in school rises.
"Differentiating instruction is not a passing fad; it is a revolution--a fundamentally different way to teach students with diverse learning and behavioral needs" (Rock,
Gregg, Ellis, & Gable, 2008). When implemented effectively, differentiated instruction can be a solution to managing mixed-ability classrooms, reducing boredom, increasing motivation, improving behavior, and can help to close educational gaps. Research shows that when implemented correctly, differentiated instruction in the classroom results in improved classroom learning.
Based on the research, there is a need in every classroom to implement differentiated instruction. The purpose of this study was to apply differentiated reading centers to improve recognition of selected word families and blending onsets and rimes. Over a four-week period, the teacher taught word families and onsets and rimes during whole group instruction. The students reviewed the word families and onsets and rimes during reading centers. The reading centers were differentiated using the

results of the mid-test scores.