If you’ve ever looked at your roster on Day 2 and thought…  “Wow. These students are not in the same place.” 😅 You’re not imagining it.

In this episode, I unpack the third “basic skill” of acquisition-driven instruction: adjusting and personalizing—the skill that keeps our classes comprehensible, human, and sustainable (even when proficiency levels are all over the place).

This episode is the final part of my mini-series inspired by my conversation with Dr. Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze about the foundational skills every world language teacher needs to keep revisiting.

And yes… it’s also the skill that (in my opinion) sits at the center of everything—because it centers students.

Why adjusting matters (even more than we think)

Here’s the truth we all live:

• Students acquire language at different paces
  
  
• Acquisition is piecemeal (it doesn’t happen in tidy “present tense → past tense → future tense” order)
  
  
• Instruction can support acquisition… but it doesn’t control the internal sequence of development

That’s why we can’t plan as if everyone will “get it” at the same time.

And then I connect this to something that hit me HARD during a literacy training: many students are still developing core reading skills in their first language.

A quick reality check from national data from the National Assessment of Education Progress 2022, only about a third of U.S. 4th and 8th graders performed at or above reading level. 

So when we ask students to read and write in the target language, which is cognitively more  demanding work, we cannot assume that they all have the same literacy skills in L1. 

This isn’t a reason to lower expectations.  It’s a reason to teach with eyes wide open and be ready with a plan. 

The Ladder of Reading: why “some kids struggle” is not a surprise

I also reference Nancy Young’s Ladder of Reading and Writing, which helps us understand that learning to read is effortless for a small group—but many students need explicit and/or intensive instruction.

That’s why adjusting isn’t “extra” or just required for students with accommodations.  Adjusting is necessary every day in our classes. 

Adjusting without creating 37 lesson plans 

Adjusting does not mean creating separate lessons for every student. 

Instead, it means embedding supports into whole-class instruction so more learners can access the same experience.

That’s exactly why my conversation with Wesley Wood (Episode 170) was so powerful: designing for neurodivergent learners often results in better instruction for everyone.

Practical strategies you can use tomorrow

Below are the exact areas I walked through in the episode: input → reading → output, with simple ways to adjust without losing your mind.

1) When you’re giving oral input: “make the input visible”

When you’re speaking, adjust by layering:

• Write the word/phrase as you say it (board or slide)
  
  
• Add a quick translation only when it saves the moment
  
  
• Use visuals (photos, sketches, icons)
  
  
• Use gestures to anchor meaning
  
  
• Pause frequently (processing time is a MUST)

This doesn’t slow learning. It creates opportunities for ALL your students to process the input.

2) During reading: build “supported repetitions”

Reading is where you can differentiate without calling it differentiation.

Try choral reading (especially with co-created text)

You model pacing, intonation, and confidence while reading chorally with the class.  This strategy not only supports ALL the students and builds confidence, but also creates a community feeling in the class. 

Try close reading (“say the next word”)

You read aloud, stop strategically (key words), and students supply the next word. This is a powerful comprehension check that feels like a game. 

Partner reading (without the stress)

Instead of ping-pong reading that puts students on the spot, students read in pairs.

Selecting the pairs is key.  You can put together students with similar levels of proficiency.  First, students read the text aloud at the same time.  Then, one student reads aloud and the other students follows. Then switch roles.  Once the students have read the paragraph or section, they do RCRC (Read–Cover–Recall–Check).

RCRC: This structure helps students process meaning, not just decode text. It’s also easy to monitor while you circulate. Students read, then cover the text, then recall what they read, and finally check by reading the text again. 

This routine is widely referenced in literacy instruction and aligns with the kind of comprehension monitoring Dr. Jan Hasbrouck promotes.

3) Embedded reading: adjust complexity, not the storyline

If you’re not using embedded readings yet, this is one of the most teacher-friendly ways to adjust:

• Version 1: simplest gist
  
  
• Versions 2–4: more detail, richer language
  
  
• Students don’t all have to read every version
  
  

For a clear overview of embedded reading (and the original creators Michele Whaley and Laurie Clarcq), read more here. 

4) Free Voluntary Reading: the ultimate built-in adjustment

Provide a ton of easy reading is key to foster language acquisition and build confidence for all our students.  But, since what’s easy for one student can be super difficult for another student, the best strategy is Free Voluntary Reading. 

This is my favorite long-term adjustment strategy because:

• students choose texts at their level
  
  
• volume builds fluency
  
  
• confidence grows over time

And it’s sustainable. (Also: students LOVE feeling like real readers.)

For FVR you need to have different books or articles or stories at different levels and about different topics. Then, assign a specific amount of time to read.  Students select their reading with your guidance, and they just read.  

AC Quintero shared with us how to make FVR work in this episode. 

5) Traffic Light Reading: make comprehension visible

I learned this strategy from my friend Bertha Delgadillo.  Students mark the text:

• ✅ green = “I get it”
  
  
• 🟡 yellow = “not 100% sure”
  
  
• 🔴 red = “I don’t know”
  
  

Then you act on the data immediately: reteach, clarify, re-read, or add visuals. 

Output: adjust how students respond, not just what you ask

If we want more student voices, we have to allow more entry points.  We need to provide different ways for students to share their thoughts and ideas:

• yes/no responses
  
  
• either/or
  
  
• one-word answers
  
  
• gestures / pointing
  
  
• drawing
  
  
• answers in the shared language when needed
  
  

This is how you keep participation high while staying honest about proficiency development.

And when it’s time to write, scaffolds are not “training wheels.”  They’re the bridge.

If you want reference points for what students can realistically do, ACTFL’s proficiency and performance guidance is essential.

Maris Hawkins explained here the important changes introduced by ACTFL in November 2024 about Proficiency Descriptors. 

Personalization: the “human” part that makes everything stick

Personalization is what makes input compelling.

Here are the strategies I highlight:

Use names (constantly)

Even if you mess up. (I do too 😅). Names are relationship-building in real time.

Ask personal questions (and answer them yourself first)

Your students need a model of what it looks like to communicate.

Co-create text

When student ideas become class content, engagement rises.

Story asking (when you’re ready)

It’s messy, loud, and absolutely worth it when it clicks.

Listen & draw / read & draw

Then use student drawings as your visuals instead of Google images. That ownership is powerful.

Star Student Interview

Students love being seen—and the class learns how to listen and respond with purpose.

Want support beyond one episode?

If you’re a Spanish teacher and you want:

• ongoing coaching + live support
  
  
• practical PD that connects to real classroom time
  
  
• Curriculum + resources + routines you can actually implement
  
  
• community (because doing this alone is hard)
  
  

Then come join us inside Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy. You can start here.

This is where teachers stop collecting strategies… and start building a classroom system. 💛