Best Practices & Strategies

Best Practices & Strategies

Beth KuykendallJanuary 5, 2008

Over 2400 years ago, Confucius declared.....

• What I hear, I forget.• What I see, I remember.• What I do, I understand.

Stages of LearningAcquisitio

nProficiency Maintenan

ceGeneralizati

onAdaption

Learning is slow and inaccurate

Use modeling and immediate feedback

Academic skill is accurate, but slow

Use delayed reinforcement with novel practice opportunities

e.g., timings such as math facts and oral reading fluency

Retention of the skill over a period of time

Use delayed independent practice

Can use the new skill and information with different settings and stimuli

Use high content overlap reading tasks or instructional games with different stimuli

Can use the new skill and information to solve problems

Use information to solve contextual problems

The Most Important Practice is

• Classroom Management – Procedure– Routine– Organization

Rules and Procedure• Review rules and procedures daily

for several days• Make rules simple, short, and

broad• Procedures will eliminate many

misbehaviors

What not to do• yelling • saying “I’m the boss here” • insisting on having the last word • using tense body language, such as rigid posture or

clenched hands • using sarcasm • attacking the student’s character • acting superior • using physical force • drawing unrelated persons into the conflict  

Best Practice-Assessment

• Assessment – How will you know where you are

going if you do not know where you are starting?

– EIR

Best Practice-Use Research Based

Materials• Instruction must come from

systematic, explicit, researched based programs

• Instruction must be based on data

Explicit Instruction• Break down the skills into manageable and

deliberately sequenced steps• Provide overt instruction in the skills and

opportunities to practice (Roshenshine & Stevens, 1986).– Step by step manner– Clear and detailed explanations– Mastery of each step is assured before moving on to the

next• “I do” (presentation of materials), “we do”

(guided practice), and “you do” (independent practice).

• Uses a high number of teacher questions and student responses with frequent checks for understanding.

Systematic & Explicit Instruction

• Review previous learning– keep it brief & frequent

• Re-teach when necessary– use multiple techniques & vary

presentation• Identify objective and specific

elements to be learned– build specific knowledge & skills

identified in state standards

Systematic & Explicit Instruction

• Activate and build background knowledge– Build on what students already know & expand

• Reduce the amount of new information presented at one time– Progress from easier to more complex

• Model or demonstrate– Show, Think aloud, Explain

Systematic & Explicit Instruction

• Provide examples– Include visual prompts and/or graphic

organizers• Maximize students’ engagement

– Include a variety of ways for students to participate

– Pace instruction-not too slow, not too fast

Systematic & Explicit Instruction

• Check for student understanding– Use Bloom’s Taxonomy– Encourage students to generate

questions– Provide corrective feedback– Adjust instruction so students are

challenged & able to develop new skills

Examples of Systematic Instruction• Classifying & categorizing

information• Distinguishing facts from opinions• Identifying main ideas &

supporting details• Making generalizations

More Examples• Sequencing events• Recognizing cause & effect• Retelling• Drawing conclusions• Synthesizing new information• Tennessee Academic Vocabulary

What not to do• Round robin reading• Instruction with no student

engagement (lecture)• Whole group instruction for too

long• Pacing too slow• Instructing from behind your desk

More of what not to do

• Worksheets, worksheets, worksheets

• Not reviewing • Not checking for mastery• Not assessing progress

Differentiate Instruction

• provide several learning options, or different paths to learning, which help students take in information and make sense of concepts and skills

• provide appropriate levels of challenge for all students, including those who lag behind, those who are advanced, and those right in the middle.

Differentiation Is Not• developing a separate lesson plan

for each student in a classroom• "watering down" the curriculum

for some students

What Effective Teaching Looks Like

• Include at least three different approaches or activities

• Basic Levels of Activities– Explanation – Application– Synthesis

Skill/Concept Review• Approximately 10 minutes• Quick Write• Word Sort• Cloze Activity• Check Homework• Word Scramble• Intro Activities• Sets the tone for class• Short Quiz

Direct Instruction• Interactive Lecture• Video with note taking (with

discussion during and/or afterward)

• Guided reading of text (response journals,, study guides)

• Demonstration• Introduction of new concept or skill• Approximately 20-30 minutes

Shared Practice• Small groups work collectively on

task to practice skill or concept presented during Direct Instruction– collage, fishbowl, timelines,

draw, newspaper, graphic organizers, debates, note check, brainstorming race, webbing & think, pair, share

Independent Practice

• Standards-based assignment work time

• Opportunity for individual conferencing

• Opportunity for students to clarify progress on tasks

Examples of Independent

Practice• Internet Research• Computer Work• Writing Assignment• Lab

Closure/Reflection• Journal Reflection• Review Games• Teacher questions• Short Quiz• Specific instructions for homework

Checklist for Effective Teaching

• Activities are varied• Student movement is planned and

carried out• Active participation occurs• Instructional methods and

assignments are varied