Explicit Instruction

• The "Ins and Outs" of Explicit Instruction

Top 10 Evidenced-Based Teaching Strategies for Explicit Instruction

Strategy 1: Clear Lesson Goals

Simply tell students exactly what they will be learning and required to do.

Strategy 2: Show & Tell (Demonstrate the Task)

Tell students what they need to know and show them what they need to be able to do.

Strategy 3: Questioning to Check for Understanding

Use questions and other formative assessments to check that your students understand things.

Strategy 4: Summarize New Learning Through Visual Material

Have students summarize new information in a graphical way.

Strategy 5: Plenty of Practice

Give your students plenty of practice spaced out over time.

Strategy 6: Provide Feedback

Provide students with feedback so they can refine their efforts.

Strategy 7: Be Flexible About How Long it Takes to Learn

Allow time for every student to succeed.

Strategy 8: Create Productive Group Work

Create collaborative groups who are learning together and from each other.

Strategy 9: Teach Strategies, Not Just Content

Teach students strategies' as well as the content.

Strategy 10: Metacognition

Teach children how to monitor their own thinking.

The North Carolina Standard Course of Study encourages building conceptual understanding through meaningful mathematical discourse and requires students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. However, teachers must first explicitly teach these skills and establish expectations for participation.

The skills students need for productive mathematics discourse involve both knowing how to communicate effectively and knowing the mathematics vocabulary needed for communicating about math. This can be particularly challenging for English learners.

Zwier's work (http://www.jeffzwiers.org (Links to an external site.) provides tools for promoting effective mathematics discourse, including two particular tools relevant for scaffolding academic vocabulary and discourse in mathematics: the Constructive Conversation Skills Poster and the Math Paired Conversation Protocol.

• Determine a child’s progress toward standards

• Ensure students have mastered the skills they need

• Identify needs and assist in planning

• Guide instruction and identify where intervention is needed

• Enable collaboration and communication between teachers and administrators

• Inform decisions

• Enable schools to evaluate progress and ensure accountability

• Set priorities at all levels – individual, classroom, schools, and districts

Differentiated Assessments at Different Levels

Formative: Are they getting it?

(High Opportunity to Improve Student Learning)

• Given by the teacher during instruction to measure progress (often integrated into the lesson)

• Provides frequent and timely feedback on teaching effectiveness and students’ current

learning

• Small scale assessment that identifies strengths as well as learning gaps to guide responsive

instructional actions (2-3 weeks of teaching the standards)

Interim/Benchmarks: Have they got it?

(Medium or High Opportunity Depending on Implementation)

• Given during instruction to measure interim progress (typically every 6-8 weeks) relative to a

specific goal or standard

• Common Assessments that can be aggregated and reported

• Identifies gaps in learning and timing allow for further instruction before the end of the

9-week period/trimester, semester, or school year

Summative: Did they get it?

(Low Opportunity to Improve Student Learning)

• Graded assessment, often done statewide and used for planning and identifying areas needing

additional focus

• Measures standards-based skills and knowledge at the end of an established time period (end

of year, end of course)