Instructional Resources for Writing

Self-Regulated Strategy Development  (SRSD)   Evidence-Based Practice!
Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) is an intervention designed to improve students’ academic skills through a six-step process that teaches students specific academic strategies and self-regulation skills. The practice is especially appropriate for students with learning disabilities.

The intervention begins with teacher direction and ends with students independently applying the strategy, such as planning and organizing ideas before writing an essay.  A key part of the process is teaching self-regulation skills, such as goal-setting and self-monitoring, which aim to help students apply the strategy without guidance. The steps can be combined, changed, reordered, or repeated, depending on the needs of the student.  

SRSD is appropriate for grades 2-12 and consists of the following steps:

• Develop background knowledge: The teacher identifies skill deficits and helps students develop the prerequisite skills needed to understand, learn, and apply the strategy.

• Discuss the strategy: The teacher and students discuss the students’ performance to identify areas for improvement and help motivate the students to use the strategy. Students might also identify one or more areas in which they seek to improve and learn how to monitor progress. The teacher introduces the strategies and rationale for each step, often using a mnemonic device to help students remember each component.

• Model the strategy: The teacher models the strategy as many times as necessary, using a think-aloud process and voicing positive self-statements. The teacher and students discuss the advantages and challenges of the strategy and think about possible ways to improve the strategy. Teachers often introduce goal-setting concepts, and students can set individual targets to improve on baseline performance.

• Memorize the strategy: Students use mnemonic devices to memorize the steps required to apply the strategy. Students can paraphrase steps, and the teacher can use prompts for students who struggle.

• Support the strategy: Students gradually take responsibility for applying the strategy. The teacher provides support that is tailored to the needs of the student, provides frequent constructive feedback, and offers positive reinforcement. Teachers can also engage other classmates by organizing peer groups to help promote strategy use outside of SRSD instruction. For example, classmates within a peer group can share how they make decisions while writing.

• Independent performance: Students consistently and effectively use a strategy, often in multiple settings and with different tasks. Students learn how using the strategy improves their performance and how to modify the strategy as appropriate.

Each strategy is taught explicitly through discussion, modeling, guided practice, and independent practice. 

Recommended Dosage: Lessons generally occur at least three times a week, and usually last 20 to 60 minutes.