Instructional Strategies
Think-Pair-ShareThink: Teachers begin by asking a specific question about the topic being learned in class. Students "think" about what they know or have learned about the topic.
Pair: Each student is then paired with another student or a small group. The pairing can be done in many different ways, but random is best. Share: Students share their thinking with their partner or group. Teachers expand the "share" into a whole-class discussion. The video below is a 2nd grade teacher observing her students learn the think-pair-share strategy. The teacher goes over the "rules" and then engages the kids around a classroom read-aloud, An Egg Is Quiet. There is a research director who introduces the strategy and talks about how the strategy can help build confidence with students who tend to be shy in class. Word WallsA word wall is an organized group of words that are typically
found in a classroom. This great tool is used for teaching reading and spelling to children. There are many different types of word walls including high frequency words, word families, names, alphabet and so on. *Click on the image to view larger WebQuestsA WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity, which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. WebQuests can also teach a student how to navigate around a website and to get the most use out of it.
WebbingMuch like concept mapping, webbing is a method of visually representing relationships among ideas, concepts or events. During this procedure, ideas and information are explored and organized.
*Click on the image to view larger Story MappingA story map is a visual depiction of the settings or the sequence of major events and actions of story characters. By sharing personal interpretations of stories through illustrations, students increase their understanding and appreciation of selections. Story maps can be used as frameworks for storytelling and as outlines for story writing.
SimulationsA simulation is a form of experiential learning. Simulations are instructional scenarios where the learner is placed in a "world" defined by the teacher.
Simulations take a number of forms. They may contains elements of a game, a role-play, or an activity that acts as a metaphor. The chief element is that they have context. Click here for more information. ScaffoldingScaffolding is an instructional technique where the teacher models the desired learning strategy or task, then gradually shifts responsibility to the students. This allows the students to learn the task before they do it on their own. In many cases the teacher will do/teach the task first, then do it together as a class, then finally let the students do it by themselves.
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Author Says I SayThis is a chart that helps students create meaning from a given text. The first section is titled "I Wonder" and this is where the students can ask questions before they read the text. The next column is titled "The Author Says" where they find out what the author has to say in the text. The third column is titled "I Say" where the student can comment on what they just read and the last column is titled "And So" where the student can relate what they read and what they learned together.
*Click on the chart to view larger Role PlayingThis is a way for students to interact with the classroom and to be involved in the topic being taught. They also may be handed a script to act out with their classmates as well. Research shows that when a student is physically doing something as well as saying and hearing they will retain more knowledge of it for longer periods of time.
min of 15 titles/strategies with 2-3 good sentences and links to 5 or more of the 15. Response JournalResponse journals are intended for students to reflect on what they have learned on a certain topic or book/text. This is a time for them to practice their grammar skills and their penmanship for younger students. Response journals also help teachers learn where their students are at in their learning and what she may need to clarify or go over.
Research ProjectsStudents can research topics that the teacher gives them and then they can present them to the class. In doing so, students will use their researching and computer skills as well as enhance them. They will also be learning along the way. To make research projects more enjoyable for your students be sure to give them a wide range of choices/topics to pick from.
Reflective DiscussionTeachers initiate a discussion to the classroom about a topic they have just learned or about a topic being introduced. Students will get to talk about what they think or share their own personal opinions. The teacher will be able to open up new topics or questions to the classroom as the discussion continues or deepens.
Readers' TheatreFor this strategy there is a script or play given to the class, each student can have their own part. Students will take turns reading orally in the classroom. This is also a good way to introduce new topics in the classroom and get more involved in the topic.
K-W-L"Know--Want to know--Learned"
Teachers use this strategy to introduce new topics in the classroom. Students may receive a chart (like the one attached) that has three columns labeled K-W-L and they first will write down what they know about the topic before it is learned and the next column is what they want to know or any questions that they may have about it. Finally after the teacher is done teaching the topic the students will fill out the last column about what they have learned.
Structured OverviewStructured Overview is verbal, visual or written summary or outline of a topic. It can occur at the beginning of a unit or it may be used to help relate a learned idea to the big picture. A Structured Overview helps to create simple definitions from complex ideas, and then shows how all the information relates. It is the process of organizing and arranging topics to make them more meaningful.
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