Why do we do it that way?
Sometimes parents are confused or frustrated by the way a classroom is run.
It isn't uncommon to hear that, in a parent's scholastic past, a strategy or
philosophy was used that the parent prefers to more modern classroom
strategies or philosophies. "Old Mrs. McGillicutty used to give us . . ." The
truth is that I have learned more from parents and students than from
coursework or academic sources. Still, I like to share research with
parents. It has its place and should stimulate thinking about classroom
issues and problems. I believe that every student and issue is unique and
often two students who seem to have the same problem need very different
solutions. So I am skeptical about generalizations about approaches. I've
tried to collect some reputable research-based (mostly) resources for parents
who want to know some recommended aproaches to teaching.
I've summarized the works. Click the underlined link at the bottom of the summary to read the whole work.
Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning
1. Space learning over time.
2. Interweave worked example solutions with problem-solving
exercises. Have students alternate between reading already worked
solutions and trying to solve problems on their own.
3. Combine graphical presentations (e.g., graphs, figures) that
illustrate key processes and procedures with verbal descriptions.
4. Connect and integrate abstract and concrete representations of
concepts.
5. Use quizzing to promote learning. Use quizzing with active
retrieval of information at all phases of the learning process to
exploit the ability of retrieval directly to facilitate long-
lasting memory traces.
5a. Use pre-questions to introduce a new topic.
5b. Use quizzes to re-expose students to key content.
6. Help students allocate study time efficiently. Assist students
in identifying what material they know well, and what needs
further study, by teaching children how to judge what they have
learned.
6a. Teach students how to use delayed judgments of learning to
identify content that needs further study.
6b. Use tests and quizzes to identify content that needs to be
learned.
7. Ask deep explanatory questions. Use instructional prompts that
encourage students to pose and answer “deep-level” questions on
course material. These questions enable students to respond with
explanations and supports deep understanding of taught material.
Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning Recommendations
Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics Recommendations
1. Screen all students to identify those at risk for potential
mathematics difficulties and provide interventions to students
identified as at risk.
2. Instructional materials for students receiving interventions
should focus intensely on in-depth treatment of whole numbers in
kindergarten through grade 5 and on rational numbers in grades 4
through 8. (Rational numbers means fractions and decimals).
3. Instruction should be explicit and systematic.
This includes providing models of proficient problem solving,
verbalization of thought processes, guided practice, corrective
feedback, and frequent cumulative review.
4. Interventions should include instruction on solving word
problems that is based on common underlying structures.
5. Intervention materials should include opportunities for
students to work with visual representations of mathematical
ideas and interventionists should be proficient in the use of
visual representations of mathematical ideas.
6. Interventions at all grade levels should devote about 10
minutes in each session to building fluent retrieval of basic
arithmetic facts. (Note, I have seen a significant body of
evidence that more than five minutes working basic recall reaches
diminishing returns. Three sessions of five minutes a day is
ideal).
7. Monitor the progress of students receiving supplemental
instruction and other students who are at risk.
8. Include motivational strategies in tier interventions.
Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics
Assisting Students Struggling with Reading Recommendations
1. Screen all students for potential reading problems at the
beginning of the year and again in the middle of the year.
Regularly monitor the progress of students at risk for developing
reading disabilities.
2. Provide time for differentiated reading instruction for all
students based on assessments of students’ current reading level.
3. Provide intensive, systematic instruction on up to three
foundational reading skills (comprehension, fluency, phonemic
awareness, phonics, and vocabulary) in small groups to students
who score below the benchmark score on universal screening.
Typically, these groups meet between three and five times a week,
for 20 to 40 minutes.
4. Monitor progress at least once a month. Use these
data to determine whether students still require intervention.
5. Provide intensive instruction on a daily basis that promotes
the development of the various components of reading proficiency
to students who show minimal progress after reasonable time in
small group instruction.
Assisting Students Struggling with Reading
Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom
Recommendations
1. Identify the specifics of problem behavior and the conditions
that prompt and reinforce it.
2. Modify the classroom learning environment to decrease problem
behavior.
3. Teach and reinforce new skills to increase appropriate
behavior and preserve a positive classroom climate. We recommend
that teachers actively teach students socially- and behaviorally-
appropriate skills to replace problem behaviors using strategies
focused on both individual students and the whole classroom.
4. Draw on relationships with professional colleagues and
students’ families for continued guidance and support.
Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom
Encouraging Girls in Math and Science
This is the main site for finding anything in the What Works
Clearinghouse series.
US Dept. of Education Institute of Education Sciences Library