Instructional Strategies
Think, Pair, Share
This strategy allows students to collect their thoughts about a particular topic and then branch out in discussion. An individual will first think about the question at hand, then share their ideas with a partner, and finally, the entire class will break out into discussion. Text Rendering
This strategy is best accomplished by grouping three or four students together. The group will summarize a section or chapter of a text by writing a short paragraph. Then they will narrow down their paragraph to a sentence. After that, they will narrow down their sentence to a phrase and finally just a word. Students will incorporate their chosen word by creating a cheer and then share it with the class. Informational Text Circles (Similar to Literature Circles)
This strategy is a great way for students to discuss informational text with others. Students will form groups and each person within the group will have an assigned job (e.g. discussion director, artful illustrator,etc.) to reflect on what they've read. Then the group will listen to each student's perspective on the text and make connections to the reading. Artifact/Object/Realia Analysis
Teachers will put artifacts/objects/realia in a bag(s) and divide students into groups of four children. Each group will pick an object from the bag(s) (without peeking) and then observe it. After, the group will do their best to describe the object, determine its age, try to figure out what it was used for, identify what its made of, and then guess what the object is. The groups can also create questions about the object. The teacher will eventually tell the students more information about the object they picked. WebQuests
This is an interactive strategy that allows students to obtain information about a particular topic via the internet. It allows students engage in inquiry-based learning by exploring relevant content material on their own. Minute Fingers
This strategy is an easy way for teachers to gauge how much time students need to finish something in class, whether it be a discussion or an assignment. The students will raise their hand and use their fingers in order to signal how much time they need. If a student has their fist up, it means they're finished and ready to move on. If students have one finger up, they need one minute, two fingers signifies two minutes, etc. This allows the teacher to see how much time students need to finish a particular task and the teacher can determine an average time to give to students before moving on. Foldables
This strategy is extremely beneficial for students because it helps them synthesize information and utilize their artistic abilities. There are many different types of foldables for students to assemble: pyramid fold, standing cube, four door diorama, vocabulary book, top tab booklet, pocket book, three quarter book, folded book, layered look book, envelope fold, three tab book, five tab book, etc. Which type you use depends on the amount of information you want your students to write. |
The Author Says and I Say…
This strategy allows students to analyze and reflect on the material they've read. Students will write down key points that the author stated and then expand on it in some way. For example, students can ask questions, state opinions, summarize, etc. Then students will share their thoughts with others. Mix, Freeze, Pair
This strategy allows students to talk socially with classmates before they dive into learning. Students will discuss various topics unrelated to the class subject, often questions posed by the teacher. Students should also partner up with classmates of whom they've never met before. R.A.F.T. (Role, Audience, Format, Topic)
This strategy allows students to write about many topics within various disciplines. The teacher will decide what perspective the students will take when writing by providing the role of the writer, who the audience is, type of format, and a specific topic. This gives the students to interact with the information being learned while sharpening their writing skills. Q.A.R. (Question-Answer Relationship)
This strategy is best used for reading informational text and requires students to answer particular questions about the text. There are four types of questions to use: "right there", "think and search", "author and you", and "on my own". "Right there" questions are found verbatim within the text, "think and search" requires students to look for the answers throughout the text, "author and you" questions allows students to share their own understanding, and "on my own" questions has students answering based on their own knowledge and opinions. 10 by 10
This strategy is best used when introducing a new unit in order to engage your students. The teacher will project a picture for all students to see that pertains to the new unit. Students can individually or collaboratively formulate ten observations about the image. Students will also develop ten questions in relation to the picture being shown. Thinking Maps
This strategy is great for students of any grade level. Thinking maps are helpful tools that students can use in order to remember information easier. There are many different types of thinking maps: circle map, bubble map, double bubble map, tree map, brace map, flow map, multi-flow map, and bridge map. These all provide a way for students to efficiently learn and organize information about a particular topic. Frayer Model
This model is used when students are learning new vocabulary. Students learn more about the word by spelling it, writing a definition in their own words, using it in a sentence, listing examples, and drawing a non-representational object that relates to the word. Cooperative Learning
This strategy requires students to form groups and discuss a certain issue/problem. Students work together for a common goal and need to listen to each other's ideas. Cooperative learning builds students' social skills all while expanding their knowledge on content matter. |