Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of fragile learners, which has opened my eyes to the importance of pedagogy. Teaching is an art as well as a science. Explicit Instruction is proven to decrease learning gaps and reinforce the learning of others. Explicit Instruction is overtly teaching skills or concepts. It helps establish clear expectations for all learners. Explicit Instruction is most valuable for low-performing students, but good teaching will always be good. Four main elements need to be considered.
Critical Skills- Idea Bulb We must fill those holes when students have little or no background knowledge. By identifying the essential skills before planning and Instruction, educators will be better able to meet the needs of their struggling students. In addition, educators must break down new material into smaller steps when focusing on skills.
For example: Learning that one vowel or vowel combination has one word part. This was eye-opening for my proficient and advanced readers but was a foundational skill necessary for my struggling readers. Why is this helpful? This strategy is essential when decoding multisyllabic words and reinforces spelling skills for all readers.
Planning- We have all heard the saying if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. By using the concept of Explicit Instruction, it begins with deliberate planning. All lessons need to be organized and should include these three parts.
Opening – getting the learners’ attention, reviewing previous lessons through a bell ringer activity, and having a statement of goal or focus of the lesson.
Body of the lesson- includes step-by-step Instruction; within the lesson, you should have goals and time to review and practice.
Lastly, a closing. Good planning should include giving students time to demonstrate their understanding. So often, educators rush out the door or transition to the next activity. Being intentional with the closing gives educators time to assess students’ learning of skills and concepts.
Instruction Delivery- Delivery Boxes
By incorporating frequent responses and ideas within the planning, the framework reinforces the learning of all students. Another easy idea is to restate kid-friendly definitions to support vocabulary acquisition. Choral responses are also a great way to check their understanding as it scaffolds the Instruction for lower students.
Practice or Assessment of Skills- The ” I do, We do, You do” is often used as part of the instructional framework. This allows students to gain confidence in the content area. This could be done within the school day or beyond. Homework is a highly debated topic in the education world. This has required many school districts to create homework policies to reduce the number of hours spent outside of school doing practice. While many educators support outside learning, it may be counterproductive. If students fail to learn the concepts during the day, the burden of Instruction is passed on to others. Some districts have opted for opportunities within the school day to complete assignments or provide time to seek help from their teachers to review concepts or skills. Programs such as WIN (what I need) or OTC (opportunity to complete) can be successful and have taken the burden off parents and caretakers.
Why This Is Important Through Explicit Instruction, educators can reinforce skills and encourage students to expand their knowledge into other areas. In addition, educators can change lives when they find and use resources that support all aspects of Instruction.
Written By Educator: Teresa Marchant
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