Instructional Strategies

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Click on the links below for specific information.

Instructional Strategies from Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Dr. Marcia Tate's Twenty Instructional Strategies from Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites, Dr. Marcia Tate, Corwin Press

Follow-up Project from Dr. Marcia Tate:

  • Select two of the characteristics of a brain-compatible classroom and implement them from Day One of school (28 times over 21 days with sleep in between). Possible Characteristics:

  •     Purposeful student movement

  •     Students teaching one another

  •     Visuals on wall

  •     Objective stated (purpose)

  •     A positive environment

  •     Hands-on activities

  •     Rituals (rules)

  •     Celebrations of learning

  •     Appropriate music

  •     Natural/soft lighting

  • Complete the sample lesson plan using one of the objectives you must teach during the first week of school. (Refer to brain-compatible lesson plan).

  • Continue to use the strategies throughout the year and ask five questions on the lesson plan.

Click here for a copy of the Brain-compatible Lesson Plan Template.

 

Click here for Notes from Dr. Marcia Tate on Classroom Environment.

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Dr. Marcia Tate's Twenty Instructional Strategies from Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites, Dr. Marcia Tate, Corwin Press

Click on each link for ideas submitted by Bedford County teachers for implementing the strategy. If you have an idea to add, please contact pitnerm@bedfordk12tn.net

  1. Brainstorming and discussion

  2. Drawing and artwork

  3. Field trips

  4. Games

  5. Graphic organizers, semantic maps and word webs

  6. Humor

  7. Manipulatives, experiments, labs and models

  8. Metaphors, analogies and similes

  9. Mnemonic devices

  10. Movement

  11. Music, rhythm and rap

  12. Project-based and problem-based instruction

  13. Reciprocal teaching and cooperative learning

  14. Role plays, drama, pantomimes, charades

  15. Storytelling

  16. Technology

  17. Visualization and guided imagery

  18. Visuals

  19. Work study and apprenticeships

  20. Writing and journals

 

 Instructional Strategies from Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

  1. Identifying similarities and differences

  2. Summarizing and note taking

  3. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition

  4. Homework and practice

  5. Representing knowledge

  6. Learning groups

  7. Setting objectives and providing feedback

  8. Generating and testing hypotheses

  9. Cues, question and advance organizers

Implementing Dr. Marcia Tate's Twenty Instructional Strategies

Brainstorming and discussion

  • Brainstorming Activity

  • Guidelines for Brainstorming from Mindtools

  • Step by Step Guide to Brainstorming

  • Brainstorming Classroom Activity from Project Based Learning

  • Carousel Brainstorming: Questions about a topic are posted around the room. Groups brainstorm as they visit each topic. Carousel Brainstorming (Article 1), Carousel Brainstorming (Article 2), Carousel Brainstorming (Article 3)

  • Rubric for Classroom Discussion

  • Fishbowl: A group of students sits in front of the class. They discuss the topic as a panel. Discussion is open to the entire class at end.

  • Place flipcharts around the room. Each flipchart has a question or prompt to which students respond. Give the group about 2-3 minutes at each chart and rotate so they all have a chance to respond to each one.

  • 10 + 2: Teacher presents information for ten minutes. Students discuss and reflect for two minutes. Repeat.
  • Agreement Circles: Students stand in a circle. Teacher reads a statement aloud. If students agree, they step into the circle.
  • Alphabetic Brainstorming: Assign a category. Pass paper around group. Students write words or phrases that fit the category or topic in alphabetical order.
  • Book Clubs: Guides to Get You Started (Groups meet and discuss books.)

Drawing and artwork

  • Create bumper stickers using spelling words, nouns, verbs, etc.

  • Give students choices of different ways of presenting and illustrating their spelling words.

  • Collages: Students create collages of images representing concept or point of view.

  • "Driting"--Pre-writing activity for Kindergarten students.

Field trips

  • Have students work in cooperative groups to create a PowerPoint presentation on the field trip.

Games

  • Rat Race: Write one problem or question on a sheet of paper. Number the paper. Put a problem at each desk. Start music. Students answer the question. When the music stops, student must finish. Go over answers. Can award prize to first three that have all the problems answered correctly.

  • Science Scavenger Hunt: Hunt through past chapters in groups for answers to review questions.

  • Musical Chair Multiplication Facts: Play music. When music stops, student must say the multiplication fact and answer of the square they land on.

  • Handshake! Shake hands while telling facts about the current subject. Move to new person after 30 seconds. Variation: for the second round, add touching knees to shaking hands. For the third round, touch forehead, knees, shake hands.

  • Adapt Family Feud to review subject matter.

  • Four Corner Review

  • Find Someone Who... Activity: Students seek classmates that know the answers to specific content questions. Find Someone Who...based on Roald Dahl

  • Find the Fib: Groups of students write two true statements and one false statement. Others must determine which one is the fib.

  • Find the Rule: Students are given sets of examples that demonstrate a rule (Adding zero to any number always equals that number; "i before e except after c). They must determine and give the rule.

  • Online Games from Dave's ESL Cafe

Graphic organizers, semantic maps and word webs

Humor

Manipulatives, experiments, labs and models

  • Use pipe cleaners to make angles and geometric figures. Slide a bead on to show vertex.

  • Use cheese balls and pretzels to show types of angles and geometric figures.

  • Use various shaped crackers to represent different geometric figures.

Metaphors, analogies and similes

  • Use body parts to correlate to parts of a letter. Point to the head for heading, the mouth for greeting, the body for the letter's body, cross arms for the closing, and pretend to write with a finger for the signature.

Mnemonic devices

Movement

  • Let students hold parts of sentences on cards. They should link arms when identifying linking verbs.

  • Use body parts to correlate to parts of a letter. Point to the head for heading, the mouth for greeting, the body for the letter's body, cross arms for the closing, and pretend to write with a finger for the signature.

  • Use body movements with parallel lines, angles, all geometric shapes, etc.

  • Use body movements for types of sentences, i.e.. Declarative is a statement (stand straight with hands down at sides), Interrogative asks a question (questioning look on face with shrugging shoulder and quizzed look on face), Exclamatory shows excitement (jump up and down or grab sides of face with palms), Imperative shows command (stand at attention, look stern, and point).

  • Rat Race: Write one problem or question on a sheet of paper. Number the paper. Put a problem at each desk. Start music. Students answer the question. When the music stops, student must finish. Go over answers. Can award prize to first three that have all the problems answered correctly.

  • When studying prepositions, students can actually get ON the desk, UNDER the desk, BESIDE the desk, etc.

  • Decimals: Use head as the decimal point. Move arm up, swooping and snapping wrist.

  • Musical Chair Multiplication Facts: Play music. When music stops, student must say the multiplication fact and answer of the square they land on.

  • Handshake! Shake hands while telling facts about the current subject. Move to new person after 30 seconds. Variation: for the second round, add touching knees to shaking hands. For the third round, touch forehead, knees, shake hands.

  • Air Drawing:  Students draw in the air to demonstrate how they will perform a procedure. Good for classes when students are required to use tools, instruments, or perform certain operations.

Music, rhythm and rap

  • Musical Chair Multiplication Facts: Play music. When music stops, student must say the multiplication fact and answer of the square they land on.

  • Rat Race: Write one problem or question on a sheet of paper. Number the paper. Put a problem at each desk. Start music. Students answer the question. When the music stops, student must finish. Go over answers. Can award prize to first three that have all the problems answered correctly.

  • Classical Music in the Classroom

  • Songs for Teaching: Using Music to Promote Learning

  • A List of Children's Literature with Songs as the Text. Useful for integration with Language Arts.

  • Music in the Science Classroom

  • Ask students to put the lesson's content to music. For instance, they can sing the social studies content to the tune of "The Beverly Hillbillies."

Project-based and problem-based instruction

Reciprocal teaching and cooperative learning

Role plays, drama, pantomimes, charades

Storytelling

Technology

Visualization and guided imagery

  • Use body parts to correlate to parts of a letter. Point to the head for heading, the mouth for greeting, the body for the letter's body, cross arms for the closing, and pretend to write with a finger for the signature.

  • Give students choices of different ways of presenting their spelling words.

  • Remind students that expository texts, such as their textbooks, generally provide many images (maps, charts, photos, sidebars) to help them comprehend the material.

  • Article: Opening the Door: Teaching Students to Use Visualization to Improve Comprehension (from Education World)

  • Focused Imagining: Students are led to form images based on directions from the teacher. Teacher gives either written directions or step by step oral directions.

Visuals

Work study and apprenticeships

Writing and journals

 

Implementing Marzano's Instructional Strategies

Identifying similarities and differences--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  • Begin with teacher demonstrations.

  • Use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast. Inspiration/Kidspiration Software has a free trial version at http://www.inspiration.com/freetrial/index.cfm.

  • Create metaphors and analogies.

  • Check this First Grade lesson plan on identifying similarities and differences in characters by using nursery rhymes.

  • Creating Metaphors

  • Create a matrix in Excel to compare and contrast characteristics of two or more objects, concepts, etc.

Summarizing and note taking--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Reinforcing effort and providing recognition--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  • Have students periodically keep track of their effort and its relationship to achievement.
  • Use a rubric to gage effort. Try RubiStar at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php.
  • Create award certificates for students. go to http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/certificates/ for an online certificate maker.
  • Use the TOPS reports from Accelerated Reader for instant recognition.
  • Let students design their own stickers for recognition using Microsoft Office or a label maker program.
  • Ask students to design an award for themselves.
  • Software programs provide immediate feedback to students as they practice skills. Many also offer certificates or games as built-in reinforcement.

Homework and practice--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

    Homework:

  • Have a homework policy that is communicated to parents.

  • Ask students to write down homework assignments on an assignment sheet or in an agenda or notebook used for that purpose.

  • Homework must have a purpose and students must know that purpose.

  • Post homework assignments on a classroom webpage.

  • Write assignments in the same place on the board every day so that students will know where to find the assignment.

  • Helping Your Students with Homework: A Guide for Teachers

  • Let the students design their own homework. Check out http://content.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr373.shtml.

    Practice:

  • Use specific software for drill in content areas.

  • Identify the skills that are worth the "skill and drill" by looking at your test scores.

  • Check the web for online quizzes and activities to accompany textbook adoptions. Students can use these for practice or homework.

  • A+ Math is an excellent website with lots of opportunities for practicing skills, including flash cards.  Go to http://www.aplusmath.com/.

  • Rat Race: Write one problem or question on a sheet of paper. Number the paper. Put a problem at each desk. Start music. Students answer the question. When the music stops, student must finish. Go over answers.

  • Musical Chair Multiplication Facts: Play music. When music stops, student must say the multiplication fact and answer of the square they land on.

Representing knowledge--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

     Non-linguistic Representations:

  • Use Inspiration Software. Go to http://www.inspiration.com/freetrial/index.cfm to download a free trial version.

  • Use the downloadable CMap Software at http://cmap.ihmc.us/. It is free to educational institutions.

  • Use Paint.

  • Use physical symbols or drama and movement to represent procedures and concepts.

  • Make a timeline to represent the period being studied. Try the Online Timeline Maker at http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/timelines/. Try the Timeline feature in Nettrekker, also. Go to http://www.nettrekker.com/frontdoor/, log in, and click on Timeline from the right hand toolbar.

  • Create bumper stickers using spelling words, nouns, verbs, etc.

  • Give students choices of different ways of presenting and illustrating their spelling words.

  • Collages: Students create collages of images representing concept or point of view.

  • "Driting"--Pre-writing activity for Kindergarten students.

  • Index to Graphic Organizers

  • Printable Copies of Graphic Organizers from Eduplace

  • Graphic Organizers from SCORE

  • Use pipe cleaners to make angles and geometric figures. Slide a bead on to show vertex.

  • Use cheese balls and pretzels to show types of angles and geometric figures.

  • Use various shaped crackers to represent different geometric figures.

  • Let students hold parts of sentences on cards. They should link arms when identifying linking verbs.

  • Use body parts to correlate to parts of a letter. Point to the head for heading, the mouth for greeting, the body for the letter's body, cross arms for the closing, and pretend to write with a finger for the signature.

  • Use body movements with parallel lines, angles, all geometric shapes, etc.

  • Use body movements for types of sentences, i.e.. Declarative is a statement (stand straight with hands down at sides), Interrogative asks a question (questioning look on face with shrugging shoulder and quizzed look on face), Exclamatory shows excitement (jump up and down or grab sides of face with palms), Imperative shows command (stand at attention, look stern, and point).

  • When studying prepositions, students can actually get ON the desk, UNDER the desk, BESIDE the desk, etc.

  • Decimals: Use head as the decimal point. Move arm up, swooping and snapping wrist.

  • Musical Chair Multiplication Facts: Play music. When music stops, student must say the multiplication fact and answer of the square they land on.

  • Handshake! Shake hands while telling facts about the current subject. Move to new person after 30 seconds. Variation: for the second round, add touching knees to shaking hands. For the third round, touch forehead, knees, shake hands.

  • Air Drawing:  Students draw in the air to demonstrate how they will perform a procedure. Good for classes when students are required to use tools, instruments, or perform certain operations.

  • Acting out scientific, mathematical, or other problems to increase understanding (article)

  • Can We Act It Out?  Dramatize roles from stories or historical events.

  • Give students choices of different ways of presenting their spelling words.

  • Remind students that expository texts, such as their textbooks, generally provide many images (maps, charts, photos, sidebars) to help them comprehend the material.

  • Article: Opening the Door: Teaching Students to Use Visualization to Improve Comprehension (from Education World)

  • Focused Imagining: Students are led to form images based on directions from the teacher. Teacher gives either written directions or step by step oral directions.

Learning groups--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  • Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Technique

  • Have students work in cooperative groups to create a PowerPoint presentation about a field trip.

  • Use a variety of methods and criteria for grouping students.

  • Use the Comment or Track Changes features built in to Word for group work.

  • Use teacher-controlled email accounts to share information among groups.

  • The Amistad Case: A Mock Trial is a project designed for group work.

  • Have students work in cooperative groups to create a PowerPoint presentation on a field trip.

  • Book Clubs: Guides to Get You Started (Groups meet and discuss books.)

  • Science Scavenger Hunt: Hunt through past chapters in groups for answers to review questions.

  • Project Based Learning with Multi-Media

  • Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Technique

  • Affinity Diagram Strategy encourages less verbal members of a group to participate.

  • Buddy Program: Students are paired with a slightly older child. The buddies meet every week to work on reading,  spelling, or other skills. Younger children enjoy the individualized attention and the older students benefit form being a role model. Also known as Cross Age Tutoring.

Setting objectives and providing feedback--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

    Setting objectives:

  • Use contracts to encourage students to set and reach goals.

    Providing feedback:

  • See ideas listed above in Reinforcing effort and providing recognition.

  • Use QuizStar to develop quizzes and provide feedback to students.

  • Have students track their progress in a subject by using an Excel spreadsheet.

  • Cornerstone, Plato, Riverdeep and Accelerated Reader all offer feedback reports.

  • Software programs provide immediate feedback to students as they practice skills. Many also offer certificates or games as built-in reinforcement and feedback.

  • Use the Verbal Questions feature of the CPS systems to provide immediate feedback.

Generating and testing hypotheses--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  • Require students to explain their hypothesis and conclusions.

  • An excellent list of skills necessary for this strategy is available at http://www.bethelsd.org/resources/static/thinkingSkillsGuide/skills/gen_test_hypoth.htm.

  • This is just for the Science classroom! Ask students to predict the outcome or ending of a novel or story the class will read.

  • Visit Exploring Leonardo. Read about Leonardo, then have students make their own inventions.

  • In Math, try to solve The Mangoes Problem from Illuminations.

  • Use the Verbal Questions feature of the CPS systems with a third party software to make predictions on class scores and goals. Make a goal of class improvement on percentage correct.

  • Find the Rule: Students are given sets of examples that demonstrate a rule (Adding zero to any number always equals that number; "i before e except after c). They must determine and give the rule.

Cues, question and advance organizers--Read this excerpt from A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock, 2001, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Return to the Bedford County Department of Education.