Explanation of Suggested Strategies, Activities, Techniques
for Lesson Design for Learning
Curriculum Connections
Curriculum guide
Description:
The district provides a curriculum guide, which is an overview of what should be taught during the academic
year. Each teacher should possess a curriculum guide for every subject that he/she teaches. Contained within
the curriculum guide is a scope and sequence of the course, subject objectives, standards, TCAP objectives and
Gateway connections if appropriate.
Use in classroom
Each lesson should be aligned with the curriculum guide.
Pacing
Description
The curriculum guide is divided into six parts, each part scheduled for a six weeks period of time. The
curriculum is paces so that every student will be exposed to every concept, which will be tested on the TCAP
test. Some students will be able to master all the material in the curriculum guide. Some student will need
additional time (intervention) to master the content. Each teacher/team should determine how students without
prerequisite skills would move at the appropriate pace.
Use in classroom
Teacher should plan for the six weeks using the pacing schedule. Planning should include enrichment for those
students able to move faster and additional practice for those who have difficulty mastering the information.
TCAP Performance Indicator
Description:
The TCAP Objectives are listed in the back of each curriculum guide. Teachers will find a more detailed
explanation in Teachers Guide to Terra Nova, which you should find in your building.
In the classroom:
Student should be aware of what TCAP objective is being addressed at the moment. Some teachers display
posters of the TCAP objectives and have students check off the objectives as they are covered.
State Performance Indicator
Description:
The State Performance Indicators can be found on the Tennessee State Department of Education website. The
indicators tell us what the criterion referenced test items will look like. State Performance Indicators are vital
for determining the content on which students will be tested.
In the classroom:
When you are creating a test on the content, use the SPIs to design the items on the test.
Gateway Performance Indicator
Description:
Gateway objectives tell a teacher what will be tested on the Gateway Test (high school exit test in Algebra 1,
English 10 and Biology). The objectives also tell the teacher how the item will be tested. Teachers in lower
grades have a responsibility to build foundational knowledge for the Gateway Test.
Pre-assessment
Description:
Administering a pre-assessment tells the teacher how much background information each student brings to the
table. Understanding the knowledge level of each student tells the teachers where to begin and what the
strengths and weaknesses of each student are.
In the Classroom:
Teachers may want to administer one pre-assessment at the beginning of the unit.
Pre-assessment techniques for the classroom (for information and pre-requisite skills)
 KWL- Have students divide a sheet of paper into thirds lengthways. Above each column write, “Know,”
“Want to Know” and “Learned.” Have student fill in the first two columns. The last column can be filled in
when the lesson is finished.

Pre-test, quiz – give students a few questions that briefly skim the information that you will teach next.

Have student perform the skill that will be needed (manipulating a microscope, measuring, reading maps,
etc.)

Brainstorming – After writing a major concept word on the board, have students suggest words that “go
with” that word (noun, equator, Boston Tea Party, photosynthesis, etc.) Each student must suggest at least
one work. After the list is generated, students think of how each work relates to the original concept word
or students categorize the suggested words.

Anticipation guides – Before reading a selection or studying a unit, students respond to several statements
that challenge or support their preconceived ideas about key concepts in the unit.
Read the following statements concerning volcanoes.
Put a check next to the statements with which you agree.
Be prepared to support your reasoning by thinking about what you know about volcanoes. Also be
Prepared to share with your group.
___ 1. Volcanoes can form anywhere.
___ 2. How volcanoes form depend on the type of lava.
___ 3. Once a volcano forms it remains active.
___ 4. Volcanoes affect the environment.

Inquiry charts – students generate questions about the upcoming unit.

Possible sentences –teacher identifies key vocabulary, concepts or passage in an upcoming unit. Based on
prior knowledge the students make predictions about the meaning of words, concepts or the passage.
Integration of content
Description
Research tells us that the more ways we can relate information to other information; the more students will be
able to make connections and retain the knowledge.
In the Classroom
Elementary teachers are in a prime location to integrate content areas such as Language Arts/Social Studies,
Social Studies/Science, and Mathematics/Science.
Middle level teachers can work with other content area teachers on the team to find common connections in
two, three or all four content areas. Content area teachers can integrate with exploratory teachers. A content
area teacher can integrate other subjects within their subject. (Science teachers can bring mathematics content
into the science content.)
High school teachers can collaborate with another (English and history) to integrate content areas. Or a high
school teacher can design intradisciplinary connections. E.g. A history teacher can assign a novel that is on the
reading list and whose setting is set in a historical era that is being taught in history. English teachers can
collaborate with other content areas in the area of research papers.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
Description
 Guiding question: What should students know and be able to do at the end of the lesson?
 Begin with the end in mind.
 Guiding questions replace behavioral objectives. Students are more likely to see the necessity of being
able to answer the questions rather than interpreting a behavioral objective.
 Guiding questions should be higher order, open-ended and frequently begin with how or why.
 Guiding questions should be stated in general rather than specific terms and may be open-ended.
 Guiding questions may be generic or they may address concepts, vocabulary or skills/processes covered
in the day’s lesson.
Concepts: A guiding question may incorporate a concept. A concept is an organizing idea or mental
construct.
Examples of concepts:
order
change
pattern
order
culture
rhythm
angle
space
cycle
symmetry
conflict
tempo
time
belief
value
color
shape
texture
form
population
 Guiding questions may incorporate vocabulary, processes or skills needed in the day’s lesson.
Skill: specific abilities that must be learned to carry out a complex performance. For instance, when a
child is learning to write in cursive, she must learn to make the curved and straight lines and connect
them together. The skills involved in the process of map reading are being able to locate the equator,
reading latitude and longitude, interpreting a map scale, etc.
Process: a set of skills that lead to a product or result. Being able to write a word in cursive is a process.
That process is made of the skills of making curved and straight lines and connecting them together in a
legible way. Map reading is a process made of several skills.
In the Classroom
Examples of guiding questions that use concepts:
How do patterns affect the survival of a species?
Where does symmetry occur in mathematics?
How does geography affect culture?
Examples of guiding questions using skills:
How do you make a microscope slide; how do you use the fine and course adjustments; how do you
locate the object under the objective?
Can you establish eye contact, maintain good voice control, display good content organization,
provide good visuals and design a good beginning, middle and end of the presentation?
Can you identify all coins and paper money? Can you count money that makes up the cost of an object?
Examples of guiding questions that involve processes:
How do you use a microscope to look at “invisible” organisms?
Can you give an exemplary oral presentation?
Can you give correct change when paying for an item?
How do sentences build paragraphs?
Examples of guiding questions which incorporate vocabulary:
How do fronts affect weather?
How are plot and mood related?
How do people use natural resources?
Other examples of guiding questions:
How do you use a political map?
How does location affect climate?
What is a perfect square?
How are multiples and factors different?
How are numbers classified?
Can you compare and contrast obtuse and right triangles?
How do graphs show relationships between two variables?
What is a graph?
How is slope used to define change in a set of data?
How do you distinguish a prime number from a composite number?
How are factors and products related?
How do you determine the greatest common factor of a pair or set of numbers?
How do you subtract negative numbers?
What is a linear equation?
How do societies organize to meet basic needs?
How is sound transmitted?
What is a force?
Why do Native Americans live on reservations?
What change did the Erie Canal bring to New York State?
Do plants need sunlight?
How does Tomie dePaola’s personal life help him think of ideas for stories?
If you could meet two animal characters, which ones would you choose and why?
Why are symbols important to Americans and how do they represent America?
How does our position in space change the way we perceive other celestial bodies?
MOTIVATON
Description
In motivating students, teachers should think about how they can



link the new learning with previous learning.
link new learning to students’ experiences.
design active student presentation.
Emphasize the relevance of the content. Explain what students should know and be able to do. Clarify why
students need to know the information. Delineate what activities students will experience in order to process
the learning.
In the Classroom
Link New Learning to Prior Learning
(Access Prior Knowledge)

Brainstorming
Write a major concept word on the board. (noun, equator, Boston Tea Party, photosynthesis, etc.)
Have students suggest words that “go with” that word.
Each student must suggest at least one word.
After the list is generated, students think of how each work relates to the original concept word or
students categorize the suggested words.

Anticipation guides– Before reading a selection or studying a unit, students respond to several
statements that challenge or support their preconceived ideas about key concepts in the unit.
Knowledge Rating:
Read the following statements concerning volcanoes.
Put a check next to the statements with which you agree.
Be prepared to support your reasoning by thinking about what you know about volcanoes. Also be
prepared to share with your group.
___ 1. Volcanoes can form anywhere.
___ 2. How volcanoes form depend on the type of lava.
___ 3. Once a volcano forms it remains active.
___ 4. Volcanoes affect the environment.

Vocabulary Roundup
Students divide their papers into four horizontal columns.
Label the columns: vocabulary words, never heard of it; have heard of it but don’t know what it
means; am somewhat familiar with it; know it well.
Students write the list of vocabulary words given by the teacher.
Students then select the correct choice depending how well they know the word.
Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
Never heard
of it
Heard of it but
don’t know what
it means
Familiar with it
Know it well

Graphic Organizers
Frayer model
Essential Characteristics
has an equal sign
answer can be calculated
must have two sides
two sides must result in
same value
Examples
5+3=8
3x+2y=7z
12*6x=144
Concept:
Equation
Nonessential Characteristics
has an operation sign
negative
positive
has an unknown
Nonexamples
3+7
5x+2y-3z
3*5>27

KWL
Have students divide a sheet of paper into thirds lengthways.
Above each column write “Know,” “Want to Know” and “Learned.”
Have student fill in the first two columns.
The last column can be filled in when the lesson is finished

KWHL
H=how will I find out.

Learning Logs
Informal writing; reflections about what has been learned
Most effective if used two or three times a week.
Before students read a passage, have them write about some of the things they already know about the
topic.
Collaborative pairs share their statements to each other.

Predictions
After a brief introduction to the day’s topic, students write predictions about the story or information of
the day.
Collaborative pairs share predictions with each other.

Hypothesize
The teacher gives students a problem situation that will be addressed in the day’s lesson.
Students make hypotheses about the solution,

Collaborative pairs
Break students into pairs.
Pair high to average; average-to-average; or average to low.
Allow students to share ideas, work together, brainstorm, etc.

Choral reading
Students read passage aloud along with teacher.

Drama
Have students act out history scenes, science processes, stories, and math concepts

Signal cards
Give students colored index cards (yellow for “agree;” green for “disagree”) or give them four colors to
indicate the answer to a multiple-choice question
Teacher asks the question of the class. Or collaborative pairs of students can take turns asking questions
that they have written.
Students hold up the correct card.
Teacher can pre-assess immediately

Draw – Students draw figures that represent main idea from yesterday’s lesson.

Manipulatives – algeblocks, word cards, punctuation cards, flash cards, parts of a cell, etc.

Model/demonstrate – entice students’ interest by showing them a snippet of what they will be doing during
the class
Link New Information to Previous Experience
Refer to family events, things students may have seen or experienced, what students have seen on
television, sports and entertainment figures.
Do you know someone who . .? Talk to your partner about . . .
Tell your partner about a time when you saw . . .
Who saw the Final Four basketball game?
Who saw Bernie Mac when . . .?
ASSESSMENT (embedded or formative assessment)
Description
Assessment gives the teacher information about whether the student has mastered the “chunk” of content that
has been processed.
Assessment should involve an overt response from students.
The teacher provides feedback.
The results of assessment help a teacher plan what to do next.
Assessment should occur several times during each lesson.
Assessment is not for a grade.
In the classroom
 Chunking
Break the information into discrete segments during the period. After teaching the “chunk” the teacher assesses
how much of the information the students learned.

Feed back – teacher: the teacher makes constructive comments on assignments, projects, homework.
 Feedback – student: (peer editing) Student assesses the quality of another’s student’s work, making
constructive comments on assignment, projects, homework. (Students must be taught how to assess the
work using a rubric.)

Homework: Look over AND respond to the homework that is assigned. The teacher uses homework to
assess whether the students truly mastered the material taught the previous day.

Reading inventory

Skills checklist: make a list of the skills that need to be learned. As the teacher assesses each student he/she
checks off the particular skill on a checklist.

Whole class response: When a chunk of material has been taught the teacher assesses the entire class at one
time to see how many student have mastered the material. This could be in the form of a quiz, response
boards (slates/chalk, wipe-off boards/markers), signal cards, written responses, etc.

Performance task: Students actually perform the task as an assessment. For example, students measure an
object, find the density of an object, find a city using latitude and longitude, design a book cover, etc.

Teacher observation: Teacher uses a skills checklist as he/she circulates through the room – observing,
asking questions, looking at student performances or work and recording the results on the checklist.

Collaborative pairs practice: Given two lists of problems, student pair members take turns working one
problem at a time with the other partner observing, coaching and assessing. For example, two lists of
sentences with no ending punctuation, two lists of equations, two lists of animals that fit into a certain
category.

Summarizing the learning/ paraphrasing the learning: After a chunk of information is taught, every student
writes a few sentences stating their understanding of the information.

Learning logs: Students write summaries of the learning in a notebook or in a section in a notebook.

Graphic organizers: Students complete an assigned graphic organizer to show mastery of the learning. For
example, after completing instructional activities, students would complete a Venn Diagram summarizing
what they have learned. (positive/negative numbers, angiosperms/gymnospems, Pacific/Atlantic Oceans)

Games: The teachers lead the class through whole class games like Jeopardy, Memory, Pictionary. Small
groups (three or four students) also play learning games. The teacher observes to see who has mastered the
information and if misunderstandings still exist.

Rubrics: Effectively assess student work by creating rubrics.
To design a rubric:
1. Identify what the best and least acceptable student work will look like.
2. List the criteria for the work – a short, simple list.
3. Fill in good, acceptable and “needs improvement” work.

In addition to traditional tests, include
authentic assessment – related to real world problems
portfolio assessment – a collection of student work
performance assessment – student assessed while performing a task such as a speech, experiment,
debate, skit, song.
product assessment – students produce a concrete result such as a videotape, script, song, poem, manual,
brochure, exhibit.

Response journals:
First thoughts – write down anything that comes to mind about the text, the speaker, the video, etc.
Make connections- what does the reading or presentation make you think of?
Question – “I wonder why . . .”
Take a stand – think of all the points you can make to support the speaker’s/writer’s ideas.
Speculate – write words, images, phrases, details that seem interesting or curious to you.
Perspective – identify the speaker’s/writer’s point of view and his/her attitude toward what is being said.
STRATEGIES/DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE/INTERVENTION
Description:
Every strategy should lead the student to an understanding of the answer to the guiding question.
Use several strategies during each lesson.
In the classroom:
 Teacher directed, explicit instruction, direct instruction:
The teacher lectures, leads the class in a discussion, asks questions. (Not giving directions)
Students take notes, complete graphic organizers, respond actively in some way to the information
presented by the teacher.

Discussion/ Question and answer: The teacher or a student leads the class in thought provoking, higher
level questions which involve upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (analysis, synthesis, evaluation). The
students are asked to reflect on information they have heard or read.
Analysis: Compare the actions of two characters in the story.
Synthesis: Compose a letter to the editor criticizing taking land away from the Native Americans
Evaluation: Judge which space program should receive funding by Congress.
Analysis words: Compare, analyze, classify, point out, distinguish, categorize, differentiate, infer,
survey
Synthesis words: Compose, originate, hypothesize, develop, design, combine, role-play, construct, and
produce
Evaluation words: Judge, relate, weigh, criticize, support, evaluate, consider critique recommend,
summarize

Videos: Many engaging, informative videos can be checked out from Video Services. For effective
use, some method of guiding student thought processes should be used.
/videos could be accompanied by a structured note-taking technique.
Leading questions could be discussed before the video to guide the students in looking for valuable
information.
The video could be stopped periodically so that students can react to the information that has been seen.
Students should be accountable for the information in the video.

Field trips: All field trips should be strongly connected to the curriculum.
Provide the students with questions to guide the students in looking for specific information.
Hold student accountable for being observant and gathering information.

Inquiry/Discovery Learning/Problem Solving: Encompasses the Scientific Method where students
identify problems, generate hypotheses, test each hypothesis and apply conclusions. The learner draws
on her own experience and prior knowledge to discover the truths that are to be learned.
Kindergarten science: students look at sunbeams streaming thought window. Students manipulate
mirrors to explore light, share each other’s discoveries. Students begin to talk about “reflection,”
“color,” “projections.” Next students are introduced to prisms to explore light.
<exploratorium.edu/ifi/resources/classroom/connect/>
Fourth Grade Language Arts: Students explore question: “What is humor?” Teacher introduces
students to kinds of humor (exaggeration, surprise, ridiculous situation, irony, etc. Teacher organizes
activity stations where she has displayed newspaper cartoons that depict the different types of humor.
Focus sheet guides students’ observations and stimulates small group discussion.
<sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/policy/icel/section_4.html>

Concept attainment:
The teacher determines a concept that he/she wants to teach the students. The teacher then makes a list
of examples that represent the concept under a column called “Yes.” The teacher also makes a list of
non-examples under the column called “No.” Students then try to determine what the concept is and
create more examples of in the yes and no columns.
Yes
late
paper
idea
No
spell
if
odd
(Concept that we are looking for:
long vowel sounds)
Yes
earthworms
jellyfish
grasshopper
No
snakes
catfish
dog
animals without backbones

Learning centers/learning stations:
The teacher creates centers/stations through which student groups rotate. The centers/stations provide
structured activities that lead students into making

Learning contracts:
The teacher gives the students a wide selection of activities that may be completed to fulfill point
requirements. Students choose the activities that suit their interests. Some activities may be required.
Difficult and involved activities earn more points than more simple assignments.

Read alouds:
Done by teacher or students.
As students listen to teacher’s emphases and pauses, they see how those relate to the punctuation and
structure of the sentence.
Develops students’ language sense as they hear the way words are used, pronounced and interpreted.
Text should be too challenging for students to read and comprehend alone

Shared reading:
Students follow fluent reader voice
All readers can see the text and have simultaneous voice support.
With younger children, enlarged texts are often used.
Students may “read” along by looking at a big book, individual books, a screen or any form of reading
material that can be viewed by all involved.
Appropriate for material that is too challenging for an individual to read alone.

Guided reading:
Students’ reading is guided and re-guided until they can successfully guide themselves.
- students preview text and identify unfamiliar words.
- class discusses strategies that can be used to make meaning from the text.
- students decide which strategies will best support their personal reading.
- teacher facilitates as students connect their personal knowledge and reading strategies to the words in
the text.
- teacher regroups students for small group instruction. In math, students who are struggling with
integers are grouped for specialized instruction to achieve mastery. In science as students struggle with
concept of osmosis, teacher provides them with group instruction using a different print or non-text
print.
- whole group and individual students share how they used strategies, reflect on success and contemplate
pitfalls.
- students return for whole group instruction for final reflections and evaluations.

Literature circles
Small, temporary discussion groups led by students
Each member of the group reads the same story, poem, article, book – chosen by the group.
Each member of the group takes on a specific responsibility in the discussion.
Students take on a rotating assortment of task roles.
Groups meet on a regular, predictable schedule to discuss their reading.
Teacher serves as facilitator, not a group member.
When the book is finished, readers share with their classmates; new groups are then formed around new
reading choices.

Word wall games
work sorts:
students classify word wall words into categories based on their prior knowledge and experience.
- select 15-20 vocabulary words important to the lesson
- place each word on a note card
- students work individually or in groups to put words into categories
- closed word sort – give the students the categories; open word sort – students create their own
categories
- students share classifications and explain their thinking
Story Words
-write the word wall words on cards.
-put the words in a pile with the words facing down.
-one player picks a word and begins telling a story, making sure to use the selected word. Once that
word has been used, the next player picks up a word and continues telling the story, making sure to use
the new selected word.
-play continues with each player taking turns picking a word and continuing the story. The person with
the last word finishes the story.
I’m Thinking of a Word
- students take turns giving clues to the class describing a word on the wall
- E.g. “I’m thinking of a word that has one syllable.”
- other students try to guess what the word is

<teachers.net/4blocks/frazierThe Work Wall.pdf>
Think alouds:
The teacher assumes the role of a student “thinking aloud” about how to comprehend a passage or how
to work through complex or confusing tasks or problems. Purpose: to point out potential pitfalls and
common misconceptions or behaviors of learners and to model strategies, ways of thinking and working
through problems. Can be used for all content areas.
- decide what points you want to make during the “think aloud” before you do it.
- assume the role and talk out loud about your thinking and feelings as you try to do the task.
- do not interact with your students
- think aloud about:
confusion about what you are supposed to do
failure to recall all of the steps in the directions
false starts
weighing alternatives
reviewing what you’ve done or been told to do
possible frustrations
thinking of places to get help
persistence and recognition of effective efforts
feeling of success
- have students identify strategies used

Newspapers
choose articles of interest to students to teach grammar, punctuation, main idea, mathematical concepts

Note-taking
teacher prepared notes provide students with a clear picture of what the teacher considers important;
provide students with a model of how notes might be taken.
Informal outline:
-uses indentations to indicate major ideas and their related details
Webbing:
- uses relative size circles to indicate the importance of ideas and lines to indicate relationships
- more important details have larger circles.
- provides a visual representation of the information 1
T-Notes:
- students divide a sheet of notebook paper in half
- while listening or reading, students record words or key points in the left columns.
- in the right column, students record definitions or explanations of key points.

Summarizing (students summarize – not the teacher):
One of the most powerful learning tools available.
Students must analyze what is important in a passage
Students must be aware of the structure of the text – how science text is different from history, how
informational text is different from fiction, how directions are different from poetry.
- students delete trivial material that is unnecessary to understanding
-students delete redundant material
-substitute a generic term for lists (e.g. fish for catfish, swordfish, grouper, tuna)

Learning logs:
Students keep an ongoing record of learning as it happens in a notebook or loose-leaf binder. They
write in their own language, not necessarily for others to read but for themselves.
Use them for different purposes:
- before reading to activate prior knowledge and interest, to develop necessary questions and establish
purpose for reading.
- during reading and discussing to allow students to interact with the text (to clarify thoughts)
- after a discussion to promote the understanding of new ideas and to process information to higher
levels of thinking by reflecting upon, responding to, or rephrasing the discussion into their own words.
-after reading to identify and analyze strategies used to make meaning of the text, to make connections
between the text and other sources, and to paraphrase ideas and understandings.
Journals

Graphic organizers
pyramid
Frayer model3
fishbone
mind map3
fact pyramid 3
compare/contrast matrix
Venn diagram
timeline
discussion web3
history memory bubbles3
concept map3
concept definition map3
sequential organizer
cause and effect organizer
character analysis grid3
analogy graphic organizer3
Different perspective graphic outline3

Mnemonic devices
Teacher or student creates a sentence, phrase or association that helps him/her remember the
information.
E.g. HOMES – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior: names of the Great Lakes

Cooperative learning
Collaborative pairs
Jigsaw: students jigsaw to read different sections of the textbook chapter, different short stories or
stories by the same author
- determine text to be used either a textbook chapter or identify a range of materials related to important
topics in the lesson.
- organize students into cooperative groups, assigning each group their reading selection
- students read sections of text independently
- when finished, students who read the same text are grouped together to discuss content, concepts,
information, and notes. Group summarizes of information.
- students return to their own groups and each member shares his/her information from the assigned
selection 2

Projects: in collaborative pairs or groups, students complete brief projects related to the day’s
information
- oral presentation
- visual presentation
- create a play, poem, song, etc.
- design a visual display to represent the day’s knowledge
- create mnemonic device to help remember information

Reciprocal teaching:
to help K-12 students develop expertise with thinking and process skills of predicting, clarifying,
questioning and summarizing.
- teacher and student take turns being “teacher.” Teacher models desired behavior and the student
“teacher” practices the processes immediately.
-can be used in small groups having students assigned various process responsibilities (predicting,
clarifying, questioning, summarizing) and different students functioning as the “teacher.”
- in elementary, small group guided reading sessions can use reciprocal teaching. 3

Mental mathematics

Reteaching:
After assessing which students need more help in understanding the information, the teacher pulls aside
a small group to give additional instruction
Peer tutoring:

Explicit instruction:
direct instruction, lecture. Teacher presents the information in a logical, engaging, memorable way
while making sure that all students are attending to the instruction.

Classroom discussion/Question and answer
Teacher or student leads the class in discussing assigned text - making comments, asking questions.
Many of the questions should be in designed to incorporate the upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Teacher should include “wait time” when asking questions – around 4 seconds
Differentiated instruction:
Intervention
Description
For students who do master the information of the day, the teacher should have immediate, engaging
alternatives to reteach the information to identified students. Assessment informs the teacher of the need for
intervention. This need is met by the strategies and distributed practice that is provided for students. Many of
the strategies listed here are excellent choices for intervention as well.
In the classroom
 Immediate intervention can occur when the teacher assigns distributed practice and pulls a small group
of students who need assistance to the side for two to three minutes to give intensive instructive.
 The latest research states that peer tutoring is one of the most effective ways to intervene when some
student do not understand the day’s information.
CLOSURE
The student summarizes the lesson – not the teacher.
Ticket Out the Door; Exit slips:
Encourage students to reflect upon the lesson while providing quick feedback; encourage students to be honest.
- may be produced in advance or may be a question students respond to on a scrap of paper
- allow students to provide open feedback
- students complete exit slip at the end of class
- as student leave classroom, teacher collects the slips.
- use exit slips to assess student learning and to plan follow-up instruction.2
Reflective stems:
May be used as an exit slip.
- Today I learned . . .
- I don’t understand . . .
- I would like to know more about . . .
- I need help with . . .
- A question I have is . . .
- I am still confused about . . .2
Extend and Refine
Extend and refine activities are designed to help students internalize and transfer knowledge.
Resources
1 Classroom Instruction that Works; Marzano, Pickering, Pollock
2 Content Area Reading – Terry NeSmith, Reading Director, TN Dept. of Education
3 Why Didn’t I Learn This in College – Rutherford
4 Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning – Buehl
5 It’s Never Too Late Literacy Institute Resource Book
6 50 Graphic Organizers for Reading, Writing and More