https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/teaching-strategies/
37 Powerful Teaching Strategies to Level Up Learning in 2023
January 04, 2023
“Constantly renews himself [or herself] as a professional on his [or her] quest to provide students with the highest
quality of education possible. This teacher has no fear of learning new teaching strategies or incorporating new
technologies into lessons.”
Classroom teaching strategies and techniques
1. Classroom management strategies
Infographic: 20 Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques. Click to expand!
According to research from 2006, teachers overwhelmingly reported a lack of professional development support when it
came to improving their own classroom management strategies. This can lead to confusion for students and frustration
for teachers.
When students clearly understand what’s expected of them, they’re more likely to be focused and engaged with their
lessons. Some tips for building a positive environment include:
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Model ideal behaviour: Clearly explain proper behaviour, and then follow it yourself.
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Encourage initiative: Allow students to actively participate in the learning process with class discussions and
exercises that support the initiative.
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Avoid collective punishment: While it can be difficult, make a point of calling out disruptive behaviours on an
individual, not collective, basis.
•
For more actionable classroom management teaching strategies, read 20 Classroom Management Strategies and
Techniques [+Downloadable List].
2. Flexible seating
Kristine Fourman, a teacher in the Bucyrus Elementary Preschool Program, connects student seating and academics:
“When students aren’t trying to hold themselves still in their chairs, they can integrate auditory, visual and tactile
systems of the body.”
There are so many different ways to incorporate flexible seating into your classroom in a way that fits with your students’
learning goals. For examples and best practices, read Flexible Seating: 21 Awesome Ideas for Your Classroom.
3. Webb's Depth of Knowledge
Norman Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DoK)is familiar to many teachers from a theoretical perspective, but it can be
incredibly difficult to apply practically and consistently in your teaching strategies.
There are four DoK levels:
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Level one: Recollection and reproduction
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Level two: Knowledge application
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Level three: Strategic thinking
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Level four: Extended critical thinking
There are a number of engaging activities that can promote different DoK levels: read more about them in Specific Ways
to Use Webb’s Depth of Knowledge in Class.
4. Summative assessment
Summative assessments are end-of-unit tests, final projects or standardized tests used to assess student understanding
on a broad and absolute level.
Critics of summative assessments say they’re inauthentic and don’t accurately reflect the learning process. But there are
important benefits to using summative assessments as a teaching strategy: they motivate students to pay attention and
challenges them to apply their learning. They’re also a valuable source of insight for teachers, especially for those with
larger classes -- allowing them to easily identify and correct any wide gaps in understanding across the classroom.
Don’t be afraid to get creative when making summative assessments! Read Summative Assessment: A Comprehensive
Guide for ideas on how to get students engaged with the testing process.
5. Formative assessment
Formative assessments are the opposite of summative assessments because they take place during the teaching process.
Formative Assessment
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Occurs through chapter or unit
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Improves how students learn
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Covers small content areas
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Monitors how students are learning
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Focuses on process of student learning
Summative Assessment
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Occurs at end of chapter or unit
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Evaluates what students learn
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Covers complete content areas
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Assigns a grade to students’ understanding
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Emphasizes the product of student learning
Formative assessments can reduce student stress around testing. They give you the chance to course correct mid-unit if
there are serious comprehension issues and to see which students might need a bit more one-on-one time.
Some examples of formative assessment techniques include:
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Think-pair-share
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Entry and exit tickets
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Self-evaluation techniques
6. Active learning
at the center of the classroom with active learning strategies — a teaching technique that increases student engagement
in daily lessons. According to active learning advocate James Ballencia, the technique can also help teachers as much as
it helps students:
“With the goal of teaching mindful learners who actively pursue knowledge, teachers become more actively engaged in
how they teach the curriculum and how they develop each student’s learning potential. They mix and match a variety of
… tactics to ensure that students not only learn more, better, and faster -- they also learn smarter.”
Some active learning strategies include:
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Reciprocal questioning: Have students come up with questions for the class on a recent lesson or concept.
•
The pause procedure: Take a break every 10 to 15 minutes so that students have time to discuss, ask questions
or solve problems.
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Muddiest point: Ask students to write down which point in the lesson is the least clear to them.
For more active learning strategies, read 8 Active Learning Strategies and Examples [+ Downloadable List].
7. Differentiated instruction
Differentiated instruction is a popular and effective teaching strategy that involves reacting to the diverse learning styles
in every classroom with adjusted content and processes.
Carol Ann Tomlinson, a reputable thought leader on differentiated instruction, recommends analyzing teaching strategies
on a constant basis to respond to needs:
No two students are exactly alike. That’s why personalized learning builds a learning experience that addresses the
unique abilities of each student.
According to a study by the Gates Foundation, personalized learning can improve test scores when used to supplement
math class:
“Students attending [schools using personalized learning] made gains in math and reading over the last two years that
are significantly greater than a virtual control group made up of similar students selected from comparable schools.”
Personalized learning allows students to learn without stigma and gets students involved in what they’re learning.
Explore different options for bringing personalized learning to your classroom, including Edtech teaching strategies and
increased student involvement. For a full list of tips, read 7 Personalized Learning Strategies and Examples.
9. Universal design for learning
Universal design for learning (UDL) is an educational framework that ensures all students have equal access to education.
Use it in your classroom to give unique students flexible ways to learn and become more goal-oriented.
Some best practices for UDL:
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Know the strengths and weaknesses of your students
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Provide flexible classrooms
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Adapt information for multilingual students
UDL gives all students an impactful learning experience and helps teachers focus their efforts on students who need it
most. For more information on how to make sure all your students succeed, read Universal Design for Learning:
Principles and Examples.
10. Response to intervention
Response to intervention (RTI) focuses on early and continuous identification, assessment and assistance for students
who have learning or behaviour needs. It’s best used as part of a more general classroom management plan, and
involves small-group or individual intervention that quickly addresses trouble spots.
The most effective RTI strategies are proactive. Start with everyday teaching and move to targeted intervention as soon
as you spot a problem. When you’re prepared to move quickly, you’re more likely to be able to develop a tailored and
effective learning plan.
For more information on RTI strategies and tips for bringing them to your classroom, read The Teacher’s Response to
Intervention (RTI) Guide: Tiers, Strategies and More.
11. Classroom technology
Technology is a great way to improve student engagement and get students excited for class, but it can be difficult to
incorporate seamlessly into the classroom. There are an endless number of ways to make use technology to enhance
lessons, including:
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A virtual field trip: Use virtual reality apps to explore famous landmarks and natural phenomena. Take a trip to
the Great Barrier Reef to study ecosystems, or tour Barcelona as part of a Spanish class.
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Video mini-lessons: TeacherTube offers an education-only version of YouTube, with videos on a number of core
subjects. This makes the learning process more engaging, especially for visual learners.
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Podcasts: Give students relevant podcasts and engage auditory learners, or have older students create their own
-- they’ll develop research and technology skills at the same time.
For more ideas on how to use technology in the classroom, read 25 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom [+
Downloadable List].
Math teaching strategies and techniques
12. Math games
Similar to classroom gamification, math games can play an active role in getting students engaged in class and excited to
learn. Offline or online, they’re usually customizable and easy to incorporate into other teaching strategies.
Some examples of popular math games:
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Bouncing Sums: Label a beach ball with integers, decimals and fractions. Each student must read the number on
his or her label, adding or multiplying it by the sum from the previous student.
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101 and out: Divide your class in half and give each group a die. Have groups roll the die and either keep it at
face value or multiply it by 10. See which group can get closest to 101 without going over.
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Math goodies: Math goodies is a free resource that provides puzzles and word problems. Students can either use
this resource on their own or you can use it to create custom worksheets.
13. Math websites
There are thousands of math websites that can be used as part of a game-based learning approach or differentiation
strategy. Online resources get students excited about learning math and can often be scaled based on knowledge and
grade level.
Popular resources include:
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TeacherVision: Looking for interdisciplinary activities? Look no further. TeacherVision gives teachers access to
resources that connect math with subjects like art, history and geography.
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SuperKids: SuperKids is a one-stop resource for building worksheets. Select a skill and number range, and
generate a custom assignment.
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Prodigy Math: Students go on adventures, collect pets and battle with friends, all while answering skill-building,
targeted math questions.
14. Mental math
Is mental math really a teaching strategy? Of course!
Mental math is an important part of math fluency. When students have a quick recall for math facts and can do simple
equations quickly, they have the confidence to attempt more difficult problems.
The Manitoba Association of Mathematics Teachers defines mental math as:
“A combination of cognitive strategies that enhances flexible thinking and number sense. It is calculating mentally
without the use of external memory aids. It improves computational fluency by developing efficiency, accuracy, and
flexibility.” There are lots of resources available to boost mental math skills, including:
Teaching students to solve math problems quickly and without help can improve confidence and math fluency.
Provided your students have a solid grasp on the concepts behind what they’ve already mastered, math “tricks” can give
them more confidence and get them excited about trying new problems.There are tricks for just about every basic
function, including:
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Two-step addition and subtraction
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Multiplying by powers of 2
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Squaring a two-digit number that ends with 1
For a full list of math tricks, read How to Solve Math Problems Faster: 15 Techniques to Show Students.
17. How to teach multiplication
Multiplication is a big and often daunting step for learners, who feel like they’ve just mastered addition and are suddenly
being thrown something new. Teachers also often struggle to communicate new concepts to student effectively.
What if we told you that multiplication could be one of the most rewarding lessons you ever taught?
Our six-step guide to teaching multiplication is designed to engage students in the learning processes with a clear and
logical progression of ideas. There are lot of fun ways to teach multiplication and reduce student anxiety, including:
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Classroom math games
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Fun math books
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Math websites
Multiplication doesn’t have to be stressful -- start with basic concepts and work your way up, and your students will be
multiplication masters in no time at all!
18. Multiplication games
Multiplication is a difficult concept for many students to grasp. Memorizing and understanding core multiplication facts is
a key element of math fluency, and provides an essential foundation for further study.
Game-based learning can be a successful way to help students develop this understanding and can engage students on
stressful topic. Some multiplication games include:
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True or false?: Write a multiplication sentence on the board that’s either true or false. In teams, the class has a
minute to discuss and respond with “true” or “false” cards.
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Beach ball toss: Write multiplication questions on a beach ball and throw it. Have students answer the question
that is closest to their pinky finger.
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Jeopardy!: It’s a classic for a reason -- find an interactive template and fill it with questions. The team with the
most points at the end of the game, wins!
For more fun multiplication games, read 15 Multiplication Games to Make Math Lessons Fun.
19. Multiplying fractions
So your unit on fractions is finished, and it’s time to move on -- to multiplying fractions.
For some students, this leap is even more daunting than the switch from addition to multiplication. But not to worry!
There are teaching strategies that will have your students multiplying fractions in no time at all.Some best practices for
teaching your class about multiplying fractions:
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Make sure your students understand the foundation and relationship between improper fractions and mixed
numbers, as well as how to convert them
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Use modular tools and visual aids
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Have students bring in a favorite recipe and multiply it so that it can feed the whole class
For a comprehensive overview on how to teach multiplying fractions, read How to Multiply Fractions (+ 7 Engaging
Activities).
20. How to divide fractions
The only thing scarier for students than multiplying fractions? Dividing them.Lucky for them, we did the research. There
are three simple steps to dividing a fraction:
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Flip the divisor into a reciprocal
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Change the division sign into a multiplication sign and multiply
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Simplify if possible
The best way to make sure that students understand how to solve a problem is to make sure that they understand what,
exactly, is happening. Instead of just teaching the answer, teach students what the answer means. For more details on
dividing fractions, read How to Divide Fractions in 3 Easy Steps.
21. Math puzzles
Math puzzles have been around almost as long as math has — for a reason. One study found that math puzzles “develop
logical thinking, combinatorial abilities, strengthen the capacity of abstract thinking and operating with spatial images,
instill critical thinking and develop mathematical memory.”Math puzzles build foundational skills and increase math
fluency, while also connecting to existing curricula and promoting problem-solving skills. Some popular math puzzles
include:
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Sudoku
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Magic Square
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Tower of Hanoi
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KenKen
Make sure the puzzles are the right level for your students and that they’re being used appropriately. For more ideas on
how to use math puzzles in the classroom, read 20 Math Puzzles to Engage Your Students.
Student-focused teaching strategies
22. Gamification
Classroom gamification is an effective way to take a child’s love for play and turn it into a love of learning. The benefits
are huge: gamification can help students focus and build essential skills. A 2011 study from South Korea also found that
gamification kept students motivated and engaged in the classroom.
Proponents have been pointing to the advantages of peer teaching since the 18th century. It's one of many teaching
strategies that helps develop reasoning and critical thinking skills, and a pioneering 1988 study found it improved selfesteem and interpersonal skills.
It can be difficult, however, to bring it to the classroom -- students might have different proficiency levels or be hesitant
about teaching their peers, and it can lead to confidentiality issues about which students are struggling.
Some best practices for peer teaching include:
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Explaining to students how to give feedback
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Providing written prompts to guide discussion
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Running classwide peer editing sessions
For more ideas on how to successfully bring peer teaching to your classroom, read 15 Easy Peer Teaching Strategies to
Help Students.
27. Inquiry-based learning
Inquiry-based learning has been around since the 1960s, but can still be a demanding teaching strategy to implement in
the classroom.
In the inquiry-based learning classroom, teachers are responsible for guiding students through their questions — past
curiosity and into critical thinking and understanding.
There are 4 main types of inquiry-based learning:
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Confirmation inquiry: Students are given a question along with a way to answer it
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Structured inquiry: Students are given an open question and investigation method
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Guided inquiry: Students work from an open question to design investigation methods
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Open inquiry: Students develop original questions that they answer through their own methods
A study from the Association for Psychological Science found that students who use inquiry-based learning are more
likely to retain information from the activity and curriculum content in general.
For more benefits and examples of inquiry-based learning, as well as how to effectively use it in your classroom, read All
About Inquiry-Based Learning: Definition, Benefits and Strategies.
28. Problem-based learning
:
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Creating relevant word problems
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Promoting positive media portrayals
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Involving parents
For the full list, read 15 Culturally-Responsive Teaching Strategies and Examples + Downloadable List.
33. Interdisciplinary teaching
Use interdisciplinary teaching strategies to encourage students to develop creative and critical thinking skills — and draw
information from a number of different academic disciplines — as they solve real-world problems.
In your classroom, interdisciplinary teaching could involve collaboration with other teachers, or asking your students to
make connections between different subjects. Try these activities to get your class started:
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News analysis: Play a news clip or hand out an article that discusses a local, national or international topic. Ask
students to solve a related question using skills they’ve learned in other classes.
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All About Weather: Look at the impact of weather and climate on the labour, agriculture and customs of other
societies. This gives students a chance to learn about different cultures from a scientific and social standpoint.
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Historical Pen Pals: Combine creative writing and history by having students take on the role of a historical figure
and write to classmates about challenges her or she faced. Give students a variety of sources to improve their research
skills at the same time.
For more interdisciplinary teaching activities and tips on how to get started, read 10 Interdisciplinary Teaching Activities
and Examples [+ Unit Design Steps].
34. Service learning
According to the National Youth Leadership Council, service learning is “a philosophy, pedagogy and model for
community development that is used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards.”
Service learning brings the classroom into the larger community and teaches students about the value of being an active
citizen. Students get hands-on experience in interdisciplinary study, and often improve their academic outcomes and
reduce behavioural problems.
Service learning contains five steps: Preparation, Action, Reflection, Demonstration, Celebration
Pick an issue that your class is passionate about and get them brainstorming. For more service learning project ideas and
how to get started, read The Teacher’s Guide to Service Learning [+5 Examples].
35. Media literacy
Students are saturated with an endless number of different media influences, from TV to social media to comic books.
Students need to be educated on how to interpret and understand what they’re consuming.
Media literacy allows students to recognize bias and develop critical thinking skills within the context of their existing
interests. Some activities you can try in your classroom include:
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Logo dissection: Have students bring in a few different logos of popular brands, and ask them to interpret what
they think it means. What type of customer is the company looking for? What do they value? Why did they choose that
color or shape?
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Build a cereal brand: This activity challenges students to use their math, art and media literacy skills. Provide a
sheet of questions to guide students and improve learning outcomes
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Deconstruct advertising language: Explore and critique advertising claims that companies make. Pass out
magazines and online ads for students to examine and analyze.
There are lots of other ways to teach valuable media literacy lessons to students -- check out our Teaching Media
Literacy: Its Importance and 10 Engaging Activities [+ Downloadable List] blog post for more ideas.
36. Growth Mindset
Even though it sounds more like a corporate buzzword, the philosophy of growth mindset has infiltrated the classroom. It
focuses on helping students see the value of effort, persistence and risk in their learning environment, and pushes them
to try new things and learn new concepts.
Since growth mindset is a relatively new teaching strategy, some teachers might struggle to use it effectively. Here are
some best practices:
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Give positive feedback: Instead of rewarding intellect, praise students when they try new methods and make
plans.
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Promote a diverse classroom: When diversity is modelled for students, they’re more likely to embrace different
perspectives in their future learning goals.
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Encourage goal-based journaling: Ask students set goals and reflect on their progress. Have goals follow the
SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Based) for maximum effect.
For more ways to encourage a growth mindset in your classroom, read 10 Ways Teachers can Instill a Growth Mindset in
Students. Your students will benefit for the rest of their lives.
37. Asynchronous Learning
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers have had to deliver their usual content and teaching strategy in an entirely
virtual environment. This abrupt transition was difficult for many, with challenges like technology issues and inability to
support child in person.
However, while most schools are back in session and remote learning much less common, lessons learned from this
experience can easily be applied to situations where students can't attend school in person.
Asynchronous learning is a good complement to your teaching strategy and can help support your students in many
different ways. This includes short-term issues like student or teacher illness to longer-term ones like helping students
catch up with an intervention program. Techniques for asynchronous learning include:
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Portfolio work: A physical or virtual binder of activities they can complete at any time, including at home. It also
be a good reference for a student's progress and can be shown to parents during parent-teacher conferences.
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Videos: Recording lessons can help students access learning material and recall what was taught, helping them at
home. Bitesized video lessons can also be a good option for teachers who want to reuse existing teaching material or
share it as a reference with a substitute teacher.
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Online discussion boards: Students can share their thoughts, comments and questions on a topic at their own
pace. Being asynchronous and virtual, students can ask questions at any time after the lesson. Some may even feel more
comfortable with this approach than raising a hand in class.
Resources for effectively using teaching strategies
Google
Books, scholarly articles, maps, news coverage — if there’s something you need to do, there’s probably a Google
application for it. Use Google Forms to collect student feedback on new teaching strategies, Google Drive to store and
coordinate student papers, and Google Arts & Culture to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam — without ever
leaving the classroom.
Prodigy
With two games — Prodigy Math and Prodigy English — the applications are endless!
Use Assignments and Plans to differentiate learning, track student growth through comprehensive reporting tools,
engage students through game-based learning, or use it as part of a blended learning approach.
Students will love practising their math and English skills with these free games.
In Prodigy Math, they’ll go on adventures, collect pets and earn rewards; in Prodigy English, they'll gather supplies, gain
energy and create their personal village — all while answering curriculum-aligned questions tailored to their individual
skill levels.