Marzano’s 9 High Yield Instructional Strategies
Marzano, Robert J., Pickering Debra J., and Pollock, Jane E.
In Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Robert
Marzano (2001) and his colleagues identify nine high-yield instructional strategies through a meta-analysis of over
100 independent studies. They determined that these nine strategies have the greatest positive affect on student
achievement for all students, in all subject areas, at all grade levels. Marzano’s nine high-yield instructional
strategies are summarized in the table below.
INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGY
PERCENTILE
GAIN
RESEARCH SAYS
Identifying
similarities and
differences
45
Students should compare,
classify, and create
metaphors, analogies and
graphic representations.
Summarizing and
Note-Taking
34
Students should learn to
delete unnecessary
information, substitute
some information, keep
important information,
write/rewrite, and analyze
information.
Reinforcing
Effort and
Providing
Recognition
29
Teachers should reward
based on standards of
performance; use symbolic
recognition rather than
just tangible rewards
Homework and
practice
28
Nonlinguistic
representations
27
Teachers should vary the
amount of homework
based on student grade
level (less at the elementary
level, more at the
secondary level), keep
parent involvement in
homework to a minimum,
state purpose, and, if
assigned, should be
debriefed.
Students should create
graphic representations,
models, mental pictures,
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EXAMPLES/
SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES
T-charts, Venn diagrams, classifying,
analogies, cause and effect link, compare
and contrast organizers, QAR, sketch to
stretch, affinity diagram, Frayer model,
metaphors, comparison matrix
Teacher models summarization
techniques, identify key concepts, bullets,
outlines, clusters, webbing, narrative
organizers, journal summaries, break down
assignments, create simple reports, quick
writes, graphic organizers, column notes,
affinity diagrams. Use summary frames,
key concept notes.
Hold high expectations, display finished
products, praise students’ effort,
encourage students to share ideas and
express their thoughts, honor individual
learning styles and cultural differences,
conference individually with students,
authentic portfolios, stress-free
environment.
Teach students that effort can improve
achievement, ask students to chart effort
and achievement, use rubrics, encourage
risk-taking
Retell, recite and review learning for the
day at home, reflective journals, parents
are informed of the goals and objectives,
interdisciplinary teams plan together for
homework distribution.
Communicate homework policy, clarify
the purpose, comment on homework, use
planners, set up school support systems
for homework completions, encourage
daily home reading, keep parents
informed.
Visual tools and manipulatives, problemsolution organizers, spider webs, diagrams,
concept maps, drawings, maps, sketch to
drawings, pictographs, and
participate in kinesthetic
activity in order to
assimilate knowledge.
stretch, K.I.M.
Employ use of charts, graphs, tables,
visual organizers, tools, vocabulary cards,
visualization activities, demonstrations,
pantomime, illustrations, pictographic and
kinesthetic representations.
INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGY
PERCENTILE
GAIN
RESEARCH SAYS
EXAMPLES/
SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES
Cooperative
Learning
27
Teachers should limit use
of ability groups, keep
groups small, apply strategy
consistently and
systematically but not
overuse.
Setting
objectives and
providing
feedback
23
Teachers should create
specific but flexible goals,
allowing some student
choice. Teacher feedback
should be corrective,
timely and specific to a
criterion.
Generating and
testing
hypotheses
23
Students should generate,
explain, test and defend
hypotheses using both
inductive and deductive
strategies through problem
solving, history
investigation, invention,
experimental inquiry, and
decision making.
Cues,
Questions, and
Advance
Organizers
22
Teachers should use cues
and questions that focus
on what is important
(rather than unusual), use
ample wait time before
accepting responses,
eliciting inferences and
Integrate content and language through
group engagement, reader’s theatre, pass
the pencil, circle of friends, cube it, radio
reading, shared reading and writing, plays,
science projects, debates, jigsaw, group
reports, choral reading, affinity diagram.
Use rubrics for group goals, teach/model:
effective interpersonal skills, group
maintenance and self-assessment.
Classroom competitions, group projects,
multi-media projects, language experience
and practice, group reflection/analysis,
evaluation and synthesis
Articulate and display learning goals,
KWL, contract learning goals. Personalize
and communicate objectives, set and
negotiate contracts and learning goals,
communicate with parents, use rubrics,
provide frequent feedback and
explanations, encourage self-assessment
and positive peer feedback.
Thinking processes, constructivist
practices, investigate, explore, social
construction of knowledge, use of
inductive and deductive reasoning,
questioning the author.
Provide students graphic organizers, ask
for explanations on hypotheses and
conclusions, teach inductive and
deductive strategies through problem
solving, teach experimental inquiry and
decision making
Graphic organizers, provide guiding
questions before each lesson, think
alouds, inferencing, predicting, drawing
conclusions, skim chapters to identify key
vocabulary, concepts and skills, ACE,
anticipation guide, annotating the text.
Use experimental inquiry, explicit cues,
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analysis. Advance
organizers should focus on
what is important and are
more useful with
information that is not well
organized.
focus on important information, Bloom’s
taxonomy, teach cause and effect, ask
analytic and inferential questions,
sequence events
©Jim Shipley & Associates, Inc. January, 2008
Polk middle school
The word “strategy” often connotes lofty vision and grand plans; in fact, it is
simply a method of achieving a result.
Douglas B. Reeves
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