Bryan Goodwin - Kristin Rouleau The New Classroom Instruction THAT WORKS The Best Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
I recently listened to a presentation on the critical elements of math instruction.
The presenter projected an Instructional Progression that demonstrated a teaching and learning responsibility framework for math. The progression began with Sensemaking, followed by the Gradual Release of Responsibility Framework. A question that lingered for me during the session was, What does current research tell us about the teaching strategies that have the greatest impact on learning, and when and how do you embed them during this instructional structure?
The answer to my question came while reading, The New Classroom Instruction THAT WORKS, The Best Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, by Bryan Goodwin and Kristin Rouleau and co-published by ASCD and McREL International. Carefully analyzing new evidence-informed research, the authors identified strategies “shown, scientifically, to support better learning for diverse students” (p. 7). Guiding principles are highlighted on effectively applying the 14 teaching strategies, organized into six phases of learning. “Each chapter offers a brief overview of the phase and the cognitive science behind it, then shares the teaching strategies aligned with that phase of learning. For each strategy, we offer guiding principles from research and practical tips for applying it into your classroom” (p. 9-10).
The book highlights two helpful visuals. The first aligns each learning phase with the research-based teaching strategies (Figure 1.1), The second second image provides an instructional pathway using the strategies for instructional design and delivery for either declarative or procedural knowledge (Figure 7.2). ASCD offers more insights and additional resources about The New Classroom Instruction THAT WORKS, including a list of each teaching strategy and a study guide. McREL published Discovery Education, A Planning Guide for The Six Phases of Learning, featuring the graphic image below.
The authors caution and remind the reader, “These strategies are, of course, most likely to stick when you build them into the design and delivery of every lesson and unit of study. Doing so will also help you integrate these strategies together into a powerful ‘bundle’ of proven teaching techniques and effective learning opportunities for students…Few, if any, were stand-alone strategies. Rather, they were incorporated into a large set of strategies that, together, had powerful effects on student learning” (p. 136).
“When you bring evidence-based practices into your classroom, you can achieve the purpose that drew you into the noble profession: changing students’ lives by ensuring they have opportunities to flourish in school and life.”
