Effective Literacy Practice - Part 5

Instructional Strategies

ELP pages 76-79

Instructional Strategies are a teachers tool belt. It is what we began to learn at teachers college, it's what we added to during practicums, and it's what we continue to add to and take away from as we refine our teaching practice and continue to learn from others new ideas to meet our students needs.

We use our Instructional Strategies as 'Deliberate Acts of Teaching' (DAT's), as we focus in on teaching a specific learning intention. 

One thing to note is the 's'. 

While teaching we always need to be aware of the different learners and what will best meet their needs. There will never be a lesson with just one Instructional Strategy, but always strategies. Building on the individual's or group's prior knowledge. 

It's interesting looking at the table on page 77 and thinking about what I do in the class, the purpose and what I expect the students to learn from it. There is so much to learn in the first few teaching years, that DAT's are so important. 

When using my DAT's, I need to remember to always do the following...

(p78-79 for full explanation)

• Provide direct instruction
• Provide goal directed instruction
• Be deliberate
• Provide a class culture and environment that facilitates learning
• Maintain students motivation and enjoyment
• Use the same instructional strategies for teaching across the curriculum
• Be flexible and culturally responsive

All of these points work on scaffolding and knowing my learners.

If I jumped a Magenta level student to straight to Green, it might look impressive, but they would have missed all the building blocks in the middle. The scaffolding wouldn't be there for the student to achieve, and it would do quite the opposite, with it always being too hard. 

Vygotsky talks about someones 'Zone of Proximal Development' (ZPD).

Everyone is capable of achieving, but you will work best within your ZPD to scaffold and foster that growth. This zone is between what they can do independently and what they can do with support.

I found some good pictorial examples on this blog