What the Research Says AboutIntentional Instructionwiki contribution byKathryn L. DuselEDU 740 Module 6

What is Intentional Instruction?SystematicFocusedFramework instead of script-teacher determines importanceThe teacher matters! Transfers responsibility from the teacher to the student

Framework forIntentional Instruction

Part 1

Establish Purpose

A Clearly Established Purpose Improves Student Learning!

• Have a written objective for each lesson • The established purpose should have two

components▫Content—the day’s work towards the standard▫Language—builds students’ skills in reading,

writing, speaking, and listening • Three categories of language purpose

statements:▫Vocabulary▫Structure▫Function

Framework forIntentional Instruction

Part 2

Model Thinking

Modeling: Provides Students with Access to Expert Thinking!

Tips for Modeling:•Must be intentional

• Identify cognitive moves that are helpful in completing the task

•Do not simply explain or demonstrate what you did when thinking aloud•Instead, highlight the process you used to reach understanding•Provide an approximation of the thinking involved

Modeling can occur in four areas•Comprehension•Word Solving•Text Structure•Text Features

Provide students with thinking behind the cognitive strategyex. I can predict ___________ because the author told me__________

Framework forIntentional Instruction

Part 3

Guide Students’ ThinkingThrough Questions, Prompts, and Cues

Guiding Students’ Thinking Allows for Differentiated Instruction

•Instead of correcting students and telling them what they have misunderstood, use questions, prompts and cues to address errors

•Guiding instruction is not about cataloging errors!▫Instead, it is intention, systematic, direct

instruction that results in greater student learning!

Framework forIntentional Instruction

Part 4

Provide Productive, Meaningful Group Tasks and

Allow Students to Practice Language and Consolidate Understanding

Providing Productive, Meaningful Group Tasks Takes the Focus off of Instruction and Puts it on Demonstrating Learning!

During Productive Group Work:

• Students use academic language

• Students consolidate their understanding

• Make sure the task is meaningful and that there is accountability! ▫ Each student must

produce something and interact while producing the product

Framework forIntentional Instruction

Part 5

Assign Independent Tasks That Require Students to Apply What They Have Learned

Assigning Independent Tasksreleases responsibility to the students!

•Students should complete independent tasks at multiple points during the lesson

•These tasks should be completed in the classroom so the teacher and peers can notice mistakes

•Examples of independent tasks:▫Wide reading▫Journal writing▫Formative assessments▫Individual projects

Roots of Intentional InstructionBorne out of three theories:

Together, an instructional framework is created:

• Gradual release of responsibility in reading

• Direct Explanation• Literacy as a social

practice

Provides students with:• Expert modeling• Procedural and

conditional knowledge• Contexts for applying

skills• Concepts in the company

of peers and the teacher

Guided Instruction

Using appropriate questions and prompts

Flowchart for Guided Instruction

Types of Questionsto check for understanding

• Elicitation questions: focus on factual knowledge

• Elaboration questions: ask for more information

• Clarification questions: draw out a reason • Divergent questions: challenge students to

synthesize two or more knowledge bases • Inventive questions: require students to

speculate and offer opinions• Heuristic questions: require informal problem

solving skills

Other Types of Prompts

•Cognitive and Metacognitive•Background Knowledge•Process or Procedural•Heuristic•Reflective

Cues to Shift Attention

Teachers can cue students to notice what is important:

Visual Cues (highlighting, underlining)Verbal Cues (pauses, changes in intonation and

rate of speech)Gestural Cues (pointing)Physical Cues (placing hand over student’s,

touching student’s arm)Positional Cues (rearranging magnetic alphabet

tiles)Environmental Cues (word walls, alphabet strips)

Modeling is Important!

The goal is to release cognitive responsibility

The teacher must:•Indentify what she will do•Provide an explanation accompanied by a

think-aloud about her decisions•Make a plan for the student to try it •Monitor the use of the plan•Begin cycle again with a new question