Effective Instruction

Effective Instruction is a term that is used to describe many different instructional techniques and practices. As a parent, you should be aware that there is a significant body of research on effective instruction that has been validated by over thirty years of studies. For a summary of effective teaching research go to: http://idea.uoregon.edu/~ncite/documents/techrep/tech06.html.

Certain key elements need to be in place to teach effectively, including:

• Clearly defined objectives
• A successful method for teaching all students
• A means to measure learning progress

While this sounds good, we know that we do not always achieve the results we want: for all students to become independent learners.

In most cases, when something is not working, it is because one of those three elements is missing. We know that if the students did not learn the content, then it was not taught well. Learning is a function of instruction! Too often, teachers are quick to change what they are teaching because they think students are either not "ready" for the content or they see them struggling.

The solution should be to change HOW we teach the content, not necessarily WHAT we teach. We must critically analyze our instructional approach before employing another or abandoning the approach altogether. We need to consider the Stages of Learning, the Categories of Knowledge, and the Principles of Effective Instruction to determine the success of our instructional approach.

How you can ensure your child is receiving effective instruction?
If your child is having difficulty with his or her schoolwork there are many things that can be done to help. Strong partnerships between parents and schools are essential in order to ensure the academic well being of children. Communication with your child's classroom teacher is fundamental to supporting your child academically, socially and behaviorally.

Clearly communicate any questions or concerns you might have to your child's teacher. Consider asking the following questions:

• How is my child doing in reading? How do you know? Is he reading on grade level?
• How is my child doing in math? How do you know? Is she performing at grade-level in math?
• How well does my child work independently?
• How well does my child work with others?
• What types of instructional changes/accommodations have been tried in order to support my child in learning the content?
• What can we (parents and teacher) do to help?

Once your questions have been answered, its time to brainstorm solutions with your teacher about what can be done to support your child.

There are many things parents, teachers, and administrators can do to assist a child who is demonstrating problems in school, such as:

• Additional support in reading and math using research validated instructional strategies
• Implementation of a behavior support plan or behavioral support strategies.
• Providing additional instruction in organization and time-management
• Providing additional instruction, self-regulation, or social communication
• Providing accommodations for the child in order to ensure that he or she has opportunities to demonstrate understanding of learning through alternative means if necessary

Here are some web sites you may find helpful as you explore effective instruction issues.

No Child Left Behind Information for Parents
http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov/parents/index.html
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/ayp/testingforresults.html

The Partnership for Reading: Bringing Scientific Evidence to Learning
http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/k-3.html

Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers
http://www.pbs.org/launchingreaders/

Get Ready to Read: Tips and Activities for Parents with Young Children
http://www.getreadytoread.org/

A Guide for Parents: How Do I Know a Good Early Reading Program When I See One
http://www.ed.gov/parents/read/resources/goodprogram.html