Principles of Instruction
Adapted from: Barak Rosenshine, educational psychologist, presented in the 2010 paper “Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know” (American Educator)
Daily review
Begin lessons with a short review of previous learning to consolidate learning and lead to fluent recall.
Small steps
Introduce new material in small steps so as not to overwhelm students and prevent cognitive overload.
Questioning
Ensure you ask a large number of questions and use formative assessment to check the responses of all students.
Provide models
Teacher modelling reduces the cognitive load on working memory and helps students become more independent.
Guide student practice
Find time to provide additional explanations for students, give examples and check for understanding.
Check student understanding
Frequent checks allow teachers to gauge if students have sufficient understanding to move on whilst checking if there are any misconceptions that need addressing.
High success rate
A success rate of 80% shows that students are learning the material but are also highly challenged.
Provide scaffolds
This may include the teacher modelling how to do a task or providing support in the form of cue cards, checklists, or model examples.
Independent practice
Students need to be able to work alone and practise new material so they become fluent in a skill.
Frequent review
Weekly and monthly review helps consolidate learning into long-term memory.