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