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What are Instructional Strategies?

Instructional Strategies (teaching strategies) are the methods that teachers use to students in achieving objectives. They determine the approach a teacher takes to achieve learning objectives. There are several types of strategies. Some of the most well known include Direct Instruction, Cooperative Learning, Graphic Organizers, Advance Organizers, Class Discussion, K-W-L, Modeling, and Problem Solving. Contrary to what many may believe, a lesson does not necessarily use only one of these strategies. Teachers should strive to incorporate several strategies into each lesson. If educators use a variety of strategies in their instruction, students will be more likely to be actively involved in the lesson.

How Can I Use Instructional Strategies?

While considering strategies, educators must plan instruction according to not only their own teaching style but also to students’ learning styles. Learning strategies are the techniques and activities that educators require students to engage in to master the content. Pedagogy is the combination and implementation of teaching and learning strategies. To demonstrate effective pedagogical skills, many teachers use inventories that measure the multiple intelligences. These tests can be used to measure both students and teachers. The results of these inventories may help educators decide which strategies to incorporate into lessons. For example, if a student were predominately an interpersonal learner, cooperative learning would be a useful strategy for that student.

Where Can I Get Some Great Ideas?

Marcia Tate, the executive director of professional development for the DeKalb County School System in Decatur, Georgia, has been a renowned innovator in the area of instructional strategies. In 28 years, Ms. Tate has created ideas from her experiences in the following arenas: classroom teacher, reading specialist, language arts coordinator, and staff development director. She has used her experiences to write many successful books. Among the books is the Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites, a guide to twenty instructional strategies that engage the brain. In her endeavors as an educational consultant, she has presented to over 50,000 administrators, teachers, parents, and business and community leaders throughout the United States. Her educational workshops serve as a powerful tool.

What are Some Additional Strategies?

Besides the basic strategies previously mentioned, there are several more to choose from. The following is an alphabetical list of strategies: Assigned Questions, Author's Chair, Balanced Literacy, Book Talks, Brainstorming, Case Studies, Categorizing, Classroom Conversations, Cloze Procedure, Compare & Contrast, Computer Assisted Instruction, Concept Attainment, Concept Formation, Concept Maps, Conducting Experiments, Cooperative Learning, Creative Problem Solving, Debates, Decision-making Process, Demonstrations, Didactic Questions, Discussion, Drill & Practice, Essays, Experience Charts, Explicit Teaching, Expository, Narrative & Persuasive Writing, Field Observations, Field Trips, Focused Imaging, Games, Graphic Organizers, Guided & Assisted Reading, Guided & Assisted Retellings, Guided Reading & Thinking, Heterogeneous Grouping, Homogeneous Grouping, Independent Research, Inquiry, Instructional Groups, Interdisciplinary Approach, Interviewing, Jigsaw, Journal Writing, K-W-L, Laboratory Groups, Learning Activity Packages, Learning Centers, Learning Contracts, Learning Logs, Lecture, Listen & Visualize, Literacy Centered Instruction, Literature Based Instruction, Literature Circles, Mind Mapping, Mini Lessons, Miscue Analysis, Model Building, Modes of Reading, Multiple Intelligence, Narrated Reading, Narratives, Needs-based Grouping, Novel Studies, Oratory, Public Speaking and Speech Writing, Panels, Peer Partner Learning, Picture Books and Illustrator Studies, Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM), Problem Solving, Questioning Levels, Questioning Techniques, RAFT, Reading Aloud, Reading for Meaning, Read & Paraphrase, Read & Respond, Read, Pause & Reflect, Readers' Theater, Reflective Discussion, Reports, Research Projects, Response Journal, Role Playing, Running Record, Scaffolding, Science Fairs, Science Olympics, Self Monitoring Strategies, Simulations, Sociograms in Literature, Story Mapping, Storytelling, Structured Controversy, Structured Overview, Study Groups, Surveys, Synectics, Talking Circles, Team Teaching/Modeling of Instruction, Think-Pair-Share, Thinking Strategies, Tutorial Groups, Visual Imaging, Webbing, WebQuests, Word Walls, Working with Words, Writing to Inform, Writer's Workshop, Writing Conferences, Writing Process,