Instructional Strategies, Methods, and Skills

• Strategies
• Strategies for Subject Areas
• Test Taking Strategies
• Adaptations Matched to Perceptual Difficulties

Reflection

Pacing and Timing Factors

Modification/ Feedback Cycle

 

Teachers who use a range of instructional strategies in presenting material and facilitating student interaction have greater success in meeting the range of student needs within their classroom.

The instructional strategies selected and used should encourage students to be active participants in the learning process. The strategies used are the way the teacher transfers content from teacher to student. Making adaptations can become a natural part of the teacher's planning as they develop skill in using different techniques within the same lesson plan.

Structure for Success

The most important component of planning which instructional strategy, method or skill to use in a particular lesson is to incorporate structure within the instructional process. Those students who require adaptations generally require structure and organization in their lesson to be able to achieve success.

• Plan your instructional strategies with every student in mind so that every student in your classroom has an opportunity to learn.
• Whatever strategy is chosen to teach a concept, it can be adapted to suit the particular needs of a student.
• Vary your instructional approaches and methods throughout a course/class.
• Remember that people have different preferences for the way new information is presented. Give instructions or information in both written and oral forms.
• Try to incorporate practices which involve students in decisions regarding their own learning.
• Think about enrichment and remediation in a variety of ways whenever needed: worksheets are not the best method for either.
• Use a variety of questioning techniques to involve as many modalities as possible.
  

The ideas in this section provide a menu of choices for teachers. Choose ones which suit your teaching style and the learning style of the student for whom you are preparing adaptations.

View Specific Strategies

Instructional Strategies | Instructional Methods

 

Classes which include students with diverse needs make it necessary for teachers to choose instructional methods that make it possible for all students to learn. Explicit teaching (teacher serves as provider of knowledge) and implicit teaching (teacher facilitates student learning and creates situations in which students can discover new knowledge and ideas) encompass the most commonly used teaching practices.

Within these two types of instructional methods, four major teaching modes can be identified:

• expository
• inquiry
• demonstration
• activity

Each mode has instructional methods which are used. These methods can be adapted for students with diverse needs.

The following tables are adapted from Wood, J. (1998). Adapting teaching techniques. In Adapting Instruction to accommodate students in inclusive setting (3^rd edition) Toronto: Prentice-Hall, Inc. outline specific teaching techniques used in the various modes, with suggested adaptations for each technique.

 

Expository mode: This is the teaching strategy most often used by teachers.

Teaching Techniques	Adaptations
Lecture	Provide lecture outlines. Provide copy of lecture notes. Use transparencies to provide visual presentation
Telling	Keep lecture short. Be specific about information given. Be sure you have students' attention. For students with short attention spans, give information in small segments.
Sound filmstrip	Provide visuals when possible. Give earphones to students easily distracted by sounds.
Explanation	Keep explanations simple and direct. Give them in simple declarative sentences. Provide outline of explanation.
Audio recording	Present recordings with visuals. Give earphones to students easily distracted by sounds.
Motion pictures	Orient students to movie before showing. Be sure length is appropriate. Place students with auditory problems close to sound. Review main points of film. Provide brief outline of main points.
Discussion	Ask questions you know students can answer. Keep discussion short. As points are made, list them on board or transparency. Divide class into groups for brief discussions. Keep students on topic. Involve everyone on appropriate levels. Use organizer to group ideas and show conclusion drawn.

Inquiry mode: involves asking questions and seeking information and allows more teacher-student interaction. For students who require adaptations, more teacher involvement is critical in this type of learning situation. Asking questions is a natural part of the teacher's instructional method; in adapting for student's needs, a teacher needs to be very aware of the level of questions being asked (see The Learner: Bloom's Taxonomy) since the questions being asked should reflect the specific level of learning for the student.

 

Teaching Techniques	Adaptations
Asking questions	Use appropriate wait time. Ask questions on appropriate level of taxonomy scale; vary questions to meet different taxonomy levels of students. Call student's name before directing a question to him or her. Do not embarrass students by asking questions they cannot answer.
Stating hypotheses	Have students choose from two or three hypotheses Instead of having to formulate their own. Provide model for writing hypothesis.
Coming to conclusions	Present alternative conclusions. List information needed for conclusions.
Interpreting	Assign peer tutor to help. Present alternative interpretations.
Classifying	Use concrete instead of abstract concepts. Provide a visual display with models.
Self-directed study	Give specific directions about what to do. Make directions short, simple, and few. Collect and place resources for study in one area.
Testing hypotheses	Assign peer tutor.
Observing	Give explicit directions about how and what to observe. Provide sequential checklist of what will happen so that student sees steps. Have student check off each step observed.
Synthesizing	Assign peer tutor to help. Provide model of whole or completed assignment.

 

Teaching Techniques	Adaptations
Experiments	Provide sequential directions. Have student check off each completed step. If teacher demonstrates, let student assist. Be sure student fully understands purpose, procedures, and expected outcome of experiment. Set up incidental learning experiences. Display materials. Model the activity. Provide an outline and a handout/checklist. Make a list of lab procedures and assign a lab procedure. Tape instructions and video tape demonstrations.
Exhibits	Assign projects according to student's instructional level. Have student select project topic from a short list. Provide directions and list of materials needed. Be sure project does not require skills the student lacks. Have student display his or her exhibits.
Simulations	Do not embarrass student by requiring him or her to do something student cannot do. Make sure student understands directions, terms used, and expected outcome.
Games	Design games in that acquisition of skills, not winning, is the priority. Make directions simple. Highlight important directions with color codes. With peer tutor, let student prepare own game. Design games that emphasize skills needed by student.
Modeling	Model only one step at a time. Use task analysis on steps. Use visual models when possible. Exaggerate the presentation to make the concept being modeled clear. Use several short time spans rather than one long demonstration. Model in hierarchical sequence.. Use video modeling for student to replay. Perform in same manner as the first presentation. Provide a lecture outline that the student may take notes on.
Field trips	Prepare students by explaining destination, purpose, expected behavior, and schedule. Provide a checklist of expectations.

Teaching Techniques	Adaptations
Role playing	Be sure student understands role. Short lines or no lines at all may be best. Respect privacy of student who does not want role. Let such a student assist another role player.
Constructing	Select project for students or have them select from a short list. Try to use projects that include special education objectives. Provide sequential checklist.
Preparing exhibits	Assign peer tutor to help. Use alterations suggested for "constructing."
Dramatizing	Respect privacy of those who do not want parts. Let such students help others prepare sets, and so on.
Processing	Clearly state steps. Make steps sequential and short. List steps on board.
Group work	Assign peer tutor. Select activity that student can succeed at Use variety of grouping procedures (See Grouping Students for Instruction).
Game/contest	Be sure game matches lesson objective. Check game to see if required decision-making skills match student's ability level. List rules clearly on board. Keep pace appropriate. Assign a buddy. Provide feedback for game skill as well as for social skills used.

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January 30, 2001
Outlook School Division #32