Everybody s selling it but what does a systematic, direct and explicit approach to early literacy instruction really look like? Dr Lorraine Hammond l.hammond@ecu.edu.au Learning Intentions - To define the relationship between an instructivist (teacher centred approach) and explicit instruction - To explain the importance of teacher knowledge including the skill of task analysis to an explicit approach - To demonstrate the components of explicit instruction in a model literacy lesson. Success Criteria -You can explain the three main components of explicit instruction and identify them while observing a lesson -You can identify at least three component skills in spelling cvc and how you teach them Setting and articulating your learning objectives and how you and the student will know whether they have been achieved is central to an explicit approach. Will Ideological alignment to instructivism Motivation Task analysis, deciding on the big ideas and sequence of instruction. Will + Skill + Support Skill Explicit Instruction Behaviour Teacher Student interactions, signals, pacing and motivation Model (I do) Lead (We do) Test (You do) Skill Subject PA Reading Spelling Writing Maths Communication Delivering instruction clearly and unambiguously Instructional Leadership Professional Learning Mentoring Curriculum Resources Coaching National Inquiry into the Teaching of Reading Recommendation 2: The committee recommends that teachers provide systematic, direct and explicit phonics instruction so that children master the essential alphabetic code breaking skills required for foundational reading proficiency. (Rowe, 2005b, p. 14). Sir Jim Rose, author of the United Kingdom s Independent Review of Early Reading, a report released one year after the Australian inquiry, believed teacher led instruction also held the key to effective beginning instruction. it cannot be left to chance, or for children to ferret out, on their own, how the alphabetic code works (Rose, 2006, p. 19). Explicit, systematic phonics instruction (Mesmer & Grifffith, 2006) Three features are consistently reported in the research literature: a) A curriculum with a specified, sequential set of phonics elements b) Instruction that is direct, precise, and unambiguous; and c) Practice using phonics to read (p. 368) 1
I m very explicit when I say to students, finish off that worksheet before recess The teacher said, so then the class do their direct instruction lesson...but I knew it wasn t DI We teach explicitly properly, we use the Gradual Release of Responsibility We use flashcards and drill 50 sight a day of Behaviour Tchr Ss interactions, signals, pacing and motivation Model (I do) Lead (We do) Test(You do)...by controlling the learning environment How can we maximise learning? of Cognitive Learning Communications (Stimuli) Systems Deciding on the big ideas & sequence of instruction. Delivering instruction clearly and unambiguously Englemann and Carnine s (1991) Theory of Instruction So, an Explicit Instruction approach is underpinned by: (WHAT) Understanding what you are teaching. (HOW) Controlling the instructional sequence so that the teacher models, students all practice and mastery is assessed. Student engagement is also controlled by the high level of responses. (THE WORDS TO USE) Using language that is unambiguous and understood by students. Theory of Instruction (Englemann & Carnine, 1991) Direct Instruction is an instructivist (teachercentred) approach based on Behaviourist principles. 16 Elements of EI Consistent lesson structure Very practical Continuously checking for understanding results in 80% of students achieving 80% correct answers during independent practice (p. 13). this resource presents a contemporary middle ground for teachers who reject traditional direct instruction approaches (p. 3). TAPPLE Verify students are learning while you are teaching! T Teach First A Ask a Question P Pause (wait time or think time) P Pick a Non Volunteer (call on at least three students each time to CFU) L Listen to the Response E Effective Feedback (Echo, Elaborate, Explain) Hollingsworth, J. & Ybarra, S. (2009). The Power of the Well Crafted, Well Taught Lesson. Corwin Press, Dataworks: USA. http://www.dataworks ed.com/) 2
Traditional DI Scripted, sequenced instruction to mastery Prescribed Model, Lead, Test Pacing (min 15 responses per minute) Correction procedures Placement testing Continuous and cumulative assessment Explicit, Direct Instruction in 2013 Task Explicit Instruction Teachers decide what to teach and when Clear structure to lesson (I do, We do, You do) Choose non volunteers Check for understanding Brisk pace Monitor progress LESS Preparation and MORE Learning is a change in long term memory The aim of all instruction is to alter long term memory. If nothing has changed to longterm memory, nothing has been learned (2006, p. 77). Kirschner, P., Sweller. J. & Clarke, R.E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: an analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem based, experiential, and inquiry based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41, (2), 75 86 Guided Instruction v Discovery In real classrooms, several problems occur when different kinds of minimally guided instruction are used. First, often only the brightest and the most well-prepared students make the discovery. Second, some students simply become frustrated and may disengage or copy what others say. Either way, they are not discovering anything. Third, some students believe they have discovered the correct answer when they have not, and will defer to their incorrect process/answer when they see another similar problem, even if you have told them otherwise (p. 8) Clark, R.E., Kirschner, P.A. & Sweller, J. A. (2012). Putting students on the path to learning: The case for fully guided instruction. American Educator, Spring, pp. 6-11. Automaticity : The worked-example effect A seminal series of studies on chess players demonstrated that expert players perform well even in blitz games (which are usually played in five minutes) because they are not actually puzzling through each move. They have tens of thousands of board configurations, and the best move for each configuration, stored in long term memory. Those configurations are learned by studying previous games for 10 years or more. Expert players can play well at a fast pace because all they are doing is recalling the best move, not figuring it out. (Clark, Kirschner & Sweller, 2012, p.9) Instructor or Facilitator? (Hattie, 2012) Instructor ES Reciprocal Teaching.74 Feedback.72 Teaching students selfverbalisation.67 Metacognitive strategies.67 Direct Instruction.59 Mastery Learning.57 Goals challenging.56 Frequent/effects of testing.46 Behavioural organisers.41 Average ES.60 Facilitator ES Simulations and gaming.32 Inquiry based teaching.31 Smaller class sizes.21 Individualised instruction.67 Problem-based learning.15 Different teaching for boys and girls.12 Web-based learning.09 Whole Language Reading.06 Inductive teaching.06 Average ES.17 A consistent pattern identified in our previous reviews points to the effectiveness of Direct Instruction (DI), a specific teaching program, and of specific explicit instructional practices underpinning the program (e.g., guided practice, worked examples) (2013, p. 368). 3
Importantly, though, it seems constructivist approaches are better assisted by direct and structured input from the teacher that systematically and unambiguously builds the knowledge and skills needed to subsequently engage in meaningful discover, problembased and discovery learning. If we may, the horse must be well and truly before the cart when it comes to effective instruction and learning (2013, p. 368). Concept of a sentence sentences into individual Concept of word Concept of word length Concepts of syllables syllables in a word Orally distinguish between short & long vowel sounds Deletion and manipulation of syllables within a word Identify and generate rhyming Concept of onset and rime onset rime Pre requisite Skills Identify initial sounds in Identify end sounds in Identify medial sounds in Identify position of sounds in Letter Sound CVC Letter formation Directionality Write CVC of vowels and consonants of diagraphs Spell high frequency irregular Write multisyllabic with CVC pattern Concept of spaces between sentences containing CVC Strategy of decoding CCVC Write CCVC Read and write multisyllabic with a CCVC pattern sentences containing CCVC CVVC Read and write CVVC Read and write multisyllabic with a CVVC pattern sentences containing CVVC One sound can be represented in different ways of split diagraphs Common position of diagraphs in a word Visual discrimination as a skill for spelling of basic punctuation Define and say nouns Define and say verbs Know proper nouns need capital letters of elements of a simple sentences Write simple sentences containing adjectives of basic sentence starters 50+ Define and say adjectives Vocabulary name and write synonyms of elements of compound sentences of elements of a recount Orally retell an event using correct recount structure Concept of a paragraph Write a recount using the correct structure Understanding of verbs and rules when adding basic morphographs Y makes an e sound at the end of a word Double a consonant after a short vowel sound ending in y Understand every syllable needs a vowel sound ble, ple Teacher Research into teacher excellence emphasises the importance of pedagogical content knowledge Effective teachers have strong content knowledge but more importantly know how to task analyse the complex content into concepts and sequence learning to ensure success (Hattie, 2012) know what they don t know (knowledge calibration) How confident do you feel teaching PA, grammar, spelling rules, sentence construction? What is Task? The break down of complex skills and strategies into smaller instructional units. Teach in small steps Break up complex tasks into small instructional units Prevent cognitive overload Synthesize units once mastered Term 3 Goal Writing sentence level Write simple and compound sentences containing a noun, verb and adjective with correct spelling of common irregular. Spell unfamiliar phonetically using knowledge of single sounds, digraphs and their common position in a word and simple spelling rules/patterns. 4
Explicit Instruction is systematic Skills, strategies, and concepts are sequenced logically - Easier skills before harder skills - High frequency skills before low frequency skills - Pre-requisites first - Similar skills separated Magic e cap/cape sit/site pet/pete First: Teach letter names, consonants, long and short vowels. Then: Teach and apply the rule many times with examples. Later: Teach come, give, done, love For children to be able to explain why the final phoneme in stay is a long vowel and written ay Teach: Concept of word Long vowels/short vowels Segment s t ay into phonemes Review vowel combinations (ai, ay, a e) Identify the vowel sound as either short or long Review the choices (ai, ay, a e) ay is the way we usually spell the long vowel at the end of a word Spelling Rules Positional Frequency Example Spelling Words with the Long a Sound Dictation cake Hard C or K? Does it start with c? k? or ck? Ck K C Words do not start with ck. Use a k when the k sound is followed by: 1. e 2. i 3. y key, kitchen Use c to start a word, when the k sound is followed by anything else. (a, o, or any consonant) cat, cop, click Some exceptions: koala, kangaroo, Kate C and K ck c a,o,u k e,i,y cat, cut, cot ken, kid, kyle ck are married, they like to go out together and they live at the end of. c is the girl she s round and curvy k is the boy he s tall and strong Review short vowels sounds (a,e,i,o,u + y) These vowels are the sisters: a,o,u / these vowels are the brothers: e, i, k c likes to play with her friends the sisters / k likes to play with his friends the brothers 5