Teaching & Learning
Strategies Intervention Program
The Strategies Intervention Program can provide training in
the following areas:
•Learning
Strategies
•Content
Enhancement Routines
These strategies and routines are from the University of Kansas
Center for Research on Learning (KU-CRL). Click here to link to
the University of Kansas: www.ku-crl.org
LEARNING STRATEGIES
•Strategies related
to reading…
- Word Identification Strategy (DISSECT): The Word Identification
Strategy teaches students a problem -solving procedure for quickly
attacking and decoding unknown words in reading materials, allowing
them to move on quickly for the purpose of comprehending the passage.
- Paraphrasing Strategy (RAP): The Paraphrasing Strategy
directs students to read a limited section of material, ask themselves
the main idea and the details of the section, and put that information
in their own words. This strategy is designed to improve comprehension
by focusing attention on the important information of a passage
and by stimulating active involvement with the passage.
- Self-Questioning Strategy (ASK-IT): The Self-Questioning
Strategy aids reading comprehension by having students actively
ask questions about key pieces of information in a passage and
then read to find the answers for these questions.
- Visual Imagery Strategy (SCENE): The Visual Imagery Strategy
is designed to improve students' acquisition, storage, and recall
of prose material. Students improve reading comprehension by reading
short passages and visualizing the scene that is described, incorporating
actors, action, and details.
•Strategies related
to storing and remembering information….
- FIRST-Letter Mnemonic (FIRST/LISTS): The FIRST-Letter
Mnemonic Strategy is designed to aid students in memorizing lists
of information by teaching them to design mnemonics or memorization
aids and in finding and making lists of crucial information.
- Paired Associates (PAIRS): The Paired Associates Strategy
is designed to aid students in memorizing pairs or small groups
of information by using visual imagery, matching pertinent information
with familiar objects, coding important dates, and using a first-syllable
technique.
- Vocabulary Strategy (LINCS): The LINCS Vocabulary Strategy
helps students learn the meaning of new vocabulary words using
powerful memory-enhancement techniques. Strategy steps cue students
to focus on the critical elements of the concept; to use visual
imagery, associations with prior knowledge, and key-word mnemonic
devices to create a study card; and to study the card to enhance
comprehension and recall of the concept.
•Strategies related
to writing….
- Fundamentals in the Sentence Writing Strategy: Fundamentals
in the Sentence Writing Strategy focuses on a program for teaching
the fundamental concepts and skills associated with writing simple
sentences, starting with concepts such as "subject,"
"verb," "infinitive," and "preposition."
The program includes an instructor's manual and a student materials
volume.
- Proficiency in the Sentence Writing Strategy (PENS): Proficiency
in the Sentence Writing Strategy is designed to teach students
how to recognize and generate four types of sentences: simple,
compound, complex, and compound-complex. The program includes
an instructor's manual and a student materials volume.
- Paragraph Writing Strategy (SCRIBE): The Paragraph Writing
Strategy is designed to teach students how to write well-organized,
complete paragraphs by outlining ideas, selecting a point-of-view
and tense for the paragraph, sequencing ideas, and checking their
work. The program includes an instructor's manual and a student
materials volume.
- Error Monitoring Strategy (WRITER/COPS): The Error Monitoring
Strategy is designed to teach students a process for detecting
and correcting errors in their writing and for producing a neater
written product. Students are taught to find errors in paragraph
organization, sentence structure, capitalization, overall editing
and appearance, punctuation, and spelling by asking themselves
a series of questions. Students correct their errors and rewrite
the passage before submitting it to their teacher.
- Theme Writing Strategy (TOWER): is used by students to
organize and produce better written products. It focuses on systematic
way of collecting information in a graphic organizer and constructing
of sentences and paragraphs in clear and logical sequence.
- InSPECT Strategy (Spelling): The InSPECT Strategy can
be used by students to detect and correct spelling errors in their
documents by using a computerized spellchecker or a hand-held
spelling device.
•Strategies related
to demonstrating competence….
- Assignment Completion (PROJECTS): The Assignment Completion
Strategy teaches students to monitor their assignments from the
time an assignment is given until it is completed and submitted
to the teacher. Students write down assignments; analyze the assignments;
schedule various subtasks; complete the subtasks and, ultimately,
the entire task; and submit the completed assignment.
- Test-Taking Strategy (PIRATES): The Test-Taking Strategy
is designed to be used by the student during a test. The student
is taught to allocate time and read instructions and questions
carefully. A question is either answered or abandoned for later
consideration. The obviously wrong answers are eliminated from
the abandoned questions and a reasonable guess is made. The last
step is to survey the entire test for unanswered questions.
- Strategic Tutoring describes a new vision of the tutoring
process in which the tutor not only helps the student complete
and understand the immediate assignment but also teaches the student
the strategies required to complete similar tasks independently
in the future.
•Strategies related
to social interaction...
- The Class Participation Strategy (SLANT): Starter Strategy
for Class Participation is a simple, easy-to-teach strategy designed
to help students participate in class discussions. Students learn
how to use appropriate posture, track the talker, activate their
thinking, and contribute information.
- Cooperative Social Skills (SCORE and TEAMWORK): Social
Skills for Cooperative Groups are social skills that are foundational
to effective cooperative groups. Students learn to share ideas,
compliment others, offer help or encouragement, recommend changes
nicely, and exercise self-control.
- Cooperative Thinking Strategies (THINK, LEARN, BUILD)
The THINK Strategy is a strategy students use to solve
problems together.
The BUILD Strategy is designed for analyzing and resolving
controversial issues within a group.
The LEARN Strategy is used by students to master information
together.
- Community Building Series: to create safe and supportive learning environments for students with disabilities in inclusive classes. This is done through teaching students about concepts such as respect and tolerance and providing each student a partner who can provide support during the learning process.
Organizing Together is a program that can be used to provide instruction in some basic strategies associated with keeping notebooks, schedules/calendars, desks, lockers/cubbies, and backpacks organized.
Taking Notes Together is a program that can be used to teach students a simple strategy for taking notes in response to a variety of stimuli, including lectures, demonstrations, movies/videotapes, and reading assignments
Talking Together is an instructional program designed
for introducing the concept of learning community to students
and for teaching them how to participate respectfully in class
discussions.
Following Instructions Together is designed to teach
students concepts and strategies associated with following instructions
effectively.
- Self Advocacy Strategy (IPLAN) is designed for students
to use when preparing for and participating in any type of conference,
including education and transition planning conferences (such
as an IEP or ITP conference). Strategy steps provide a way for
students to get organized before a conference as well as effective
communication techniques to use during the conference.
- Possible Selves is designed to increase student motivation by having students examine their futures and think about goals that are important to them. Students think about and describe their hoped-for possible selves, expected possible selves, and feared possible selves. They set goals, create plans, and work toward their goals as part of this program.
In research studies, students in the Possible Selves condition scored significantly higher than students in the control group on measures of goal identification. In one study, at the end of six years, the students in the Possible Selves group had earned higher grade-point averages than the students in other groups.
- Collaborative Problem Solving outlines the communication
skills necessary for establishing a cooperative relationship between
two parties and then shows how to incorporate these skills within
a problem-solving process that can be used to structure meetings
between professionals or between professionals and parents or
students. This is especially useful for professionals consulting
with teachers about problems they are having with their classrooms.
- Surface Counseling details a set of relationship-building
skills necessary for establishing a trusting, cooperative relationship
between an adult and a youth and a problem-solving strategy that
youths can learn to use by themselves. Materials include study
guide questions, model dialogues, and role-playing activities.
Useful for any adult who has daily contact with children and adolescents.
•Strategies
related to mathematics (click
for description)
CONTENT ENHANCEMENT ROUTINES
- Course Organizer Routine is used by classroom teachers
to effectively launch a course so that all students in an academically
diverse class clearly understand the focus, scope, and purpose
of the course as it relates to them. Major components of this
routine are such things as the course metaphor, critical course
questions, a course map, and course rituals (for example, procedures
and expectations for cooperation, norms for behavior, procedures
for establishing a learning community). The purpose of this routine
is to position the course into a larger perspective for students
so they have a clear sense of where the course is headed, what
the expectations are, how learning will be accomplished, and how
support will be provided.
- Unit Organizer Routine is used by classroom teachers
to introduce a new unit to students such that they see the "Big
Picture," understand their assignment responsibilities, understand
key relationships within the unit, and understand the coming sequence
of instruction. This routine shows how to use a graphic to introduce,
anchor, and gain closure on a unit of content that takes one or
more weeks to complete. The routine demonstrates how to teach
a unit in a manner that will benefit a wide range of students.
- Lesson Organizer Routine is used by classroom teachers
to introduce and structure a lesson for students. The routine
helps students frame a lesson with the larger unit and students'
previous experiences. The routine also helps students focus on
the types of content relationships that are important in the lesson
and the types of learning strategies that are likely to be used.
Self-check questions and learning-related tasks also are identified
so that the students become oriented to the critical outcomes
at the onset of the lesson. The Lesson Organizer Routine can be
used for a daily lesson or for a lesson that lasts several days.
- Concept Mastery Routine focuses on how teachers can help
students understand and master key concepts within curriculum
content. The routine shows how to use a graphic, the Concept Diagram,
to identify a target concept, place that concept within a larger
framework, explore student prior knowledge of the concept, specify
salient characteristics, analyze both examples and nonexamples,
and construct a definition of the concept. This routine also actively
engages the student in testing a new, previously unencountered
item to determine whether it belongs to the target concept group
and is designed to teach a concept in a manner that will benefit
a wide range of students.
- Concept Anchoring Routine focuses on how teachers help
students connect new concepts to previously learned concepts to
increase student understanding and retention of new information.
The routine shows how to use a graphic, the Anchoring Table, to
present a new, difficult concept using a familiar concept selected
by the teacher. Similar characteristics possessed by the two concepts
are presented and summarized.
- Concept Comparison Routine focuses on a way for teachers
to help students compare and contrast two or more concepts. A
graphic is used to specify two or more concepts and to explore
salient characteristics that are not common between or among the
concepts. It encourages higher-order thinking as students are
guided in identifying larger categories into which the similarities
and differences can be grouped. This routine actively engages
the student in creating a summary statement that demonstrates
understanding about the similarities and differences between or
among concepts.
- Clarifying Routine is used by classroom teachers to help
students gain a clearer understanding of the meaning associated
with terms, events, places, people, or ideas that are included
within the curriculum materials presented in the general education
classroom. During the instructional process, the teacher names
the targeted term and then highlights critical features that are
associated with the term and helps to clarify the meaning of the
term. Students are encouraged to form a personal connection or
association with the term and to practice using it in a variety
of formats. The Clarifying Routine can be used as a review routine
or early on in a lesson to establish a solid understanding of
a key term, idea, event, place, or person.
- Framing Routine uses the "Frame," a basic hierarchic
graphic organizer that can be used in a variety of ways. Because
of its simplicity, it is an excellent "first" graphic
to use as an enhancement device.
- Survey Routine is used by the classroom teacher to provide
an overview of a new chapter of a textbook that will be used as
a resource in a unit of instruction. The teacher leads the students
through a step-by-step process of analyzing the content of the
new chapter. During this process, students are required to take
notes on a specially constructed worksheet. On this worksheet,
students are prompted to paraphrase the title of the chapter,
identify relationships between the unit and other textbook chapters,
paraphrase the introduction and summaries of the chapter, and
identify and organize the key sections and vocabulary of the chapter.
- Quality Assignment Routine is used in general education
classes to plan assignments that all students can complete at
a high level of quality, to present assignments to students, to
evaluate assignment products, and to give feedback to students.
The routine also teaches students how to record assignments, use
a strategy called "REACT" to ensure they have all the
information they need, set goals, and make a plan for completing
the assignment.
- Recall Enhancement Routine focuses on procedures teachers
can use to help students remember information. A broad array of
memory strategies are employed within this routine, including
keywords, first-letter mnemonics, visual imagery, and rhymes.
- Question Exploration Routine is designed for teaching
students how to explore important questions and to use the knowledge
in a variety of ways. Teachers can help students think about content
being taught and prepare assessments tools or other ways to measure
students’ understanding of the content.
•If you need more information
regarding the Teaching & Learning Initiative, please email teachlearn@ctserc.org,
or telephone: Alice Henley (860) 632-1485 ext. 311 or Education Services Specialists Debbie Williams (ext. 227) or Holly King (ext. 242).
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