Pedagogical Practice
At Silkstone State School, our primary method of teaching is Explicit Instruction through The Gradual Release of Responsibility. The aim of this method is to move students to a level where they are able to complete tasks independently and experience a sense of accomplishment and pride.
An Explicit Instruction lesson is highly structured and focuses on three distinct stages that a student ‘moves through’ in a lesson: I DO (modelled), WE DO (guided), and YOU DO (independent). The teacher is always checking for understanding throughout the lesson so that he or she gauges the level of understanding of the explicitly taught concept(s). If the level of understanding is poor the teacher needs to reteach the concept until the majority of students in the class have at least a good understanding of what has been taught before a teacher sets the independent task for the lesson.
At Silkstone State School, we all have the same goal. One of the greatest tools available to us in this pursuit is explicit instruction – instruction that is systematic, direct, engaging, and success orientated. The effectiveness of explicit instruction has been validated again and again in research involving both general education and special education students.
At the foundation of this teaching method are the following principles:
Explicit Instruction:
Optimises engagement and time on task
Promotes high levels of success among students
Scaffolds instruction and more time is spent in instructional groups
Increases content coverage