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This article presents 10 research-based principles of instruction, along with suggestions for classroom practice. The principles come from (a) research in cognitive science, (b) research on master teachers, and (c) research on cognitive supports.
Even though these are three very different bodies of research, there is no conflict at all between the suggestions that come from each. The fact that the instructional ideas from three different sources supplement and complement each other gives us faith in the validity of these findings.
Education involves helping a novice develop strong, readily accessible background knowledge. This occurs when knowledge is well rehearsed and tied to other knowledge.
The most effective teachers ensured that students efficiently acquired, rehearsed, and connected background knowledge by providing a good deal of instructional support. They provided this support by teaching new material in manageable amounts, modeling, guiding student practice, helping students when they made errors, and providing for sufficient practice and review. Many teachers also went on to experiential, hands-on activities, but they always did the experiential activities after, not before, the basic material was learned.
The following are some of the instructional principles that have come from these three sources.
1. Begin a lesson with a short review of previous learning to strengthen previous learning and lead to fluent recall.
Research findings
Daily review can help strengthen the connections among the material we have learned. The review of previous learning can help us recall words, concepts, and procedures effortlessly and automatically when we need this material to solve problems or to understand new material. The development of expertise requires thousands of hours of practice, and daily review is one component of this practice.
For example, daily review was part of a successful experiment in elementary school mathematics. Teachers in the experiment were taught to spend eight minutes every day on review. Teachers used this time to check homework, go over problems where there were errors, and practice the concepts and skills that needed to become automatic. As a result, students in these classrooms had higher achievement scores than did students in other classrooms.
In the classroom
The most effective teachers understood the importance of practice, and they began their lessons with a five- to eight-minute review of previously covered material. Some reviewed...