1. Nancy Frey, Ph.D. San Diego State University nfrey@mail.sdsu.edu
Structured Teaching: A Gradual Release of Responsibility Model of Instruction
Nancy Frey, Ph.D.
San Diego State University
PowerPoints available
From
Click “Resources”

2. Early Predictors for Passing (or Failing) the CAHSEE
Grade Point Average
Absences
Classroom Behavior
These are present as early as fourth grade
Zau, A. C., & Betts, J. R. (2008). Predicting success, preventing failure: An investigation of the California High School Exit Exam. Sacramento, CA: Public Policy Institute of California.

3. Education is loaded with myths…

4. It sounds so easy, so what gets in the way?
Hard Books
“Students must read books at their grade level”
Whole Class Texts
“Read chapter 4 and answer the questions”
Interventions for Struggling Readers
“I’m teaching fluency” 4

5. Myths about Project-Based Learning
Direct teaching is bad.
Only the “smart” kids benefit from PBL.
All the projects take weeks or months to finish.

6. 0.5
0.4
0.6
0.3
0.7
0.2
Medium
0.8
0.1
High
0.9
Low
0.0
1.0
Teacher effects
1.1
-0.1
Developmental effects
Negative
1.2
-0.2
Reverse effects
Zone of desired effects
Standard error = n/a
Rank: 136/136
Number of meta-analyses: 7
Number of studies: 207
Number of participants: 13,938
Retention: d =
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses related to achievement.
New York: Routledge.

7. 0.5
0.4
0.6
0.3
0.7
0.2
Medium
0.8
0.1
High
0.9
Low
0.0
1.0
Teacher effects
1.1
-0.1
Developmental effects
Negative
1.2
-0.2
Reverse effects
Zone of desired effects
Std. error = (low)
Rank: 88/136
Number of meta-analyses: 5
Number of studies: 161
Number of effects: 295
Number of participants: 105,282
Homework: d = .29
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses related to achievement.
New York: Routledge.

8. Small group learning: d = 0.49
0.5
0.4
0.6
0.3
0.7
0.2
Medium
0.8
0.1
High
0.9
Low
0.0
1.0
Teacher effects
1.1
-0.1
Developmental effects
Negative
1.2
-0.2
Reverse effects
Zone of desired effects
Standard error = n/a
Rank: 48/136
Number of meta-analyses: 2
Number of studies: 78
Number of participants: 3,472
Small group learning: d = 0.49
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses related to achievement.
New York: Routledge.

9. Meta-cognitive Strategies: d = 0.69
0.5
0.4
0.6
0.3
0.7
0.2
Medium
0.8
0.1
High
0.9
Low
0.0
1.0
Teacher effects
1.1
-0.1
Developmental effects
Negative
1.2
-0.2
Reverse effects
Zone of desired effects
Standard error = 0.18
Rank: 13/136
Number of meta-analyses: 2
Number of studies: 63
Number of participants: 5,028
Meta-cognitive Strategies: d = 0.69
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses related to achievement.
New York: Routledge.

10. Reciprocal Teaching: d = 0.74
0.5
0.4
0.6
0.3
0.7
0.2
Medium
0.8
0.1
High
0.9
Low
0.0
1.0
Teacher effects
1.1
-0.1
Developmental effects
Negative
1.2
-0.2
Reverse effects
Zone of desired effects
Standard error = n/a
Rank: 9 /136
Number of meta-analyses: 2
Number of studies: 38
Number of participants: 677
Reciprocal Teaching: d = 0.74
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses related to achievement.
New York: Routledge.

11. 7 Essentials for PBL A need to know. A driving question.
Student voice and choice.
21st century skills.
Inquiry and innovation.
Feedback and revision.
A publicly presented project.
Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. R. (2010). 7 essentials for project-based learning. Educational Leadership, 68(1),
Larmer & Mergendoller, 2010

12. Three ideas

13. Increase
instructional
consistency.

14. Teach for
interaction
with you and
the content.

15. Teach for metacognition.

16. Today’s Purposes
Internalize a gradual release of responsibility instructional framework.
Apply GRR to a PBL approach to learning.
Interact with colleagues about both.

17. Tomorrow’s Purposes Discuss skills students need for 21st century PBL.
Identify quality indicators of effective instruction.
Use quality as a method for conducting instructional rounds.
Apply principles of feeding up, feeding back, and feeding forward to improve learning.

18. A little experiment…

19. The First Idea: Increase instructional consistency.

20. Envelope fold Let’s Make a Foldable™ Focus Lesson Guided Instruction
Collaborative Learning
Independent Learning

21. A Model for Success for All Students
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
“I do it”
Focus Lesson
Guided Instruction
“We do it”
“You do it
together”
Collaborative
“You do it
alone”
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
A Model for Success for All Students
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

22. The sudden release of responsibility
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
“I do it”
Focus Lesson
“You do it
alone”
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

23. TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
DIY School
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
(none)
“You do it
alone”
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual
release of responsibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

24. The “Good Enough” Classroom
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
“I do it”
Focus Lesson
Guided Instruction
“We do it”
“You do it
alone”
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual
release of responsibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

25. Time for a Story

26. A Model for Success for All Students
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
“I do it”
Focus Lesson
Guided Instruction
“We do it”
“You do it
together”
Collaborative
“You do it
alone”
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
A Model for Success for All Students
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

27. Video available at http://books.heinemann.com/wordwise/

28. Table Talk
What evidence do you see of learning in this classroom during modeling, guided instruction, collaborative learning, and independent learning?

29. The Second Idea: Teach for interaction with you and the content.

30. Modeling Your Thinking

31. Reading Math Textbooks
Goal: arrive at “truth”
Importance of “close reading” an intensive consideration of every word in the text
Rereading a major strategy
Heavy emphasis on error detection
Precision of understanding essential
Conclusions subject to public argument
For example, during think-alouds, the mathematicians emphasized rereading and close reading as two of their most important strategies. One of the mathematicians explained that, unlike other fields, even “function” words were important. “‘The’ has a very different meaning than ‘a,’” he explained. Students often attempt to read mathematics texts for the gist, or general idea, but this kind of text cannot be appropriately understood without close reading. Math reading requires a precision of meaning, and each word must be understood specifically in service to that particular meaning. In fact, the other mathematician noted that it sometimes took years of rereading for him to completely understand a particular proof.
The mathematicians we studied were theoretical rather than applied mathematicians. In their field, errorless proofs are by their very nature true, and the purpose of their work is to create these proofs; hence, to create truth. Because proofs must be error free, they are read carefully in order to discover any possible error. Every word matters. Rereading is essential. One mathematician said, “I try to determine whether it’s [the solution to the problem] correct. That’s the important criteria, and it’s by no means assumed. It would be unusual to read a paper like this and not find something incorrect.” This mathematician is illustrating the belief that truth (correctness within the confines of a particular problem) is attainable if one can determine an error-free solution. However, errors are easy to make, so vigilance is required.
Cindy Shanahan, 2008 31

32. Thinking Aloud in Math
Background knowledge (e.g., When I see a triangle, I remember that the angles have to add to 180°.)
Relevant versus irrelevant information (e.g., I’ve read this problem twice and I know that there is information included that I don’t need.)
Selecting a function (e.g., The problem says ‘increased by’ so I know that I’ll have to add.)
Setting up the problem (e.g., The first thing that I will do is … because …)
Estimating answers (e.g., I predict that the product will be about 150 because I see that there are 10 times the number.)
Determining reasonableness of an answer (e.g., I’m not done yet as I have to check to see if my answer is makes sense.)
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Anderson, H. (2010). Thinking and comprehending in the mathematics classroom (pp ). In K. Ganske
& D. Fisher (Eds.), Comprehension across the curriculum: Perspectives and practices, K-12. New York: Guilford.

33. Livescribe Pulse Smartpen
Teacher thinks aloud doing a
math problem, then uploads
notes to classroom wiki

34. Table Talk In what ways does Dina connect mathematical
thinking to thinking aloud?
How does she establish an environment
where learners explain their thinking?

35. Guiding
Instruction

36. Let’s make a Foldable Guided Instruction Prompts Cues Direct
Robust
Questions
Let’s make a
Foldable
Prompts
Cues
Guided Instruction
Direct
Explanation

37. Direct explanation and modeling
Robust questions
Prompts
Robust questions to check for understanding
Prompts that focus on cognitive and metacognitive processes
Cues to shift attention to sources
Direct explanation and modeling to re-teach
Cues
Direct explanation and modeling

38. I-R-E Teacher: What is a nocturnal animal?
Student: An animal that stays awake at night.
Teacher: Good. What is a diurnal animal?
I-R-E

39. Probe Teacher: What is a nocturnal animal?
Student: An animal that stays awake at night.
Teacher: Tell me more about that. Does a nocturnal animal have special characteristics?
Student: Well, it doesn’t sleep a lot.
Probe

40. Teacher: What is a nocturnal animal?
Student: An animal that stays awake at night.
Teacher: Tell me more about that. Does a nocturnal animal have special characteristics?
Student: Well, it doesn’t sleep a lot.
Misconception

41. PROMPT Teacher: What is a nocturnal animal?
Student: An animal that stays awake at night.
Teacher: Tell me more about that. Does a nocturnal animal have special characteristics?
Student: Well, it doesn’t sleep a lot.
Teacher: I’m thinking of those pictures we saw of the great horned owl and the slow loris in the daytime and at night. Does your answer still work?
PROMPT

42. Background knowledge prompts use what they know invite students to
Includes what has been previously taught and what has been experienced
Can be built directly or indirectly (Marzano, 2004)
invite students to
use what they know
to resolve problems

43. Process or Procedure Prompts specific task To perform a
Addresses the “what” and “how” in learning
Examples: Order of operations (math), peer response (writing), completing a lab (science)
Prompts can be forward chaining (starts the process) and backward chaining (leaves the last step to complete)
To perform a
specific task

44. Cues Shift attention to sources of information
Can highlight an error
More direct and specific than prompts
Often follow a prompt that did not elicit a correct response
More direct and specific than prompts

45. Attention grows with competence
the expert commentator sees things you don’t
cues do the same for novices
Attention grows with competence

46. Direct Explanation Identify Explain Think aloud Monitor
Explicitly state what is being taught
Tell when and how it will be used
Think aloud to demonstrate reasoning
Monitor application
Check for understanding
Take care not to re-assume responsibility too quickly

47. Table Talk
How does Rita encourage oral language while building vocabulary?
How are students using their language knowledge to develop new vocabulary learning?

48. Responding When Students Don’t Get It
Read the article and take notes in the top left quadrant of the Conversation Roundtable.
What quote from the article resonates with you?
Take notes throughout the discussion on what your group members have to say.
Summarize in the rhombus in the center.

49. Conversational Roundtable
Your Notes:
Group Member #2:
Group Member #3:
Group Member #4:
Summarize

50. The Third Idea: Teach for metacognition.

51. Making Group Work Productive

52. Purposes of Productive Group Work
Students work together to solve problems, discover information, and complete projects
Students use the “language of the lesson”

53. It is not: Ability grouping
For introducing new information or new skills

54. Students are consolidating their understanding
Negotiating understanding with peers
Engaging in inquiry
Apply knowledge to novel situations
These are key to successful PBL

55. But it’s more than merely
being “engaged”…

56. He’s engaged…

57. … they’re
interacting.

58. Sample Instructional Routines
Reading
Literature Circles
Collaborative Strategic Reading
Reciprocal Teaching
Partner reading
Jigsaw

59. Sample Instructional Routines
Writing
Progressive Writing
Paired Writing
Peer response
GIST writing
Collaborative poster

60. Rural Voices Project Students podcast about their hometowns
Sponsored by the National Writing Project

61. Sample Instructional Routines
Oral Language
Think-Pair-Square
Numbered Heads Together
Socratic Seminar
Walking Review
Novel Ideas Only

63. Conversational Roundtable
Visualize It:
Write It:
Calculate It:
Check It:

64. Table Talk
What are your favorite ways to encourage collaboration between students? What are the benefits and challenges?

65. What does it take to make a task engaging and interactive?

66. Enough background knowledge
to have something to say.

67. Language support to
know how to say it.

68. A topic of interest.

69. An authentic reason to interact.

70. Expectations of and
accountability
for the interaction.

71. An established
community of
learners that
encourage
and
support
each other.

72. Understanding
of the task.

73. Knowledge of
the norms
of interaction.

74. Independent Learning: Not Just “Do It Yourself” School

75. 26%
Number of high school teachers who “often or very often” run out of time in class and assign the content
for homework
(MetLife, 2008)

76. Traditional homework occurs too soon
in the instructional cycle.

78. Goals of Homework Fluency building Application Spiral review Extension
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Homework and the gradual release of responsibility: Making responsibility
possible. English Journal, 98(2),

80. Consistency
Interaction
Metacognition