Strategies that Work

Are you looking for new strategies that engage all the learners in your classroom? Look below for a few favorites...

CHUNK, CHEW, CHEW...

Chunk, Chew, Chew is a strategy that insures that students are not overwhemed with instruction, and have time to practice and learn the new skills and strategies. It is called "Chunk, Chew, Chew" because teachers deliver their lessons in small "chunks" and allow students time to "chew" on the new information. The rule is that teachers should present lessons for 5-8 minutes (at the K-2 grade level) and then give student 2-5 minutes to chew on the information. This can be done through partner activities, independent reflection/journaling, or small groups games or conversations.

THINK, PAIR, SHARE

Think, Pair, Share is a cooperative discussion technique that promotes student's thinking. There are three steps to Think, Pair, Share.

Think: The teachers poses a thought provoking question, that is open ended and has a variety of responses. The student takes a few moments (moments, not minutes) to think about their answer.

Pair: The students work with a partner and they share their ideas, discuss their answers with each other, and sometimes challenge one another on their answer.

Share: The pair then either shares their answer with another pair, or with the whole group. It can be a good listening activity if the partner are asked to share their own partners answers, rather than their own.

Think, Pair, Share helps structure a discussion and requires student to be fully involved. By giving them independent think time, it is like using "wait time" and requires students to fully think about their answer before shouting out.

STAND UP, SIT DOWN

Stand up, sit down allows students the opportunity to agree or disagree with certain statements. This can be a good assessment of lesson comprehension. The teacher says a statement about the subject that students are learning about. If a student thinks the statement in true, they stand up. If a student thinks the statement is false they remain sitting. The teacher then asks certain students to defend their opinion, and allows for students to change their mind based on the argument. Teachers can take the opportunity to use a teachable moment to build on a lesson.