More than two-thirds of middle school students do not read proficiently. Research has shown that targeted interventions using explicit instruction methods can improve reading outcomes for struggling readers. A central feature of explicit instruction is the systematic implementation of instructional interactions, but it is not clear what specific…

This study's purpose was to examine the effects of the concrete-representational-abstract integrated (CRA-I) sequence on the performance of students who struggled with rational number concepts. Three students in southeastern U.S. fifth grade class participated in the study. The CRA-I intervention was grounded in the principles of explicit…

Mastering spelling is important for children to progress in writing. The National Curriculum in England details spelling lists linked to each year group in primary education. Assessment practices also emphasise the importance of teaching spelling. However, to date, little is known about how teachers feel about teaching spelling nor the…

Using the Learning by Design multiliteracies framework, writing workshop was transformed into composing workshop. The researcher worked with a team of four second grade teachers in an urban public elementary school to redesign their Kevin Henkes author study to equally value art and design, guiding their students in creating their own narrative…

We report on a school-based randomized control trial study comparing two morphological interventions with untaught controls: one focusing on direct instruction targeting print morphological decoding (direct decoding condition) and the other on inquiry-focused pedagogy using oral morphological analysis (inquiry-analysis condition). We identified 63…

An emerging body of research suggests that content-rich literacy instruction has the power to expand elementary children's domain-general and domain-specific literacy skills. For content teachers, such as science teachers, explicit instruction in disciplinary-language and literacy practices can support students reading and writing of school-based…

Nicolas Senior shows how EMC3 's Launch-Explore-Summarise/Review model for mathematics lesson structuring sets the conditions to get the most out of both dialogic and direct instruction. He argues that this model will help teachers walk the balance between order and chaos.

Experiential learning is a child-centered approach to education designed to minimize the role of authority, shift the power dynamic away from the teacher, and place children at the center in curriculum activities. In direct instruction, teachers play a leading role in constructing and delivering lessons to students. Direct instruction occurs when…

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is crucial to students' learning. SRL is characterized by students taking initiative, showing perseverance and adaptively regulating their learning. Teachers play an essential role in promoting and fostering this process. However, several studies have shown that in primary education explicit instruction of SRL…

Fractions are an important concept used throughout advanced mathematical ideas and everyday life. Students need a solid understanding of fraction concepts, such as magnitude, equivalence, and operations. However, many students, including students with learning disabilities (LD) in mathematics, struggle with fractions. In this article, the use of…

Struggling writers often need more instructional support than is present in commercially available process writing curricula. In this study, we employed a one-group, pretest-posttest design to evaluate whether 41 struggling primary grade writers who attended a university-based summer learning program would increase in writing ability, given a…

Fraction competence is essential for learning algebra and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, many children have difficulty using fractions, especially those struggling with mathematics. In this study, we examined the effect of a Tier 2 multicomponent fraction intervention for fifth graders, using a…

Measurement concepts are an essential foundation for more advanced mathematical concepts. To address the challenges of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in learning measurement concepts, this study investigated the effects of using a combination of explicit instruction and virtual manipulatives (VMs) to teach measurement concepts to…

Majestic County Schools (pseudonym), a large southeastern school district, has implemented changes in instruction to align with more rigorous state and national mathematics standards. The rigor of the new standards has led to changes in instruction to help students master the standards with evidence from the state-wide standardized test. Although…

There is a tradition in primary classes of using rich authentic activities to teach science. The idea of pupils learning science through experiment and discovery is appealing. But this is not how children are taught in other subjects. When children learn to read, there are tiny steps, mastering each one before moving onto more challenging books.…