Modeling,It's Important!
by Amanda Merrick, Section C, September 10, 2015
The Article
Effective Reading and Writing Instruction: A Focus on Modeling by: Kelley Regan and Sheri Berkely
APA Citation:
Regan, K., & Berkeley, S. (2011). Effective Reading and Writing Instruction: A Focus on Modeling. Intervention in School and Clinic, 276-282. doi:10.1177/1053451211430117
Summary of Main Ideas
Effective Reading and Writing Instruction covered how to model both reading and writing strategies within instructions. The authors did this be going through the step of how to teach a reading strategy for comprehension and a writing strategy of a persuasive paper. Modeling is the key to teaching both types of strategies. The article provided an easy why to check if you are being effective in you model because if it is not done in depth enough, the student may not understand the strategy and struggle to use it. One must remember when modeling to be SPECIFIC, be EXPLICIT and be FLEXIBLE. When modeling, the teacher tells the student when to use the strategy and why to use. Then they show them step by step how to do it. One can do this through a think aloud and providing hands out with the steps printed on them. A teacher must show every step. Finally the teacher will model when it is appropriate to use the type of strategy and when it is not appropriate to do so. this can be done by providing examples of both. The two strategies the article reference were a summarization strategy and STOP strategy. Resources about each stratgiy are provided below.
Specific
"Clearly and exactly presented or stated : Precise or exact"
- "specific".2015. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved September 8th, 2015.http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specific
Explicit
"Very clear and complete : Leaving no doubt about the meaning"
- "explicit".2015. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved September 8th, 2015.http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explicit
Everything is out on the table
Flexible
"Easily changed ,able to change or to do different thing"
"flexible".2015. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved September 8th, 2015.http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flexible
Personal Reflection
Modeling is something that I feel teachers do without realize, which is why I think it is a great tool to use in the classroom. However many times teachers do not realize that they are not reaching their students as well as they could be. This is why I feel it is important to keep in mind the three words this article focused it's instruction on, Be Specific, Be Explicit, and Be Flexible. Show ever little step, even the ones the gone on inside. Tell them when to use it and why it is important to. More often then it is because it will help then gain a skill and cut down on their frustration and worry. I feel modeling is especially important in reading and writing because most of it does happen on the inside instead of the out. Somethings that happen on the inside are not explicitly taught because they are a skill for so many student. But there will always be some who need the modeling of the strategy to gain the skill.
Explore
- In your option, what are some pros and cons about using modeling?
- Would you use the summarization strategy and the STOP strategy in your own classroom? Why or why not?
- How could we, as teachers, relate modeling to other subject areas? Would it be just as important?
Additional Resources
- Get the GIST! Summary Strategy similar to the one presented in the article. Below is a link to a GIST template http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson290/Template.pdf
- Here is list of other summary strategy ideas http://www.gcasd.org/Downloads/Summarizing_Strategies.pdf
- STOP and DARE: A Persuasive Writing Strategy, an article about how to use both the STOP and DARE Strategy http://web.b.ebscohost.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=e7e5d092-e085-4589-9246-b76f64ede9d9%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=125&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=507758461&db=eft