Explicit Instruction: Strategies for Meaningful Direct Teaching

Explicit Instruction: Strategies for Meaningful Direct Teaching provides pre-service and in-service teachers with much needed answers to questions such as, “What do we do for students who need more? How do I actually stand up and teach a lesson? What happens to students who aren’t "getting it?”

Explicit Instruction is a challenge to the view of explicit instruction as an outdated, mechanistic instructional strategy and presents it as timely, proven, and accessible. The explicit instruction framework is flexible and holds wide applicability for teachers across grade levels (elementary, middle, and secondary), settings (whole group, small group, general education, special education), and content areas. It provides a contemporary middle ground for teachers who may avoid traditional direct instruction approaches, but who acknowledge that many students ― particularly in today’s inclusive classrooms ― need instruction that is explicit, meaningful, and effective. Although the theoretical underpinnings of explicit instruction are presented, the primary focus is on the “how” of becoming an effective instructor. Readers will be able to gain expertise a by mastering small chunks of the explicit instruction framework at a time – mirroring the process of teaching young students how to master new skills and strategies.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS FIRST EDITION:

• Graphic organizers for each element of the explicit instruction model provide readers easy to reference, at-a-glance information for lesson planning and implementation (Chapters 5, 6, 7)
• Examples of scripted explicit instruction lessons in each of the major content areas help readers visualize precisely what explicit instruction looks like in practice for different content areas and grade levels. (Chapter 8 & 9)
• Review questions and practice activities for each element of the explicit instruction model help readers gain competence at each discrete element of the explicit instruction model. (Chapters 5, 6, 7 )

Jennifer L. Goeke began her professional career as an elementary inclusion teacher and received her Ph.D. from the University at Albany in educational psychology. She is currently Assistant Professor of Special Education in the College of Education & Human Services at Montclair State University. Her research and publications are focused on the development of research-based teacher education pedagogy for inclusion and the development of special educators’ instructional thought. Today, Jennifer provides future and practicing teachers with explicit instruction that is meaningful, dynamic, and effective for the classroom.