List of Instructional Strategies

1. Word Splash Strategy (MS - Social Studies)- according to this website, Word Splash is a
pre-reading strategy that introduces students to key vocabulary words and their
definitions. Students make a list of words, find their definition, make sentences using
such words, and flashcards to practice them. This strategy would be useful because
students can learn new words and their meaning related to the subject they are learning
about, such as history, geography, civics, etc. This Word Splash strategy can be used for
1st - 6th grade, however, it can be modified to be used in higher grade levels too.
http://web.georgetownisd.org/ccorner/socstudies/InstructionalStrategiesforSocialStudies.a
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2. Concept Map Strategy (Reading) - Concept maps are visual organizers that allow
students to understand and break down a new concept. This strategy would be good to
use during a reading class, because it helps students organize ideas, connections to the
reading, and they are easy to use. Concept maps are great for any grade level.
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/concept_maps
3. Think-Pair-Share Strategy (Math) - For this strategy the teacher will ask a question in
which the students will think about the answer. After a couple of minutes the students will
pair up to share their answer or modify it, before sharing it with the rest of the class. I
believe this strategy is good because it encourages group talk and work with others. This
strategy would work best when used with 4th graders and up.
http://mathwire.com/strategies/is.html
4. 3-2-1 Response Strategy (Science) - Students can make notes and write responses in their
science notebooks and the teacher checks for understanding, making it a quick and easy
assessment tool. The way it works is by having students list 3 new things terms or facts
learned during class, 2 new concepts that are new to them, and 1 question they have about
the class of that day. This strategy can be used from a 3rd grade level and up.
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/marine-ed/curriculum/instructional-strategies.html#321
5. Affinity Diagram Strategy (Writing) - The purpose of this strategy is to organize
information into meaningful categories which will later help the student with the writing
process. This strategy is great because it encourages students to break old thought
patterns and expand their mind into new creative ways of thinking and writing. To make
the diagram you'll need 3x3 post-its and chart paper or a large wall. This strategy can be
used from 4th grade and up.
http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/affinity_diagram.pdf
6. Collaborative Writing Strategies (Writing) - Students work in small groups to plan, write,
edit, and revise their writing. This strategy is a great choice to use in class because
students are encouraged to provide positive feedback to their peers identify sentences that
could be enhanced with additional adjectives. I would recommend using this strategy
from 5th grade and up.
http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Better/articles/Winter2011.html
7. Chunk and Chew Strategy (Social Studies) - Is a great strategy that supports students
understanding of important concepts. What makes this a great strategy is that ensures that

List of Instructional Strategies

students are not drowning with input from the teacher which leads to stress or
discouragement. Instead it focuses in short "chunks" of important concepts by lecturing
for 10 min. and for 2 min. students are encouraged to ask questions to assure
understanding of the subject (chewing the information). This strategy can be used from 16 grade levels. http://excellenceined.org/102-chunk-and-chew/
8. Drafting Strategy (English Language Arts) - Students generate ideas by prewriting a
rough copy and organizing their writing. By doing so students may choose to make
changes in their writing before they turn in their final draft. The reason why this strategy
is chosen to be used in classrooms is because is very effective. Students develop more
cohesive text and explore a topic to write about. This can be used in a 3rd grade level and
up. http://powerupwhatworks.org/strategy-guide/drafting
9. K-W-L Chart Strategy (Science) - is a chart with 3 columns that allows students to note
before, during, and after information about a concept. It's awesome and easy to use. You
can choose to use it with an overhead projector as a class, or individually. The letters
stand for K-what do you know about it?, W-what do you want to learn about it?, and Lwhat did you learned? This chart can be used with students in the 3rd grade and up.
http://beesburg.com/edtools/glossary.html#K
10. Think Aloud Strategy (Reading) - This strategy helps students by verbalizing their inner
speech as they think their way through a problem. This encourages students to say what
they are thinking aloud to find new ways of approaching a problem while bringing to the
surface complex thinking skills. This strategy can be applied in the classroom as early as
kindergarten. https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/problem-solving/48546.html
11. Scaffolded Instruction Strategy (English Language Arts) - According to the website, this
strategy is based on the idea of providing the student with great support during the time
they are first developing a skill -like writing, for instances- and gradually removing the
help provided to increase their independence. This strategy is great for kids in
kindergarten and up. http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/lit_ins4.html
12. Comparison Matrix Strategy (English Language Arts) - The focus of this strategy is to
make sure students comprehend the reading (during and after) by recognizing similarities
and differences. This is a great strategy that can also be used for other subject areas and
any grade level. http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/section7.pdf
13. The Skimming and Scanning Strategy (English Language Arts) - Skimming is a method
of rapidly moving the eyes with the purpose of getting a general idea of what the reading
will be about. Scanning is rapidly "scanning" through the reading to locate a specific fact
or term. This strategy allows students to quickly get the main idea, identify text structure,
and confirm or question predictions. http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/reading/stratread.htm
14. SQ3R Strategy (English Language Arts) - It's initials stand for Survey- Question-ReadRecite-Review, and is a comprehension strategy that helps students think about the
reading while they are reading it. This strategy is great because it allows students to
understand the reading the first time they read it, and it also teaches them how to read and

List of Instructional Strategies

think like effective readers. Great for 3rd grade and up.
http://www.adlit.org/strategies/19803/
15. The Hot Seat Strategy (English Language Arts) - for this strategy, the teacher takes the
role of a character in a narrative selection. After the teacher's model example, a student
assumes the same role, and so on. Based on this the students get to evaluate the actions,
feelings, and motivations of a character. This strategy is great for motivating students to
better understand the reading in a fun way. It can be used on any grade level from 1st and
up. http://www.learningpt.org/literacy/adolescent/strategies/hotseat.php
16. Implementing the Writing Process Strategy (Writing) - It explains the writing process and
offers practical methods to help students become proficient writers by prewriting,
drafting, and editing. According to the website, studies have found that students who
learn the writing process score better on state writing tests. Great for K - 5th grade.
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/implementingwriting-process-30386.html
17. Asking "Why?" Strategy (Math) - Is considered one of the best ways to implement a
"thinking curriculum" by regularly asking students "why?". This strategy helps prepare
students for many of the open-ended items on the CMT. Great for grade levels K-8.
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/math/cmtinstructionalstrategies.pdf
18. Time-to-Talk Strategy (Science) - It helps promote student's dialogue by creating
instructional conversations about the learned material. This is a great strategy that
provides students with opportunities to converse back and forth with scientific and
technical terms. It can be used to discuss different explanations from the students
experiences in the classroom. Great for students on 5th grade and up.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/7079
19. Real-Life Scenarios Strategy (Science) - This website explains how the use of real-life
case studies reinforces classroom learning and are ideal for classes of any size. The case
studies should be relevant to the class curriculum and to the students, as this will help
engage them in learning. Best for a 6th grade level. http://www.edu-nova.com/teachingtechniques-for-science-teachers.html
20. The Continuum Strategy (Social Studies) - This strategy encourages students to present
opposing views on a certain topic. It is a useful tool to assess students' knowledge and
understanding before the lesson. It involves physical movement around the classroom, so
it also encourage even quiet students to get involve. Great for any grades levels 3th-6th.
http://www.streetlaw.org/en/landmark/teaching_strategies/continuum