Meaningful Instruction to Improve Student Achievement

  • Home Page Icon
  • 1
  • Course Guide Icon

Module 1

In this module:
  • Module 1 Introduction
  • Topic A
  • Making a Difference
  • Aligning to Student Needs
  • Student Interests
  • Blooms Taxonomy
  • Formative Instruction
  • Metacognition
  • Topic A Activities
  • Topic B
  • Instructional Goals
  • Active Engagement
  • Gradual Release Model
  • Topic B Activities
  • Topic C
  • Instructional Strategies
  • Explicit Instruction
  • Scaffolding
  • Modeling
  • Simulation
  • Project Based Learning
  • Topic C Activities
  • Topic D
  • Creating Differentiated Instruction
  • Differentiated Learning
  • Creating Differentiated Instruction
  • Learning Styles
  • Topic D Activities
Standards Aligned System: Meaningful Instruction
Skip navigation
  • Overview
  • Topic A
    • Topic A Introduction
    • Aligning to Student Needs
    • Student Interests
    • Bloom's Taxonomy
    • Formative Instruction
    • Metacognition
    • Activity A-1
    • Activity A-2
  • Topic B
    • Topic B Introduction
    • Active Engagement
    • Gradual Release Model
    • Activity B-1
  • Topic C
    • Topic C Introduction
    • Explicit Instruction
    • Scaffolding
    • Modeling
    • Simulation
    • Project-Based Learning
    • Activity C-1
    • Activity C-2
  • Topic D
    • Topic D Introduction
    • Differentiated Learning
    • Creating Differentiated Instruction
    • Learning Styles
    • Activity D-1

Gradual Release Model

The gradual release model, is a teaching model that provides support to students, slowly removes those supports as students learn to become responsible for their own learning, and creates independent learners. The gradual release model begins with the teacher leading the learning. When the students are ready, the teacher introduces guided group learning, and slowly releases more responsibility to the students as they learn to collaborate in small groups. Eventually, the teacher will release complete responsibility to each individual student as they are able to learn independently.

Gradual Release Model

The key to using a gradual release model is to ensure that students have the metacognitive skills necessary to make the transfer from guided instruction to independent learning. With guided instruction, students are provided with a safety net. Students should only be expected to think and learn independently once they fully understand all the skills and strategies they will need to be successful. Learning independently is scary for many students. As you release students to independent learning, you will need to reassure them that they have the ability to learn and solve problems without your guidance.

In the next topic we will look at some of the specific instructional strategies that help guide and support students as they become independent learners.  


Back

Next

Back to Top of Page

Overview • Topic A • Topic B • Topic C • Topic D

© 2010 Performance Learning Systems