Teaching and Learning

At Anton Junior School we follow the research of the 10 Principles of Rosenshine model which underpins the teaching and learning you will see in our classrooms. 

Who is Barak Rosenshine?

Barak Rosenshine was born on August 13th 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. He was a high school history teacher originally but stopped actively teaching in 1963 to gain a PhD in Education at Stanford University. After completing his PhD, he taught at Temple University for 2 years before moving to the University of Illinois. It is at the University of Illinois that he taught educational psychology and published many papers, mainly focusing on teacher performance, direct instruction and strategies based on cognitive science Whilst at Illinois, Rosenshine first proposed his instructional teaching functions, on which he based his later work on the principles of instruction.

In 2012, Rosenshine published a further, revised edition of earlier papers; “Principles of Instruction: Research-based Strategies that Teachers Should Know“. In this paper, Rosenshine had, for the sake of clarity simplified the list of principles, from a rather ominous 17 down to a more manageable and less intimidating 10.

1. Begin the lesson with a review of previous learning.

2. Present new material in small steps.

3. Ask a large number of questions (and to all students).

4. Provide models and worked examples.

5. Practise using the new material.

6. Check for understanding frequently and correct errors.

7. Obtain a high success rate.

8. Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks.

9. Independent practice.

10. Monthly and weekly review

Below is a little more detail around each principle: 

1. Begin a lesson with a short review of previous learning

Reviewing previously learned material strengthen the connections between pieces of knowledge. That is, it enhances understanding. We aim for five to eight-minute review of the previously covered material, including peer marking, asking questions, checking for misconceptions, correcting homework, and others.

2. Present new material in small steps followed by student practice

There is only so much novel information we can process at one time. If you ask pupils to do too much at the same time, they are like to make mistakes, misunderstand or not embed the learning in their long term memory.

3. Ask questions and check answers

To learn something, children need to practice it. Every time children answer a question or solve a problem, they retrieve that information, memory for that information becomes stronger and more last-longing. The more variety of question types, the better.

4. Use models

Concrete examples and models are a good strategy to introduce a new concept. Explicit and detailed explanations and instructions are also recommended. We use the method of I do, We do, You do which embeds the learning in a gradual but fast paced model. 

5. Guide practice

Rosenshine recommends that teachers stimulate children to rephrase, elaborate and summarise new material. According to him, successful teachers spend more time asking questions, checking for understanding, correcting errors and guiding students when working out problems.

6. Check for understanding

Constant checking is important to catch misconceptions before they harm learning. It also helps teachers notice if parts of the content need reteaching. Rosenshine suggests that teachers ask direct questions, instead of asking pupils if they have questions and assuming that silence means a full understanding of the topic.

7. Obtain a high success rate

This principle relates to making sure all children have mastered the current set of lessons before moving on to the next one. It involves checking for misconceptions and asking questions.

8. Provide scaffolds in difficult tasks

When children are completing a hard task, it is important that teachers provide temporary instructional support. These scaffolds can be gradually removed as children advance in their understanding and fluency on a particular topic. Rosenshine suggests using cue cards, checklists, worked examples and models as scaffolding. Teachers can also anticipate children's errors and warn them about them beforehand.

9. Stimulate and monitor independent practice

Independent practice should be used after guided practice. That is, when children are already very competent in a topic, they can practice independently in order to become fluent and retrieve information automatically. Rosenshine calls this process “overlearning”. Independent practice should cover the same topic covered in guided practice as children need to be fully prepared for it.

10. Conduct weekly and monthly reviews

Similar to Principle 1, Rosenshine advocates for a frequent review of previously learned material in order to help children reconsolidate information and create stronger connections.

Below is the rubic our teachers use to support them in planning as well as classroom practice: