Explicit Instruction

Explicit instruction is a three-stage instructional practice that teaches a new skill or strategy using clear and concise language to describe and model the skill or strategy being performed (Hughes et al., 2017). Simple and concrete language reduces the language demand and helps students understand the steps they see demonstrated when learning the new content. Teachers begin by purposefully selecting a new concept, skill, or practice to teach in isolation that can build on previous learned content. 

In the first “I do” stage of the instruction, teachers model the skill or practice to the students in concrete, sequential steps using simple language. Teachers should do more than just show students a model, or exemplar, of the new skill or concept being taught. They need to specifically demonstrate how to use the new skill as they talk through their own metacognitive process when using or applying the skill – such as a think aloud. Presenting both examples and nonexamples of the skill or strategy application to students further clarifies the concept being taught (Hughes et al., 2017). 

In the second “we do” stage of the instruction, guided practice of the new concept, skill, or practice allows for the students and the teacher to perform the skill together. Students receive scaffolded instructional support that includes varied opportunities for practice and frequent, immediate feedback to minimize any misconceptions in their learning. Direct feedback is offered to correct, or reteach, the newly learned skill prior to the student being asked to work independently. For students at-risk or with learning disabilities, unlearning incorrect concepts can take longer and create a great deal of frustration. As such, the teacher solicits frequent and varied opportunities for student responses alongside corrective feedback to help generalize the skill.

In the final “you do” stage of the instruction, students independently practice or apply the new concept, skill, or strategy. Teachers continue to monitor student responses and provide immediate feedback to immediately encode the learned skill or strategy to long-term memory (Smith et al., 2016). 

Research has shown that direct, explicit instruction is more effective for student learning than unguided learning found in inquiry- or discovery-based models of instruction (Sweller, 1994). While many students can construct knowledge when provided enough information, learning is more difficult for students who may not have prior knowledge stored in their long-term memory to make learning connections (Kirschner et al., 2006). Learning only occurs when information is moved from the working memory to the long-term memory. Explicit instruction works to improve students’ working memory by making the learning process visible (Smith et al., 2016). Students receive small amounts of information at a time in order to have adequate practice and receive constructive feedback to successfully learn the skill. Minimizing the amount of information at one time helps to keep the working-memory from becoming overwhelmed (Smith et al., 2016). 

Explicit instruction most closely aligns with the instructional HLP # 16  – use explicit instruction as well as the social/emotional/behavioral HLP #8 – provide positive and constructive feedback to guide students’ learning and behavior.