{"id":21994,"date":"2024-04-02T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/?p=21994"},"modified":"2024-09-05T12:16:48","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T19:16:48","slug":"5-tips-for-practicing-foundational-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2024\/5-tips-for-practicing-foundational-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips for practicing foundational skills"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Teachers, raise your hand if your classroom has at least one student who is practicing foundational skills. Keep them up if it\u2019s five or more students. Ten or more? Most students? Yes, we see your hands. Hi! We\u2019re waving back at you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our math classrooms, fractions were when we felt it. How were we supposed to teach dividing fractions when some of our learners couldn\u2019t add fractions? When some of our learners didn\u2019t know what fractions truly are?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s math or reading, science or social studies, it\u2019s almost impossible to find a classroom where all learners are exactly where they \u201cshould\u201d be. But when we remember that all learners grow at different paces, and that children of the same age aren\u2019t necessarily all ready to learn the same things<\/a>, we begin to have more empathy for our students, for their previous teachers, and for ourselves!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know academic growth happens when learners receive rich exposure to grade-level content, yet we must face the facts: our learners have gaps that need addressing. Teachers, we don\u2019t need convincing. We need know-how!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Transformative Ten: Stepping stones to high growth for all <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Former NWEA education researcher Chase Nordengren embarked on a study of a school that defied the odds<\/a> and consistently produced high student growth year after year. Hundreds of hours of observation, interviews, research, and MAP\u00ae Growth\u2122<\/a> data led him to recommend ten concrete strategies teachers can take to support student growth. We\u2019re calling these the Transformative Ten<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Provide supplemental learning time for targeted retrieval practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Mix whole-group, small-group, and individual activities<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Adjust student groups in real time<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Share students and strategies within a grade level<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Differentiate tasks within a unit<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Provide targeted practice for foundational skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Teach from multiple standards at once<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Create opportunities for self-directed learning<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Use student discourse as formative assessment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Explicitly teach academic vocabulary<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Strategy 6 asks educators to make intentional, focused time for practicing foundational skills<\/a> that are necessary building blocks, while avoiding getting stuck in past years\u2019 standards. It\u2019s undeniable: this year\u2019s standards + every previous year\u2019s standards = our work cut out for us. But, luckily, one district\u2019s proven methods are here to add new support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Practicing foundational skills: 3 myths to bust the stress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Half of the stress of providing targeted foundational support is not necessarily the doing of it; it\u2019s the looming omnipresence of \u201cMy students need review!\u201d There are many teachers who can reteach previous years\u2019 concepts with fluidity and engagement. In fact, we may have favorite review lessons. But this haunting idea that students are perpetually behind plagues our teacher brains all year long until, surprise! New year, new students, same stressful specter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is an educational reality that we need learners to meet certain targets by certain points in the year. But the sooner we accept that \u201creview\u201d is actually a natural part of the learning progression\u2014especially after the pandemic\u2014the less stressed we as educators will be. And let\u2019s face it: we\u2019re much better at our jobs when we\u2019re a bit less tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myth #1: \u201cBut they learned this already\u201d <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Not necessarily. Raise your hand if you ever had to skip standards because your school year ran short or because you were, you guessed it, reteaching? Raise your hand if you had to abandon at least one standard because \u201cpower standards\u201d needed your attention<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Or maybe a student switched schools or teachers while learning a new concept. Maybe they had something going on at home, like the death of a pet, a new sibling, or a move. Perhaps COVID massively interrupted their learning of a foundational concept or they never fully understood a concept in the first place because their brains simply weren\u2019t ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The good news is, each day, you\u2019re dealing with older, more developed brains. Just-in-time support like a mini lesson on \u201cWhat exactly is<\/em> a fraction?\u201d could be exactly what they need to ignite their understanding\u2014and even unlock old learning memories that just now make sense to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myth #2: \u201cNothing truly \u2018learned\u2019 needs to be retaught\u201d<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Hmm. Maybe. The science of forgetting<\/a> is complex. If we had to retake physics, for example, we\u2019d have some relearning to do, because it\u2019s not a subject we use every day. Not because we didn\u2019t know it in the first place, but because the neural pathways in our brain need reminding of what they understood long ago. Sometimes, we forget procedures and need simple reminding of the concepts behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Imagine a student who \u201cdoesn\u2019t remember\u201d how to turn fractions into decimals. It turns out, their previous teacher used money manipulatives to teach this concept and the student hasn\u2019t dealt with physical money since. A simple mini lesson linking money to the larger concept may be all they need. Their older brain will likely re-meet the concept with a bit more of a foothold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, sometimes educators correctly assess that a student who can\u2019t read a paragraph of text doesn\u2019t need \u201creminding\u201d of phonics; it\u2019s that there are gaps in the learning that may need deeper intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myth #3: \u201cMy exceptional students will be underserved by revisiting previous years\u2019 content\u201d <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s the truth: if all we ever did was review, we would underserve all<\/em> our learners. Research<\/a> repeatedly shows that all learners need rigorous instruction of on-grade-level content. Yet it\u2019s also true that what\u2019s good for one learner is good for everyone, like written instructions benefitting more than just those with hearing impairments. This Universal Design for Learning<\/a> (UDL) approach is not only compassionate; it\u2019s also common sense. In fact, many tips on supporting kindergarten math students<\/a> would support first- and second-graders as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What we label as \u201creteaching\u201d can become reconceptualizing, reconnecting, and reinvigorating. This benefits all the learners in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5 tips for practicing foundational skills and filling in the gaps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Educators, now that we\u2019ve taken some deep breaths and know we\u2019re in this together, here are five tips for supporting your learners with targeted foundational skills support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tip #1: Normalize review by carving out consistent whole-group time<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Looking back on the school year, wouldn\u2019t it be great if there were a consistent review time as a \u201ccatch-all\u201d for those gaps you notice during formative assessment<\/a>? Students do well with routine\u2014and they love a good hashtag\u2014so maybe it\u2019s time to riff on #ThrowbackThursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Perhaps each Thursday, you protect time for a twenty-minute whole-group review session on a deeper, \u201colder\u201d concept that would benefit all voices in the room. Consider going full old school and bringing back physical or digital manipulatives that remind them of their younger classrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Elevate this to a pro tip by bringing it back around on Monday for a quick review. Recalling the skill after the weekend is great practice for retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tip #2: Invite students to teach<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes, the best teachers for your students are other students. Let\u2019s return to our fraction example. Perhaps a couple of learners need a review on adding fractions. Instead of asking students to explain the concept, try this workflow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Write student responses to two lists<\/strong>: List A: \u201cStudent errors when adding fractions.\u201d List B: \u201cMath vocab words you might hear when adding fractions.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Invite a student to the board.<\/strong> Their job is to explain one student error when adding fractions (from list A) using at least one math vocab word (from list B).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Invite another student to be the elaborator<\/strong>, that is, the person who explains, clarifies, or corrects any instruction from the previous student. Bonus points if they include another student error or math vocab word from your lists.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Invite a third student<\/strong> (perhaps one who rates themselves as shaky on the concept) to recap<\/strong> what the two students just taught. They can pick what explanation made more sense to them, or they can create a mashup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Take notes on your students to help inform your decision-making for upcoming small groups.<\/strong> Maybe student 1 was confident but had an error that needs addressing, for example.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      When students teach each other, they reinforce their own understanding, reveal their misconceptions, and deepen conceptual connections for all involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Tip #3: Keep your small groups fresh and flexible<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Sometimes targeted practice with foundational skills will be more needed by a subset of students, who then benefit more from the smaller setting. My colleague Tatiana Ciccarelli champions flexible grouping in \u201c3 ways to use flexible grouping in real time to support student growth,\u201d<\/a> where she offers three steps to shift the small-group mindset from \u201cThese are our low-performing kids, our middle kids, and our high kids\u201d to \u201cThis is where the student will work best right now. I, as the teacher, am flexible and prepared to move them to a different group if I need to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The trick is to stay flexible, both in your groups and with yourself. Tatiana encourages teachers to make ever-evolving small groups that fit the learning goal, and she reminds us to feel free to make last-minute switches. Our students and their relationship to material is always changing, so their groupings should, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Tip #4: Remove \u201cRight?\u201d from your vocabulary <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Once you start noticing this one, you\u2019ll hear it everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cRight?\u201d is an innocuous little word that we often thoughtlessly use as a synonym for, \u201cAre you with me?\u201d However, this is a cue word for our students to pretend they understand or remember what you\u2019re unintentionally labeling as obvious. Students (and your adult friends!) may take this to mean, \u201cOh, I\u2019m supposed to already understand, even though I\u2019m already lost. This is beneath her to explain, so I will ask no questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Ask your students to help you with this. They will surely love to vigilantly tally each time you slip up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Tip #5: Leverage a digital tool <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      If your school uses MAP Growth, one more way to make your assessment data work for you is to pair it with a supplemental digital tool. Many of our instructional connections<\/a> funnel targeted practice to students based on their reading and math scores, accessing a level of personalized, differentiated practice that gives teachers back valuable searching-for-that-perfect-learning-activity time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      An opportunity for depth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      As teachers, we regularly encounter skill sets that build on and draw from one another. Thus, it\u2019s important that we identify and support our students when something is missing. As we dismiss the \u201cthey should be here by now\u201d mindset (when did that ever help anybody?), we free up our energy to explore practicing foundational skills as an opportunity to deepen connections that last longer and longer each time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Teachers, raise your hand if your classroom has at least one student who is practicing foundational skills. Keep them up if it\u2019s five or more students. Ten […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":309,"featured_media":21999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"It\u2019s rare to find a class where all students are where they should be. 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