Why do some students lack motivation?

Students may lack motivation due to various factors such as external hardships in their home life, a disconnect between learning and real-world applications, disinterest in the subject matter, potential undiagnosed learning challenges, and the developmental stage affecting their ability to foresee the consequences of disengagement.

Perhaps there are extenuating circumstances in their home, whether it be familial strife or lack of food, that can cause them to lack presence and connection to the classroom or instruction. Too often, we’re unaware of the many layers of a child’s life and the stressors they encounter daily. Lack of motivation can come from not understanding the real-world applicability of skills. Students need to learn the skills alongside the use cases – and that use case can’t just be for a test this coming Friday. Perhaps a student lacks motivation because the subject just doesn’t interest them.

Passion is a critical driver in learning, so many teachers aim to help students make personal connections so that the content sparks interest. Or, a child may be facing an undiagnosed learning disability that is constantly keeping them from feeling successful. Furthermore, developmentally, younger students live more in the moment. They don’t fully comprehend the longer-term ramifications if they don’t engage, since their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed – meaning they may lack the foresight for reasoning, judgment, and planning.

What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the classroom?

In the classroom, teachers strive to personalize and individualize lessons to reach every child, and the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is crucial. There are two types of motivation: Intrinsic motivation originates from within, driven by personal satisfaction, leading to increased persistence and enjoyment; extrinsic motivation relies on external rewards or pressures.

Intrinsic motivation speaks internally. In an ideal world, all motivation would be intrinsic. One’s drive and sense of purpose toward accomplishing a task or goal is done for one’s own satisfaction. Research shows that intrinsic motivation can lead to more persistence and more enjoyment. In a classroom, intrinsic motivation can be seen when a child chooses a title on their own because they want to dive into a book or when they keep their head down to solve a problem because they’re up for the challenge. A child who is intrinsically motivated tends to be more attentive, more participatory, and more engaged, and thus can perform better and realize higher achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

When there is a carrot at the end of a stick or a brass ring, so to speak, the motivation becomes extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation comes from the desire for a reward or to avoid negative consequences. So, if a child is trying to earn a goodie from the prize box or please a parent with a good grade, that drive isn’t from within. Now, extrinsic motivation does have its place in the classroom: There are good forms of it when it can provide feedback, encouragement for something outside one’s comfort zone, or reinforcement for completing a task well. Grades are a form of extrinsic motivation, and most teachers use them to applaud students’ work or frame how they can do better. How they do or do not internalize such feedback is up to the students. Often, it can be helpful to look at the Motivation Matrix (internal-positive; external-positive; internal-negative; external-negative). While all the quadrants can lead to change, only internal-positive motivators tend to be associated with personal happiness.

How teachers can boost student motivation for academic excellence

According to Dr. Anders Ericsson, motivation is the most significant predictor of success. Those with motivation can make and manage change, prepare, take action, and persevere toward goals. There are several ways teachers can help encourage student motivation throughout the school year, day in and day out.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Interactive technology tools like Nearpod can support educators in boosting student motivation.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access the lessons in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

1. Spark their interest

At the beginning of each school year, take the time through surveys, interviews, and good old conversations to get to know each child. What do they like? What do they shy away from? Use the trick of asking five “whys” to drill down to the root cause of a child’s nascent opinion. Then, lead them to high-interest content to help them dive deeper into a topic or broaden their horizons on another. Such motivational activities for students can yield great results.

Nearpod offers a robust library of standards-aligned content, and you can let students pick their own paths and take an active learning approach when it comes to exploring subjects and working through levels of proficiency.

Additionally, Nearpod gives you the option to integrate high-interest multimedia content, catering to students’ diverse passions and backgrounds. Incorporate dynamic media such as Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips and Interactive Videos into their lessons. Teachers can tap into students’ interests and connect classroom content to their real-world experiences. This not only captivates their attention but also fosters a deeper connection to the subject matter, ultimately fueling their motivation for academic success.

2. Let them drive

Another way to motivate students in the classroom is to empower them with a sense of agency through student voice and have them make choices based on their own personal interests. Research-based evidence from Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan in the 1970s and 1980s put motivation on a continuum. The self-development theory (SDT) ranges from amotivation, the lack of any motivation to engage students in tasks or activities, through layers of extrinsic motivation, to intrinsic motivation. Their early work highlighted the need for individuals to feel self-determined, self-directed, and autonomous, and to have a sense of control over their lives and destiny.

Curiosity is the engine of achievement.

Sir Ken Robinson

Nearpod supports student choice and voice through interactive features like Collaborate Boards and Open-Ended Questions, enabling students to share their perspectives, collaborate with peers, and engage in meaningful discussions. This fosters a sense of ownership and autonomy in their learning journey, as they can contribute their unique insights and learn from others.

By providing a platform for student voice and choice, Nearpod helps create a student-centered learning environment that values their opinions, promotes active engagement, and encourages student ownership in their learning experiences.

3. Encourage the “pleasantly frustrating” paths

Professor James Paul Gee has written seminal research on learning and video games. He’s known as the godfather of game-based learning (GBL). He touts several good “learning principles” that video game design has exemplified in terms of hooking and incentivizing students. By challenging kids with levels of achievement, you can help motivate students to find an inner drive to keep moving ahead, one step at a time.

Check out Nearpod’s educational game Time to Climb for student motivation by having them push themselves a bit more under gamified conditions. Digital platforms like Nearpod allow for in-the-moment interactivity that is designed to push the child to try and try again.

Nearpod’s Time to Climb and other educational games contribute significantly to the promotion of active learning and student motivation. The competitive element, sense of achievement, and enjoyable experience provided by these games enhance student engagement and encourage active participation in the process of learning the material.

For example, in a science class, a teacher can use Time to Climb to reinforce concepts related to the water cycle. The game can present questions with visuals and scenarios related to the topic, challenging students to apply their knowledge. Students can compete against their peers to climb the leaderboard by answering correctly and quickly. This not only encourages active participation but also creates a sense of achievement and enjoyment as students progress through the game.

4. Show the long-tail effect

Developmentally, many students struggle to think about the long-term future. Jim Taylor, Ph.D., writes that motivation to change often begins with the 3 D’s: direction, decisions, and dedication. So, teachers often become masterful storytellers who weave tales of the real world, future careers, and passions to encourage student motivation. They showcase subjects like math outside of drill-and-kill worksheets and word problems by sharing everyday practices or career-advancing (and enhancing) skill sets that rely on math proficiency. Students need to understand that they are not learning for learning’s sake alone; they are learning to whet their appetite to expand and hone their skills.

Learning isn’t confined to specific subjects; it’s about acquiring a toolkit of skills that empower individuals to analyze problems, make informed decisions, iterate on ideas, and share their insights effectively. By integrating crucial skills known as the 5Cs – critical thinking, computational thinking, collaboration, creativity, and effective communication – educators can show students the real-world relevance of their studies in their lessons. Nearpod’s interactive platform allows teachers to seamlessly weave these essential skills into their lessons, illustrating their long-term value in preparing students for success in any field they choose to pursue.

5. Provide feedback

Everyone likes a gold star once in a while. Extrinsic motivation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as it’s not excessive to the point of having an overjustification effect, where the extrinsic cancels out any intrinsic motivation. Consider ways to give feedback that builds their confidence, encourages them to reach just a bit higher, and rewards them for taking chances. Remember that asking questions and modeling active listening is a way to provide authentic feedback.

Nearpod’s formative assessment tools provide you with real-time data on student responses so that you can plan your instruction not only for the whole group but for individuals as needed, just in time. The best feedback is given immediately.

The true power of feedback lies in its immediacy – addressing questions and misconceptions while they are fresh in students’ minds. Nearpod’s feedback features, such as stickers and writing options for teachers in Draw It and Drag & Drop learning activities, enable educators to respond instantly to each student, tailoring guidance to their specific needs and ensuring that the learning experience remains personalized. By harnessing Nearpod’s capabilities for real-time feedback, teachers can motivate students to thrive and excel academically, creating a supportive learning environment.

6. Talk about procrastination

Procrastination for many is not merely a time management issue, postponing a more important task in favor of a less important one. Often, procrastination is an emotional management conundrum when fear, frustration, anxiety, insecurity, or self-doubt thwart the best of plans. Students and adults alike battle with procrastination. Procrastination can cycle and build into negative thought patterns called procrastinatory cognitions (the Procrastinatory Cognitions Inventory (PCI) has 18 such items). Social and emotional learning (SEL) supports students’ development of self-awareness and self-regulation skills, which can help in such emotional management. SEL promotes a growth mindset and grit, too.

Nearpod offers over 400 SEL lessons, activities, and videos built on CASEL’s five core competencies in the 21st-Century Readiness Program. This program offers a simple method for incorporating SEL practices, such as fostering positive interactions, promoting gratitude, facilitating reflective moments into daily learning routines, and contributing to the establishment of safe, inclusive, and effective classroom environments.

Nearpod also offers free social and emotional learning (SEL) lessons and activities. Features such as Collaborate Board, Draw It, Drag & Drop, Time to Climb, and Interactive Video can be used for emotional check-ins and practices. Here are some examples of motivational activities for students:

• Time to Climb: Social Emotional Learning (Grades 3-5)
• Collaborate Board: Share Your Mood (Grades 6-12)
• Collaborate Board Check-In (Grades 2-12)
• Interactive Video: Mantras (Grades 3-8)
• Interactive Video: What Is Empathy? (Grades 6-8)

7. Show that you’re human, too

So much of what teachers do well is model. And modeling means showing the messy side of life, too. When motivating students to learn, share how you’ve failed forward and pushed through tough times or daunting tasks to inspire them. Talk about lofty goals you had and how you modified or broke them down into smaller goals that build upon one another. Illustrate how strong goals are reframed as SMART goals. Share future goals that you have and the power of “yet” – that you have yet to achieve it all.

Share some of Nearpod’s lessons and activities on goal setting to motivate them forward:

• Time to Climb: Goal Setting (Available for grades 3-6)
• Time to Climb: Time Management (Grades 6-8)
• Interactive Video: Growth Mindset (Grades 4-12)
• Lesson: Goal Planning (Grades 3-5)
• Lesson: Setting Goals (Grades 6-8)

Boost student motivation with Nearpod’s support

Staying motivated is a key goal not only for our students but for teachers, too. We are facing high teacher attrition rates due to factors that are overriding teachers’ intrinsic sense of pride and purpose in their careers. Teachers are lifelong learners who look to inspire the next generation. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.” Seek to motivate the curiosity in yourself and those around you! And just remember: “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!”

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Interactive technology tools like Nearpod can support educators in boosting student motivation.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access the lessons in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post How to boost student motivation in the classroom for academic excellence appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What are the benefits of effective feedback for students?

Effective student feedback has far-reaching effects. From personalizing individuals’ learning to informing teachers’ methodology to fostering a positive school culture, a consistent and proactive feedback cycle can support the overall school community to reach its education goals. This feedback loop is most effective when it is grounded in authenticity and trust to promote students’ progress when it comes to their performance and behavior. MIT’s Teaching + Learning Lab states: “Effective feedback: 1) is targeted, 2) communicates progress, 3) is timely, and 4) gives students the opportunity to practice and implement the feedback received.”

What are the different types of feedback for students?

When providing feedback to students, you may find yourself doing so informally—by providing suggestions, recommendations, or course corrections in the moment. This informal feedback can become a meaningful exchange and provides the student with an opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Conversely, you may want to give more formal feedback at times in writing, through grades, or verbally. There are many video platforms that enable you to capture video or audio feedback to share a personalized message. This form of feedback tends to be more scheduled and tied to evidence of student progress against learning objectives and goals. 

Additionally, feedback may be formative and provides guidance throughout the learning journey. This feedback may be more granular and helps students pivot, prevent missteps, and build confidence. Feedback may be summative and reflective of a task or the learning at the end of a unit. Summative feedback is benchmarked against learning objectives and usually looks back, as well as provides steps for moving forward and continuing to improve. As part of authentic assessments, many educators now use rubrics to help students provide feedback to one another or for themselves. Remember, the goal is for all types of feedback to be constructive.

Why use Nearpod to provide effective feedback?

Nearpod facilitates this seamless and continuous student feedback loop through high-quality instructional moments, engaging students in active learning experiences and guiding instruction decisions via real-time insights. Nearpod offers features to help provide support and scaffolding to students through instant visual and written feedback, helping to create a roadmap for both students and teachers to reach their learning objectives. With such feedback, Nearpod provides a solution that increases students’ participation, performance, and engagement by building their confidence, self-awareness, and enthusiasm for learning. Plus, the individual and collective data provides valuable insights to better inform your teaching methods and enhance classroom dynamics.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

6 Strategies to provide meaningful student feedback

1. Provide timely feedback

Why is feedback important to students? Nowadays, we don’t wait until the end of a unit to gather feedback. We recognize that the most meaningful feedback is immediate, just in time. A delay in feedback can result in the learner not connecting the feedback to the learning moment, thus deprioritizing the need for additional practice or learning; hence, there is no priority put on relearning or practicing the skill or concept. You want to help your students avoid cementing “bad habits” or misconceptions by intervening in the moment. Data-driven instruction relies on continuous formative assessment strategies; consider how these checks for understanding can be conveyed back to the student so that they can have agency in their own learning journeys.

With Nearpod’s real-time insights, you can see student responses in the moment and provide them immediate feedback verbally or with Live Teacher Feedback. Live Teacher Feedback is available in Draw It, Drag & Drop, and Math Manipulatives. Simply click on the “Give Feedback” button to expand the drawable toolbar. You can use Drawables to create stickers or annotations to praise, encourage, or provide support for students’ work. You can provide constructive feedback examples for students by pointing out real-world connections, providing contextualization, reteaching, or reemphasizing a key learning objective all within the student’s individual experience. Think of these types of student feedback as micro-interventions! Students will see your feedback in real time, and screenshots of all feedback will be saved into the related student post-session reports.

2. Consider words of motivation

While there are many types of student feedback, it needs to be authentic, inspiring, and empowering to motivate students to reach high and dream big. As you provide feedback for students, choose your words carefully to provide support that personalizes learning to individuals’ learning goals, whether that be a modification or a further challenge. Too often, ill-worded feedback can put a damper on students’ motivation, so seek out opportunities to praise student effort, work, and behavior (versus just course correcting) when it comes to the best way to provide feedback to students. How can your feedback be construed as constructive and not critical?

Within the Nearpod platform, you can share student work as exemplars. You can choose to do so anonymously and include or hide your feedback when you present student feedback examples. Showcasing student work is one way to bolster both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, from garnering peer respect to building confidence. Provide positive feedback for students’ examples by sharing a “feedback sandwich” of COMPLIMENT, CORRECT, and COMPLIMENT.

3. Be action-oriented

In providing feedback for students, use data-informed practices to provide specifics about the next steps, rather than giving empty accolades. “Almost there!” or even “Well done!” doesn’t provide details on what the student achieved or what they may need to address. Targeted feedback includes actionable steps about what has been mastered or what needs to be improved upon. Lean on quantitative scores as well as qualitative responses to construct a robust profile of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. A continuous feedback cycle is not only beneficial to the student, but it also provides you the opportunity to make in-the-moment instructional decisions to better support your students’ needs.

Whether addressing the whole group, a small group, or individual students, such formal and informal checks for understanding can lead to best practices for data-driven schools. 86% of Nearpod’s customers say Nearpod helps evaluate student performance. Such data will encourage you to refine, redesign, and react in the most supportive manner. And this is where differentiation and personalization comes into play.

Nearpod offers nine types of formative assessment that teachers can weave into lesson plans to personalize students’ instruction and provide differentiation, which only increases student agency and ownership. Through your instructional design, you can provide micro-interventions by modifying existing lessons or assigning a variety of lessons, thereby tailoring instruction and making all learning experiences inclusive. You can choose interactive activities that promote gamification to help incentivize and motivate your students. Within your Teacher Dashboard, you can find individual and collective data about your classes’ interaction with Nearpod lessons and activities, whether teaching with Live or Student-Paced Lessons. Download and share these comprehensive reports as CSV or PDF files to guide your classroom’s next steps.

4. Take a co-constructed approach

True feedback should solicit a two-way conversation, a dialogue between student and teacher. Avoid just delivering (or, worse yet, lecturing), and instead seek out ways to involve your learners in evaluating progress. You can hold a mini-conference to analyze the results and consider the next steps. Take the opportunity to model how to assess and evaluate one’s own performance by asking questions. Scaffold examples of teacher feedback to students so that they will be active listeners. This approach will promote student agency and empowerment. It will highlight how learning is a partnership and collaboration between student and teacher. An ongoing feedback loop is a tried-and-true way to build rapport and foster trust within the classroom community.

Nearpod facilitates this type of co-constructed feedback experience. You can permit your students to access and assess their own reports to promote the creation of personal learning goals. By promoting accountability, you will encourage them to design a learning path aligned to their individual learning style(s). Imagine building this level of collaboration. You could even take it one step further and have students build metacognitive thinking skills by making Student Notes or creating a reflection via Audio Record on their progress, thus building an authentic portfolio of student work. No longer do teachers aspire to be “a sage on the stage” or conduct “a chalk and talk.” Instead, students are viewed as co-pilots. This simple shift in mindset makes for improved hands-on, minds-on engagement and simplifies classroom management.

Students need endless feedback more than they need endless teaching.

Grant Wiggins

5. Ask for continuous student feedback

Incorporating continuous student feedback into the classroom creates a more inclusive and responsive learning environment. By actively seeking student input, teachers can adapt their instructional strategies to better meet the needs of all learners. This process identifies areas where students may be struggling while also highlighting what is working well. Regular feedback loops encourage students to reflect on their own learning and communicate their needs, fostering a sense of agency and ownership over their educational journey. Implementing simple methods, such as exit tickets, quick surveys, or digital tools that allow for real time responses, ensures that student voices are heard consistently.

The Student Reactions feature was designed to empower students to actively participate in the feedback cycle. At any time during a Live Lesson, students can ask for help or respond to quick checks for understanding through a bank of visual icons. They might give a thumbs up to emphasize that they’re moving in the right direction, or they might choose a question mark to indicate that further clarification is needed. Student Reactions make it easier for educators to gauge student comprehension in real time. By encouraging this dynamic interaction, Nearpod ensures that every student has a voice, enhancing the overall learning experience while supporting more effective teaching strategies.

Additionally, Student Reactions boosts student accountability, driving them to take ownership of their learning progress. As students become more engaged and responsible for their own understanding, they are more likely to connect with the material and retain instructional content, leading to improved outcomes and a more enriching educational journey.

6. Let feedback guide your professional development

Encourage your administrator to analyze student data alongside you. Feedback patterns and trends should help structure what your school’s professional development could look like. In which areas are students struggling? Which instructional strategies could be improved? Too often, schools are data rich but insight poor. Schools need to adopt a data-driven mindset so that they are well informed, thorough, and strategic. Data-driven schools hold the promise of taking a more collaborative and community-based approach to school improvement. So, as a staff member, consider how you can help paint a more complete picture of your students wrapping the data in the empathy you bring into the classroom daily. 

Nearpod’s platform offers content and interactive activities not just for students but for teachers as well. Your school can use the dynamic presentation tools to share professional development that teachers can tackle in person through a Group Presentation, or reference the content when needed within a school’s Library. Teaching teams can use Nearpod’s multimedia presentations to share data insights in a visually rich and digestive manner with one another. A school leader can introduce new resources or programs while providing interactive activities as instances of practice or quick checks for understanding with staff members as well. Additionally, a school leader can adopt these best practices when it comes to feedback in order to better support teachers’ needs as well.

Start using Nearpod for student feedback

In 21st-century learning, the 4Cs are critical: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. These 4Cs are hallmarks of good feedback as well. The student feedback loop underscores the need for clear communication and meaningful collaboration. Students and teachers can use critical thinking to decipher what is working well in the classroom and which steps toward improvement may be needed. A feedback-rich classroom can ideate creatively to build a strong classroom culture that fosters positive, trusting, and respectful relationships. For more than a decade, Nearpod has been dedicated to embracing a similar mindset when it comes to receiving feedback from teachers and school leaders in its community. Designed by and for educators, Nearpod actively listens to product feedback to iterate on delivering standards-aligned content and innovative features that help teachers teach and students learn year after year. It’s really that simple!

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 6 Strategies to provide meaningful student feedback appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

In the Structured Literacy model, both content and instruction are systematic and intentional, and there is a clear focus on phonemic awareness as the foundation for written language comprehension. While Structured Literacy is an approach to reading originally designed for students with dyslexia, the growing body of research in the Science of Reading suggests that it is highly effective for the general student body.

Structured Literacy vs. Balanced Literacy

Balanced Literacy promises to foster a love of reading through read-alouds, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, and word study. While word study includes phonics instruction, it is often approached without explicit or systematic instruction. In contrast, Structured Literacy is explicit, systematic, and sequential. It focuses on phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, and spelling, providing a clear, step-by-step method to build foundational reading skills.

As a young teacher of English Learners in Brooklyn in 2007, I faced a daunting task: My 10th grade students, reading at a 2nd–4th grade level, were expected to tackle 8th grade texts. I was incredibly frustrated but was advised to use shared reading, leveled texts, and compensatory strategies, essentially implementing Balanced Literacy.

In desperation, I pleaded with our department head, “But how do we teach them how to reeeeaaaaad the book?” Unknowingly, I emphasized the need for phonemic awareness and Structured Literacy methods.

This experience underscored a critical gap in our teaching approach. While Balanced Literacy has its merits, it became clear that for our students to truly succeed, they needed explicit instruction in the sounds of language and their letter correspondences. Structured Literacy ensures that every student has the foundational skills necessary to become proficient readers.

Is structured literacy part of the Science of Reading?

The Structured Literacy approach fits perfectly with the growing body of evidence supporting the Science of Reading, as it provides a clear, methodical framework for teaching essential reading components. The Science of Reading is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reading instruction emphasizing the importance of explicit, systematic teaching of phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. Structured Literacy instruction strives for all students, especially those with learning differences, to become proficient readers. There is no debate for Structured Literacy vs. Science of Reading given the overwhelming evidence supporting the effectiveness of both in improving literacy outcomes for diverse learners.

Implement Structured Literacy in schools with Nearpod’s support

When implementing a theoretical approach to learning, teachers must receive the resources to make that approach a reality. Without the tools to support Structured Literacy instruction in the classroom, implementing the Science of Reading remains a fantasy. Nearpod can be one of the tools that teachers use when it’s time to put plans into action. With Nearpod’s instructional features and supporting content, teachers can confidently provide research-based instruction and move towards a more Structured Literacy approach.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

5 Ways to implement Structured Literacy instructional methods

1. Choose a scope and sequence backed by the research in the Science of Reading

A scope and sequence outlines the specific skills and knowledge that students need to learn, as well as the order in which they should be taught. Choose a scope and sequence that is systematic and sequential. This ensures instruction follows a logical progression, from basic to complex concepts. 

Look for scope and sequence-explicit instruction where skills are clearly modeled and explained. Ensure the learning is cumulative, building on previous knowledge with continuous reinforcement. The program should be diagnostic and adaptive, allowing for ongoing assessment and adjustments based on student progress. 

A scope and sequence should comprehensively cover all essential reading components, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. By following a structured roadmap, educators can provide targeted instruction that builds on prior knowledge, ensuring there are no gaps in learning. 

If your district isn’t providing a scope and sequence, advocate! Then search for the Nearpod lessons and activities that correspond with the content. Any Nearpod resource can be customized to fit the specific needs of the classroom and allow for plenty of creativity. You can get started with our English Language Arts (ELA) Lesson Guide.

2. Provide explicit instruction in phonemic awareness

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. Instruction can include rhyming games where children match words that sound alike. Sound scavenger hunts are a fantastic strategy for engagement—kids find objects that start with a specific sound. Clap and tap activities help them break down words into individual sounds. Read-alouds should be rich in alliteration and rhyme. Singing songs and playing with tongue twisters create a fun and joyful classroom dynamic. These activities foster a love for language along with phonemic skills to use for Structured Literacy examples. 

On Nearpod, you can create your own interactive lessons using your existing material and classroom ideas (like the ones listed above!). Also, Nearpod offers a variety of interactive lessons and activities for learning and practice. Teachers can use these pre-made activities to engage students and reinforce skills in identifying rhyming words, counting syllables, and practicing recitation of a variety of texts.

3. Focus on decoding and sound-symbol recognition

Decoding involves translating written words into their spoken equivalents by recognizing the relationship between letters and sounds. It might sound dry, but it can be so much fun in the classroom! Start with letter-sound matching games in puzzles or flashcards. Flashcards with pictures and words help reinforce recognition. Interactive storybooks where children can click on words to hear them read aloud makes learning dynamic. Phonics songs and chants turn decoding practice into a musical adventure, stimulating multiple areas of the brain. These activities not only enhance decoding skills but also make reading a positive experience.  

Nearpod activities such as Matching Pairs, Drag and Drop, and Draw It provide opportunities for students to match letters to sounds, blend sounds to form words, and segment words into individual sounds. Enable Immersive Reader to make all texts interactive. Nearpod resources help kids crack the code of letters and sounds, making it easier for them to read new words like pros! The activities, videos, and full lessons all support the decoding instruction and practice required in the Structured Literacy methodology.

4. Give students time to play with root words, prefixes, and suffixes

Incorporate word sorts, scavenger hunts, and color coding into your classroom to make learning about root words, prefixes, and suffixes hands-on and meaningful. Start with word sorts, where students categorize words based on their components. Then, organize a scavenger hunt, encouraging students to find words with prefixes and suffixes in their books or around the classroom. Use color coding to highlight prefixes, root words, and suffixes in different colors within a text. These activities not only make learning fun but also help students visually and contextually understand word structures.

A hands-on approach helps deepen students’ morphological awareness, meaning students build their understanding of the structure of words and how their parts contribute to their meanings. Nearpod has plenty of ready-to-go activities for independent practice. Teachers can create or use pre-made Nearpod activities that encourage students to build new words and understand how word parts change meanings.

5. Support language comprehension

Going beyond word recognition in the classroom is essential when understanding, as an educator what is Structured Literacy. Instruction in language comprehension helps students understand context, infer meaning, and engage deeply with texts.

Vocabulary and background knowledge are key components of comprehension. Enhance vocabulary with word maps, where students define words, use them in sentences, and draw representations. Category sorting helps students understand word relationships by grouping similar words. Analogies and comparisons connect new vocabulary to known concepts, deepening understanding. These activities foster a richer vocabulary and stronger comprehension skills. Build background knowledge with multimedia resources to provide context for new words.

Nearpod offers multimedia features to create a context for learning language and content. Virtual Reality (VR) field trips, 3D Models, and PhET simulations build schema. Students can engage in interactive word work with Matching Pairs, Drag and Drop, and Draw It activities.

Start implementing Structured Literacy in your classroom

Structured Literacy, grounded in the principles of the Science of Reading, provides a systematic and effective approach to teaching reading that benefits all students. By incorporating the principles of Structured Literacy, educators can ensure that their instruction is explicit, systematic, and evidence-based. With Nearpod’s interactive tools and resources, teachers can bring these principles to life in the classroom, making reading instruction engaging and effective. With Nearpod’s support, Structured Literacy will help every student become a confident and proficient reader.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Erika Tepler

Erika is an education consultant and a language acquisition expert. Having spent years abroad and around the US working with learners from all over the world, she is passionate about intercultural communication, multilingualism and instructional excellence.

The post 5 Ways to implement Structured Literacy instructional methods appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

As educators strive to enhance classroom engagement and learning outcomes, Nearpod continues to stand out as the ultimate Tier 1 instructional platform that equips teachers to support, challenge, and see every student. With its comprehensive suite of interactive tools and real-time insights, Nearpod enables educators to deliver personalized learning experiences that are both engaging and effective.

What is Tier 1 instruction?

Tier 1 instruction is the first level of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which is a comprehensive framework designed to provide targeted support to students at varying levels of need. It integrates data-driven decision-making and evidence-based practices to ensure that every student receives the appropriate level of instruction and intervention. Within this framework, Tier 1 intervention is the first level of teaching provided to all students, aimed at ensuring high-quality instruction that meets the core academic standards. This foundational layer is crucial, as it determines the general pace and quality of learning, requiring strategies that address diverse learning needs within the general classroom setting.

Tier 1 intervention tool: Nearpod

Nearpod stands out in the educational technology landscape by consolidating numerous digital tools into a single platform, making it an excellent choice for Tier 1 instruction. Nearpod enhances classroom engagement and creates active learning experiences through interactive lessons with real-time insights from formative assessments, offering a seamless integration that supports both teachers and students effectively.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

5 Effective strategies for Tier 1 instruction

1. Incorporate interactive content

Tier 1 interactive learning, which focuses on core instruction for all students, plays a crucial role. Tier 1 MTSS aims to provide high-quality, evidence-based instruction that meets the needs of the majority of students. By incorporating interactive elements, educators can address diverse learning preferences and ensure that all students are actively participating and comprehending the material.

Interactive learning supports the universal design for learning (UDL) principles by offering multiple opportunities for engagement, representation, and expression. This approach helps to remove barriers to learning and enables students to demonstrate their understanding in various ways. For example, Nearpod’s interactive activities such as Quizzes, Polls, and Collaborate Boards encourage student interaction and provide immediate feedback, which is essential for maintaining engagement and ensuring that all students are on track.

Utilizing Nearpod’s extensive library of interactive lessons and videos can transform traditional teaching methods. This not only engages students in Tier 1 but also caters to various learning styles within a single classroom, making learning inclusive and effective.

2. Leverage real-time data for immediate feedback

In the context of exploring Tier 1 instruction within the MTSS framework, real-time insights are particularly crucial. Traditional methods of gaining insight, such as end-of-unit tests or sporadic quizzes, often provide feedback too late to address learning gaps effectively. By the time these assessments are graded and analyzed, students may have already moved on to new content, leaving those gaps unaddressed.

Real-time insights enable teachers to identify and respond to misunderstandings or difficulties as they occur, allowing for immediate intervention. This is essential for Tier 1 intervention examples, where the goal is to deliver high-quality instruction to all students. By continuously leveraging student progress monitoring, teachers can adjust their instruction to meet the needs of the entire class, ensuring that no student falls behind.

Nearpod’s capability to provide instant feedback through formative assessments enables teachers to gauge student understanding on the fly. This immediate insight helps them adjust teaching strategies in real time, ensuring that all students are keeping up with the lesson. Additionally, Nearpod’s real-time data can highlight trends across the class, such as common misconceptions or areas where many students need more support. This information is invaluable for making informed decisions about when to slow down, revisit previous material, or introduce more challenging content, ensuring that core instruction for effective Tier 1 intervention is responsive to the needs of all students.

Nearpod’s instructional platform also helps facilitate differentiated instruction by enabling teachers to provide targeted support or enrichment based on real-time data. Students who demonstrate a strong understanding can be given more challenging tasks, while those needing extra help can receive immediate, tailored interventions, creating an inclusive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to succeed.

3. Foster collaborative learning environments

Collaboration is key in MTSS Tier 1 education settings, where high-quality core instruction is essential for all students. Collaborative learning enhances student engagement, promotes critical thinking, and develops communication skills, which can also encourage positive behavior. Nearpod simplifies the facilitation of group activities, which can be challenging without the right tools. Traditional methods often require extensive planning and coordination, making it difficult to ensure all students are equally engaged.

Nearpod’s Collaborate Board feature makes collaboration easy and effective. Students can share ideas and resources in real time, allowing for interactive and inclusive group work. This tool helps teachers spark classroom conversations and discussions. From collaborative projects and brainstorming to peer reviews and exit slips, Nearpod’s Collaborate Boards create endless opportunities for collaboration and more. Nearpod transforms classrooms into dynamic learning environments, saving teachers time and enhancing the overall educational experience.

4. Utilize customizable content to meet standards

Every classroom is unique, and Nearpod’s customizable lessons ensure that content can be tailored to meet specific educational standards and student needs, supporting teachers in delivering high-quality, standards-aligned education. Customized content is particularly important for Tier 1 instructional strategies of the MTSS framework, where the objective is to provide core instruction that effectively reaches all students.

Moreover, the ability to customize lessons means teachers can address varying proficiency levels within their classroom. For example, a lesson on fractions can be adjusted to include more visual aids for students who struggle with mathematical concepts, while providing advanced problems for those who excel. This differentiation ensures that all students receive the appropriate level of challenge and support through problem solving skills.

By using Nearpod, teachers can adapt lessons to fit their specific curriculum requirements and diverse learning styles. Nearpod’s extensive library of quality standards-aligned content offers a wealth of resources that teachers can modify to suit their instructional goals. This flexibility enables educators to integrate interactive elements, such as quizzes, polls, and collaborative activities, which enhance student engagement and participation. Interactive content not only makes learning more enjoyable but also helps students better grasp complex concepts through active involvement.

5. Integrate technology seamlessly

When using technology for instruction, a streamlined approach that minimizes disruptions and reduces transition time between different tools is ideal so all resources are housed in one place. This enables teachers to focus on delivering engaging and interactive lessons without the hassle of switching between multiple applications. By consolidating tech tools and digital resources, educators can ensure that students remain focused and engaged, reducing the cognitive load associated with navigating various platforms. This unified approach facilitates easier tracking of student progress and provides a cohesive learning experience, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of Tier 1 interventions in the classroom. Additionally, utilizing a single comprehensive platform can save schools money by reducing the need for multiple software licenses and decreasing the costs associated with training staff on various systems.

With Nearpod, integrating technology seamlessly during core instruction becomes straightforward and effective. Thanks to centralized tools, 80% of customers report that Nearpod saves them time when sourcing resources. Additionally, 74% of customers say Nearpod reduces the number of tech tools needed to facilitate learning. Nearpod’s comprehensive solution enhances the overall learning experience by keeping students focused and engaged. Classroom management can be done efficiently using Nearpod’s features to deliver interactive lessons, formative assessments, and multimedia content seamlessly. This efficient integration supports the delivery of high-quality, standards-aligned Tier 1 instruction best practices, ensuring that all students benefit from a cohesive and uninterrupted learning experience.

Start using Nearpod for Tier 1 instruction

Adopting Nearpod for these Tier 1 instruction examples for all grade levels not only simplifies the educational process but also amplifies its effectiveness. By integrating these strategies, educators can ensure that their instruction is rigorous, engaging, and inclusive, setting all students on a path to success. As we continue to navigate the complexities of modern education, embracing such transformative tools will be pivotal in shaping future-ready learners.

Additionally, the Renaissance ecosystem offers comprehensive solutions for deeper Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions. Resources such as Flocabulary—which combines educational content with engaging hip-hop videos—and other Renaissance tools support differentiated learning and targeted interventions. This cohesive approach ensures that all students receive the appropriate level of support and challenge, enhancing their overall educational experience and success.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Bridget McKnight

Bridget McKnight is a Product Marketing Manager at Nearpod.

The post 5 Effective strategies for Tier 1 instruction appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Nearpod is an instructional delivery platform that helps educators deliver engaging teaching and learning experiences that drive results. It aligns seamlessly with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework by offering diverse tools and resources that cater to the varying needs of students across all tiers of instruction. 

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

What is the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework?

MTSS in education stands for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. It is an evidence-based model of schooling that uses data-driven problem-solving to integrate academic and behavioral instruction and intervention. The integrated instruction and intervention are delivered to students in multiple tiers based on student needs. “Need-driven” decision-making seeks to ensure that district resources reach the appropriate students at the appropriate levels to accelerate ALL students in achievement and social, emotional, and behavioral needs.

What are the four components of MTSS?

The four critical components of an MTSS framework include screening, progress monitoring, multi-level prevention system, and data-based decision-making. Together, these elements form a comprehensive approach to educational practice that aims to ensure academic and behavioral success for all students.

• Screening: This involves assessments that are given to all students to identify those who may need additional support.
• Progress Monitoring: This involves regular monitoring to assess students’ academic and behavioral performance and their response to interventions and instructions.
• Multi-Level Prevention System: This involves providing evidence-based intervention plans of varying intensity based on student needs.
• Data-Based Decision Making: This involves using data to drive decisions about instruction, movements within the multi-level prevention system, and disability identification (in accordance with state law).

What are the three tiers of instruction in MTSS?

The three tiers of instruction in an MTSS framework are designed to provide escalating levels of support tailored to meet the diverse needs of students. 

• Tier 1: High-quality classroom instruction, screening, and group interventions
• Tier 2: Targeted small group interventions for students who need more support
• Tier 3: Intensive individual interventions for students who require more targeted support

Additionally, Tier 1 is always in place for every student, and Tier 2 and Tier 3 are layered on as needed.

How Nearpod supports the implementation of the three tiers of instruction in MTSS

Nearpod is a valuable tool in supporting MTSS best practices. It offers real-time insights into student understanding through formative assessments and dynamic media, which are pivotal in executing the MTSS framework. With the help of  Nearpod, educators can tailor their instruction to meet the needs of all students at each tier of the MTSS. With its interactive lessons, real-time assessments, and customizable content, Nearpod supports educators in delivering high-quality, universal instruction (Tier 1), targeted group interventions (Tier 2), and intensive, individualized support (Tier 3).

Tier 1 support: Universal instruction and engagement

Interactive Lessons: Nearpod’s interactive lessons can help keep students engaged with their learning. For instance, educators can use Nearpod to facilitate active learning experiences that include quizzes, polls, interactive videos, and gamification activities. This can help maintain student attention, drive participation, and cater to different learning styles.

Additionally, Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program lessons are designed with 21st-century skills in mind, incorporating elements such as digital citizenship and social-emotional learning which are essential for supporting the behavioral components of MTSS. By promoting collaboration, communication, and critical thinking, Nearpod helps to establish a positive learning environment that can improve behavioral outcomes and foster a supportive classroom culture.

Real-Time Assessment: Teachers can use Nearpod to conduct live formative assessments to gauge student understanding. This can help ensure that all students are grasping core content, which is crucial at the Tier 1 level, where the goal is to provide high-quality instruction to all students.

Tier 2 support: Targeted group interventions

Small Group Instruction: Educators can create specific lessons for small groups of students who need additional support in certain areas, providing targeted intervention without stigmatizing or isolating these students.

Data-Driven Instruction: Nearpod’s ability to provide real-time insights into student progress on specific skills can be used to monitor the effectiveness of Tier 2 interventions. Teachers can use this data to adjust instruction as needed and provide additional support where necessary.

Tier 3 support: Intensive, individualized interventions

Customized Learning Opportunities: Nearpod can be used to create individualized learning opportunities with content tailored to the specific needs of students requiring Tier 3 support. Teachers can design and create Nearpod lessons to meet the individualized intervention needs of students. For students who need more intensive support, Nearpod’s interactive capabilities—such as Draw It and Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips—can be especially beneficial. These features enable students to show their learning in a way that’s best for them and that meets their individual learning needs and preferences.

Best practices to support MTSS instruction in education

1. Differentiated instruction

Differentiated instruction tailors teaching to meet the individual needs of students. In the classroom, and for supporting MTSS in education, this might entail offering varied assignments, adapting lessons according to learning styles, and enabling students to demonstrate their understanding in various ways. Nearpod can facilitate this by providing a range of interactive activities and content that cater to diverse learning preferences.

2. Collaborative learning

Collaborative learning involves grouping students to work together toward common goals. This approach encourages the development of critical thinking and social skills. With Nearpod, educators can create collaborative spaces where students can engage with each other and the material in a controlled, digital environment. Nearpod’s Collaborate Board enhances this cooperative approach by providing a shared, interactive space that not only deepens understanding through peer-to-peer interaction but also fosters a sense of community and collective learning in the classroom.

3. Data-informed instruction

Data-informed instruction uses student data to guide teaching and learning strategies to support implementing MTSS in schools. It involves analyzing formative assessment results to identify areas where students need more support. By utilizing Nearpod’s instant feedback and reporting capabilities, educators can assess and respond to students’ needs promptly during lessons. Nearpod provides teachers access to real-time insights and enables them to make data-driven decisions that can dynamically address the needs of each student, ensuring that instruction is not only responsive but also personalized and effective.

4. Behavioral interventions

MTSS behavioral interventions are strategies used to support students who may have behavioral challenges that affect their learning. These strategies can include clear expectations, positive reinforcement, and structured routines. Incorporating a Nearpod interactive activity at the start of every lesson to encourage students to check in with their emotional needs and feelings can help establish a routine and build a positive learning environment. Consider using Nearpod tools such as Time to Climb and Collaborate Boards to motivate and engage students in positive ways.

5. Family engagement

Engaging families in the MTSS process is critical. It ensures that interventions are supported at home and that there is a consistent approach to student learning. We encourage teachers to provide families with information explaining the power of Nearpod and how they will use Nearpod’s tools and resources in their classroom instruction.

Start using Nearpod to support MTSS instruction

Implementing these Multi-Tiered Systems of Support examples effectively in education requires a commitment to structured support, data-driven instruction, and a willingness to adapt and respond to the individual needs of students. Additionally, it is important that educators undergo professional development to meet the unique requirements of each learner, as this inclusive system can extend support for a student to receive special education services. Nearpod strives to see and support every student, offering tools and features that align with MTSS best practices. By leveraging these resources, educators can ensure a more inclusive and effective educational environment for all students.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Bridget McKnight

Bridget McKnight is a Product Marketing Manager at Nearpod.

The post Best practices to support MTSS instruction in education appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Active learning is the process of having students regularly assess their own understanding and skill. This means students are attaining knowledge by participating and contributing. Learning involves the active construction of meaning by the learner. Learners construct meaning from their foundational prior knowledge and the new information they acquire. (Dewey)

Many teaching methods promote active learning in the classroom. These include: 

• collaborative learning
• cooperative learning
• problem-based learning
• discovery-based learning
• inquiry-based learning
• case-based learning
• project-based learning
• exploratory learning 
• experiential learning

You might see everyday classroom examples of this in teachers’ action verbs in their learning objectives or in a kinesthetic activity that has students in a science class figure out what molecules look like in a liquid or gas. Active learning strategies are tied to constructivist and constructionist learning theories in all these cases. The ultimate goal is for students to play a participatory role in—and take ownership of—their own learning.

What does active learning look like?

Active learning in the classroom transforms students’ educational experiences and improves academic outcomes.

In the classroom, active learning techniques require a student’s direct engagement, whether physically or mentally, but ideally both. Consider an analogous scenario: television. Watching TV is often a passive activity, with viewers literally sitting and consuming content silently. Yet some educational television shows like Dora the Explorer are designed to get kids to be active viewers. They move and jump, answer questions, talk, and sing with the characters on the screen. This is what makes these shows effective: viewers are doing more than just watching–they’re active.

How can we encourage students to be enthusiastic and actively engaged learners in our classrooms? This is the ever-present challenge for educators! With tech tools like Nearpod, teachers can add interactivity to their instruction, spark collaboration, and engage students mentally and physically.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

5 Impactful active learning strategies for the classroom

1. Use various activity types throughout a lesson

Students learn by doing and engaging their minds and bodies in active learning in the classroom. Varying the activity types used throughout a lesson can prompt students to take on the onus of thinking, working, and doing. It promotes intrinsic motivation so students take agency over their learning journeys.

As teachers, we aim for students to take participatory roles, which commonly involve movement, whether that’s picking up a pencil, raising a hand, or constructing a model. With Nearpod, teachers can offer a mix of question-and-answer formats from Matching Pairs, Drag and Drop, Time to Climb, and Draw It, just to name a few.

One of John Dewey’s goals in education was to create involved democratic citizens. Various assessments and interactive activities often promote peer-to-peer learning, which bolsters communication and collaboration skills. Plus, students grow by teaching others—opportunities for students to explain their thinking become a powerful check for understanding. Getting kids out of their seats to engage in paired or small group discussions, putting their heads together for problem-solving, or moving about with role-playing are examples of active learning in the classroom.

2. Activate students’ prior knowledge

A common practice in instructional design is to start each lesson with an activity meant to activate prior knowledge. Such activities include bellwork, sponge activities, and anticipatory sets. Regardless of the activity name, the goal is to better understand what the child already knows about the topic at hand and to have the student connect what they are about to learn to what they’ve learned previously. Prior knowledge can be information developed and retained through earlier classroom course material or based on personal experience outside of the classroom. Prior knowledge can differ vastly, so it is important for teachers to have a pulse on their students’ range of understanding before diving into a new lesson.

One way to spark prior knowledge is to appeal to varied learning styles with the use of multimedia. When it comes to a new topic, how can you remind students to think of what they have seen, heard, or touched before? Nearpod makes it possible for teachers to not only weave multimedia throughout their lessons but to do so in a way that invites interactivity. Try using a media-rich Poll or a Collaborate Board at the start of a lesson. When exploring how to engage students in active learning, consider using such tools and techniques into a student’s prior knowledge, making connections between what they’ve learned and know already to what they are learning now.

3. Metacognitive reflections

Personal connections to learning don’t have to occur only at the start of lessons. At the end of any lesson, we want students to reflect on what they’ve learned. Learners construct meaning from their foundational prior knowledge and then scaffold the new information they acquire, connecting the old to the new. Many teachers use exit tickets as a quick metacognitive reflection opportunity. A simple yet effective construct for such metacognitive reflections is K-W-L: What did they already KNOW, what did they WANT to know more about, and what did they LEARN?

Add a K-W-L Chart to a Draw It activity or include a Poll for implementing active learning in the classroom around a new topic. Metacognitive reflections encourage students to identify and challenge their assumptions and perspectives and create a more dynamic (and often collaborative) learning experience. Students become agents in their learning process, summarizing their main takeaways, identifying their struggles, and questioning what they want to learn more about next.

4. Make traditionally passive learning moments active

As educators, we’re always challenging students to move from lower-order thinking skills to those denoted as higher-order thinking skills in Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Frameworks like the Padagogy Wheel suggest active verbs to strengthen learning objectives and align varied activities to reach such outcomes. With the influx of technologies and shift in philosophies, teachers’ roles have moved from the “sage on the stage” lecturing (passive learning) to more of a “guide on the side” that encourages students to engage in learning.

Nearpod’s ready-made lessons align with Mayer’s theory that effective active learning methods engage learners in at least one of three cognitive processes: selecting material to attend to, organizing material mentally into meaningful representations, and integrating those representations with prior knowledge. For instance, Nearpod lessons provide a “critical frame” to guide students as they read text or watch media. The media is followed up immediately with a prompt for them to reflect on and respond to. With ready-made Interactive Videos, interactive questions at key moments allow viewers to pause, think critically, and share their ideas.

“Ownership in the classroom matters. It’s not only how the brain learns best—by trying out new skills and wrestling with new knowledge and experiences ourselves, rather than just receiving information—but it’s also how students build the confidence to take on new challenges. When students are asked to try in school, when they are asked to push their thinking even when they’re stuck, to explain why they’ve arrived at an answer, to help a classmate, they also have the chance to stretch their sense of their own capabilities and see themselves grow.”

The New Teachers Project, The Opportunity Myth

 5. Spark connections through discussion

Classroom discussions also help students realize that their learning doesn’t occur in isolation. Such aha moments often happen through meaningful social interactions with teachers and peers alike. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory emphasizes the role of society and culture in learning outcomes and how it occurs first through interaction with others.

Nearpod activities spark peer-to-peer conversations, think-pair-share opportunties, and small-group deliberation to leverage the social dynamics of learning. Collaborate Boards and Polls can promote class discussions, highlight anonymous answers/responses from peers for analysis, and encourage collaboration that can continue “offline.” With Nearpod, meaningful discussion underscores diverse perspectives, encourages opinion-taking, and encourages active listening and probing questioning. Today’s 21st-century skills center on the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, creation, and critical thinking (P21 (now part of Battelle for Kids)).

Create effective instructional experiences with Nearpod

No teacher wants passive, disengaged students in their classrooms. We aspire to tease out the curious learner and to show them how personally satisfying a learning experience can be. We’re the tapestry weavers making those cross-curricular connections and showing how what’s attained during instruction has real-world significance and application. In doing so, the key benefit of active learning in the classroom is that students become agents of their own learning pursuits.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 5 Impactful active learning strategies for the classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Effective instructional strategies go beyond those daily teacher-centric tips and tricks. They are those tried-and-true methodologies that help you, as an educator, reach your teaching and learning goals throughout the school year. When it comes to instructional design, teachers infuse their lesson plans with effective instructional strategies. Many such learning strategies are steeped in research from educational psychologists, philosophers, and researchers such as Piaget, Freire, Dewey, and Papert (just to name a few!).

What are the characteristics of effective and efficient instructional tools?

Meaningful learning experiences motivate students to dive deeper, explore further, and make personal connections. When it comes to personalized or individualized learning, technologies such as Nearpod support teachers in tailoring and targeting learning activities for each and every student. Such experiences put the students in the driver’s seat and give them a sense of agency to become lifelong learners.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

7 Essential strategies for designing effective instruction

1. Student engagement

Student engagement is one of those ubiquitous phrases that educators use to speak about their goals for teaching and learning. What is student engagement? It’s that rapt attention that teachers strive for—students leaning forward in their seats, participating with thoughtful questions and meaningful dialogue, eyes bright with those epitomized lightbulb moments, jumping over one another with their curiosity piqued.

Children are naturally curious; just think of a toddler’s persistent question, “Why?” Educators try to nurture this sense of curiosity into a pursuit of lifelong learning by designing effective exploratory or experiential instruction. Often teachers strive to provide hands-on activities to literally let kids get their hands dirty in the process of learning. Such kinesthetic and tactile tasks improve muscle memory, increase energy, and nurture cognitive and emotional development.

Another way to support student engagement is ensuring lessons have clear and authentic real-world connections. By showcasing how skills apply to everyday life or with career goals in mind, students are more likely to embrace instances of practice. Constructivist Bruner lauded the process of student-centered discovery, and Papert celebrated constructionism to provide children with meaningful challenges they’d be excited to tackle.

Nearpod offers a treasure chest of interactive activities specifically designed to champion to engage students. From engaging educational games like Time to Climb to Interactive Videos and immersive Draw It activities, Nearpod transforms learning into an exciting journey, challenging and motivating students along the way. Nearpod effectively brings abstract concepts to life, fostering students’ active participation and turning the traditional classroom into a dynamic, student-centered discovery hub.

2. Active learning

Active learning involves all facilities. It underscores that learners aren’t just consuming but creating, making connections, and building upon prior knowledge. It asks that students do the heavy lifting and thinking in a lesson. Piaget claimed students aren’t just “empty vessels” waiting to be filled. Freire warned against the banking method of education in which students are treated as passive receptors, thus limiting their creative and critical thinking.

Active learning transforms students’ educational experiences and improves academic outcomes. For students of all ages, active learning practices lean quite a bit on activities that pull in kinesthetic movements to encourage students to hone multiple learning styles as they digest and retain new information. Such participatory roles promote active learning across the curriculum.

Nearpod creates active learning environments where every student participates, increasing engagement and challenging students through interactive features that puts them at the center of learning. Interactive features, such as Polls, Open-Ended Questions, and Collaborate Boards, can be one of the most effective instructional practices to spark students’ prior knowledge at the beginning of a lesson or for metacognitive reflections to assess what students learned by the end.

3. Collaborative learning

Collaborative learning brings students together in a joint venture to search for understanding or meaning. This framework of effective instruction is a great way to promote a community of learners as well. Students take a more active and participatory role when they’re engaging in peer-to-peer learning. And today’s technologies allow students to “discuss” while leaning in on their preferred learning styles.

VAK (Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic) is a common way educators begin to address where a child’s strengths lie when it comes to processing and retaining new knowledge. With collaborative learning, students develop and lean on one another’s strengths, benefit from their varied perspectives, and challenge each other for problem solving and deconstructing a problem differently.

Collaborative learning and building connections are of paramount importance in creating active learning experiences. Nearpod provides multiple opportunities for teachers and students to collaborate and build connections. Collaborate Board enables students to work together in a shared digital space and share their thoughts via text, images, audio, video, and ever-so-popular GIFs. Teachers can hear from every student by having them use multiple formats to develop their ideas further. This fosters teamwork and cooperation and builds communication skills among students and teachers, creating a collaborative learning environment.

Our digital world (inside and outside of the classroom) challenges how we need to learn and refine our social and interpersonal skills when communicating and collaborating with one another. Nearpod’s interactive lessons and activities prepare students to use technology effectively, safely, and appropriately, all while building positive and empowering school climates. Nearpod’s social and emotional learning (SEL) activities and lessons highlight these core life skills.

4. School culture

A positive classroom and school culture are crucial to creating a welcoming and supportive environment inclusive for all students and their families. It’s helpful to set and share expectations at the beginning of the school year to emphasize what your goals are for your students. Level setting with such shared routines and procedures can help create a cohesive climate.

Invite all stakeholders to have an active role in your classroom. Encourage all stakeholders to model leadership with positive behavior and a can-do attitude or growth mindset. By focusing on forming authentic and caring relationships, you can motivate students on their learning journeys. And don’t forget to celebrate the daily small and big wins! With such dedication, schools can actualize a student-centered vision for all and implement effective instructional strategies.

Nearpod plays a significant role in connecting and building school and classroom culture through its various features and functionalities. Nearpod allows educators to see every student and create active learning experiences where every student participates through:

• Interactive lessons, videos, activities, and formative assessments 
• Dynamic media and gamification activities like Time to Climb
• Collaborate Boards that build connections through class discussions

5. Formative assessment

Formative assessment can help guide an educator on how best to keep each student on a personalized learning path. Such techniques—whether it is a simple thumbs up/thumbs down, a poll, an exit ticket, or a quiz—provide teachers with a plethora of data, allowing them to take a data-driven approach to designing meaningful learning experiences. Teachers can use this intel to monitor students and modify the next steps in instruction.

Does a lesson need to be revisited? Does the content need to be modeled in a different manner? How can you take students from comprehension to mastery? Data can range from active participation to a test score. Educators can look for patterns to best understand how individuals and small groups are progressing against learning objectives and goals. Formative assessment is a continuous process and bolsters designing elements of effective instruction.

With nine types of formative assessment tools within Nearpod, teachers can design interactive lessons that promote engagement and progress.

6. Real-time insights

Today’s technologies allow us to economize gathering student data across the curriculum so we can analyze and glean insights in real-time. Data can be visualized in many ways, making it easier for teachers to digest and act upon the insights effectively.

Teachers can monitor student progress more readily and provide immediate feedback when the child has a question or meets an obstacle. The value of immediate feedback is immense—students feel more self-aware, motivated, and confident. Such constructive feedback can thwart bad habits or misinformation from being further cemented. This feedback cycle encourages students to reflect more on their learning journey and rely on internal and external feedback.

Nearpod empowers teachers to effectively measure student understanding in real-time, enabling them to make instructional decisions at the moment. Having access to real-time insights, teachers can make more informed instructional decisions and visualize learning in various ways to drive instruction.

Nearpod keeps students and the learning process at the forefront of every class through:

• Formative assessments that provide real-time insights to guide instruction
• Post-session reports informing your next lesson
• Tool and content to scaffold instruction and meet students where they are

7. Differentiation

Meeting a child where they often mean a teacher has to be ready to differentiate instruction for lessons, whether that be to modify a particular activity to support a student better or add a layer of complexity to challenge another further. By understanding your students’ diverse learning needs, you can individualize your lesson plans to ensure immediate feedback, varied instances of practice, and increased engagement.

Similarly, schools often face a challenge of amassing and providing a rich diversity of resources for an equally diverse set of students. Educators seek to deliver high-interest resources so kids can go beyond the old adage of amassing knowledge that is a mile wide and an inch deep. Instead, they grow their depth of knowledge and expand their interests. Such resources encourage teachers to design effective instructional strategies and differentiate learning experiences so students have options and various ways to meet learning objectives through different paths and channels.

Nearpod’s quality content library plays a crucial role in supporting differentiation in the classroom. With over 22,000+ standards-based interactive lessons, activities, and videos, Nearpod gives educators the flexibility to meet students where they are in their learning journey. Teachers can easily tailor their instruction by selecting materials catering to different learning styles, abilities, and interests. Whether it’s providing additional challenges for advanced learners or offering extra support for struggling students, this content library lets teachers create personalized and engaging learning experiences that cater to the unique needs of each student.

Design effective instruction with Nearpod

Having these seven essential strategies as habits of mind when engaging in effective instructional planning will result in more dynamic classroom interactions. When it comes to personalized or individualized learning, technologies such as Nearpod support teachers in tailoring and targeting learning activities for each and every student. Nearpod’s all-in-one platform aids and supports teachers and students alike. From interactive lessons and videos to real-time student data, such experiences put the students in the driver’s seat and give them a sense of agency to become lifelong learners.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 7 Essential strategies for designing effective instruction appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

As technology plays a larger role in education, it’s increasingly important to understand how it can support a student-centered classroom. Keep reading to learn the benefits of student-centered strategies and how Nearpod helps support your teaching practices.

New to Nearpod? Teachers, sign up for free to access the resources, interactive activities, and lessons in this article! Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

What is student-centered learning?

Allowing students to take charge of their own learning increases their motivation and engagement in everyday learning. They’re encouraged to reflect and make decisions, leading to the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Student-centered strategies create opportunities for students to explore their own interests and think creatively, inspiring more original and innovative ideas.

Students who engage in their own learning, and have ownership of the process, are more likely to retain information. They’re empowered to develop self-directed learning skills, such as goal-setting, decision-making, and problem-solving. Most importantly, a student-centered classroom fosters independence and autonomy and prepares students for future academic and professional success.

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7 Student-centered learning examples with technology

Want to empower your students and make your lessons more engaging and interactive? Here are six tips for using technology to support student-centered technology and learning.

1. Make presentations interactive

All too often, classroom presentations are very teacher-centered. They typically look like a single instructor standing at the front of the room, talking through a lecture or set of slides as students sit passively. An easy way to shift more of the cognitive load toward students is to make your presentations interactive.

A few strategies to consider: 

• After any slide that presents information, add another (or follow-up) slide with an open-ended question. Have students pause and talk to a partner or in small groups. You could also have two or more discussion questions and let students pick which one to discuss—a great way to bring their voice and choice into the classroom.
• Invite a student or group of students to present while you sit and take notes for them. This works well for older students who learn and listen best from their peers. Allow them a choice in how they present, whether through a presentation, music, skit, or a gamified experience.

What does this look like in Nearpod? Well, Nearpod is all about interactivity! When creating lessons, embed Nearpod’s interactive features, such as a Draw It activity, to engage students in the learning process and reinforce their understanding. Compare and contrast student submissions to deepen classroom dialect. Ask questions that allow students to talk about the parts of learning that interest them most, or create a classroom debate on the different ways of thinking!

2. Assess student understanding in real-time & personalize instruction

Assessing student understanding in real-time and personalizing instruction can naturally create a more student-centered classroom and provide students with greater agency and ownership over their own learning.

Real-time insights allow teachers to see how students are performing and adjust their instruction on the fly. By tracking progress and identifying areas where students may be struggling, teachers can provide targeted support and individualized feedback and tailor their instruction to the unique needs of each student.

This type of personalized instruction is a hallmark of student-centered learning activities, which prioritizes the needs and interests of individual students over a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. When students are given more control over their own learning and are able to work at their own pace, they’re more likely to feel engaged and invested in the learning process.

Additionally, real-time insights facilitate collaborative and interactive learning experiences that further support a student-centered classroom.

With Nearpod, you can see how your students perform in real time and adjust your instruction accordingly. Building in formative assessment with technology has never been more fun or simple! Use the gathered data to provide instant feedback and help students who may be struggling right when they are struggling.

Also, Nearpod’s live lesson teacher dashboard or post-session reports provide a wealth of student data to personalize instruction and support varying levels by tailoring your lessons to your learners’ unique needs and interests. This data should encourage you to release students to explore the content deeper, engage in a set of practice problems, discuss thought-provoking questions, or form a small group to intervene at the moment during instruction.

3. Empower students with choice and control

Empowering students with choice and control over their learning is a key aspect of student-centered classrooms. Educators can create a more engaging, motivating, and meaningful environment by giving students various options for how they learn.

One option is using choice boards, which are visual organizers that present a variety of learning activities for students to choose from. Choice boards can be structured around a specific learning objective, theme, or topic and offer different activities at different difficulty levels. Students then choose which activities to complete based on their personal interests, learning styles, and skill levels.

Another option is offering assignments with multiple formats or deliverables. For example, instead of assigning a traditional essay, teachers could offer students the choice of creating a video, podcast, infographic, or other formats that align with their interests and strengths. By allowing students to choose their preferred format, you’ll tap into their creativity and help them develop important 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Give students the power to control their own learning journey by allowing them to work at their own pace using Nearpod’s Student-Paced mode to drive choice boards and where students want to take their learning. This fosters a sense of ownership and control over their pace and learning.

What are the benefits of student choice?

The benefits of providing choice in the classroom are many. First, students take greater ownership of their learning, increasing their motivation and engagement. When students feel they have some control over their learning, they’re more likely to invest time and effort into the process.

Second, student choice helps differentiate instruction—which is essential in meeting the diverse needs of today’s learners. By offering multiple activities or formats, teachers better meet the needs of different learners and help all students succeed.

Finally, providing choice builds student agency and confidence, two critical components of a student-centered classroom.

4. Encourage classroom collaboration

Collaborative learning is an important student-centered learning example because it promotes active engagement, critical thinking, and social emotional learning. When students work collaboratively, they build on each other’s ideas, challenge assumptions, and co-create new knowledge. Collaboration encourages students to interact, communicate, and learn from their peers.

In a student-centered classroom, the teacher is seen as a facilitator of learning, and the focus is on creating opportunities for students to take charge of their learning. Collaboration allows for peer-to-peer learning; students work together to understand difficult concepts and solve complex problems. It promotes a sense of community, where students learn to respect and appreciate each other’s perspectives and differences.

Collaboration also promotes social emotional learning by providing opportunities for students to develop important skills such as communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution. When students work together, they learn to listen actively, share their own ideas, and work through disagreements. They learn to take on different roles and responsibilities, develop leadership skills, and build a sense of empathy and understanding.

Use Nearpod to support student collaboration and teamwork through technology. Encourage students to work together on a given activity, explore virtual reality (VR), or simply engage in meaningful conversations about a similar topic with their peers using the Collaborate Board.

Use a Collaborate Board and provide sets of questions for students to rotate through in small groups and respond to the question that speaks closest to them. Provide a variety of sentence stems to get students thinking critically and driving their thoughts in different directions; you’ll gain a deeper insight into how students relate to the content.

5. Use educational games

Educational games are a powerful tool in student-centered classrooms; they provide an engaging and interactive learning experience.

One benefit of using educational games in student-centered learning is how they personalize the learning experience for individual students. Because many educational games are designed to adapt to the level and progress of the student, they provide a customized learning experience that meets the needs of each learner. This is particularly beneficial in a student-centered classroom, which focuses on creating personalized learning experiences that meet learners’ unique needs and interests.

Educational games effectively promote active engagement and motivation among students. When students play a game, they’re often more willing to take risks, make mistakes, and try again. This can help to create a positive and supportive learning environment that encourages students to take ownership of their learning and take an active role in the learning process.

Additionally, educational games can be a powerful tool for promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Many educational games require students to use critical thinking skills to make decisions, which promotes deeper learning and understanding.

Gamify learning by using educational games, simulations, and other interactive tools that can be customized to accommodate student differences, motivate students to put more effort into learning and help students increase their own responsibility for driving their own learning. Embed Nearpod’s Time to Climb activity within your lesson to spice up your review or formative assessment and allow students to select the theme of the day and the character they want to be.

6. Student voice activities

Encouraging and highlighting students’ voices makes them active participants in their own learning and promotes a sense of ownership and agency over the learning process. When students are able to share their thoughts, opinions, and ideas, they are more likely to be engaged and invested in the learning experience.

There are several ways student voice can drive student-centered learning activities. One way is through the use of student-led discussions and group projects. When students are given the opportunity to lead discussions and collaborate with their peers, they are able to take ownership of the learning process and engage in deeper, more meaningful learning experiences.

Student voices can also be highlighted through feedback and reflection. Students who are given the opportunity to provide feedback and reflect on their progress subsequently take an active role in shaping their own learning and developing a deeper understanding of the content.

The use of student surveys and other forms of feedback is also beneficial. When teachers take the time to listen to their students and incorporate their feedback into the learning process, they create a more personalized and meaningful experience that meets the unique needs and interests of each student.

7. Teach social emotional learning skills

Social emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process of developing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Students with strong social and emotional skills are better equipped to take ownership of their learning and engage in deeper, more meaningful learning experiences.

Here are some ways SEL can support student-centered instruction:

• Promote a sense of belonging and community: When students feel connected to their peers and their teachers, they are more likely to be engaged and invested in the learning process. SEL creates a sense of belonging and promotes positive relationships within the classroom.
• Develop self-awareness and self-management: Students can take control of their learning and engage in productive behaviors when they recognize their own emotions and manage them effectively.
• Foster collaboration and communication skills: SEL helps develop students’ social skills and improve their ability to work collaboratively with their peers. This can be particularly important in a student-centered classroom, where collaboration and communication are key components of the learning process.
• Encourage responsible decision-making: Making responsible decisions allows students to take ownership of their learning and engage in productive behaviors that support their academic success.

Start creating student-centered learning experiences

In conclusion, student-centered learning has been proven to be an effective approach to learning, fostering independence, critical thinking, and creativity in students. Nearpod is an ideal tool for facilitating this kind of learning. With interactive features, real-time assessment capabilities, and personalization options, Nearpod provides educators with tools to empower their students and bring the benefits of student-centered strategies to live in the classroom. Whether a seasoned teacher or starting out, Nearpod helps create dynamic and engaging learning environments that inspire students to take control of their learning and reach their full potential.

New to Nearpod? Teachers, sign up for free to access the resources, interactive activities, and lessons in this article! Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

References

• Sudderth, Anna. “What Is Student-Centered Learning and Why Is It Important?” Rethink Together, 5 Jan. 2022, https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/what-is-student-centered-learning/.
• “TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 6: Student-Centered Learning.” Teaching Excellence in Adult Learning. https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/6%20_TEAL_Student-Centered.pdf
• Kayingo, Gerald, and Virginia McCoy Hass. The Health Professions Educator: A Practical Guide for New and Established Faculty. Springer Publishing Company, LLC, 2018.

Pamela Villalba

Pamela Villalba is a Senior Curriculum Manager at Nearpod. She previously served as the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction at a large urban school district in Central Florida where she led a team of content experts to support over 60 middle and high schools in the areas of professional development, school support, and curriculum within all core subjects. Pamela is currently in charge of supporting Nearpod in creating an innovative offering to support Math teachers across the nation.

The post 7 Student-centered learning examples with technology appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

What is the great debate around the Science of Reading?

Let’s start with the basics: what is literacy? Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, and listen. Over the decades, schools have shifted to adopt new theories and philosophies. Phonics, whole language, or balanced literacy are all monikers for how educators can teach students how to read. The Science of Reading (or SOR) is not a program. It’s the culmination of decades of research supporting a return to a highly structured set of approaches rooted in decoding skills and language comprehension. It is grounded in efficacy-based research, deconstructing how and why particular models of instruction work.

Balanced Literacy Vs. Science of Reading

For years, balanced literacy sought to find a middle ground between the pendulum extremes of phonics-first and whole-language advocates. Teachers shared their toolbox of strategies with students, from decoding to “three-cueing” to leveled readers. Yet such programs have been hard to evaluate in terms of efficacy. SOR education practices shies away from the popular guided-reading approach touted by Lucy Calkins and Jan Richardson in favor of an explicit focus on decoding and language comprehension.

Research shows that reading, unlike talking, is not a natural process for children. It takes more intentional instruction to achieve desired results and goals. Proponents of the Balanced Literacy vs Science of Reading point to the recent decline in reading scores as evidence that the prevalent methods of reading instruction over the past decade have failed. The Science of Reading emphasizes the importance of mastering foundational skills through a structured literacy approach to ensure effective strategies for learning to read.

Why is the Science of Reading important right now?

It’s hard to argue that we’re not in a reading crisis. Reading skills have declined in districts and states nationwide to historic lows. The learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic widened reading and math achievement gaps. It spotlighted the increasing discrepancy for Black, Hispanic, and other students impacted by educational inequalities. EdWeek reported that student results from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showcased that a third of 4th and 8th graders can’t read at the “basic” achievement level, which is the lowest. 70% of teachers of those 4th-grade students reported using remedial measures a couple of times a week. According to the results, even top readers have made little progress over the past three years. This lack of growth and widening gaps have turned educators and parents’ attention to what can be done differently regarding the SOR.

This map shows students from grade 4 scoring below basic in reading, by state:

What is the Science of Reading?

Many states have now adopted a much more rigorous approach to reading. The SOR approach zeros in on developing five core skill sets for emergent and beginner readers: fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension. It harkens back to 1986’s The Simple View of Reading research by Philip Gough and William Tunmer, which underscores the importance of two components: decoding and language comprehension. Think of it as an equation—reading comprehension is a product of decoding and language comprehension: RC = D x LC.

The algorithm’s simplicity belies the intricate and sophisticated sensemaking of letter sounds, words, and sentences. Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s 2021 Scarborough’s Rope Reading further details how the two intertwine, scaffolding skills and building toward automaticity.

With the SOR, instruction involves dedicated time and a systematic and intentional method of seeking out teachable moments for literacy across the curriculum. This evidence-based approach encourages educators to lean on what matters and what works. Turning research into practice, however, is not without time, effort, and money.

Here are the 10 components of the SOR:

• Print concepts
• Phonological awareness
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Spelling
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Oral language skills
• Reading comprehension skills
•  Background knowledge

To better understand Science of Reading strategies, look at this downloadable to refresh your understanding of key concepts and terms. Remember, there is no specific curriculum or program, so you’ll want to work with your school community to determine how to fold in these demonstrated methods.

How are states implementing the SOR?

States are falling victim to the age-old problem of education stumbling over change management. Many are pushing this newer school of thought with little explanation. Such harried rollouts breed confusion, suspicion, and defensiveness. Teachers are told to change their “best” practices and beliefs without time to make connections to the new methodologies. Timelines, incentives, and compensation are not being offered equitably. This push-and-pull pits educators against one another, and against change in general.

Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, and Mississippi have passed laws requiring a SOR approach. Others are going in with intensive training and Science of Reading professional development, overwhelming an already taxed and deflated teacher population. North Carolina is spending $54 million on a two-year training (LETRS) for all K-5 teachers. A common refrain is, “When you know better, you do better.” Many other states, such as Utah and Virginia, are leveraging ESSER funds to adopt such practices via instruction and training. However, the integration and implementation nationwide are uneven at best.

What are the benefits of the Science of Reading?

Time will tell; the benefits are to be seen. On the positive side, such a common and structured approach based on research should be easier to track and see results. According to a study by Amplify, many students in 43 states are seeing an uptick in the number of students on track to read at grade level by the end of the year.

The Science of Reading curriculum takes a scaffolded approach, promotes reading across the curriculum, and supports English language learners. While school leaders need to think systematically around benchmark assessments, resource allocation, and professional development, they also need to remember that teaching is both a science and an art.

Edtech implementation

Nearpod

According to an ESSA Level II study, 5th and 8th-grade students who used Nearpod had higher ELA achievement compared to similar students in their grade level who did not use it. This makes it an ideal tool when implementing SOR strategies. To explore some related Nearpod Science of Reading activities and lessons, visit the Nearpod library and search by standard. You can zero in on the English Language Arts (ELA) strands of Conventions of Standard English, Vocabulary Acquisition and Use, Knowledge of Language, Phonics, Word Recognition, Fluency, Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, or Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity to start. Consider duplicating a lesson and making modifications to meet the reading needs of your students. 

You can also create your own lesson or activity to target any of the 10 components of SOR instruction. Interactive activities such as Drag and Drop, Matching Pairs, Draw It, Immersive Reader, and audio responses can be used to teach your students fluency, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension.

Here are some examples of lessons teachers can use:

Early Elementary Lessons (K-2)

• CVC Words (K-1): In this lesson on CVC words, students will learn to idenifty the beginning, middle and ending sounds of CVC words.
• Nonfiction Text Features (1-2): In this lesson on nonfiction text features, students will learn about features that help readers make sense of what they are reading.
• Retelling Key Details (1-2): In this lesson on retelling key details, students learn to identify and retell key details in a fiction story.

Grades 3-5

• Parts of Speech (3): In this lesson on parts of speech, students will identify nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.
• Complex Sentences (3-4): In this lesson on complex sentences, the students will review simple and compound sentences and learn about complex sentences.
• Eight Parts of Speech (5-6): In this lesson on the eight parts of speech, students will define, identify, and use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and articles.

Grade 8-12

• Summarizing Texts (6-8): In this lesson on summarizing texts, students how to write a summary by identifying the main idea and key details.
• Annotation and Close Reading Strategies (11-12): In this English lesson, students learn annotation and close reading strategies. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain tips and tricks for effective close reading, and will practice annotating excerpts.
• The Paragraph: Concrete Details & Textual Evidence (9-10): In this lesson, students will explore the components of a good paragraph. They will learn to identify appropriate concrete details and practice using them with common transitions to strengthen an argument in a logical way.

Flocabulary

Flocabulary accelerates student learning by building academic vocabulary and comprehension through rigorous and authentically engaging instructional experiences. These K-12 standard-aligned video-based lessons and activities leverage the power of hip-hop, storytelling, and emotional connections to cultivate literacy across the curriculum.

Academic vocabulary is a leading indicator of student comprehension. Flocabulary strategically uses hip-hop as the foundational medium to teach vocabulary and provide the necessary in-context word exposure. While it starts in the video, Flocabulary infuses aspects of hip-hop throughout the lesson sequence. For example, students unlock components of a hip-hop beat while completing the Vocab Game and are tasked with writing a rhyme of their own in Lyric Lab.

The Art & Science of Reading

While we continue to research and seek improved methods for teaching SOR reading strategies — and all subjects—we also need to remember that educators are tasked with molding lifelong learners. In part, when it comes to literacy instruction, they need to promote a love of reading, extol the beauty of wordplay, and develop an appreciation for storytelling in children. We know that one size does not fit all in education. So we need to rely on quantitative and qualitative data and make time for continuous feedback and reflection inside and outside the classrooms to create skilled readers and masterful literacy educators.

Nearpod believes teaching is the most important job in the world. That’s why we’ve created a platform to help teachers engage every student. Nearpod offers 22,000+ rigorous lessons, videos, and activities used by 75% of school districts in the United States alone. If you’re ready to unlock the full instructional power of Nearpod at your school or district, we’re ready to talk!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post How to decode the Science of Reading appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

How can summer learning loss be prevented?

When preventing summer learning loss, building an effective summer learning program for both teachers and students is essential. This requires school leaders to provide teachers with a comprehensive instructional platform and an intentional focus on accelerating learning and supporting the whole child. Simply extending instruction into the summer months won’t be enough to recoup learning loss and get students back on track. Teacher burnout and staffing shortages make this summer’s school year a bigger challenge than ever. School leaders must anticipate having summer school teachers working in grades and subject areas outside of normal experience. Summer school teachers might also be less experienced than in previous years or even brand new to the profession.

No matter how you and your fellow educators decide to tackle summer learning for students, know that Nearpod is here to support you through planning, execution, and providing a space for educators to learn from one another. Teachers can make any lesson interactive within one platform that has real-time student insights through interactive lessons, interactive videos, and gamified learning. When exploring how to prevent summer learning loss, Nearpod’s interactive lessons can keep teachers ahead of the curve and ensure you return to school in the fall ready to take on the challenges of the new academic year.

Unlock the full instructional power of Nearpod with the unlimited access, collaboration, integrations, and support your teachers need.

Effective summer strategies to accelerate learning and prevent learning loss

As you and your colleagues are refining plans for summer programming and preparing to welcome students enrolled, here are a few strategies to consider to help drive student success:

1. Get a baseline of student understanding with formative assessments

Utilizing formative assessments tied to state standards at the start of your summer program gives the teacher insight into student comprehension, knowledge, and skill levels, without the intimidation of formal tests. Continued use throughout the program allows students to control their learning path by providing immediate feedback to the student and teacher. In turn, with information on how the student interprets the material, teachers can support the student with targeted and focused instruction.

Nearpod has nine formative assessment tools and interactive activities teachers can use to get real-time insight into student understanding to prevent learning loss over the summer:

• Time to Climb
• Drag and Drop
• Draw It
• Collaborate Board
• Matching Pairs
• Open-ended Questions
• Quiz
• Polls
• Fill-in-the-blanks

2. Engage students with interactive activities, lessons, and videos across core subject areas

Summer school teachers need broad support as they prepare their classes for instruction. Remember, many summer school teachers will be teaching out of the grade level and subject area and are unsure of the academic content they will be responsible for delivering, so it’s essential to equip them with the proper materials.

Data released by NWEA focused on students in grades three through eight and compared their progress in the 2020-2021 school year to similar students from before the pandemic. Education researchers reveal data that indicates students, on average, were between three and six percentile points behind in reading skills and eight to 12 percentile points in math compared to previous years. Younger students struggled more than older students, as remote/hybrid learning proved to be a more significant challenge for young scholars.

Administrators can help teachers accelerate learning by providing access to premade standards-aligned lessons across core content areas through Nearpod. These quality lessons made by content experts are turnkey, interactive, and engaging for students. This is especially important for essential content areas and standards in Math and English Language Arts (ELA), as students are often recommended for intervention based on assessment and test scores for these two content areas.

Prevent the summer slide and use the following lesson guides to teach science, social studies, reading, and math skills to students in middle and elementary school.

3. Support students’ social emotional learning and academic development

In addition to opportunities to accelerate learning and summer learning loss prevention, educators are still supporting students to adjust to the current environment following the social and educational barriers that were in place during and after the pandemic. A vital goal of any effective summer program is to continue addressing those needs and supporting students’ development. Summer school leaders must ensure that social and emotional learning (SEL) is essential to their summer program, as it will benefit both students and teachers.

By incorporating lessons on social emotional learning activities into core instruction, educators help students access their feelings and emotions, develop healthy identities, and build positive relationships while giving them the tools they need to succeed academically. Doing so can be a simple 5-minute activity where students practice self-management by sharing some of their most helpful habits. Using activities where students can self-identify their feelings anonymously to their teacher and engage with their peers will help them navigate their reality. Having brain breaks will also be a vital element in summer programs, as students will need time to disengage from academics and explore other avenues. Working on SEL initiatives is something all teachers can do regardless of their experience level to prevent summer learning loss.

4. Provide opportunities for extracurricular activities and summer enrichment

Students missed out on more than the instructional time during distance and hybrid learning. And as such, summer programming shouldn’t be limited to academics to accelerate learning. Ideally, your district can partner with local organizations and parks and recreation departments to provide students with various opportunities to get outside of the classroom and reconnect with their peers while learning a new hobby or skill. Though if that’s not possible, don’t discount virtual reality (VR) experiences. Providing equitable, virtual reality experiences allows students from all backgrounds to travel the world, try on various careers, and more!

5. Stay organized and prepared with multiple solutions in one streamlined platform

Remember teachers’ challenges and devise innovative solutions to support them and their students during summer break. Maximizing the edtech tools your school and district can access can help, but what’s most important is choosing the right tools to set teachers for success. Nearpod’s mission is to make teaching easier with the interactive tools, resources, and content teachers need, all in one place. Whether you’re experiencing staffing shortages, onboarding new teachers, or simply trying to support your teachers and students, having a core tech toolkit is crucial. It will save teachers time in training and planning and give them more time to do what they do best: teach, connect with students, and help accelerate learning. Teachers can have the ability to create slides, embed interactive assessments, get real-time student insight, and have a library of standard-aligned resources, all in one place.

Unlock the full instructional power of Nearpod with the unlimited access, collaboration, integrations, and support your teachers need.

Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

nearpod.com/

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