Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement

by Ceri B. Dean, Elizabeth Ross Hubbell, Howard Pitler

The latest edition of this landmark guide has been reenergized and reorganized for today's classroom with new evidence-based insights and a new Instructional Planning Guide that makes it easier for you to know when to emphasize each of the nine research-based teaching strategies.

Genres: Education, Teaching, School, Nonfiction, Professional Development, Textbooks, Teachers

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Neil Hepworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains very basic thoughts, theories, and practices about teaching. The problem with the book is that because it is targeted at all teachers, k-12, of all subjects, it is often too broad to be of any real immediate value. I'm sure this would be a great book for a Teaching Theories Class, but it has little practical value for any specific teacher of any specific grade of any specific content. I can't actually say that I am going to change anything in my classroom because I read this book. There are so many other better books out there with real, practical applications.

[Lablover · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unimpressive. Had to have for a graduate class. This would be good for a beginning teacher or even an undergraduate class. However, an experienced teacher should know this.

[Eco]

Just a book for class

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good evidence based info. in this book. Classroom teachers are clearly the intended audience, but several chapters are beneficial for supporting school staff, tutors, coaches and homeschooling parents.

[Alex Furst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #63 of 2021. "Classroom Instruction that Works, 2nd Edition" by Ceri Dean, Elizabeth Hubbell, Howard Pitler, and Bj Stone. 3/5 rating. This book goes through nine broad instructional strategies to implement to ensure students learn, understand, and retain what they are taught.

This book was a very useful overview of the different ways to cement knowledge, understanding, and the ability to actually apply the different topics teachers try to impart. All of these start with having a very clear idea of what specifically the goal for the students to know is. If we are not sure about why we are teaching a topic, or what the aim is for it, how can we ensure that we are successful?

After this, we can begin choosing which instructional strategy will be most conducive to the goals we set out.

As the authors say: the instructional strategies "are like instruments in an orchestra. Each has its own characteristics, contributes to the orchestra in particular ways, and must be masterfully played both alone and in combination with other instruments to obtain the desired effect."

If you are looking for different ways to effectively engage all learners, then this book is a good way to look through some great strategies, along with ideas to best implement them in the classroom.

[Erin McDonnell-Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book (as understood by the title) is focused on the research behind certain strategies, I did like how it broke down the steps to student engagement and achievement in the classroom learning environment.

This information could be useful to novice teachers who are struggling with certain aspects of leading a classroom. I wouldn't recommend the entire book as a class text, but I would suggest parts for the areas in which the student is struggling. I liked the discussions on:
(1) feedback on student assignments (p. 11-18)
(2) cooperative learning (p. 39-46)
(3) cues and asking questions (P. 54-56)
(4) summarizing (p. 80-88)
(5) note taking (p. 90-96)

The overall topics of each chapter include:
1. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
2. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
3. Cooperative Learning
4. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
5. Nonlinguistic Representations
6. Summarizing and Note Taking
7. Assigning Homework and Providing Practice

Chapters 8 (Identifying Similarities and Differences) and 9 (Generating and Testing Hypotheses) could be good to use with content specific teachers.

[Michael Loveless · Rating 3 out of 5]

In style and content, Classroom Instruction that Works was similar to the Art and Science of Teaching. Perhaps that similarity is because Art and Science was written by Robert Marzano and the first edition of Classroom Instruction was also written by Marzano. I liked this book better, because it was a nice blend of research, theory, and practical application. The idea of the book was to identify teaching practices that have been proven by research to work. Each chapter is one of those practices: 1) Objectives and Feedback, 2) Recognizing Effort, 3) Cooperative Learning, 4) Cues, Questions and Organizers, 5) Nonlinguistic Representations, 6) Summarizing and Note Taking, 7) Homework and Practice, 8) Identifying Similarities and Differences, and 9) Hypothesis. A final chapter attempts to help the teacher plan to put them all together. I found the book to be a pretty good blend of theory and practice, but it leaned a little too far toward the theory side for me to give four or five stars. I do feel that I could open up this book and begin to create at least a few lessons that would promote better learning.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for all teachers. It presents a framework for teaching and learning:
Creating The Environment for Learning
Helping Students Develop Understanding
Helping Students Extend and Apply Knowledge

Using this framework, research-based "high yield strategies" are presented and explained. They are-
1. Setting objectives and providing feedback
2. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
3. Cooperative Learning
4. Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers
5. Nonlinguistic Representations
6. Summarizing and Note taking
7. Assigning Homework
8. Identifying Similarities and Difference
9. Generalizing and Testing Hypotheses

Each chapter not only explains why the strategy is important, but gives user friendly suggestions for implementation. I learned a great deal about how to structure my units from the last chapter which is entitled "Instructional Planning Using the Nine Categories".

Overall, very well written and extremely usable ideas. I highly recommend this book to all teachers, regardless of experience level!

[Katie Laugen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Our administration asked those of us being observed this year to read this book. I complied. I did not find this book helpful and wish I hadn't annotated all over it. It may be that my college years are only 3 years behind me, or it may be this book is too general to be helpful. The strategies aren't ground breaking and the terminology is only slightly different from what I heard in my pedagogy classes. I wish I had read one of my content area texts instead.

[Shari Hardinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent environmental and instructional strategies to best improve not only student growth and achievement, but develop their learning to learn skills for all future endeavors. Looking forward to recognizing these more in our classrooms as well as coach them in others. Many require adaptation in expectations or how they will play out in an early childhood setting, but none-the-less, glad these are a section in our admin Instructional Rounds this year in the building of which I am a part.

[Sabrina Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I had to read it for an Education class this semester, and it was so useful. I learned a lot from this book. It is marked up and well loved. I would recommend this to a beginning teacher especially, but even seasoned teachers could benefit from it as well.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical, hands-on methods for improving classroom instruction, as the title suggests. Works well in secondary education. Explains theories without wasting time delving into self-gratifying rabbit holes of interest only to the author.

[Thomas De Ceglie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stuff in here, but very broad.

[Michele Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A required reading. Well written and basic ideas for teachers.

[Heidi Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated that this book was all research-based and current. Lots of great ideas for teachers.

[Grace Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tips for instruction! Recommend for future teachers!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used in college

[Kali Whisenhunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I have to read a book for school, I'm gonna at least meet my year goal off of it. lolol

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked out this book because when I attended Learning Forward this summer everyone referenced this book as if it were the Bible of effective teaching. I can see why. McRel spent years researching the most high yield strategies for learners and compiled them in this text. I found myself wondering how they quantified students' learning to prove which were most effective, but in general really loved their ideas and walked away feeling like I would implement many of these strategies in my classes this year. Plus it quoted my IT specialist, Karl Fisch, which was quite a hoot. :)

[Nicole Dodendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first edition more than ten years ago as I sat in a workshop with D. Pickering. I was intrigued to read the second edition as the cited research and statistical differences have been updated. Any teaching book is a worthwhile read if I hear myself saying, " I probably could do this or that more efficiently or with better results." However, I would recommend this as a summer read... Most educators probably don't have the time to truly put some reflective thought into this during the school year.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book! Full of ideas and their effectiveness as determined by numerous studies. I really enjoyed the chapter on homework. As educators I don't think we know why we give homework. And I don't think most teachers agree on homework's effectiveness either but we still give it thinking/hoping it helps. This is another book I plan to use in the fall. The last chapter is a full outline of the entire book.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to say--will review later. This will guide my work for the next several years, just as the first edition (and the ELL version by Flynn and Hill) did in 2001. LOVE how they reorganized the nine strategies into three overarching categories that mirror "Before, during, and after" lesson structures! >^..^<

[Chorvelynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So easy to understand. There is nothing fancy about how everything was explained. It's like being in a seminar:-) I really love the new insights I got about corrective feedback and how CRUCIAL the skill of comparing and contrasting concepts.

[Bryanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry, and I felt I had to push through information that I already knew, but the chapters on feedback were helpful. As a whole, the book was extremely informative and stocked with classroom - relevant examples

[SSC Professional Library]

Subject, Assessment

[Nate Hochmuth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for finding research-proven ways to improve instruction. Lots of good examples to add to planning lessons.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome, Awesome, book. Changed my way of teaching.

[Kacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great resource for the classroom!

[Pam Bartholomew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Liked it even better than the first edition and plan to use it a lot this year in class!

[Mistyblue · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some great ideas in this book. I had to wade through a lot of stuff that I already knew and some that didn't understand to get to it but there is some truly good stuff in here.