Ensuring Authentic Practice for Meaningful Learning

In my time as an educator working in schools across the U.S., I’ve consistently encountered an untapped opportunity: the need for authentic practice. While students are often given chances to engage in the learning process, they are frequently deprived of genuine practice that fosters skill development. Let me illustrate this with a common scenario.

During a phonics lesson, the teacher introduces target words for students to read aloud in order to practice their phonics skills. The words are displayed on the board, but this approach presents a challenge. More proficient readers quickly articulate the words, while those who struggle may not have enough time to sound them out. Consequently, students who need the practice often miss out, resorting to mimicking the responses of their more confident peers. This dynamic detracts from meaningful practice and impedes the growth of those who truly require it.

So, what can we do? A significant part of the solution lies in providing adequate wait time. Rather than allowing students to call out answers immediately, we can prompt them with a simple, powerful phrase: “Think… (wait a few seconds)… read.” This slight adjustment encourages more students to engage in authentic practice that builds their skills.

Now, let’s consider a math example. Imagine students are tasked with writing equations to represent physical objects they’ve grouped to create sums of 10. Instead of allowing students to call out their various arrangements, the teacher can assign the task and instruct them to come up with at least two examples. If they finish early, they can attempt to generate more or pick a different number to try with. This method ensures that all students have the time they need to develop their ideas, while also giving those who are ready the opportunity to exceed expectations.

One more example...let's explore in the context of writing. Suppose the teacher asks students to write an informational paragraph containing two details about how animals adapt to their environment for survival. In a class where some students struggle to write even a single coherent sentence, a teacher’s approach of assigning the task and circulating to monitor progress, while well-meaning, may not be equitable. For those struggling with basic sentence construction, assigning a paragraph task without adequate support can lead to frustration and unsuccessful practice. Instead, the teacher can first assign the task and spend a few minutes ensuring all students understand the expectations and have started their work. Then, the teacher can gather the small group of students who need additional support for targeted instruction. This focused approach builds their skills and confidence while maintaining the rigor of the assignment, ultimately creating a more effective practice opportunity for all students.

In summary, these classroom examples highlight several key points:

1. Prompting students for a choral response with adequate wait time allows them to think and practice their responses.

2. Providing time for all students to generate ideas before sharing creates conditions for everyone to engage in meaningful practice.

3. When students struggle with a skill, additional scaffolding and support are necessary to facilitate their development and build their capacity to perform the task accurately in the future.

So, the next time you teach a class or observe a teacher in action, look for opportunities where all students—not just those who are already proficient—are given authentic practice that enhances their accuracy and automaticity with the skill at hand. You might be surprised how a little adjustment like pausing for students to think prior to requesting a response shifts the learning to all students and creates real opportunities for students to grow.