Integrate ‘Writing for Visual Narrative’
A method for introducing universal design to students as they tackle any story-based writing assignment with the goal of including... View Article
Use Stories or Puppets in Social Problem Solving
Use stories or puppets to model and role-play children’s challenging social situations in order to look for possible solutions. Example:... View Article
Prime Students for Discussion with Free-Writing
Have students write low-stakes responses to a brief prompt to help get them ready for discussion. Example: At the start... View Article
Make Prompts Clear and Specific
When asking students to do a written task, make sure you are clear about the role, audience, format, and topic... View Article
Give Actionable Feedback on Students’ Written Work
Students need feedback on their work that allows them to make successful revisions. This includes showing your understanding of their... View Article
Invite Students to Develop Assessment Criteria
Students feel more engaged when they have the chance to determine criteria for how their writing will be assessed. Example:... View Article
Use Multilingual and Visual Guides for Vocabulary
By using vocabulary frames like the Frayer model, emerging bilingual students are given the opportunity to learn new vocabulary in... View Article
Invite Writing Across Languages
By giving students the opportunity to write in their home language, they are are invited to explore their literary abilities... View Article
Group Multilingual Learners Together
Placing students in multilingual groupings will give them an opportunity to express themselves in the target language while allowing for... View Article
Preview Texts in Students’ Home Languages
Through the use of multilingual texts, emergent bilingual students are given the opportunity to access the content in their home... View Article
Use Stories to Explore Number Patterns
Use a sequencing story or song to explore how growing patterns work. Example: After sharing a story or song such... View Article
Create Nonverbal Classroom Conversations
Stimulate thought and conversation between students who struggle to express themselves verbally. Example: Contrary to dominant pedagogical practices, many students... View Article
Graph Coordinates on the Floor
Create a cartesian plane on the floor for students to practice their graphing skills. Example: Create cartesian plane on the... View Article
Provide Video and Visuals to Preview Content
Use visuals and video as part of a lesson opening to help students access new content in a unit or... View Article
Use Voicethread for Sharing Ideas
Ask students to share their thinking about a topic, image or reading by using voice, video or text with Voicethread.... View Article
Use Self Scoring to Increase Reflection
Before submitting an assignment, ask students to complete a self score using the same rubric you will use for grading.... View Article
Use Graded Writing to Set Goals
At the end of each writing unit, have students analyze their scored writing to develop personal goals for the next... View Article
Support Fiction Comprehension with Images
As students get older, the books we read to them have fewer visuals to support comprehension. Teachers can create a... View Article
Provide Alternatives to Written Response with Flipgrid
Allow students to speak their words as an alternative to writing in the classroom with Flipgrid. Example: A student that... View Article
Provide Visual Reminders for Concepts Mastered in Isolation
Using a visual reminder of a skill mastered in isolated practice to other areas of student work can be a... View Article
Provide Students Modified Worksheets When Needed
Some students benefit from modified worksheets that have diversified displays and content to meet their needs. Consider building in scaffolds... View Article
Provide Models for Math Computation
When students are learning a new strategy for solving a math computation problem, include a model of a completed problem... View Article
Create Graduated Learning Objectives
Provide tiered learning objectives at different levels for what students will learn. Example: In a unit about a historical event,... View Article
Pair Text with Visuals to Increase Comprehension
When students are early readers they use pictures to support understanding of the text; Informational texts and adolescent novels rarely... View Article
Create Student Portfolios for Reflection
Instead of passing back graded work to take home, have students reflect on their graded work with a portfolio. Example:... View Article