Classroom Instruction that Works
with English Language Learners
- McRel research -A meta-analysis Instructional Strategies found the Strongest Effects on Student Achievement resuled from Nine Categories included in the analysis. The effect size of 1.0 (STD - standard deviation) represents a 34 percentile gain using a statistical conversioin.
Category |
Average effect size |
Percentile gain |
Number of studies |
Identifying Similarities & Differences |
1.61 |
45 |
31 |
Summarizing & Note Taking |
1 |
34 |
179 |
Reinforcing Effort & Providing Recognition |
0.8 |
29 |
21 |
Homework & Practice |
0.77 |
28 |
134 |
Nonlinguistic Representation |
0.75 |
27 |
246 |
Cooperative Learning |
0.73 |
27 |
122 |
Setting Objectives & Providing Feedback |
0.61 |
23 |
408 |
Generating & Testing Hypotheses |
0.61 |
23 |
63 |
Cues, Questions, & Advance Organizers |
0.59 |
22 |
1251 |
McRel's Categorical Definitions:
Identifying Similarities & Differences
• Enhance students' understanding of and ability to use knowledge by engaging them in mental processes that involve identifying ways items are alike and different.
Summarizing & Note Taking
• Enhance students' ability to synthesize information and organize it in a way that captures the main ideas and supporting details.
Reinforcing Effort & Providing Recognition
• Enhance students' understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing students' attitudes and beliefs about learning.
• Provide students with rewards or praise for their accomplishments related to the attainment of a goal.
Homework & Practice
• Extend the learning opportunities for students to practice, review, and apply knowledge.
• Enhance students' ability to reach the expected level of proficiency for a skill or process.
Nonlinguistic Representation
• Enhance students' ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using mental images.
Cooperative Learning
• Provide students with opportunities to interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning.
Setting Objectives & Providing Feedback
• Provide students a direction for learning and information regarding how well they are performing relative to a particular learning goal so that they can improve their performance.
Generating & Testing Hypotheses
• Enhance students' understanding of and ability to use knowledge by engaging them in mental processes that involve making and testing hypotheses.
Cues, Questions, & Advanced Organizers
• Enhance students' ability to retrieve, use, and organize what they already know about a topic.