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.