Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) The Strategic Instruction Model (SIM), developed by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning, is a comprehensive approach to teaching adolescents who struggle with becoming good readers, writers, and learners. It is based on the reality that to meet high standards, adolescents must be able to read and understand large volumes of complex, difficult reading materials. In addition, students must acquire the skills necessary to express themselves effectively in writing. •

The Strategic Instruction Model’s approach to instruction involves intensive, individualized work with students and high quality professional development and supporting materials for teachers.



SIM integrates two kinds of interventions designed to address the gap between what students are expected to do and what students are able to do: student-focused interventions (Learning Strategies) and teacher-focused interventions (Content Enhancement Routines).



Although the first learning strategies were designed for students with learning disabilities, subsequent research has shown that all students can benefit from strategies, depending on their needs.



More than 3,500 school districts have adopted SIM components and several education departments in states such as California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Vermont have implemented SIM statewide.



Typically, a SIM Learning Strategy can be taught to mastery in three or four weeks (about 30 to 60 minutes of instruction per day). Teachers follow a research-based instructional process to promote mastery and generalization.



Teachers learn how to implement Learning Strategies or Content Enhancement Routines from certified instructors, known as SIM Professional Developers.

To learn more about SIM, contact the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning J.R. Pearson Hall 1122 West Campus Road, Room 521, Lawrence, KS 66045-3101 (785) 864-4780 [email protected] www.kucrl.org

Student Successes •

Jay, an eighth-grader in Virginia, struggled with writing and lacked motivation to achieve beyond his mediocre performance. As part of a basic skills initiative, in which his teacher taught him to apply SIM’s Proficiency in the Sentence Writing Strategy to his writing, Jay began to make immense progress. As a high school student, he averaged more than a 3.5 GPA, no longer needed basic skills classes, and as a senior took three Advanced Placement classes, one of which was English.



Frank, a repeating ninth-grader, was becoming very discouraged in school. He failed almost everything in his first ninth-grade year and appeared disinterested and hopeless at the beginning of his second attempt. He performed at the thirdgrade level in his ability to understand new words encountered in reading passages. During small-group instruction, in which he learned explicit steps for attacking the problem of unknown words, he became very involved and worked hard, not missing a single class period. By the time he returned to his sophomore English class, he was reading above grade level. Weeks later, his small-group teacher found him in the library where he was reading a book and very pleased with himself and his accomplishment.



Kim, a Florida college student, had experienced years of failure in school. The first time she attempted the ACT, she failed with a reading score of “18.” After learning a SIM strategy designed to help students focus on the most important information in a passage and then rephrase it in their own words, she took the ACT again. Her reading score of “24” raised her composite score enough for her to be admitted to the College of Education, and she made the Dean’s Honor Roll that semester.



In South Carolina, an ESOL student who could not write complete sentences began learning the Fundamentals and Proficiency in Sentence Writing strategies. She and her teacher worked together for three hours a week for six weeks. When she took the State Exit Exam that May, she received a passing mark. Her comment to her teacher? “Why don’t all teachers teach writing like this so all students can learn to write?”

Learning Strategies Learning Strategies are explicit sets of steps students can follow to successfully approach common learning challenges. The Word Identification Strategy provides a way for struggling readers to attack and identify unknown words they encounter in text. The Visual Imagery Strategy helps students overcome difficulty understanding reading passages by teaching them to create mental pictures as they read. The Self-Questioning Strategy prompts students to ask themselves questions about reading passages and predict answers, then search the passage for the correct answers. The Paraphrasing Strategy guides students in identifying the main points of a paragraph and then restating them in their own words. The FIRST-Letter Mnemonic Strategy helps students use memory techniques to study important lists of information. The Paired Associates Strategy offers students steps for learning information that comes in pairs, such as names of people and their accomplishments. The LINCS Vocabulary Strategy helps students learn the meaning of new vocabulary words through powerful memory techniques. The Sentence Writing, Paragraph Writing, and Theme Writing strategies provide concrete steps for students, beginning with the basics of writing a complete sentence through the more advanced processes involved in writing essays. The Error Monitoring Strategy helps students find and correct errors in their writing. The InSPECT Strategy helps students find and correct errors in their writing using spell checkers. The Assignment Completion Strategy helps students develop plans for completing assignments on time and then following through on their plans. Strategic Tutoring is a process in which a tutor helps students meet immediate needs to complete assignments while teaching students strategies for finishing similar assignments on their own in the future.

The Test-Taking Strategy helps students take control of the testing situation through such tactics as allocating time and priority to each section of a test and focusing on important test instructions. SLANT: A Starter Strategy for Class Participation is a simple strategy designed to help students learn how to use appropriate posture, look at the person talking, activate their thinking, and contribute to discussions. Cooperative Thinking Strategies offer skills for students to work together in teams to accomplish class goals. The Community Building Series is designed to help teachers and students create safe and supportive learning environments in inclusive classes. The Self-Advocacy Strategy helps students prepare for and participate in education and transition planning conferences. The Possible Selves program increases student motivation by having students think about their futures—what they want, what they expect, and what they fear. Students then set goals to work toward the futures they want. The Strategic Math Series teaches basic math facts and operations using an approach that develops the student’s understanding of mathematics through the use of concrete objects, representational drawings, and an easy-to-learn strategy that turns all students into active problem solvers.

Content Enhancement Routines Content Enhancement Routines are teaching methods designed for use in general education classrooms to promote learning for all students. The Course Organizer Routine, Unit Organizer Routine, and Lesson Organizer Routine are like maps to learning, each containing increasing detail. The Course Organizer provides an overall framework for learning and sets expectations for the course. The Unit Organizer shows how units within the course and critical pieces of information are related. The Lesson Organizer involves the same kind of planning at the lesson level. The Clarifying Routine focuses on a topic and explores details of the topic, making connections to important ideas and concepts. The Framing Routine develops literacy and thinking skills by transforming abstract ideas into concrete information students can more easily grasp and discuss. The Survey Routine helps students who are having difficulty reading complex text by guiding them in creating an overview of the text. The Concept Anchoring Routine helps students understand a new concept by likening it to something they already understand. The Concept Comparison Routine guides students in comparing and contrasting characteristics of two or more concepts. The Concept Mastery Routine helps students understand key information and where it fits within a larger body of knowledge. The Quality Assignment Routine helps teachers plan, present, and engage students in meaningful assignments. The Question Exploration Routine helps groups of students understand significant course content by exploring a “critical question.” The Recall Enhancement Routine focuses on methods to boost students’ ability to remember information. The Vocabulary LINCing Routine helps students use two powerful memory devices to remember the meaning of complex terms.

Center for Research on Learning What is the Center for Research on Learning? Since 1978, the Center for Research on Learning at the University of Kansas has developed ways to help students, especially adolescents who are struggling in school, to become good learners.

What is the Strategic Instruction Model? The Strategic Instruction Model (SIM), developed by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning, is a comprehensive approach to teaching adolescents who struggle with becoming good readers, writers, and learners. It is based on the reality that to meet high standards, adolescents must be able to read and understand large volumes of complex, difficult reading materials. Additionally, they must acquire the skills to express themselves effectively in writing.

How does SIM respond to current education laws? The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning J.R. Pearson Hall 1122 West Campus Road, Room 521 Lawrence, KS 66045-3101 (785) 864-4780 [email protected] www.kucrl.org

Not only are schools now required to show student gains, they also have to prove that they use teaching methods grounded in research. Evidence-based practices are key features in recent education legislation, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Extensive research, which has been reviewed by scientific panels at the U.S. Department of Education and other public agencies, demonstrates that use of SIM interventions can improve student performance in inclusive settings or on grade-appropriate tasks. Leading academic publications also have documented SIM findings. (www.kucrl.org/publications)