In Grade 2 ELA: Analyzing Similarities and Differences Between Insects and Spiders, the teacher uses a number of instructional strategies to get the students to understand what is required. The teacher uses direct instructions and specifically focuses on guided and independent practice. In this direct instruction approach, graphic organizers, worked examples, dual coding theory, and concept maps were used in the study. The teacher’s approach can be said to use a contextualized teaching strategy that uses planning, instruction, and assessment. Planning happens before the class, while instruction and assessment occur during the class. A backward design can also be observed in the approach used by the teacher. The desired outcomes of learning are already mapped out, followed by a plan of the assessments that would provide learning evidence, and learning activities.

Standards are also applied as learning goals explaining what each student should be able to do and know at the level of teaching occurring. For example, the teacher expects the students to know how to color code, how to use text, and to identify what is required by following the class instructions. These standards are skill-focused. For example, reading informational text is a requirement in the classroom in the video requiring them to read, understand, and respond to informational text with emphasis on comprehension, acquisition of vocabulary, and making connections between texts and ideas while focusing on textual evidence. For example, the definition of an “exoskeleton” and the key differences between insects and spiders use informational text, with the teacher looking at the use and comprehension of textual information to complete class exercises. With prompting and support, the students are able to identify basic similarities and key differences between texts on the topic.

The teacher is providing guided instructions and applying standards to help the students achieve learning outcomes. She is carefully providing directions but not fully giving responses for the students. The strengths for this strategy is that the students become more independent in searching for information relating to different topics. They are able to read different texts to get information and apply the same to compare instructions. The approach is also important because it allows in-class assessment for the teacher to see the response of every student and to provide support where applicable. For example, the guided instructions approach that is based on standards allows her to react to each student response on the spot and also provide an explanation on every step of the process.