8 Guided Practice Ideas (Lesson 'We Do')

Thinking of effective guided practice ideas can be challenging. It's hard to move from modelled instruction to guided practice. How can we make sure that our practice activities are supportive, engaging, relevant, and aligned with our learning objectives? How can we create an environment that promotes active learning and encourages learners to take risks and experiment with new approaches?

As educators and trainers, we know that the most effective way to help students learn and develop new skills is through guided practice. Furthermore, guided practice allows learners to apply their knowledge in a safe and supportive environment, while receiving immediate feedback and guidance from the teacher.

In this blog post, I will share some practical guided practice ideas that you can use in your classroom or training sessions. Whether you are a teacher, or a home-schooling parent, these ideas will help you design effective guided practice activities that support your learners' growth and development.

Looking for Guided Practice examples and ideas for explicit teaching? Access the Guided Practice Deep Dive

What is Guided Practice (We Do)?

Guided Practice or Lesson 'We Do' is part of an explicit teaching lesson. It involves the teacher instructing the students through the steps required to complete a skill. The task completed during guided practice must be similar to what they will complete later in the lesson independently. This is because the teacher gives real-time feedback to the students to set them up for completing the task independently. This post lists 8 guided practice ideas, or practical examples of Lesson We Do that you can apply to your teaching today.

Key Components of Guided Instruction by Brolga Education.

Find more Guided Practice Tips in our Free Lesson Planning Guide.

Additionally, you can find more explicit teaching tips here.

Guided Practice Ideas for Lesson We Do

1. List of Steps.

   Have a list of steps needed to complete the skills. Teacher reads the steps and students complete on their whiteboards. Have students show you their boards at the completion of each step.

2. Student Instructions.

   Have a list of steps needed to complete the skills. Have selected students read the steps as the teacher completes the skill on the whiteboard.

3. Spot the Mistake.

   The teacher strategically makes a mistake when completing the skill. Students have to find the mistake using repetition of the steps, cross-checking & estimating.

4. Pair Share.

   Students work in pairs to complete a skill. Different pairs share their answers or ideas and the class discusses any differences in answers.

5. Peer Feedback.

   Students complete a skill on their whiteboards. Selected students share their answers & selected peers cross-check with their own answers and give feedback.

6. Graphic Organisers.

   Complete a graphic organiser, related to the skill and complete together as a class.

7. Guided Instruction in Levelled Groups.

   Split students into ability level groups. This is a great way to bring differentiation into your explicit teaching. Guide students through the steps as they complete it on their whiteboards. Once they are confident to complete independently, set independent practice for that group whilst you work with a different ability level group. I would recommend working with the higher ability level group first because the other groups may require a lot more intense guided instruction.

8. Self-Report / Put Responsibility in the Students' Hands.

   Once you have modelled the skill, let the students decide. Ask students who feel confident with the skill to go on with the independent practice task. Then ask those who want to see more examples and to work closely with the teacher to move themselves to the carpet. Work through a few more examples with that group and tell students that as soon as they are confident they can move to the independent task. *Remember to check in on the students who are working independently, just to make sure that their self-report was reflective of their ability to complete the skill.

Looking for More Guided Practice Ideas?

Looking for Guided Practice examples and ideas for explicit teaching? Access the Guided Practice Deep Dive

The Guided Practice Deep Dive is the ultimate resource for teachers new to explicit teaching. It breaks down the "We Do" phase into actionable, step-by-step strategies that are easy to follow and implement. With ready-to-use examples, templates, and differentiation tips, it helps you build confidence in guiding students toward mastery. This resource ensures you can scaffold learning effectively, keep students engaged, and make the transition to explicit teaching seamless. Start your explicit teaching journey with clarity and success!

Your Experience

We are interested to hear about you Guided Practice ideas in your classroom. Does your teaching involve mini whiteboards? Do you allow students to self-report understanding? Have you used a list of steps required to teach a skill?

Comment below to share your 'We Do' ideas with the teaching community.