Structured Lessons in Explicit Teaching: A Complete Guide
Structured lessons in explicit teaching are designed to provide clear, systematic, and organised instruction. This approach ensures students learn new concepts, skills, and information efficiently. By following a structured framework, teachers create a learning environment that promotes understanding, retention, and application.
What is Explicit Teaching?
Explicit teaching is an instructional method that focuses on:
- Learning Intention – Setting clear goals for what students will learn.
- Success Criteria – Providing measurable outcomes so students know when they’ve achieved the goal.
- Activate Prior Learning – Connecting new knowledge to what students already know.
- Concept Development – Teaching and demonstrating concepts in manageable steps.
- Modelled Instruction – Showing students exactly what success looks like by providing examples and demonstrations.
- Guided Practice – Practising the skill collaboratively with support.
- Independent Practice – Allowing students to apply the concept independently.
- Check for Understanding – Monitoring comprehension and addressing gaps.
- Review – Revisiting learning intentions, success criteria, reflecting on skills, reinforcing learning and next steps.
This intentional framework ensures all students can master new material.
Why Structured Lessons in Explicit Teaching Work
Clarity and Simplicity
To begin with, structured lessons ensure that each step is clear and concise. Teachers simplify complex ideas, break them into smaller chunks, and use worked examples, guided practice and visual aids to reinforce their explanations.
Mathematics Example
Learning Intention: Learn to calculate the area of a rectangle.
Success Criteria: Be able to multiply length by width to find the area.
Activate Prior Learning: Recall how to multiply two numbers.
Concept Development: Demonstrate finding the area of a rectangle. For example, if the length is 4 cm and the width is 6 cm, multiply 4 × 6 to get 24 square cm.
Modelled Instruction: Show a worked example on the board, with think-alouds.
Guided Practice: Solve several examples as a group, use step by step instructions or use other strategies to gradually scaffold students into independent work.
Independent Practice: Assign individual problems for students to calculate the area of different rectangles.
Check for Understanding: Completed after each section of the lesson (not just at the end. Review student answers and address errors/misconceptions.
Review: Finally, summarise the steps and revisit the formula.
Key Strategies for Structured Lessons in Explicit Teaching
1. Learning Intention and Success Criteria
Begin every lesson with a clear learning intention (e.g., “Today we will learn how to use semicolons”) and success criteria (e.g., “You’ll know you’ve succeeded when you can correctly use semicolons in your writing”).
2. Activating Prior Learning
Connect new content to previous knowledge. For instance:
- Before teaching about semicolons, review punctuation marks students already know.
3. Concept Development and Modelling
Break down the topic into small, digestible parts. Then use worked examples, visuals, or demonstrations to show how it works.
Language Conventions Example
Learning Intention: Learn how to use semicolons.
Success Criteria: Be able to write sentences correctly using semicolons.
Activate Prior Learning: Recall how punctuation separates ideas.
Concept Development: Explain that semicolons connect closely related independent clauses. For example:
"I went to the store; I bought some apples."
Modelled Instruction: Write several examples on the board, showing both correct and incorrect usage. Use think-alouds to explain why you put a semicolon in its place and why you wouldn't place it in other places.
Guided Practice: Write sentences together, practising correct usage. Give feedback.
Independent Practice: Ask students to write their own sentences using semicolons.
Check for Understanding: Review their sentences and provide feedback against the success criteria.
Review: Summarise the rule and provide additional examples.
More Benefits of Structured Lessons in Explicit Teaching
Also, structured lessons ensure:
- A consistent and predictable routine for students.
- Concepts are broken into smaller, manageable steps.
- Regular opportunities for practice and reinforcement.
Free Resource: Lesson Planning Guide
Want to implement structured lessons in explicit teaching? Download our free lesson planning guide!
This guide includes:
- Details of each step in the explicit teaching framework: From learning intentions to review.
- A lesson planning checklist: Stay organised and effective.
- A customisable lesson plan template: Save time with a ready-to-use format.
- A fully planned sample lesson: See explicit teaching in action.
Get your free guide now and start creating lessons that make an impact!
Summary of Explicit Teaching
In sum, explicit teaching involves using a structured framework to provide clear, focused, and effective instruction. By including steps such as learning intentions, success criteria, activating prior learning, modelled instruction, and guided practice, teachers ensure students achieve mastery. This method builds confidence, knowledge, and long-term skills.
Build a Stronger Future with Structured Lessons in Explicit Teaching
By following the explicit teaching framework, teachers can deliver lessons that are clear, focused, and impactful. Whether teaching mathematics, language, or other subjects, structured lessons in explicit teaching ensure that every student succeeds.
Start structuring your lessons today with our free guide!
