Strategies for increasing and maintaining active learner involvement are important to establishing an effective classroom. Students who are actively involved in learning activities benefit more from learning time. Learner involvement includes time spent listening to the teacher or paraeducator, time spent attending to activities and most importantly time actively participating in learning by asking and answering questions. The following provide suggestions for strategies to increase the students' active involvement in learning activities. Give Complete and Specific Instructions Paraeducators are often asked to introduce instructional activities or to help clarify directions for students.
Clear directions are essential.
It is easy to misinterpret difficulty with directions as noncompliance or a behavior problem. Questions Student may think they have a choice or that you don't really mean it. Directions followed by a reason Students remember the reason and forget the directions so give reasons first then directions. Use praise more frequently when teaching a new task or behavior. Provide Instructional Activities at Appropriate Level Learning activities which are too difficult or too easy make poor use of instructional time.