Developing Writing Skills
in Adults

The Lesson Planning Process

Delivering effective instruction starts with good planning. Instructors often use most of their lesson time presenting information and forget that the learner needs practice with the new skill. Lessons like this are teacher-centered and of no real help to the learner. A good lesson plan helps you remember to address all of the important components of a lesson. The lesson plan outline below contains all the necessary elements for a good lesson.

The Lesson Planning Process
A Design for Teaching a Skill

  1. Warm Up and Review
    • Informally review the day (or week) before
    • Review the material covered during the previous session
    • Discuss and correct homework (if applicable)

  2. Introduction
    • Focus students on lesson
    • Describe lesson objective(s)
    • Relate objective(s) to previous learning
    • Present new information or skills using a variety of strategies, if possible
      • visual and auditory presentation
      • modeling of skills and strategies including "thinking out loud"
      • using written text (words and graphics), demonstrations, and real life materials

  3. Guided Practice
    • Learners practice new skills or apply knowledge with support and feedback
    • Instructor models and monitors performance providing correction and assistance as needed
    • Practice may be in a group and/or individually
      • Repeat and/or re-teach as long as necessary before asking learner to practice independently

  4. Application/Extension
    • Independent Practice – Learners practice new skill or use new knowledge independently
    • Application – Instructor models application of new learning to real-life tasks or another situation
    • Learners practice application
    • Homework assignment
      • Learners practice with new learning or apply to new situation – if capable of independent practice
      • Learners review material or skills previously learned
      • Homework should always be something the learner can do successfully without help

  5. Evaluation/Assessment
    • Re-teach if needed
    • Instructor and learners assess new abilities and decide on next steps: further practice, re-teaching, independent practice, or application in new context

  6. Modifications/Accommodations
    • Note any modifications that should be made to instruction and/or materials for students with learning disabilities/difficulties

After the lesson plan has been implemented, there should be a reflection.

  • Learners and instructor consider and discuss lesson: learner progress, teaching strategies, pace of instruction, and implications for future lessons

 

Except where noted, all material is ©, Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center. All rights reserved.