Teachers often grapple with the question of how much guidance they should provide their students. Students need to develop independence, however, too much independence without the right amount of guidance can result in students facing difficulties. Guided practice and independent practice both hold important roles in the learning process, each offering numerous benefits in the classroom. Here we will examine each method as well as the students who thrive under each approach.
What Is Guided and Independent Practice?
Guided practice, as the name suggests, is where the teacher guides or works with students to help them acquire new skills or knowledge. Traditionally, during guided instruction teachers provide step-by-step instruction and then release students to “practice” what they’ve learned on their own helping and guiding students as they need along the way. This learning approach is often referred to as the “we do” part of the lesson because students practice what they’ve learned under the supervision of their teacher.
Independent practice differs from guided practice because the teacher encourages students to perform a task independently. This phase of the lesson is referred to as the “you do” phase because students work on their own to complete a task without any help from the teacher. The teacher’s role is solely to facilitate.
Benefits of Guided Practice
Guided practice offers several benefits for students. First and foremost, it allows for immediate feedback. For example, if a student is misunderstanding a concept or made a mistake the teacher can help to identify what went wrong, helping the student to understand the concept. Secondly, guided practice is extremely effective when it comes to skill development because it allows students to enhance their ability in a specific area while under the supervision of an expert. Additionally, this approach can help to foster a student’s confidence, engagement, and motivation, knowing they have the teacher’s guidance and support.
Benefits of Independent Practice
Several advantages of independent practice will help students not only in the classroom but in other various aspects of their lives. Independence empowers students to take ownership which can lead to a sense of accomplishment and confidence. While working independently, students develop invaluable skills like self-discipline, problem-solving, and decision-making, all of which can be applied in both their personal and educational lives. Additionally, independent practice requires the ability to manage time effectively which is another essential skill students will find invaluable in their lives.
What Students Benefit from Guided Practice?
Guided practice can be beneficial for a variety of students from novice learners to students with learning disabilities. Here are a few groups of students who thrive from this learning approach.
Novice Learners
Guided practice can help students who are learning a new subject or skill gain confidence when they are being guided by a teacher.
Struggling Students
Having the help and guidance of the teacher can help students who are struggling with a specific concept or skill.
Diverse Learners
Guided practice is beneficial for students who have diverse learning styles because this type of approach is easily adaptable.
Students with Learning Disabilities
Guided practice can help students with learning disabilities learn to break down complex concepts or tasks.
English Language Learners (ELL)
ELL students will benefit from language assistance such as clarifications or explanations.
What Students Benefit from Independent Practice?
Just as a variety of students benefit from guided practice, independent practice can be a valuable approach for a range of students as well. Here are the groups of students who can reap the benefits from this learning method.
Advanced Students
Independent practice offers gifted students the extra time to dig deeper into a subject or explore a more challenging curriculum or material.
Independent Learners
Students with self-discipline will benefit from learning at their own pace.
Students with Special Interests
Students with a passion or a special interest can benefit from independent learning because they can explore topics that are of interest to them.
Confident Learners
Students who are confident in their own abilities will thrive with independent learning because it will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
Students with Self-Management Skills
Learners who have demonstrated effective study skills and who have developed time management skills will thrive on taking responsibility for their own learning.
Does Guided and Independent Practice Look Different After COVID?
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed education, leading educators to reevaluate their teaching methods. With the adoption of remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic, educators had to adapt their learning strategies to accommodate the new changes as well as the needs of their students. With these post-COVID pandemic changes, there have also been notable modifications with guided and independent practice. Here are a few ways these learning methods look different today.
Greater Focus on Technology
During the pandemic, teachers relied heavily on digital tools such as apps, and other digital resources. After the pandemic, teachers continued to utilize these tech tools with a greater focus on technology within both guided and independent practice.
The Need for Flexibility
One thing teachers learned during the pandemic was that they had to be flexible. In today’s classrooms, guided practice might be through asynchronous communication which doesn’t occur in real-time while during independent practice students are in charge and have control over where and when their learning will take place as well as the pace at which they progress.
Blended Learning is More Flexible
When it comes to guided and independent practice, blended learning has become more flexible. Today, students may participate in guided learning virtually and then shift to independent practice using what they learned on their own with a self-paced module.
Greater Emphasis on Personalized Learning
After the pandemic, there was an increase in individualized learning. Teachers utilized the data they received during the pandemic and employed that information to tailor and customize guided and independent practice to meet each of their students’ needs.
Today’s education system has been transformed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges educators went through altered the teaching methods and accelerated the adoption of technology within the education system. While guided and independent practice continues to be a valuable learning approach. Ultimately finding the right balance between guidance and student independence is the key to ensuring all students thrive and reach their full potential.
