SIM involves six main steps:
- Pretest learners and encourage them to become interested in learning
the strategy. Practitioners should determine how much the learners might
already know about using the strategy and secure their commitment to
learning the strategy from top to bottom. It is important to explain to the
learners what strategy they are going to learn and how it can help them in
skills development.
- Describe the strategy. Give a clear explanation of the strategy, the various
steps, as well as some of the benefits to learning the strategy. Identify real
assignments or tasks where the learners can apply the strategy. Ask
learners if they can think of other work where the strategy might be
useful.
- Model the strategy. Modeling the strategy for learners is an essential
component of strategy instruction. In this stage, practitioners use the
strategy to help them demonstrate a relevant classroom assignment or
authentic task. Practitioners should talk aloud as they work so that
learners can observe how a person thinks and what a person does while
using the strategy, including: deciding which strategy to use to perform
the task at hand, working through the task using that strategy, monitoring
performance (i.e. is the strategy being applied correctly, and is it helping
the learner complete the work well?), revising one's strategic approach,
and making positive self-statements.
- Practice the strategy. Provide repeated opportunities to practice the
strategy. The more learners and practitioners work together to use the
strategy, the more the learners will internalize the strategy. Initial practice
may be largely practitioner-directed, with practitioners continuing to
model appropriate ways of thinking about the task at hand and deciding
(with increasing student direction) which strategy or action is needed to
work through whatever problems arise in completing the task.
- Provide feedback. Providing feedback to learners on their strategy use is a
critical part of helping them learn how to use a strategy effectively and
how to change what they are doing when a particular approach is not
working. Much of the feedback can be offered as learners become
involved in thinking aloud about the task and about strategy use during
the modeling and practice steps described above. It is also important to
provide opportunities for students to reflect upon their approaches to, and
completion of, the task. What aspects of the task did they complete well?
What aspects were difficult? Did any problems arise, and what did they
do to solve the problems? What might they do differently the next time
they have to complete a similar task? It may be valuable to incorporate
these questions into a self-evaluation checklist for the learners' reference.
|