Incorporating theory into instruction

Learning styles and MI are theories, not instructional models. Practitioners are not expected to throw out the old and replace it with a new approach, but rather use the knowledge gained from the theories to enhance their existing practices.

A typical group reading activity would involve:

• A pre-reading question
• The group reading the story while incorporating skills they have learned such as decoding
• After each chapter, the group may discuss what they read, review difficult words and reread the paragraph if needed
• Once the story is read, a few questions are asked and the instructor may ask the learners to write a paragraph in response to the questions

When MI is applied the same process takes place, but additional activities are added and choices are given.

• Additional post-reading activities could include: drawing a picture or using modeling clay to show any part of what was read; using a diagram or map to illustrate the story; writing or discussing with someone an interesting part of what was read; or designing individual projects for the passage that was read.
• The additional options give learners choice and opportunities to express their preferred way of learning.

Practitioners who have used this approach found that their learners had a greater understanding of the reading passage. The learners became invested in the final results and wanted to make sure their projects were accurate. "Reading became a tool to do the projects, whereas a book report makes the reading the focus."⁴⁸