Douglas Fisher

A teacher presents a lesson, and at the end asks students if they understand the material. The students nod and say they get it. Later, the teacher is dismayed when many of the students fail a test on the material. Why aren't students getting it? And, just as important, why didn't the teacher recognize the problem? In Checking for Understanding, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey show how to increase students' understanding with the help of creative...

You know that repeating the same words and the same instructions-or simply announcing the answers to questions-doesn't help students learn. How do you get past the predictable and really teach your kids how to learn? Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey say that helping students develop immediate and lifelong learning skills is best achieved through guided instruction, which they define as "saying or doing the just-right thing to get the learner to do cognitive...

Empower students to take ownership of their reading and learning with Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives. In this comprehensive guide, the authors explore the relationship between text, learner, and learning through discussion and rhetorical writing at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Prompt students to become the sophisticated readers, writers, and thinkers they need to be to achieve higher learning. Clearly defined strategies...

How can teachers guarantee that what they teach results in students learning what they really need to know? In The Purposeful Classroom: How to Structure Lessons with Learning Goals in Mind, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey present a variety of strategies that teachers at all levels can use to ensure that students clearly understand the purpose behind every lesson. They provide step-by-step guidance to help teachers* Understand the difference between...

Explore strategies for integrating the Common Core State Standards for English language arts for grades 3-5 in this interdisciplinary resource, which focuses on areas of instruction, curriculum, assessment, and intervention. You'll also learn how to implement the CCSS within the powerful PLC at Work process. Critical chapter-opening questions guide discussion and help you leverage the CCSS to optimize student learning.

Teachers across the country are seeking ways to make their multicultural classrooms come alive with student talk about content. Content-Area Conversations: How to Plan Discussion-Based Lessons for Diverse Language Learners is a practical, hands-on guide to creating and managing environments that spur sophisticated levels of student communication, both oral and written. Paying special attention to the needs of English language learners, the authors•...

Student learning communities (SLCs) are more than just a different way of doing group work. Like the professional learning communities they resemble, SLCs provide students with a structured way to solve problems, share insight, and help one another continually develop new skills and expertise. With the right planning and support, dynamic collaborative learning can thrive everywhere. In this book, educators Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Almarode...

Describes a purposeful classroom structure that relies on four phases. Included with the description of each phase are practical strategies that help teachers use this approach, plus tips on how to differentiate instruction, make effective use of class time, and plan backwards from learning objectives.

Effective teaching is effective teaching, no matter where it occurs The pandemic teaching of mid-2020 was not really distance learning, but rather crisis teaching. But starting now, teachers have the opportunity to prepare for distance learning with purpose and intent--using what works best to accelerate students' learning all the while maintaining an indelible focus on equity. Harnessing the insights and experience of renowned educators Douglas Fisher,...

Join Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher as they outline a clear-cut, realistic, and rewarding approach to formative assessment. They explain how four discrete steps work in tandem to create a seamless, comprehensive formative assessment system-one that has no beginning and no end. This ongoing approach enhances an active give-and-take relationship between teachers and students to promote learning. Where am I going? Step 1: Feed-up ensures that students...