Which teaching strategy works best?" This is a question that many educators ask my colleagues at McREL. It's an earnest question, but it's a bit like walking into a gym full of workout equipment and asking a trainer, "So which exercise is best?" The answer, of course, depends on where you are in your fitness regime and what you're trying to accomplish.

So, too, with instruction. Different teaching strategies support different stages of the learning process—so when it comes to delivering instruction that sticks, the question isn't so much what to do, but when and why to do it. And answering that question starts with a clear understanding of how the brain translates new information into long-term memory.

Click here to continue reading.