Ensuring Success: Pre-Remediation as a Valuable Alternative

Tim Shanahan

Teacher question:

I would love to know your advice on pre-teaching. My colleague does this for math instruction and has seen great gains. She teaches the whole group lesson for the day to those students she suspects of needing a double dose of instruction in small group before the whole group lesson is presented. She’s seeing great gains in confidence with these students during whole group instruction due to them having had this pre-teaching beforehand. What would this look like for ELA? I’m eager to try it, just not sure how.

Shanahan responds:

I know of no research on this scheme, but it is something that I have long recommended for certain Tier 2 programs. Recently, I heard from a middle school that had taken my advice on this matter. They wanted me to know of their big success with this scheme in terms of student learning and were looking to expand their efforts. (They sent me test scores and everything).

I think this approach could make a fine contribution within a classroom as well, at least under certain circumstances. In the past, I’ve not recommended this approach for classrooms, nor have I ever seen it in operation in the regular classroom. But I’m convinced that it could pay off.

Why do I think it could be beneficial?

First, and perhaps most important, it would increase the amount of instruction for some kids. This kind of time increase often results in learning gains, especially for students who don’t catch on as quickly as the others.

Another possible advantage is the one that you allude to. This gameplan alters the social fabric of a classroom in a way that can be productive since it puts the low kids on a more even footing with the higher achieving students. In my experience with Tier 2 versions of this, that can be very motivational. 

Think of how Tier 2 programs often work.

A classroom teacher recognizes that some of her students struggle to read the social studies book. They can’t keep up with the rest of the class and have trouble completing assignments because of their reading deficiencies.

Accordingly, this teacher refers those students for remedial assistance.

In response, the remedial specialist assesses them and if they test low enough qualify, they are provided a dose of pull-out teaching

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