Overview of LD & RD	Lesson 2: Reading 2	-

At one end of this continuum is explicit instruction, which requires the most teacher assistance in the student's learning process. Explicit instruction uses teacher-regulated methods that are often behavioral. Selecting instructional methods at this end of the continuum is appropriate when students have limited experience or lack of prior knowledge, are extrinsically motivated, and have experienced initial failure with the content. Instructional choices at this explicit end of the continuum are also appropriate when the curriculum is sequential, learning requires task-specific strategies, learning performance requires high proficiency and accuracy, and instructional time is limited.

At the other end of this continuum is implicit instruction, which requires the least teacher assistance in the student's learning process. Implicit instruction uses student-regulated methods, which are often discovery-oriented. Selecting instructional methods at this end of the continuum is appropriate when students have abundant experiences and prior knowledge, are mostly intrinsically motivated, and have experienced success with the content. Methods for instruction at this end of the continuum are appropriate when the curriculum is conceptual, learning requires problem-solving strategies, simple tasks can be modified to match individual students' styles or needs, and instructional time is flexible.

The middle of this instructional continuum allows for shared teacher/student-regulation of learning, is strategic and scaffolded, and facilitates co-construction of learning.

What are the implications of the continuum of instruction upon developing reading skills? As students begin to learn to read, appropriate instructional methods are usually selected from the explicit end of this continuum. As students acquire increasing reading skills, instructional strategies selected also increasingly move toward the implicit end of the continuum. Developing reading comprehension is often associated with the implicit end of the instructional continuum; however, effective strategies can be selected that are implicit or explicit, depending upon the student's individual learning needs.

How can the continuum of instruction be used to help teacher make decisions that increase the learning of all students in the inclusive classroom? Teachers can tailor their instruction to match the varying needs and levels of their students. There are four key areas of instruction where teachers can choose to use strategies across the continuum of instruction. These include modeling, mnemonics, , practice (guided and independent), and problem solving. Modeling, a vital instructional tool, is explicit in its approach, with implicitness as its goal. Modeling shows explicitly how to learn, with the goal of students becoming more active, strategic, and independent, which also increases students' needs for implicit instruction. Mnemonics are explicit and implicit tools for helping students organize and remember their learning, the purpose of which is to lead students to more independent thinking. Guided practice begins as explicit instruction, and as students move to independent practice more implicit instruction is required. Problem solving is both explicit and implicit, depending upon the specific learning situation and the students' specific learning needs, but as students become more skillful problem-solvers, the problem-solving activities that meet their needs will become more implicit.

How can teachers more effectively meet the learning needs of all students in the inclusive classroom? A good starting place is to examine the continuum of instruction and use it to make decisions that tailor learning activities to learning needs.