Explicit Essentials

See how it works

At a glance

Time in class

10–15 minutes

Prep

Plan one worked example and two practice problems (5 minutes).

Materials

Board or document camera

Grouping

Whole class, then individual

Use it when

Teaching a new skill or procedure

Why it works

New learners can’t hold many steps in their heads at once. Seeing an expert do the skill step by step, then practicing with support before working alone, keeps the load manageable and catches mistakes early. This “I do, we do, you do” pattern is one of the best-supported teaching sequences we have.

1. Show it: I do3–4 minutesWork one example while saying your thinking out loud, including how you check your work.“Watch my pencil and listen to my thinking. First I notice…”
2. Share it: we do3–5 minutesDo a second example together. Students tell you each step.“What do I do first? Tell your partner, then tell me.”
3. Check1 minuteGive one quick question and look at every answer (thumbs, boards or paper). If most are wrong, do another “we do.”
4. Release: you do3–5 minutesStudents try one or two alone while you circulate.“Now you try. I’ll come around.”

See it in action

Watch out for

• Silent modeling: say every thought out loud, especially the checks.
• Skipping “we do”: it’s where you catch mistakes before they set.
• Releasing too soon: wait until most students get the check question right.

Level up

• Hand the marker to a student to model the next one.
• Model a mistake on purpose and have students catch it.

Make it work for everyone

• Multilingual learners: post the steps with a picture or symbol for each.
• IEP and 504 supports: leave the worked example on the board during “you do.”
• Early finishers: write and solve their own problem.

Tech option

Record your think-aloud on a screen recorder so absent students can watch it.

Resources