I LOVE the gradual release of responsibility model. It is described in the BC ELA IRP as it appears in the image below, and the BC curriculum includes it as one of several important considerations for the delivery of an English Language Arts program. Gradual Release of Responsibility is a movement from highly structured learning that is mediated by teachers to independent exploration of the material.
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I have tried to incorporate this general idea in my work with kids in the past, but the model makes much more sense when it is laid out in straightforward terms like this. I totally agree with Vygotsky’s idea that we should teach in the zone of proximal development, and that this zone is different for each and every child. I was considered a “gifted” student in elementary school, and I found that far too often teachers did not teach in my zone of proximal development, but rather seemed to select an average zone for the class as a whole. As a result of this I usually finished assignments very quickly and became bored. I also learned how to coast through classes with the smallest amount of effort possible – after all, if I could get an A after spending 10 minutes on an assignment, why on earth would I spend 30 minutes on it and push myself further academically? I did have a few teachers that taught in my zone of proximal development, and the difference for me was amazing. For example, my grade one teacher instituted a reward system for our home reading program – for each book students read they would get a sticker, and after every ten stickers they would get to select a small prize out of her box. Now, in my sly grade one mind I wanted as many prizes as possible. I was capable of reading chapter books at the time, but why would I want to spend a week reading a chapter book and earn one sticker when I could read ten or even twenty of the levelled readers that were too easy for me and earn a prize or two? My teacher fortunately saw through this and changed the program for me. Instead of getting one sticker per book, I earned one sticker per chapter. I was reading material that was appropriate for my level and still earning rewards at the same pace as my peers. That experience was formative for me as a young reader and I hope as a teacher I will be able to adapt programs for each and every student in a similar way.
I also see a lot of potential for group work within the gradual release of responsibility model. In my elementary school experience I found that group work did not happen very often, so it was not really something I had considered when thinking about how I would teach. However, with the model pictured above, I see that group work can be a big part of learning. In my future classroom I would love to organize my students into “teams” that I change every month or two, and in these teams have them work on most new concepts together, only splitting up to assess that they really know the material on their own
Ministry of Education, Province of British Columbia. (2006). English Language Arts Kindergarten to Grade 7 Integrated Resource Package 2006. (pp. 18, 102).
My education experience 