8 Guided Practice Ideas (Lesson 'We Do')
Strategies, examples and supporting resources for guided practice.
Thinking of effective guided practice ideas can be challenging.
How do we ensure our tasks are supportive, engaging, and aligned with learning objectives? And how do we structure them in a way that truly prepares students to complete the task independently?
As educators, we know that the most effective way to help students learn and develop new skills is through guided practice. Furthermore, guided practice allows learners to apply their knowledge in a safe and supportive environment, while receiving immediate feedback and guidance from the teacher.
In this blog post, I will share some practical guided practice ideas that you can use in your classroom or tutoring sessions. These ideas will help you design effective guided practice activities that support your learners' growth and development.
What is Guided Practice (We Do)?
Guided Practice or Lesson 'We Do' is part of explicit instruction. It involves the teacher scaffolding the students through the steps required to complete a skill. The task completed during guided practice must be similar to what they will complete later in the lesson independently. This is because the teacher gives real-time feedback to the students to set them up for completing the task independently.
This post lists 8 guided practice ideas, or practical examples of Lesson We Do that you can apply to your teaching today.
Find more Guided Practice Tips in our Free Lesson Planning Guide.
Additionally, you can find more explicit teaching tips on my Brolga Education Instagram page.
Guided Practice Ideas for Lesson We Do
List of Steps
Have a list of steps needed to complete the skills. The teacher reads the steps and students complete them on their whiteboards. Have students show you their boards at the completion of each step.Student Instructions
Have a list of steps needed to complete the skills. Have selected students read the steps as the teacher completes the skill on the whiteboard.Spot the Mistake
The teacher strategically makes a mistake when completing the skill. Students have to find the mistake using repetition of the steps, cross-checking, and estimating.Pair Share
Students work in pairs to complete a skill. Different pairs share their answers or ideas and the class discusses any differences in answers.Peer Feedback
Students complete a skill on their whiteboards. Selected students share their answers and selected peers cross-check with their own answers and give feedback.Graphic Organisers
Complete a graphic organiser related to the skill and complete it together as a class.Guided Instruction in Levelled Groups
Split students into ability level groups. This is a great way to bring differentiation into your explicit teaching. Guide students through the steps as they complete them on their whiteboards. Once they are confident to complete the task independently, set independent practice for that group whilst you work with a different ability level group. It is recommended to work with the higher ability level group first because the other groups may require a lot more intense guided instruction.Self-Report / Put Responsibility in the Students' Hands
Once you have modelled the skill, let the students decide. Ask students who feel confident with the skill to go on with the independent practice task. Then ask those who want to see more examples and work closely with the teacher to move themselves to the carpet. Work through a few more examples with that group and tell students that as soon as they are confident they can move to the independent task.
Remember to check in on the students who are working independently, just to make sure that their self-report was reflective of their ability to complete the skill.
Looking for More Guided Practice Ideas?
The Guided Practice Deep Dive is the ultimate resource for teachers new to explicit teaching. It breaks down the "We Do" phase into actionable, step-by-step strategies that are easy to follow and implement. With ready-to-use examples, templates, and differentiation tips, it helps you build confidence in guiding students toward mastery. This resource ensures you can scaffold learning effectively, keep students engaged, and make the transition to explicit teaching seamless. Start your explicit teaching journey with clarity and success!
👉Click to access the Guided Practice Deep Dive
Your Experience
We are interested to hear about your Guided Practice ideas in your classroom. Does your teaching involve mini whiteboards? Do you allow students to self-report understanding? Have you used a list of steps required to teach a skill?
Comment below to share your 'We Do' ideas with the teaching community.
Brolga Education
Created by Trudy Mayo — explicit teaching specialist & curriculum writer.
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