A description of the SRSD practice or strategy:
Self-regulated strategy development also known as the SRSD model is an instructional approach that uses mnemonic devices to assist struggling learners. SRSD is a student focused, student paced approach intended to develop strategies in four key areas quality, knowledge, approach and self-efficacy. With decades of research to support its use, the benefits of SRSD encourage the struggling learner to develop self-awareness. Students are taught four basic self-regulating strategies: 1. Goal-setting, 2. Self-monitoring, 3. Self-talk and 4. Self-reinforcement. They then possess personal strategies that become automatic guiding them to analyze a problem, organize the information, and then to regulate their behavior in relation to the assigned task.
The SRSD model implements six key stages to empower the student. Stage 1, Develop Background Knowledge, is intended to ensure the student has learned, understands, and applies skills being taught. Stage 2, Discuss It, is about motivation and willingness to learn. During this stage, the students are encouraged to think about the process and to monitor their own progress. Stage 3, Model It, introduction of the strategy steps is shown to the student. I think aloud technique is taught with positive self-statements to motivate the student’s efforts. Stage 4, Memorize It, is when the student’s use of paraphrasing is ok but the steps start to become automatic. Stage 5, Support It, the teacher scaffolds instruction and slowly reduces guidance and prompts. Finally, Stage 6, Independent Practice is the consistent use of the strategy correctly until the student applies it freely to other areas and task.
Used most frequently to assist struggling writers, research has shown SRSD to be effective in developing significant improvements in writing knowledge, quality, and motivation. The developing writer self-regulates their approach to the task and with practice of the SRSD skills; they make meaningful progress in the quality and production of their work. Over 30 studies, investigating the use of SRSD has also shown that it can be adapted to other content areas and used across all grade levels. Mnemonic devices using the SRSD approach have been successfully in enhance classes that involve a lot of reading and writing such as science and social studies. The strategy is highly successful when used in any subject where student ability to organize thought is import to their academic success.
Mnemonics are the employed for the implementation of this instructional strategy. Charts that read “POW = Pick my ideas, Organize my notes, Write and say more” are important...