Academic standards call for increased rigor, but simply raising complexity is not enough. Students need to be able to process information quickly and respond to situations with fluency and accuracy. As teachers become better at planning and providing practice sessions that build these skills, students become more adept at using new knowledge and processes swiftly and accurately. Fluent thinking is crucial for success on the SAT, ACT, and other timed testing situations.

Practicing Skills, Strategies, & Processes: Classroom Techniques to Help Students Develop Proficiency explores explicit techniques for mastering this crucial strategy of instructional practice. It includes:
• Explicit steps for implementation
• Recommendations for monitoring students’ ability to develop fluent thinking
• Adaptations for students who struggle, have special needs, or excel in learning
• Examples and nonexamples from classroom practice
• Common mistakes and ways to avoid them

The Essentials for Achieving Rigor series of instructional guides helps educators become highly skilled at implementing, monitoring, and adapting instruction. Put it to practical use immediately, adopting day-to-day examples as models for application in your own classroom.