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Focus: As you watch this video, 1) Note the active participation procedures that are directly taught to the students. 2) Identify other good instructional practices.

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Active Participation Instruction - 2nd grade

Grade Level: Second Grade

School: Roosevelt Elementary School

Location: Vancouver, Washington

Videographer: Dima Yaremenko

Elapsed Time: 6:12

Introduction: It is possible to have adopted an evidence-based core reading or intervention program and still not obtain the desired academic gains. The programs must be delivered in a matter that maintains student attention and engagement. In this video, Dr. Archer is teaching students how to respond during the lesson. Notice that she doesn't just tell students what she desires. She teaches the behaviors using the same instructional steps of modeling and guided practice used in teaching academic strategies.

Focus: As you watch this video,

1) Note the active participation procedures that are directly taught to the students.

2) Identify other good instructional practices.
Feedback: 1) Note the active participation procedures that are directly taught to the students. Choral (Group) Responses
Dr. Archer taught the students two specific response procedures: saying answers chorally and to a partner. The following practices were modeled and then practiced.

Use - Choral or group responses can be used when the answers are short and the wording of the answer is the same across learners.

Procedure - To signal a response, the teacher asked a question, raised her hands, gave "thinking time", and then lowered her hands, and said "everyone" to cue a response.
Partner Responses
Instruction - The teacher introduced the procedure, modeled the procedure, and then practiced until the students consistently responded.
Instruction on partners -
Use - Partner responses can be used when the answers are long and the wording differs across students.

a. The teacher assigned partners and gave the partners the numbers #1 and #2 to allow distribution of responses.

b. The teacher checked to be sure that students remembered their numbers.
2. Identify other good instructional practices. Management a. Anticipate and Remove
c. The teacher introduced a partner strategy (Look, Lean, and Whisper), modeled the strategy, and had students practice the strategy as you monitored and coached.

The teacher anticipated that the students might attend to the teachers sitting at the back of the room so she had the students turn and wave at the teacher and the cameraman.
Attention A number of factors supported student attention including:
-The teacher set clear expectations for each segment of the lesson.
-The teacher introduced behaviors for the lesson (Sit up. Look at me. Look smart.), modeled the desired behaviors, and provided practice on the behaviors.

c. Room arrangement
- Students were moved so that they would be facing the teacher the lesson.
- Students were moved so that they were sitting beside their partners.

a. a perky pace,

b. connection with students through use of smiles, names, eye contact, touch,

c. use of cues to gain attention ("Eyes on me".),

d. close proximity to the students,

e. monitoring,

f. and use of praise.

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Explicit Instructions | Effective and Efficient Teaching

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Grade Level: Second Grade School: Roosevelt Elementary School Location: Vancouver, Washington Videographer: Dima Yaremenko Elapsed Time: 6:12 Introduction: It is possible to have adopted an evidence-based core reading or intervention program and still not obtain the desired academic gains. The programs must be delivered in a matter that maintains student attention and engagement.

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About Strategies in seconds are short videos (2 minutes or less) demonstrating evidence-based strategies.

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This site explains how she uses response cards in her classroom and also includes a free download of her response cards.

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How to Know What They Know: Using Student Response Cards - Think Big Learning %

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This is a quick, easy tool for formative assessment in the classroom. These free student response cards allow students to demonstrate what they know.

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Playlist of Videos for OTRs & Engagement

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Playlist of Videos for OTRs & Engagement

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Engagement and Opportunities to Respond: Video Playlist - CIBRS

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About Videos in this series introduces Engagement and Opportunities to Respond series. These videos can be viewed individually, in a playlist, or as part of the badging course. In addition, you can view all the videos individually on demand. View Individual Videos I want to register and earn a Badge for this course: Click here [...]

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NCII: Methods to Elicit Frequent Responses

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NCII: Methods to Elicit Frequent Responses

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Explicit Instruction Course: Module 6 Overview

This module is the second in a set of four course modules focused on explicit instruction. This module introduces the concept of supporting practices necessary for successful implementation of explicit instruction. The module introduces how to use effective methods to elicit frequent responses. Throughout the module, educators will learn how eliciting frequent responses support instruction within the DBI framework.

In this module, educators will learn about:

How the supporting practices maximize engagement

Various methods to elicit responses

How to use these methods to elicit frequent responses that:

maintain or check accuracy of processing

match student abilities

use a variety of response formats (when appropriate)

maximize student involvement

This module is divided into five parts, with an introduction and closing. The full PowerPoint presentation across all parts of the module is available below with animations included as well as in a Section 508 compliant version.
Complete Slide Deck (508 compliant) Workbook (508 compliant)
For questions related to course content, please contact ncii@air.org

Introduction: How do the supporting practices maximize engagement?

In the introductory video to Module 6, you will learn:

How the supporting practices maximize engagement

Various methods to elicit responses

How to use these methods to elicit frequent responses that maintain or check accuracy of processing, match the learning outcome, match student abilities, use a variety of response formats (when appropriate), and maximize student involvement.

Worksheets & Activities
Introduction Transcript 6.1 - Stop & Jot: Solidify your Understanding
Part 1: What are the methods and purposes for eliciting responses?

In Module 6, Part 1, you will learn methods for eliciting responses and the two purposes for eliciting responses.

Worksheets & Activities
Part 1 Transcript 6.2 - Stop & Jot: Consider your Classroom 6.3 - Pause & Process: Solidify your Understanding 6.4 - Analyze a Curriculum Example: Apply your Knowledge 6.5 - Discussion Board Post: Module 6 Part 1 6.6 - Quiz: Module 6 Part 1
Related Videos
Video Example: Maintain Processing in Modeling (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 41. Stop video at 01:00) Video Example: Maintain Processing in Guided Practice
(Associated with PowerPoint Slide 43. Stop video at 0:45) Lead Teacher Demonstration: Elicit Responses to Maintain Processing
(Associated with PowerPoint Slide 50-53. Stop video at 05:01) Video Example: Purposes for Eliciting Responses (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 58. Stop video at 02:26)
Part 2: Does the method of eliciting response match the learning outcome?

In Module 6, Part 2, you will learn how to match the method of eliciting a response to a learning outcome.

Worksheets & Activities
Part 2 Transcript 6.7 - Pause & Process: Apply your Knowledge 6.8 - Stop & Jot: Solidify your Understanding 6.9 - Analyze a Video Example: Apply your Knowledge 6.10 - Journal Entry: Module 6 Part 2 6.11 - Quiz: Module 6 Part 2
Related Videos
Lead Teacher Demonstration: Using Methods to Elicit Responses that Match Learning Outcomes
(Associated with PowerPoint Slides 77-79. Stop video at 02:35) Video Example: Matching to Learning Outcome (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 86. Stop video at 02:08)
Part 3: Does the method of eliciting a response match student abilities?

In Module 6, Part 3, you will learn how to match the method of eliciting a response to student abilities.

Worksheets & Activities
Part 3 Transcript 6.12 - Stop & Jot: Consider your Classroom 6.13 - Analyze a Curriculum: Apply your Knowledge 6.14 - Partner Work: Module 6 Part 3 6.15 - Quiz: Module 6 Part 3
Related Videos
Audio Example: High Probability Requests (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 108) Lead Teacher Demonstration: Elicit Responses that Match Student Abilities (Example)
(Associated with PowerPoint Slide 112) Lead Teacher Demonstration: Elicit Responses that Match Student Abilities (Non-Example)
(Associated with PowerPoint Slide 113) Video Example: Matching Student Ability (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 117. Stop video at 01:23)
Part 4: Does the method of eliciting a response match the desired response format?

Within the DBI framework, one thing to consider is whether you are using a variety of response formats. In Module 6, Part 4, you will learn how to match the method of eliciting a response to the desired response format.

Worksheets & Activities
Part 4 Transcript 6.16 - Stop & Jot: Solidify your Understanding 6.17 - Analyze a Curriculum Example: Apply your Knowledge 6.18 - Analyze a Video Example: Apply your Knowledge 6.19 - Discussion Board Post: Module 6 Part 4 6.20 - Quiz: Module 6 Part 4
Related Videos
Lead Teacher Demonstration: Matching the Desired Response Format
(Associated with PowerPoint Slides 134-135) Video Example: Matching the Desired Response Format (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 141)
Part 5: Does the method of eliciting response maximize student involvement?

Eliciting frequent responses helps increase student understanding and maximize engagement. In this module, you will learn how to choose the right type of response. In Module 6, Part 5, you will learn how to elicit responses that maximize student engagement.
Part 5 Transcript 6.21 - Stop & Jot: Solidify your Understanding 6.22 - Analyze a Video Example: Apply your Knowledge 6.23 - Pause & Process: Solidify your Understanding 6.24 - Analyze a Curriculum Example: Apply your Knowledge 6.25 - Journal Entry: Module 6 Part 5 6.26 - Quiz: Module 6 Part 5
Related Videos
Lead Teacher Demonstration: Maximize Student Involvement (Associated with PowerPoint Slides 171-172) Video Example: Maximize Student Involvement (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 181) Video Example: Maximize Student Engagement (Associated with PowerPoint Slide 185)
Closing: What are the next steps?

Now that you have learned about how to elicit frequent responses, what are the next steps? In this closing, we summarize the importance of eliciting responses in terms of the DBI framework and the activities you completed. The video also introduces an opportunity to apply what you have learned through a Journal Assignment and Application Activity.

Worksheets & Activities
Closing Transcript Journal Entry for Classroom Application: Module 6 Classroom Application Prep Classroom Application: Module 6 Classroom Application
Coaching Materials and Facilitation Guide

"Coaching/Facilitator Guide" helps facilitate implementation, reflection, and feedback. It is intended for use by external (i.e., SEA or LEA staff, faculty, project-based coaches) or internal (i.e., school-based instructional coaches) coaches working directly with in-service educators who are learning and practicing the course content. Additionally, materials within the coaching/facilitator guide can be adapted by faculty as they prepare pre-service educators. The goal for coaching/facilitation is to ensure that educators are practicing the content they are learning and receiving feedback to improve their instruction. Included in this guide are: (a) sample communication emails, (b) a master checklist, (c) a discussion guide with important talking points, and (d) a fidelity form that can be completed by a coach/facilitator when observing classroom instruction.
Coaching/Facilitator Guide

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Methods to Elicit Responses: Training Modules | NCII

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This module, part of a larger series on explict instruction, focuses on how educators can use effective methods to elicit frequent responses from students.

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An Online Digital Wall for Sharing Preprinted Response Card Templates and Coinciding Lessons, Video, Audio Explanations, and Examples.

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I was asked to present at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network Conference in the Fall of 2023. I brainstormed ideas with Jared Campbell and Charles Mohler - who were helping coordinate the conference - and soon realized that word problems, math facts, and curriculum-based measures were already accounted for in presentations [and single-case designs were not going to be super interesting to teachers :]. We started kicking around other ideas and I mentioned how much focus we place on preparing our pre-service teachers to deliver opportunities to respond and behavior-specific praise. It led to a fruitful conversation around how opportunities to respond are a salient component to effective instruction, yet many details must be considered. So here we are today!

Opportunity to Respond

Acronym: OTR

Definition: OTRs can be described as a three-part sequence: (a) presented stimulus, (b) student provides a response, and (c) feedback (see Ferkis et al., 1997; MacSuga-Gage & Simonsen, 2015).

Examples:

Teachers presents the numeral 7 to students and asks, "What number is this?"

Teacher directs students to use their mini white boards, "First, sketch a graph that represents a positive slope. Second, sketch a graph that represents a negative slope. Please label both."

Teacher presents the problem 10 - [ ] = 8 to students. "Hold up 1 finger when you find one way to solve this problem, hold up 2 fingers when you find a second way to solve this problem."

None Examples:

The logic behind OTRs is simple and can be tied back to Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence.

Antecedent -> The prompt is given for students to think about.
[wait time, allow students to all be able to think]
Behavior -> This is what the student does (verbal, gestural, written).
[wait time, allow all students to respond and survey responses as a form of formative assessment]
Consequence -> Teacher feedback on student thinking.

Replicating this ABC process repeatedly is how students engage in thinking, practice, and learning.

One useful framework for using OTRs is to consider the mode of response students are expected to display.

OTRs can be used to have students provide a verbal response. One way to approach this is through choral responding. For example, when introducing new mathematical vocabulary it is critical that students can read, spell, hear, and pronounce the new term correctly. So when introducing a new word, I will have it displayed on the board and pronounce it correctly myself. Then I might prompt students to (1) repeat the word after me, (2) now say it loud, (3) now say it soft, (4) now whisper it to your shoulder partner. This would take all of 10 sec, and I just provided 4 verbal OTRs for students to practice pronouncing the new word (quick note here, examples 1-3 above would be choral responses whereas example 4 is something I'll describe below).

When using classwide choral response, the teacher must consider the expected response from students. Classwide choral responding works well when the expected response in one word (or a short phrase). However, longer responses (that can differ) become messy. For example, posing the following as a choral response, "Explain why the problem 2 + 9 can be solved by doing 9 + 2" will lead to jumbled responses from students and make it difficult for the teacher to discern student thinking. In many instances, teachers can preplan verbal questions they aim to ask related to items or math concepts being discussed that would lend themselves to choral response OTRs - it can be trickier to do on the fly.

OTRs can be used to facilitate student dialogue. As mentioned above, sometimes we aim for students to explain their mathematical thinking - thus a word or short phrase is insufficient. We could go the route of calling on individual students to provide explanations during classwide discussions; however, this limits the opportunity for other students to engage in explanations. A solution here is to use peer-to-peer OTRs. The same framework would be used, a prompt is provided and the direction would be to turn and talk to their partner.

I can imagine some people cringing at the recommendation to use peer-to-peer OTRs as they conjure up every negative experience they have witnessed from "turn-and-talks." What could go wrong?

Many partner groups look at each other and say nothing.

Many partner groups start talking about the dreadful end of Game 6 from the Thunder-Mavs series.

Partner 1 does all the talking and Partner 2 says, "I agree."

Partner 1 talks and then Partner 2 talks and there was no active listening by either partner.

Teaching students to structure of peer-to-peer OTRs at the beginning of the year and then reinforcing students for their active participation in these will go a long way. This is anecdotal, so sorry, but I was a fifth-grade general education teacher. The special education teacher I co-taught with and I noticed how dreadful these peer-to-peer OTRs went at the beginning of the year. We decided to model it for them. We turned our bodies and each modeled providing a response, engaged in active listening, and asked questions to each other about our responses. We then allowed students to practice peer-to-peer OTRs with prompts they easily could have a response to, "What is your favorite item to bring for lunch and why?" We attempted to reinforce active listening as well. When we would bring students back from peer-to-peer OTRs, we would ask students to share not what they said but rather what their partner shared. These small routines at the beginning of the year went a long way in enhancing the math conversations that were had.

Rittle-Johnson et al., 2017 reviewed studies that had students engage in self-explanation of their mathematical thinking. Self-explanation is merely students creating explanations for themselves to make sense of new information. The authors recommend four starting places for teachers who aim to incorporate this into their practice:

Students need to be taught what makes up a high-quality explanation. Modeling high-quality explanations and then providing feedback to students on their explanations can enhance their ability to use this in the future.

Teachers should design explanation prompts so they do not sacrifice attention to other important content. Providing more "structured" prompts for students to complete that would align with an explanation appears to benefit this process.

Provide prompts that have students explain correct information.

Provide prompts that have students explain why common misconceptions are incorrect.

I am not going to spend as much time on this one. A written OTR is a student writing a response. This might be paper and pencil, a mini whiteboard with a dry erase marker, or others. The one caveat here is to think about the expected response because this will dictate wait time and the rate at which you can provide OTRs. If the response is short, 6 x 5 = [ ], in this case the expected response is 30, then the wait time can be shorter and the rate at which OTRs are delivered can be higher. Whereas, if the expected response is longer, for example, "Tim was provided the problem 7 + 1 = [ ] + 2 and he wrote 8 in the box. Can you help explain to Tim why this is incorrect?" you'll need to provide a longer wait time.

One thought to consider is if teachers provide written OTRs that require longer written responses, the same advice for "self-explanations" apply. Written communication and verbal explanations are linked, thus modeling written responses, providing feedback, and using more structured prompts initially are going to be beneficial.

I am a little bit nerdy so I am including this into the conversation. In the OTR literature I have read, I have not seen "cognitive" OTR be used as a grouping. My definition would be that a student is prompted to "think" of a response but then NOT prompted to actually verbalize it (because this would be a verbal OTR) or write it down (because this would be a written OTR). What got me down this rabbit hole of thinking were two things. 1. Michael Pershan and his book because he described a structured routine he uses with students when studying worked examples. 2. Christopher Skinner published two papers on cover-copy-compare (read here about cover, copy, compare and totally free resources to build fact fluency developed by Brian Poncy at Oklahoma State [please forgive him for being at the wrong Oklahoma institution]) that stuck with me ( paper 1, paper 2). In paper 2, Skinner identified verbal CCC (verbal OTR) yielded faster learning rates than written CCC (written OTR), which he hypothesized was because in a fixed amount of time students were able to get more practice trials on verbal CCC because writing answers takes more time. It paper 1, he hypothesized cognitive CCC might also yield quicker response times because students are just thinking of their answer and not prompted to say it out loud - and to me, this would "appear" to fit the definition of an OTR but the response mode is "cognitive" because it is just them thinking.

I am going down a tangent here so skip this if you don't care. Verbal CCC can increase response rates BUT teachers are not provided with a permanent product to serve as a "check" that the student participated in the intervention. If you see stagnant growth using verbal CCC you might consider moving back to written CCC to see what happens. Another option you can consider is student choice. Once students are taught how to engage in written CCC and verbal CCC you can allow them to choose the method they want to engage in. Choice can be a powerful motivator and help avoid habituation (i.e., bored of using the same procedure repeatedly).

Now that we have covered the definition of OTR and discussed different examples of OTRs that can be used, you might be asking yourself

How often should I provide OTRs?

My take on the OTR dosage conversation. If we tie this conversation to the instructional hierarchy (see here for one description but if you are uber nerdy you'll like this one more), we might think about varying our dosage of OTR based on where student current knowledge is of the concept. If we are focused on the initial acquisition, the 3-5 OTRs per minute seems like an achievable and good benchmark. However, if fluency building (i.e., speed + accuracy) is the goal this rate is much too low. To make this more concrete, let's consider a student aiming to build fluency in their multiplication facts. If we are hitting 3 OTRs per minute, that would equate to the student attempting one math fact (e.g., 4 x 5) every 20 seconds. This would yield a low rate of practice. For hypothetical sake, presenting a problem every 6 seconds would be an OTR rate of 10 per minute.

How does this manifest into the Matthew Effect? If we use an intervention procedure such as cover-copy-compare or explicit timing (or just having students practice some math), students who have higher levels of initial fluency get higher OTRs per minute.

Student 1. In 2 min they practice 40 problems. This equates to ~1 problem every 3 sec, which equates to 20 OTRs per min.

Student 2. In 2 min they practice 12 problems. This equates to ~1 problem every 10 sec, which equates to 6 OTRs per minute.

What is behavior-specific praise? A positive statement directed toward a student or group of students that acknowledges a behavior in specific, observable, and measurable terms. Saying, "Great job using the communicative property to solve that problem" is an example of BSP whereas "Great job" is considered generic praise.

So how do OTRs and BSPs relate, see below.

One of the beautiful side effects of enhancing teachers OTR rates is the added benefit of also increasing BSP rates. As we can see, each time an OTR is presented and students provide a correct response there is the opportunity for the teacher to provide BSP!

What do we do if there is an incorrect response (see below)?

Incorrect responding is going to occur and that is okay, it presents feedback to the teacher that they can enhance their explanation. The key is to ensure an incorrect response is paired with feedback and another ABC cycle is provided to ensure a correct response is provided - which once again allows for BSP!

Here are some practical ways to begin to enhance your OTRs.

1. Before teaching a lesson, jot down OTRs that you anticipate posing to students (obviously we all know deviations occur when teaching :)). Remember to keep in mind, the type of response you are looking for (shorter vs. longer). This will allow you to then decide upon the type of OTR (e.g., verbal vs. written vs. gestural) and the subtype (e.g., choral response vs. peer-to-peer).

2. Attempt to vary the types of OTRs you deliver to avoid habituation. Preplan in verbal, gestural, and written OTRs - and even different subtypes (e.g., choral versus peer-to-peer).

3. Teach routines. If you aim to use peer-to-peer, self-explanations, or longer written OTRs then you'll want to provide some scaffolding up front so students can maximize their learning when using these OTR methods.

4. Self-monitor. Yes, this sounds scary but take data on your usage of OTRs. You can purchase a cheap clicker to count the number of OTRs you pose during a lesson, and if you are uber nerdy you can even count by type (i.e., how many verbal, how many written, how many gestural). Tracking your overall rate and setting goals to enhance your rate will yield success!

5. Last, be careful with the OTRs you ask when teaching a new skill (see example below). You can embed SO MANY OTRs on preskills when teaching a new concept [this is why I get so frustrated about people saying explicit instruction is just teacher-talk]. The one OTR you want to avoid is the one I see often, "what should I do first?" Most students do not know because that is the NEW skill you are trying to teach so don't waste your OTR on that.

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I really hope Hosp, Hosp, and Howell don't get mad that I used the title of their book as the inspiration for this.

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Page 6: Opportunities to Respond

Opportunities to respond (OTR) involves giving students frequent chances to answer questions or prompts in a set amount of time (e.g., 3-5 per minute). Rather than one student responding at a time, all students respond simultaneously using verbal responses (e.g., choral response) or non-verbal responses (e.g., thumbs up/thumbs down). When students have frequent opportunities to respond to questions and prompts, they are less likely to become off-task or engage in challenging or disruptive behaviors.

OTR is often used when teaching the entire class and is most effective when used to review material already taught, making sure students have at least a basic understanding of the academic content. Because increased academic engagement decreases rates of challenging behaviors, OTR's benefits are twofold: helping students increase fluency and subject area content knowledge while also effectively promoting and reinforcing student participation and engagement.

For Your Information

Academics and behavior are interlinked: When teachers provide high-quality instruction, students tend to be more engaged in the lesson, and exhibit fewer disruptive behaviors; when teachers effectively manage student behavior, they have more time to provide high-quality instruction.

Research Shows

Opportunities to respond has been found to increase on-task behaviors and student engagement:

For students with and without disabilities

Across all grade levels

During small- and whole-group instruction

(Clarke, Haydon, Bauer & Epperly 2016; Common, Lane, Cantwell, Brunsting, Oakes, Germer, & Bross, 2020; Fitzgerald Leahy, Miller, & Schardt, 2019; MacSuga-Gage & Simonsen, 2015)

Teachers can intensify instructional and behavioral supports for their students by increasing the number of OTRs.
(Van Camp, Wehby, Martin, Wright, & Sutherland, 2020)

Using the Strategy

To help educators prevent or address challenging behavior, the table below describes the steps to implement opportunities to respond and provides an example.

In addition to the five steps listed above, the five actions below can be helpful when implementing this practice.

In this interview, Janel Brown explains one way that teachers can implement opportunities to respond (time: 1:30).

Janel Brown
Behavior Interventionist
View Transcript
Transcript: Janel Brown

Every student needs the opportunity to respond. You have some students who will raise their hands to answer every question. You have those students that will just sit and in their head they're probably saying, "Oh, gosh, please don't let her call me." Teachers can use the whiteboards. They can pose a problem on the board. "We're going to multiply. I'll give you 30 seconds." So, the kids are writing. When they're done, hold it up. So, they're holding it up. She scans the room for the answers. "So, Johnny, how did you get your answer?" He's going to explain, "I did this, this, and then I did this." And if it's incorrect. She was like, "Ah, but look here and here." And then Johnny's going to catch his mistake of what he done. Sally may have done the same thing, so she's going to take a second look to make sure she did hers correct. Every child needs the opportunity to respond because you have students cognitively that may be here, and then you have some that may be here. Well, the ones down here, they're not going to say anything. They're going to just sit there because they don't want to answer questions. They don't want to be wrong. They don't want to be embarrassed. But guess what? You can't let one child or one group of kids dominate in answering questions. Every child needs an opportunity to respond.

Tier 2 Support

Although OTR can be used as a Tier 1 strategy, it can also be used as a Tier 2 support for students with moderate levels of externalizing or internalizing behaviors. The steps are the same as when used as a Tier 1 support, but for Tier 2 the educator implements OTR with greater intensity (e.g., more frequently). To determine if the strategy is effective, the educator collects and analyzes the data using the following steps:

1. Identify the student behavior to be addressed (e.g., student refuses to verbally participate in class discussion) during an instructional period in which the behavior typically occurs (e.g., science, math).

2. Collect baseline data on the student behavior for a designated timeframe (e.g., first 20 minutes of class) during the identified instructional period. Collect this data across several days (e.g., 3 to 5 days) to see how often this behavior occurs or how long each episode lasts.

3. Implement or intensify OTR and continue to collect data (e.g., same instructional period, same length of time) for 3 to 5 days to determine whether the student's behavior changes.

4. Evaluate the effect of OTR. Compare the implementation data to the baseline data to evaluate whether the strategy has had the desired effect on the student's behavior.

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Opportunities to respond (OTR) involves giving students frequent chances to answer questions or prompts in a set amount of time (e.g., 3-5 per minute). Rather than one student responding at a time, all students respond simultaneously using verbal responses (e.g., choral response) or non-verbal responses (e.g., thumbs up/thumbs down).

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Data sheet for teachers to utilize to count how many opportunities to respond they give to students.

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“MOTR-Cycle” (Measuring Opportunities to Respond–Cycle of Coaching and Feedback) is a free online tool that instructional coaches and administrators can use during classroom observations to keep track of the number of “opportunities to respond” and the modality of each OTR.

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Urbani, K. (2025). Developing an opportunities to respond observation tool: A validation study [Doctoral dissertation, Mount St. Joseph University].

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Tools for principals, coaches, supervisors, and peer teachers

Anita L. Archer, PhD

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You can access an editable copy here. Please make a copy before you change anything.

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Copy of OTR (welitn) Editable Response Cards

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This is a one pager and checklists for using otrs in the classroom.

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Videos of Anita Explaining different topics over the years

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Videos of Anita Explaining different topics over the years

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Here are some good videos of Anita describing different topics over the years.

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2020-21 School Year

March 5, 2021
Clarity Clarity Clarity Clarity
Recorded webinar Handouts
Follow-up Materials: PowerPoint Knowing Your Learning Target
Wrestling Example

January 21, 2021
Comprehension Is an Outcome-How Can We Promote Comprehension?
As we celebrate the inauguration and our democracy, we remember that "Reading Is a Civil Right." At the heart of reading instruction is the goal of comprehension. This webinar will remind us of the path to comprehension.
Recorded webinar Handouts

October 8, 2020
Good Instruction Is Good Instruction:
Applying What We Know to Remote and In-Class Teaching
Recorded webinar Download All Materials
Handouts PowerPoint Presentation Additional Materials

November 18, 2020
Judicious Practice
One of the essential elements of Explicit Instruction is Judicious Practice: Deliberate Practice, Retrieval Practice, and Spaced Practice.

Recorded webinar Download materials

2019-20 School Year

November 4, 2019
Procedures for Effective and Efficient Walk-Throughs
Recorded webinar Handouts PowerPoint Presentation

January 28, 2020
Contributions of Cognitive Science to Explicit Instruction: Two New Books (Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning; Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide)
Recorded webinar Handouts PowerPoint Presentation

March 17, 2020
Book Study: How I Wish I'd Taught Maths: Lessons Learned from Research by Craig Barton
Recorded webinar Handouts PowerPoint Presentation

April 3, 2020
The Magic Is in the INSTRUCTION, Part 1
Applying the Principles of Explicit Instruction to ONLINE Teaching of Strategies, Concepts, and Vocabulary Terms
Recorded webinar Handouts PowerPoint Presentation

April 6, 2020
The Magic Is in the INSTRUCTION, Part 2
Applying the Principles of Explicit Instruction to ONLINE Teaching of Facts, Knowledge and Content-Area Passage Reading
Recorded webinar Handouts PowerPoint Presentation

April 23, 2020
The Magic Is in the INSTRUCTION Bonus Lessons
Remote Recorded Lesson: Informative Text
Recording PowerPoint Presentation

Remote Recorded Lesson: Spelling (Intermediate Level)
Recording PowerPoint Presentation

2018-19 School Year
March 20, 2019

Retrieval and Spaced Practice: In the classroom, in independent study, in professional development
Recorded webinar Handouts PowerPoint Presentation

August 29, 2018
Book Exploration: Creating the Schools our Children Need by Dylan Wiliam
Recorded webinar Handout

2017-18 School Year

2016-17 School Year

2015-16 School Year

2014-15 School Year

2013-14 School Year

May 2014
Teaching the Conventions of Standard English
Recorded webinar Slides Examples

January 2014
Repair Active Participation Practices
Recorded webinar Slides Examples

2012-13 School Year

April 2013
Questions and Suggestions
Recorded webinar

February 2013
Implementation Suggestions-Common Core State Standards
Recorded webinar

September 2012
Observation of Delivery Skills
Recorded webinar

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March 5, 2021Clarity Clarity Clarity Clarity Recorded webinar Handouts Follow-up Materials: PowerPoint Knowing Your Learning Target Wrestling Example January 21, 2021Comprehension Is an Outcome-How Can We Promote Comprehension? As we celebrate the inauguration and our democracy, we remember that "Reading Is a Civil Right." At the heart of reading instruction is the goal of comprehension.

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Here is a video on picture notes for educators and students.

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Total Participation Technique | Picture Notes

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How to Boost High School Classroom Participation

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How to Boost High School Classroom Participation

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Ideas to support active participation for all in a high school class. 2 minutes of suggestions.

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How To Boost High School Classroom Participation? - Ninth Grade Starter Guide

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Research and practical applications for OTRs and interaction in the classroom.

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Iowa Reading Research Center - The University of Iowa

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Although it can be difficult to attribute the success of a literacy lesson to a single instructional practice, research suggests that providing students with opportunities to respond (OTR) warrants special attention. Simply put, OTRs refer to the number of times students participate or engage in an instructional lesson. OTRs are a foundational aspect of designing and delivering highly interactive and dynamic literacy instruction. Indeed, they could be conceived of as a motor that propels student knowledge and skill forward.

For example, OTRs are a key part of explicit instruction-a multi-component instructional approach with a substantial track record of improving reading and writing performance (Hughes et al., 2017). Even outside of explicit instruction or any specific instructional approach (e.g., strategy instruction), OTRs are a way to improve the instructional performance of a diverse range of students, including those with and without disabilities and at elementary to secondary grade levels (Van Camp et al., 2020).

OTRs: Definition and Tips to Improve

OTRs tend to have three components: (a) presentation of an environmental cue, such as a teacher-directed question or curricula materials, (b) student response to the cue, and (c) delivery of praise for correct response or corrective feedback for incorrect response (MacSuga-Gage & Simonson, 2015). Prior studies suggest that increasing the number of OTRs during instruction can improve several student outcomes, including academic engagement (e.g., number of responses during lessons) and classroom behavior, such as an increase of time on-task and a decrease in disruptive behavior (Common et al., 2020; Van Camp et al., 2020).

When developing a plan to monitor OTRs and improve them, there are at least four questions to consider. First, what are the question formats? Second, how do students respond? Third, how many students are expected to respond? Fourth, what is the pace of responses?

What Are the Question Formats?

The first part of an OTR occurs when something is presented-sometimes called a cue or antecedent-that precedes a student response. Prior studies on explicit instruction (Datchuk et al., 2024) have described three broad question formats: (a) identify, (b) complete, and (c) generate. For identify formats, instructors ask students to indicate or name something in the environment. As an example, this format may include presenting letters (e.g., "a"), while students say the corresponding sounds (e.g., "/a/"). For complete formats, a stem or fill-in-the-blank prompt is presented. As an example, the subject of a sentence may be missing (e.g., ____ ran to the store), and students say or write the corresponding subject from a story (e.g., Gerald ran to the store). For generate formats, a minimum amount of prompting is provided, and students are expected to respond mostly from memory. As an example, a picture may show a fictional scene (e.g., sailors on a boat, catching fish), and students write several sentences describing it.

How Do Students Respond?

After a cue or antecedent is presented, the next part of an OTR involves how students respond. Students can respond in one or more modalities: oral, written, or motor. An oral or written response can be short (e.g., say a single letter sound or write a single word) or extended (e.g., write and say multiple sentences). A motor response typically refers to a gesture, such as raising a hand or providing a thumbs up or thumbs down.

These three modalities can be combined. For example, some studies have found positive effects for having students provide both oral and written responses during writing instruction (Datchuk et al., 2020). When selecting a modality, it is likely preferable to consider the overall goal of the instructional lesson. For example, if the ultimate goal of a lesson is for students to spell and write multi-syllabic words, then using the written modality at some point is important.

How Many Students Are Expected to Respond?

It is helpful to consider not only how students will respond but how many students will respond at a time. The number of students responding can range from an individual to an entire group. For individual responses, a single student is called upon to provide a response while the remaining students in a group observe. For group responses, a small group or a whole group responds at the same time. Group responses are best reserved for short responses in which the same answer is expected.

When it is feasible, it is beneficial to maximize the number of group responses in a lesson. Prior studies on OTRs have found group responses are associated with further increases in academic engagement and appropriate classroom behavior when compared to only individual responses (Van Camp et al., 2020). However, calling on individual students is still important. Individual responses are well-suited for longer responses in which the answers may vary (e.g., sentences on favorite summertime memory). In addition, some research suggests that a combination of group and individual responses may be more beneficial than group responses alone or individual responses alone (Haydon et al., 2010).

What Is the Pace of Responses?

A final consideration is the pace of OTRs-specifically, the rate of OTRs or count per minute (e.g., 3 OTRs per minute). The number of OTRs possible per minute is likely influenced by the format of the questions presented and modalities of responses. For example, for more complicated formats that require students to write responses (e.g., write one or two sentences in response to a picture), fewer OTRs may be possible than for less complicated formats and responses (e.g., see letters and say letter sounds). Prior research has found positive effects for setting a criterion of at least 3 OTRs per minute (MacSuga-Gage & Gage, 2015). It may be possible that students benefit from even higher rates, but more research is needed on potential differential effects (e.g., benefits of 5 OTRs or 8 OTRs per minute).

Summary and MOTR-Cycle

Answering these four questions should result in a plan to improve OTRs during literacy instruction. Importantly, some problem-solving is likely needed to find the most effective way to use OTRs in your current lesson structure. Most research on OTRs has been done with elementary-aged students and literacy instruction (e.g., Common et al., 2020), so further considerations may be needed for older students and other content areas in which literacy is addressed, such as social studies.

The Iowa Reading Research Center (IRRC) will soon release MOTR-Cycle: Measuring Opportunities to Respond-Cycle of Coaching and Feedback. It will be a free online application to help educators measure OTRs and drive instructional coaching and feedback. It will be part of a larger application suite designed to make it easier for educators and administrators to measure fidelity and collaborate with each other on important curricula and instructional decisions.

References

Datchuk, S. M., Young, M. K., Allen, A. A., & Zimmermann, L. M. (2024). How to use instructional assessments for explicit instruction of text-writing fluency. Intervention in School and Clinic, 60 (4), 220-227. https://doi.org/10.1177/10534512241302712

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Measuring Opportunities to Respond: A MOTR of Highly Interactive Literacy Instruction

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Providing students with ample opportunities to respond throughout a lesson can improve their instructional performance.

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-ratio of teachers to student talking

-how many opportunities are given for students to respond

-compliance = students repeating, engagement = discussions, energy of callbacks, hand motions, chants, etc.

-informal informative data to show overall student understanding

-helping teachers- counting # of student responses, timing of how many minutes for teacher talk vs. student talk