Do Marzano's instructional strategies work--especially using cues, questions and advance organizers?

Among the nine strategies suggested by Robert Marzano for improving instruction is that of using cues, questions, and advance organizers to help students review what they already know about a topic before they study it, so that they further their knowledge. The advance organizers, for example, need to be in a variety of forms, a story, picture, or whatever works for the student. I've used forms of this strategy with elementary students in a reading class, but now am looking at it again. Does anyone have thoughts on whether it's worthwhile, how well this strategy works, or other comments? Thanks for your views.

Tags: Instructional strategies

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Permalink Reply by Miss A on September 5, 2009 at 9:09pm

personally, I think marzano's strategies are outdated. although his work is classic, I would NEVER operate my classroom/instruction around his strategies. I wouldn't be able to maintain my students attention.

However, I do like advance organizers. . . .

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Permalink Reply by Glenda Crick on September 7, 2009 at 10:36am

Thanks for your discussion--I've used the advance organizers with 2nd graders, esp. one who has trouble reading while I was tutoring him, to get him to really look at the story and predict what some of the words might be, etc. Also watched his teacher use questioning effectively for the class to get them ready to start a new study and be excited about it. I'd be interested to know if it makes a difference what level you teach, if you say you couldn't maintain students' attention using Marzano's strategies, Miss A, except for advance organizers.

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Permalink Reply by Miss A on April 18, 2010 at 4:43pm

I teach at an urban high school. The reason I say this is because I've gone to several sessions and even read the book, I guess I should have said something like: "I feel like there is nothing new or novel" about his work. I have use a few things, but I believe that his work is overused as the model for classroom instruction.

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Permalink Reply by Kev on September 6, 2009 at 9:36am

How can they be outdated when they are all easily placed into modern curriculum?

Anywho, to the original question, questioning is the most effective strategy I've seen for review and instruction. If it worked for Socrates it is ok in my book. I'm less a fan of the previewing activities because, well frankly, I don't ask my kids to read textbooks in class.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Searcey on February 15, 2010 at 9:39pm

I am just beginning to research Marzano's "cues, questions and advance organizers" for a graduate class I'm taking. Have you used this strategy in class? Did it work well for you? Will you continue to use it? I would love to hear others' comments to the questions you posed also!