I Do, We Do, You Do Teaching Model

Do you need a simple model to help students with the tricky skills? The I Do, We Do, You Do Teaching Model is the perfect instructional practice that allows for gradual release of responsibilities. I love this model because it includes explicit instruction, guided practice, and independent practice. This works particularly well in special education because it is very methodical and provides students with the guidance that they need to become confident in the material. By following an I do-we do-you do model, teachers can walk students through complex skills at a comfortable pace. 

Teach for Life provides a simple I Do, We Do, You Do video (link is in the references) that I would recommend if you are unfamiliar with the process. Here are the basic components:

I Do- During this stage in the process, teachers simply demonstrate the skill. They model their thinking and steps from start to finish. For example, if students were learning about using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, the teacher may show a passage that contains an unfamiliar word. They would read the passage, identify the word, identify the context clues, model their thinking as they make connections, and then draw a conclusion. 

We Do- Next, the teacher walks through the strategy with students. All students participate in a guided practice session. Following the example from above, the teacher may distribute a passage to all students with a unfamiliar word. The group would read the passage together and then the teacher would ask students to identify an unfamiliar word. Then they would work together to underline the context clues. A class discussion would connect the context clues to the meaning of the unfamiliar word.

You Do- Finally, students would be given a practice activity to complete independently. In keeping with our example, students would be given a passage and would need to identify the unfamiliar word, context clues, and the meaning of the unfamiliar word. By this point, they have had plenty of practice and should know how to complete the steps on their own. If students are unsuccessful, the teacher can back up to "We Do" and then repeat "You Do" until the content is mastered. 

Teach for Life. (2018, November 21). I do, we do, you do (making rice) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEkISDTFcf0