How do I continue to motivate and engage my students in SIPPS lessons? – Collaborative Classroom

“The motivation for student engagement is built into the lesson structure, and not an added piece of entertainment to the lesson. I let the learning and the program features be the motivation for the students. So far I have had success with this line of thinking!” —Dawn Elliott, Third-Grade Teacher

SIPPS provides structured lessons with explicit instructional and correction routines. The routines include clear, concise language and elicit a choral response from students, which helps to foster high levels of student engagement.

SIPPS also provides opportunities for students to master foundational skills through high student participation. SIPPS introduces new skills to students, reviews previously taught skills, and provides opportunities for students to apply newly acquired skills on a daily basis in writing and in connected text.

This approach to instruction leads to an increase in confidence as students become familiar with the predictable structure of the lessons, participate in concise instructional routines, provide responses chorally, and learn and apply new skills both in writing and in texts they feel successful reading.

Some teachers might initially find the instruction to be repetitive. Though the routines might feel repetitive to teachers, they are extraordinarily beneficial to students because as students become more familiar with the consistency of the routines, they are freed up to focus more on gaining and solidifying the essential foundational skills needed in order to successfully learn to read. As teachers become more familiar with the routines, they are better able to automatically articulate the instruction and are freed up to be more effective observers and data collectors throughout a lesson.

To foster continued engagement and motivation in SIPPS, reflect on the following questions and make adjustments as needed:

Are you teaching the lessons as intended? Are you using clear, concise language as articulated? Are your students engaging in a choral response? Revist Appendix A for more support.
Are there certain routines or components of the lesson during which students seem more/less engaged and motivated? What might be contributing to this? What adjustments might you need to make to your instruction? Revisit previous Instructional Self-Checks for additional considerations.
Is the pacing of the lessons suiting the need(s) of the students? Are you having to implement several correction routines throughout a lesson? Revisit previous Mastery Test Interpretations for additional suggestions.
Are students placed appropriately? Are there gaps or trends in the data which need to be considered? Revisit Appendix C (if you are using SIPPS Third or Fourth Edition) or the Assessment and Placement section of the Implementation Handbook (if you are using SIPPS Fifth Edition) for more information.
How are your connections with your students? Work to build your rapport with students, which will increase their willingness to take risks during SIPPS lessons.

The following blogs may also be helpful:

If I Only Knew Then: A Year with the SIPPS Program

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