Learning from home often seems inaccessible and inefficient for our kids, but we can help make improvements with some creativity, collaboration, and flexibility. Embedded instruction is one creative teaching method that parents and educators can use together to ensure students meet their IEP goals during at-home learning (and when kids are in the classroom, too!).
In an article from the TIES Center’s virtual learning series, researcher Jessica Bowman, Ph.D., of TIES Center and the National Center on Education Outcomes explains how families can help their children practice academic skills in non-academic settings at home. Moreover, she tells us that parents can talk to teachers about adjusting assignments to encourage lessons through embedded instruction. Read on for some highlights and strategies for making embedded instruction work for your kiddo. (These tips were originally published at the start of the pandemic, but they are still useful and relevant for all kids who learn from home!)
Embedded instruction is a way for students to work on their IEP goals “in the context of daily routines and activities.” This means practicing lesson objectives through activities like watching TV, finishing up chores around the house, texting with a friend, preparing food, and more.
At first glance, embedded instruction might seem most appropriate for goals related to life skills and occupational therapy, but academic goals can also become part of embedded instruction at home — especially with virtual learning. Dr. Bowman says that core content subjects like math and reading are particularly applicable outside of worksheets and online assignments.
To begin developing ideas for embedded instruction, Dr. Bowman recommends having collaborative conversations with your child’s teacher and IEP team to figure out where your child needs extra help or is falling behind. Those goals should then be prioritized for lessons via embedded instruction, and as a team, you can imagine at-home scenarios where those skills can be utilized.
Dr. Bowman provides a few examples of embedded instruction that have helped students work on specific IEP goals:
Embedded instruction is meant to be paired with related in-class activities. Using the example of a student learning about two-dimensional shapes, Dr. Bowman mentions that the student can “have video chats [with their teacher] describing those LEGO structures, including their area, perimeter, and how many of each type of block could fit into different sizes,” instead of completing worksheets or virtual assignments.
