Rosenshine's Principles
With contributions from: Neil Hamilton-Fairley
Ever wondered what makes a lesson really stick? Enter Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction - a proven set of strategies that help you teach with clarity and purpose. Developed by Barak Rosenshine in the 1980s, these ten principles are based on research into how people learn best. They focus on strategies that help students actively engage with content, build strong foundations, and retain what they’ve learned.
These principles have been widely used by teachers worldwide because they give a clear structure for lessons that make learning more effective. They’re particularly useful for tutoring because they allow you to personalize your approach and give students the right support at the right time.
So what are Roshine's Ten Principles? And why do they work? Read on for the full breakdown...
1. Begin each session with a short review
Think of this as a mental warm-up for your student. Start by reviewing something they learned in the last session. This refreshes their memory and ensures they’re ready to tackle new material.
Why it's important: Learning is like building a house – you need a strong foundation. A quick review prevents gaps in knowledge that might trip students up as they progress.
Example: You could start a maths session with, “What’s one formula we practiced last time that you still remember?”, or in English, you could ask your students "Can you summarise the key points in the paragraph we read last week?".
2. Introduce new material in small steps
Break complex topics into bite-sized chunks. Cover one concept at a time, so your students don’t feel overwhelmed.
Why it's important: Remember our newsletter that featured Cognitive overload? Well, it's real - don’t throw too much information at your students at once. Introducing small, digestible pieces of information avoids overwhelming students and improves retention.
Example: When teaching essay writing, focus on crafting a strong introduction first. Once they’ve mastered this, move on to topic sentences and evidence. For science, cover one part of the cell at a time (nucleus, mitochondria, etc.) instead of tackling the whole diagram at once.
3. Ask lots of questions
Stay interactive by peppering your sessions with questions. This keeps your student engaged and helps you gauge their understanding.
Why it’s important: Questions encourage active learning, giving your student a chance to reflect and connect ideas.
Question examples:
Maths: “Why do you think we multiply here instead of dividing?”
English: “What do you think the author is trying to convey in this paragraph?”
Science: “Can you walk me through the steps of this experiment and explain why each one is important?”
4. Show them how it's done
Sometimes students need to see how to approach a task before they can do it themselves. Show them examples or walk them through the process.
Why it's important: Seeing how something is done provides clarity and builds confidence. Students are more likely to succeed if they understand the process first.
Examples:
English: Share a sample essay to demonstrate effective structure and evidence use.
Science: Create a labelled diagram of a cell and explain the key components before asking them to draw their own.
Maths: Solve a challenging equation step-by-step, explaining your thought process aloud.
5. Practise, practise, practise (with your help)
Give your student time to practise the new skill or topic you’ve introduced -but be there to guide them when they need help.
Why it's important: Repetition helps them lock in what they’ve learned. If they practise with your support, they’re less likely to get frustrated or confused.
Examples:
Work through a few questions together, offering hints like, “Remember to tackle the brackets first.”
For writing, suggest phrases such as, “You could start this sentence with, ‘This implies that…’.”
6. Check if they’re getting it
Pause every so often and make sure your student understands what you’re teaching before moving on.
Why it's important: If they don’t fully understand something, they’ll struggle with the next steps. Catching misunderstandings early saves time and frustration later.
Examples:
After explaining a maths concept, ask: “Can you try this one on your own and tell me what you’re thinking?”
In English, say: “Can you explain this poem in your own words?”
7. Celebrate small wins
Success breeds confidence. Create opportunities for your students to feel accomplished, no matter how small.
Why it's important: Everyone loves feeling like they’re winning. Small victories boost confidence and keep students motivated.
Examples:
Start with simple tasks they’re likely to get right before introducing tougher challenges.
Celebrate progress with phrases like, “Great work on that – see how far you’ve come!”
8. Support them with tough tasks
When a topic feels overwhelming, give your student extra help at first, then gradually let them take more control.
Why it's important: Scaffolding - providing extra support - makes big challenges feel manageable. As they get more confident, you can ease back and let them take the reins.
Example: In maths, give them a partially solved problem to finish instead of starting from scratch, or for essays, use sentence starters like, “This shows that…” to help them build confidence in their writing.
9. Encourage independent practise
Encourage students to practise independently outside of your tutoring sessions - it's where the real learning happens.
Why it's important: Repetition is the key to mastery. Practising on their own reinforces concepts and builds autonomy..
Examples:
If possible, align your sessions with their teacher's lessons, so your sessions are almost a practise of what they were taught!
Use apps or tools to make independent practise engaging, such as Quizlet or Kahoot.
10. Review often
Keep coming back to topics over weeks and months (if you have the time!) to make sure content really sticks.
Why it's important: Spaced repetition helps move knowledge from short-term to long-term memory. It’s like revisiting an old playlist - each time, it feels more familiar.
Examples:
Begin each session with a mini-quiz or ask them to explain a concept from a few weeks ago.
Create flashcards for quick revision of key terms or formulas.
Why Rosenshine’s Principles matter
By applying Rosenshine’s Principles in your tutoring sessions, you’re not just helping your students understand the material - you’re giving them the tools to actively take control of their learning. These principles guide you to break down complex topics into manageable steps, keep students engaged, and support them when things get tough, all while fostering independence.
Whether you're guiding them through a tricky math problem or helping them craft an essay, using these strategies will make your sessions more effective and focused. They also build confidence in your students, helping them feel successful at every step of the learning process. When you structure your lessons with these principles in mind, you’re setting your students up for long-term success - not just academically, but also in how they approach learning as a whole.