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Running head: THE FUNDAMENTAL 5

Troi Bingham
The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction Book Review
EDUC 6331/Administrative Internship II
Dr. Jim LeBuffe
October 21, 2017
University of St. Thomas
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Often the most difficult task for any teacher or educational leader, whether it be a first year or

veteran is improving instructional practices, rigor, relevance and student achievement. This

seems to be a super power in the educational world that every educator strives to attain. Such a

power requires practice, discipline, and a few key elements that should be implemented in the

classroom. In this book, Cain and Laird share five practices that every teacher can and should use

to dramatically improve the outcome of these tasks.

The first chapter is an introduction to the book itself. It details the importance, purpose, and

relevance of the content by identifying the most common reasons why many teachers fail when

trying to improve and establish quality instruction. Not having a good plan, not having the desire,

procrastination, not recognizing opportunity loss, not having support, and not having a way to

regularly and accurately gauge progress are among the top reasons. This chapter also details the

various sources the authors used to culminate the five practices explained in the text. The next

chapter is an extension of the introduction and identifies the five essential practices which are to

frame the lesson, work in the power zone, frequent, small group, purposeful talk about learning,

recognize and reinforce, and write critically.

Chapter three begins the explicit explanations of each individual practice, starting with

framing the lesson. Cain and Laird simply define this practice as the beginning and end of the

lesson. This practice, both written and verbal, is the process of introducing the planned learning

of the day through specifying objectives and identifying the closing question, product, or task

that clearly states how the student will demonstrate understanding. The objective and closing

task, product, or question should be simple and direct. The authors provide actual examples of

effective objectives and closing tasks. The text identifies the benefits to not only students, but

teachers as well. An effectively framed lesson provides the teacher with a clear and concise
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statement of the original intent of the lesson design. All subsequent instructional decisions

should be made in light of that original content (Cain & Laird, 2011, pg. 33).

Chapter four explains the concept of working in the power zone. The authors discuss the

three locations in which you can find most teachers conduct their craft in order from least to

most effective. This includes in the work area, lecture style, and what Cain and Laird have called

the power zone, which is explained to be the most effective. Working in the power zone means

giving instruction while monitoring in close proximity of the students. When a teacher conducts

instruction in the power zone on-task behaviors increase, discipline issues decrease, and student

retention of the content increases (Cain & Laird, pg. 45).

The next chapter, entitled, Talk About the Learning, is described as the most self-explanatory

of all the practices. It is the practice where, after every ten to fifteen minutes of teacher-driven

discussion, or at the completion of a major instructional concept, the teacher stops talking and

has students discuss their learning in small groups by answering a seed question related to the

instruction or activity. This is a key practice to increase retention.

Recognize and reinforce is the fourth fundamental practice discussed in chapter six. This

practice is a motivational tool by offering praise to reinforce learning. It is also used to enforce

positive behaviors and cultivate a create classroom culture.

The last practice is writing critically. According to the authors, it is the least frequently used

of the five practices. It is defined as writing for the purpose of organizing, clarifying, defending,

refuting, analyzing, dissecting, connecting, and/or expanding on ideas or concepts (Cain &

Laird, pg. 81). When students are able to critically write, it creates meaning and solidifies

connections. Critical writing activities increase relevance by connecting real world experiences.

This practice also provides an excellent source of assessment material.

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This book is an awesome source for professional development. The organization of the text is

great for grouping and collaboration. Each grade level can be assigned a practice or two, in order

to really delve into the dynamic of the text. This would allow for the staff to discuss the

strategies and examples listed and apply them to their current lesson approach. The key is for

each group to provide feedback and testament to the progress made through the use of the

strategies and share them with the rest of the team.

The best aspect of this book is the real- world examples provided. The authors explicitly

explain each practice and detail. Not only do they define each practice, they outline what it

means for the teacher and the student, and how each benefit from the individual fundamental

practices. In my experience, all five practices are critical to the success of the student and

teacher. It is not always easy to implement all five, but with the help of this book, many teachers

can find refuge. As a leader, this book is great to choose for a campus book study. It is not only

relevant to the teachers in the classroom, but it is also relevant to the campus leaders and their

journey to shape and support effective educators.

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REFERENCES

Cain, S., & Laird, M. (2011). The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.