LET Elementary Principles and Strategies of Teaching — Questioning, Communication and Instructional MaterialsRevision Notes

Exam Tips

• When a LET item says a teacher asks 'What if…?' or 'How many different ways can you…?' — the answer is DIVERGENT question.
• When a LET item asks what question 'has only one correct answer' — the answer is CONVERGENT question.
• Match question stems to Bloom's levels: 'Define/List/Name' = low-level; 'Compare/Evaluate/Create/Justify' = high-level.
• Remember: the two dimensions are INDEPENDENT. A question can be convergent AND high-level (e.g., 'What is the single best solution based on the evidence?').

Key Points

• Questions are a teacher's primary tool for stimulating thinking, diagnosing understanding, reviewing content, and encouraging participation.
• Convergent questions have one correct or expected answer — they narrow thinking. Example: 'What is the capital of the Philippines?' (Manila)
• Divergent questions are open-ended with many possible answers — they expand thinking. Example: 'What would happen if the Philippines had no islands?'
• Low-level (cognitive-memory) questions target Bloom's lower levels: Remembering and Understanding. Example: 'Define erosion.' or 'List the planets in order.'
• High-level (thought-provoking) questions target Bloom's higher levels: Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating. Example: 'Compare the ecosystems of Mindanao and Luzon.' or 'Judge which solution is fairer and defend your choice.'
• CRITICAL DISTINCTION: Convergent vs. Divergent = range of acceptable answers. Low vs. High = level of thinking demanded. These are TWO separate dimensions.
• Convergent and low-level questions overlap heavily, as do divergent and high-level questions — but they are NOT the same thing.
• Effective teachers ask a BALANCE: low-level questions build the knowledge base; high-level questions stretch and develop critical thinking.
• In the K-12 BEC, higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) are emphasized, so high-level, divergent questions should be prominent in lessons.

Definitions

Section Title

Questioning Techniques: Types of Questions

Common Mistakes

• Treating convergent/divergent and low-level/high-level as the same dimension — they are NOT. Convergent-divergent = range of answers; low-high = thinking level.
• Assuming all divergent questions are automatically high-level. A question can be divergent (many answers) but still low-level (no deep thinking required).
• Overlooking the value of low-level questions — they are essential for building the knowledge base before high-level thinking is possible.
• Using only convergent, low-level questions in every lesson, which fails the K-12 HOTS requirement and limits learner development.

Exam Tips

• LET scenario: 'After asking a question, Teacher A counts silently to five before calling on a student.' — This is WAIT TIME I.
• LET scenario: 'After Juan answers, Teacher B pauses before responding.' — This is WAIT TIME II.
• Always associate wait time with Mary Budd Rowe — examiners may ask who researched it.
• The BENEFIT of extended wait time: longer answers, more participation, more student-to-student interaction, deeper thinking.

Key Points

• Wait time was researched by Mary Budd Rowe and is defined as the deliberate pause a teacher allows around a question.
• Wait Time I: the pause AFTER the teacher asks a question, BEFORE calling on any student — typically 3 to 5 seconds.
• Wait Time II: the pause AFTER a learner responds, BEFORE the teacher reacts, comments, or moves on — also 3 to 5 seconds.
• Extending wait time to 3–5 seconds produces LONGER and MORE THOUGHTFUL answers, MORE VOLUNTEERS, and MORE student-to-student discussion.
• Wait time also promotes INCLUSIVE participation — quieter learners and those who process more slowly get a fair chance to think.
• The most common teacher mistake is filling the silence immediately — either by repeating the question, answering it themselves, or calling on the first hand raised.
• In a multilingual Philippine classroom (with MTB-MLE in Grades 1–3), wait time is even more critical because learners may need extra processing time in the medium of instruction.

Definitions

Section Title

Wait Time: The Power of the Pause

Common Mistakes

• Confusing Wait Time I and Wait Time II — I comes after the QUESTION; II comes after the ANSWER.
• Thinking a 1-second pause is enough — research shows 3–5 seconds is the effective threshold.
• Repeating the question immediately, which signals to learners they do not need to listen the first time.
• Only calling on the first hand raised — this defeats the purpose of wait time by rewarding speed over depth of thinking.

Exam Tips

• LET scenario: 'Teacher asks Maria: Why do you believe that?' after Maria answers — this is PROBING.
• LET scenario: 'Teacher says: Think about the water cycle we studied. Does that give you a clue?' — this is PROMPTING.
• LET scenario: 'Teacher asks: What do YOU think, Carlos?' after Pedro fails to answer — this is REDIRECTING.
• Use the '3-P' memory device: Probe = Peer deeper. Prompt = Push with a hint. Pass = Pass to another (Redirect).

Key Points

• After a learner responds, a skilled teacher uses follow-up techniques to deepen thinking, help struggling learners, or widen participation.
• PROBING: Pushes a learner to think MORE DEEPLY about their OWN answer. Used after an initial response to seek elaboration, justification, or evidence. Examples: 'Why do you think so?' 'Can you give an example?' 'What is your basis for that?'
• PROMPTING: Gives hints, cues, or rephrased questions to help a learner who is STUCK or PARTIALLY CORRECT reach the answer themselves — scaffolding rather than telling. Example: 'Think about what we discussed last week about food chains. Can that help you answer?'
• REDIRECTING: Passes the SAME QUESTION to a DIFFERENT learner to widen participation, hear other perspectives, or when the first learner cannot answer. Example: 'That's interesting, Ana. What do you think, Pedro?'
• Memory key: PROBE = DEEPEN (go deeper with the same learner). PROMPT = HELP (scaffold a stuck learner). REDIRECT = SPREAD (pass to another learner).
• Socratic questioning is a sustained series of probing questions that guides learners to examine their own reasoning and arrive at understanding themselves.
• These techniques reflect respectful, learner-centered teaching consistent with the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers (RA 7836), which calls on teachers to develop learners' critical thinking.

Definitions

Section Title

Follow-Up Questioning Techniques: Probing, Prompting, and Redirecting

Common Mistakes

• Confusing PROBING with PROMPTING — probing deepens the same learner's answer; prompting helps a stuck learner with hints.
• Confusing REDIRECTING with PROBING — redirecting moves the question to a new learner; probing stays with the original respondent.
• Simply saying 'Wrong' and moving on instead of using probing or prompting to guide the learner — this discourages participation.
• Using only redirecting without ever probing — this spreads participation but does not develop any learner's thinking deeply.

Exam Tips

• LET: The correct sequence is (1) Ask the question, (2) Pause (Wait Time I), (3) Call a name. NOT call a name first.
• When a LET item asks what a teacher should do with a wrong answer: the answer involves PROMPTING or PROBING while preserving dignity — never 'telling the student they are wrong and moving on.'
• Any scenario describing a teacher humiliating or shaming a student for a wrong answer is UNETHICAL — violates RA 7836 (Code of Ethics) and RA 7610.

Key Points

• Skilled teachers distribute questions ACROSS THE WHOLE CLASS — not just to eager, always-raising-hands learners.
• Best practice: ASK THE QUESTION FIRST, PAUSE (Wait Time I), THEN call a name — this ensures EVERY learner prepares an answer.
• Call on BOTH VOLUNTEERS and NON-VOLUNTEERS to ensure inclusive participation.
• Avoid predictable patterns like going strictly row by row — learners will only prepare when their turn is near.
• Include quieter, lower-performing, and shy learners with questions pitched at a level where they can experience success.
• POOR questioning habits flagged on the LET: (1) Answering your own question, (2) Asking several questions at once, (3) Repeating every question or every answer (which trains learners to stop listening the first time).
• Handling CORRECT answers: Give specific, genuine praise or confirmation ('Excellent reasoning, Ana!').
• Handling WRONG or PARTIALLY CORRECT answers: Use probing or prompting to guide the learner toward the correct answer — NEVER ridicule or humiliate.
• Preserving learner dignity when a wrong answer is given is both pedagogically sound AND ethically required under the Code of Ethics (RA 7836) and RA 7610 (child protection — no psychological abuse).

Definitions

Section Title

Distributing Questions and Handling Learner Responses

Common Mistakes

• Calling the student's name BEFORE asking the question — this allows the rest of the class to mentally 'check out.'
• Asking multiple questions at once — learners do not know which to answer, causing confusion.
• Repeating every student answer — this trains learners not to listen to each other.
• Answering your own question before giving learners enough wait time.
• Ridiculing or shaming a learner for a wrong answer — this is prohibited under RA 7610 (psychological harm to a child) and the Code of Ethics.

Exam Tips

• LET scenario: 'Learners in the back cannot hear the teacher clearly' — PHYSICAL barrier (noise in the environment).
• LET scenario: 'Learners are too hungry to focus after coming from a far barangay' — PHYSIOLOGICAL barrier.
• LET scenario: 'A Grade 1 learner cannot understand because the teacher used English when the MTB-MLE language is Hiligaynon' — SEMANTIC barrier.
• LET scenario: 'Learners are afraid to answer because the teacher shouts at wrong answers' — PSYCHOLOGICAL barrier.
• Congruent communication = verbal and non-verbal messages match. Incongruent = mixed message.

Key Points

• Teaching is fundamentally an act of communication. Understanding the communication model helps diagnose why lessons fail to reach learners.
• Basic Communication Model: SENDER (encoder) → MESSAGE → CHANNEL → RECEIVER (decoder) → FEEDBACK, with NOISE (barriers) affecting every stage.
• In teaching: the TEACHER is the sender; the LESSON CONTENT is the message; the MEDIUM (speech, board, materials) is the channel; the LEARNERS are the receivers; LEARNER RESPONSES are feedback.
• CLARITY: Language, pace, and vocabulary must match the learners. In Grades 1–3, MTB-MLE (Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education) policy means the mother tongue is the medium — using unfamiliar vocabulary creates a semantic barrier.
• VERBAL and NON-VERBAL ALIGNMENT: Tone of voice, facial expression, eye contact, gestures, and posture must REINFORCE — not contradict — the words spoken.
• A teacher whose words say 'That's a good answer' but whose tone is sarcastic and face shows disapproval sends a MIXED MESSAGE — non-verbal wins in ambiguous situations.
• ACTIVE LISTENING: The teacher must attend fully to what learners say, paraphrase, and respond to what was actually communicated, not what was expected.
• FEEDBACK: Communication must be TWO-WAY. The teacher monitors whether the message was understood and adjusts accordingly.
• MANAGING BARRIERS (Noise): Physical (poor acoustics, classroom noise), Physiological (learner fatigue, hunger), Psychological (anxiety, fear of wrong answers, trauma), and Semantic (unfamiliar words, language mismatch) barriers all distort the message.

Definitions

Section Title

Classroom Communication Skills

Common Mistakes

• Treating communication as one-way (teacher → students only) — effective teaching requires feedback loops.
• Ignoring non-verbal signals — body language, facial expression, and tone often carry MORE meaning than words, especially for young learners.
• Overlooking psychological noise — a learner who was shamed for a previous wrong answer will be too anxious to participate, blocking future communication.
• Misidentifying barriers: confusing semantic barriers (unfamiliar vocabulary) with physiological barriers (physical conditions affecting the learner).

Exam Tips

• FIRST question to ask about any material: Does it align with the objective? If no — wrong choice, regardless of how engaging it is.
• SECOND question: Is it appropriate for the learners (age, ability, background)?
• For YOUNG LEARNERS or NEW CONCEPTS: choose the most CONCRETE material (realia, real objects) — bottom of Dale's Cone.
• For OLDER LEARNERS with prior knowledge: more abstract materials (diagrams, words) are appropriate — upper Cone.
• Never attach retention percentages to Dale's Cone — '10% read, 90% do' figures are a FABRICATION, not Dale's actual work.

Key Points

• Instructional materials (teaching aids, learning resources) make abstract content concrete, gain attention, address different learning preferences, and improve retention.
• Key principle: Materials NEVER teach by themselves. The TEACHER'S MEDIATION — how the material is used and guided — is what makes it instructional.
• SELECTION CRITERIA (in order of importance): (1) Alignment with objectives — MOST IMPORTANT; (2) Appropriateness to learners; (3) Accuracy and currency; (4) Clarity and quality; (5) Practicality (available, affordable, safe); (6) Interest and motivation.
• An attractive video that does NOT advance the lesson objective is a POOR CHOICE — decoration is not instruction.
• TYPES: Board work (chalkboard/whiteboard) — most available; Realia — real objects, MOST CONCRETE; Models and mock-ups — substitutes when real objects are impractical; Multimedia — combines image, sound, motion for processes and distant realities.
• REALIA EXAMPLE (Philippine classroom): Bringing actual gumamela blossoms for Grade 3 Science on plant parts — ideal because it is concrete, provides direct sensory experience, and fits first-time learners.
• PRINCIPLES OF USE: Keep it SIMPLE (one main idea per visual); make it LARGE AND CLEAR enough for all to see/hear; INTEGRATE purposefully (not as an afterthought); CHECK EQUIPMENT beforehand; GUIDE learners' attention; DISPLAY only while in use; have a BACKUP plan if technology fails.
• Under RA 7836, teachers have a professional obligation to use appropriate, accurate, and safe learning materials.

Definitions

Section Title

Instructional Materials: Selection, Types, and Principles of Use

Common Mistakes

• Choosing a material because it is visually attractive or entertaining rather than because it aligns with the objective.
• Using technology (video, slides) as a substitute for teaching rather than as a support — the teacher must guide and process the material with learners.
• Displaying a material throughout the entire lesson when it is only relevant to one part — causes distraction.
• Failing to check equipment before class — a projector that does not work wastes precious instructional time.
• Using materials with text too small for the back row to read — violates the clarity/quality criterion.

Exam Tips

• If a LET item mentions retention percentages AND Dale's Cone in the same sentence, the statement is FALSE — the percentages are NOT from Dale.
• LET scenario: 'A teacher brings actual mangoes for Grade 2 learners studying fruit classification' — this is at the BASE of the Cone (direct/contrived experience), the MOST appropriate for young learners.
• LET scenario: 'A teacher shows a video of a typhoon to Grade 5 learners' — this is near the middle of the Cone (motion pictures and recordings).
• Remember the flow: Concrete → Abstract = Base → Tip. Young learners → base. Older learners → upper Cone.
• The Cone's levels from base: Direct → Contrived → Dramatized → Demonstration → Study Trip → Exhibit → Video/Audio → Still Pictures → Visual Symbols → Verbal Symbols.

Key Points

• Developed by Edgar Dale, the Cone of Experience arranges learning experiences from MOST CONCRETE (base) to MOST ABSTRACT (tip).
• FROM BASE TO TIP: Direct Purposeful (Hands-On) Experiences → Contrived Experiences → Dramatized Experiences → Demonstrations → Study Trips → Exhibits → Motion Pictures and Recordings → Still Pictures and Radio → Visual Symbols → Verbal Symbols (Words).
• BASE = most concrete, involving doing and direct sensory experience. TIP = most abstract, relying on words and symbols alone.
• DESIGN PRINCIPLE: Begin with CONCRETE experiences and move toward ABSTRACT. Young or beginning learners need the base; older, experienced learners with prior knowledge can work more effectively with abstract symbols.
• CLASSROOM APPLICATION: For Grade 1 learners studying money, use actual coins (realia = direct/contrived experience). For Grade 6, a word problem alone may suffice because learners have the existing schema.
• CRITICAL CAUTION: Dale's Cone does NOT include specific retention percentages (like '10% read, 90% do'). These figures were added LATER by others and are NOT from Dale's work. Do NOT associate percentages with the Cone — this is a COMMON LET TRAP.
• The Cone does not rank media by quality; it ranks learning EXPERIENCES by concreteness/abstraction.
• MTB-MLE policy in Grades 1–3 supports the Cone's principle: young learners need concrete, contextualized experiences before abstract language.

Definitions

Section Title

Dale's Cone of Experience

Common Mistakes

• BIGGEST MISTAKE: Stating that Dale's Cone includes retention percentages (e.g., 'people retain 90% of what they do'). Dale NEVER said this. This is a LET trap.
• Misremembering the direction — CONCRETE is at the BASE, ABSTRACT is at the TIP (not the reverse).
• Treating the Cone as a ranking of media quality rather than as a guide to the degree of concreteness of an experience.
• Ignoring the Cone's key implication: start concrete, then move abstract — many teachers jump straight to verbal symbols (textbook words) without concrete grounding.