Download 10–2/2 Protocol

10-2/2 Protocol
“Chunk and Chew”
Purpose
The 10-2/2 strategy is highly effective in supporting students with understanding important
concepts. The purpose of 10-2/2 is to ensure that students are not inundated with input from the
teacher without being given appropriate time to process the information. Simplistic yet complex
in nature, 10-2/2 is applicable in all content areas. Student comprehension grows as learning is
processed in small chunks, both orally and in writing.
By focusing in short spurts on important discipline-specific understandings, content-rich lessons
are delivered in small, 10 minute, “chunks.” During this time, students listen and possibly take
notes. Then, prompted by a teacher question to focus thinking, students are given time to “chew”
the information first writing individually (2 minutes) then verbally processing with a partner or
small group (2 minutes).
Rational
Reinforced by Costa, 1981 and Long, Swain and Cummins, 1996, it is important to allow at least
two minutes of student processing time (both orally and in writing) with every ten minutes of
teacher lecture. It is the two minutes that supports comprehensible output, negotiating meaning,
and a risk-free environment to try new vocabulary and concepts with someone the student
understand – another student. It allows metacognition. Also connected to brain research is the
idea of chunking your information. People remember more if it is chunked (as with social
security and phone numbers).
Variations
By examining written lesson plan and asking how many steps of the lesson can be delivered in a
10 minute chunks, the focus can be laser-like. Continue to break the lesson in these brain-friendly
chunks. Ideas for variations include:
* Use 10 – 2/2 strategy for reading from the text.
* As 10 – 2/2 is incorporated into lesson, glue 10 – 2/2 note-taking tool into current
note-taking system (journal, lab book, etc.)
* Add language structure support (frames) within 10 – 2/2 note-taking tool.
* Have students sit in primary language groups during lecture time so they can process
new concepts in their primary language first, then English.
The “Focus on Language” Perspective
The processing of 10 – 2/2 is an ideal way to teach students to recognize the structure of
functional language. Use the 10 – 2/2 strategy to point out how language – both explicit and
implied – is being used to express a system of thinking. Chunking a ten minute excerpt for a
particular language function in combination with structured opportunities to practice that
language, both in oral and written, allows students to convey their understanding of any given
concept.