Week # 37 Improving Explanation Quality 📣✨

The Craft of Clarity

At the heart of teaching and coaching lies the act of explanation. To explain is to take what is complex and render it comprehensible, to connect the unfamiliar with the familiar, and to illuminate the steps that bridge confusion with clarity.

An explanation is not merely the delivery of content. It is the cognitive foundation and base to act as the catalyst for learning. The way we frame ideas determines how learners perceive patterns, make meaning, and form connections. A Crafted Instructor does not speak to fill time; they shape thought through precision, structure, and intent.

Why Explanations Matter

Rosenshine’s Principles remind us that effective instruction hinges on modelling, clarity, and guided practice. An unclear explanation distorts schema, embeds misconceptions, and makes retrieval harder.

Explanations are the bridge between what is known and what is not yet understood. They act as both map and compass:

- Map: outlining the territory of new content, showing where concepts sit in relation to prior knowledge.

- Compass: directing attention, highlighting what matters most, and signalling next steps.

Features of High-Quality Explanation

A Crafted Instructor is deliberate in the design and delivery of explanations. Evidence suggests several features consistently improve clarity:

1. Sequencing – ordering information logically, step by step, reduces cognitive load and supports working memory.

2. Modelling – showing not just what to do, but how to think, makes tacit reasoning visible. Think aloud. Demonstrate decision-making.

3. Anchoring to prior knowledge – connecting new ideas to existing schema reduces novelty and creates deeper integration.

4. Dual coding – pairing concise language with well-chosen visuals supports comprehension without overloading learners.

5. Emphasising key ideas – slowing down, repeating, or signalling “this part matters” ensures learners know where to direct attention.

6. Checking for understanding – the explanation is only as strong as the learner’s perception of it. Pause. Question. Probe. Clarify.

In Practice

In a classroom:

A science teacher explaining photosynthesis first connects to prior knowledge of plant growth, then carefully models the chemical process, pausing to highlight critical steps, before asking learners to restate the sequence in their own words.

On the pitch:

A coach introducing a pressing trap demonstrates the trigger with one player, explains the purpose using a simple diagram, then layers movement step by step before asking the squad to explain the pattern back.

In both, explanation is treated as design, not improvisation.

Practical steps for the Crafted Instructor

To sharpen explanation quality, we can:

- Plan the path: Map out not only what to say, but in what sequence, and why.

- Use think-alouds: Reveal cognitive processes that learners cannot see.

- Layer complexity: Begin simple, then gradually add detail as schema forms.

- Signal importance: Use tone, gesture, or pause to emphasise critical elements.

- Invite reflection: Ask learners to summarise, paraphrase, or re-explain. This tests clarity and strengthens retention.

Closing Reflection

Explanation is the moment where instruction becomes visible. It clarifies, motivates, and unlocks thinking. When done poorly, it clouds, confuses, and constrains.

The Crafted Instructor treats explanation as an art: precise, structured, and relational. They know that words do not just describe learning: they create it.