Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) is framed in a six-stage gradual release model to teach writing strategies and build self-regulation. This instruction is delivered through six flexible, recursive stages: (1) Develop Background Knowledge, (2) Discuss It, (3) Model It, (4) Memorize It, (5) Support It, and (6) Independent Performance (See Harris et al., 2008; Rooted in Deshler et al., 1981). Teachers guide students through activities in each stage as they initially learn to use the approach.
Figure 1: SRSD Six Stages
Stage 1 – Activate & Develop Background Knowledge: Assess students’ knowledge of key genre concepts and terms (topic sentence, links). Evaluate their writing performance by collecting a pre-assessment writing sample too. Then, teach any terms, genre features, vocabulary, preskills, and needed self-regulation strategies such as managing emotions and one’s motivation while writing.
Stage 2 – Discuss It: Present strategy mnemonics (e.g., POW + TIDE) or customized variations (POWeR, TIDE-L). Explain their purpose (to make writing easier) and discuss when/where to use them. Analyze peer-level exemplars and below-standard pieces. Review pre-assessment performance. Set and track progress toward self-set writing goals to build motivation.
think SRSD teaches the elements in Stages 1-2 through pre-assessing genre terms, collecting a writing sample, introducing the mnemonic framework (POWeR, TIDE-L) and showing how these work in an exemplar. To make instruction as explicit as possible, think SRSD added the activity of color coding exemplars in 2013. think SRSD also launches self-regulation immediately at the pre-assessment and by discussing how/when to use the strategies and self-regulate.
Stage 3 – Model It: Model thinking aloud as you show how to use each strategy step (POWeR + TIDE-L), weaving in positive self-talk to demonstrate how to cope when writing inevitably becomes challenging. Model self-talk but be sure to prepare students for the hand-off by ensuring they learn how to craft and use self-talk explicitly too. Model scoring and goal setting as well.
Stage 4 – Memorize It: Use mnemonics, visuals, ball toss, post-its, and quizzes to help students internalize each step. Importantly, also have students memorize self-talk statements so they learn to naturally pull these up and use them when writing, or whenever they hit a challenge in life. Personalize them as needed to ensure they feel authentic. Don’t drop this key element – be sure to work at it until the ‘replacement’ self-talk becomes more positive and feels natural. Ensure students can explain the value of each strategy step and practice them daily as well.
Stage 5 – Support it: Guide students in applying the strategies and self-regulation together, then gradually release responsibility to them and fade scaffolds. If students are not already drawing and creating their own product scaffolds (i.e. TIDE-L organizers), begin now. Offer peer and teacher feedback while students practice using the writing and self-regulation strategies. Help students shift from overt (aloud) self-talk to covert as they further internalize and master the strategies.
think SRSD teaches the elements of these stages together through using think alouds to model how to use the strategies introduced in Stages 1-2. It is important to combine these 3 stages into a single lesson to avoid a common mistake we used to see; Teachers tried to work through the sequence one stage at a time and ran a long think aloud when first modeling. Instead, we intersperse modeling and supporting students in using the strategies during collaborative writes, and help them memorize these right from the start.
Stage 6 – Independent Performance: Students self-direct as they write independently, self-monitor, and revise using covert self-talk. Fade teacher-created organizers as students learn to draw these for themselves, as well as transfer and apply the strategies across disciplines and activities. Have students connect their successes to the strategies they used.
The first time teachers introduce new strategies within these stages, instruction often takes about two weeks, with the most time spent in Stages 3-5 where you cognitively model using strategies and self-regulation, as well as collaboratively practice these, stepping in to support as needed but also stepping back to see how students use them independently so that you can nudge your learners along to become independent.
Most SRSD studies introduce these activities and even have students do several repeated writes. At think SRSD, we differ from a controlled research study. We support schools over the full school year and for multiple years. We had to figure out, test out and collect empirical evidence on how best to do this. Our peer-reviewed published studies have examined the Power Cycle model as a way to keep SRSD, and all the activities within each stage – including the emphasis on gradual release – going strong, over the full year.
Our adaptation to a ‘Power Cycle’ model is not a departure or deviation from SRSD; it’s a refinement designed for long-term implementation. It includes all the essential activities of the 6 stages delivered in the same sequence, and terms used by Harris et al in 1996 (POWER) and 2005 (Cycle). Our peer-reviewed published studies that have examined the Power Cycle underscore its effectiveness in helping schools sustain SRSD over a full year, correlating to ELA proficiency gains as well.
What is think SRSD’s Power Cycle?
A POWeR Cycle is a structured approach to teaching writing, where “POWeR” stands for Plan, Organize, Write, edit and Revise. It’s a repeating process, using new texts and prompts, to build self-regulation and independence in writing strategies and self-regulation skills.
Each cycle involves explicit instruction in the key strategies, collaborative work, and independent practice that are the basis of the stages, with opportunities for self-assessment and goal setting each week. In SRSD studies, teachers introduce a mnemonic and may support elements such as vocabulary or sentence-level instruction. In think SRSD, we offer a systematic progression for ensuring there is no Swiss cheese – all sub-elements needed to write well are covered as well with well established and evidence-based practices for each.
After you work through the tasks in the 6 stages in a first go, the Power Cycle then offers a next-step refined way to envision the content of these stages applied in the classroom over the full school year.
The POWeR Cycle was born of necessity. After working with thousands of teachers on a daily basis over twenty years, we identified a barrier. Teachers shared the same questions and got stuck in the same places. For example, they wanted to know what happened after Stage 6.
We learned that the stage names and numbers were not as important as what you DO in each stage. The core mechanisms — the explicit teaching of strategies, the self-regulation skills, and the gradual release of responsibility — are what lead to student outcomes, rather than the name of the stage. The SRSD framework and content remains exactly the same, but how we presented it made it easier to keep the momentum going all year.
While SRSD uses POW, the developers have been clear that adapting the mnemonics is encouraged. Unlike POW, “POWER” (Englert et al, 1991) provides a reminder to use all the phases when we write rather than dashing to drafting, then ending. POW was introduced then used regularly in SRSD in 2003, though POWER was mentioned in SRSD in the late 1990s.
“Cycle” appears in SRSD studies around the same time, in the mid 2000s, to explain the concept that students will repeatedly use the strategies and self-regulation skills weekly, graphing gains as they meet their goals, then using the strategies and self-regulation skills again to meet increasingly challenging goals each week.
SRSD sees gains in writing genres such as growth in persuasive, informative or narrative writing, and a few studies have looked at sub-elements such as vocabulary growth though most do not. think SRSD has used further evidence-based proven strategies to lightly augment SRSD to better enable it to lead to overall ELA proficiency gains as well.
Again, the SRSD framework and mechanisms all remain fully, but we built in additional optional scaffolds to increase the impact. In the POWER Cycles, these include breaking down P into three steps (P3): Pre-read for a gist, Pull apart the prompt and then Pick ideas.
- Pre-read for a gist: A two-for one! First, your students will summarize what they read into a one sentence main idea statement. Doing so both builds their comprehension and assesses it so you know whether to move on or review. Even more, it offers a convenient way to tuck in daily evidence-based practices for sentence instruction.
- Pull apart the prompt: Some SRSD studies include sub-strategies such as TAP (topic, audience, purpose) to help students attend to the prompt. However think SRSD recommends using Do / What initially after seeing students take to it faster and use the what to make writing the topic sentence so concrete and easier. Do / What helps students focus on what they are being asked to do. TAP can be added once students master Do/What.
- Pick my ideas: Remains the same as in most SRSD studies, though think SRSD has drilled down to offer various sub lessons on ways to support this step.
Grounded in SRSD, including the 6 Stages, think SRSD’s Power Cycle adaptation distills the stages into two phases: the launch mode where teachers initially introduce SRSD’ strategies and self-regulation skills, then the ongoing continued use of these over time.
All elements of the stages are included in this process but rather than thinking of them as stages, we focus on the activities or mechanisms that underlie each stage – what you do – as well as the gradual release framework.
Figure 2 shows the actions you do in Stages 1-2 – this includes pre-assessing students’ knowledge of each genre (text-type) terms (What is a topic sentence) as well as their ability to write in that genre. This also includes introducing self-talk by having students begin crafting self-statements, and goal setting by having students begin thinking about how they can set goals and reach to meet those when writing. We also build self-regulation by having students reflect on the value of the strategies, including when and where they will use them in the future.
Figure 2: Launch POWeR Cycles
Introducing these tools allows you to set up and launch the POWeR Cycle. Next you model using these and support your students in a gradual release process as they begin to use them and self assess their progress.
The POWeR Cycle guides teachers in how to cohere and introduce the major elements of the Six Stages in an easy to recall, light-lift and high yield way. It makes it easier for teachers to understand and begin teaching the key elements from the 6 Stages in a smoother way. In our experience coaching thousands of teachers in hundreds of schools, we found that once teachers worked through the activities in the 6 Stages, they wanted to know where to go next. After students reach independent performance, they would work through the stages again with new goals or to learn a new genre text type. Calling these POWeR Cycles helped teachers see this and do this more quickly.
Figure 3: Run POWeR Cycles
1. Model Processes: On the left you see ‘your texts’. That is where you now show your students how to use the strategies they learned with the texts and topics you teach. Model using POWeR to respond to these in front of the class using think-alouds and involving students by eliciting their input as you go. Importantly, you can have students write self-statements on their pre-assessment, then on their notes and their paper as they write, even on their rubrics when they self-score.
2. Teach Features: Use a goal-setting menu and rockets to drive editing, revision, self-evaluation and peer feedback. Model scoring both exemplars and ‘below-standard’ pieces so your students learn the features of effective writing. With practice, students use to self-monitor their progress. As they chart their gains, they can self-reinforce when they see their progress.
Figure 4: POWeR Cycles all year
Figure 5: After Ten POWeR Cycles – Self-regulation Grows
SRSD is associated with its 6 Stages. But what truly leads to student outcomes are the underlying mechanisms—the strategies, self-regulation skills, and gradual release of responsibility. The name of the stage is not what matters. Think of it like a car engine: it’s not the model name of the engine that powers the car, but rather the specific, coordinated actions of its pistons and gears. Our work focuses on helping teachers understand and use those powerful mechanisms, not on the label we put on them.
The SRSD framework and content remains exactly the same, but our presentation of it makes it easier for teachers to keep the momentum going all year. We don’t focus on proprietary or branded names; we focus on the activities and mechanisms that actually help children become better writers.
The activities within each stage are what matter, and teaching these in a gradual release “I do, We do, You do” framework. Practical application is the key. These activities, and the staged gradual release framework, inspired think SRSD’s POWeR Cycle. The beauty of SRSD is how flexible it is. Continuously streamlining the presentation while keeping the core pedagogy intact is important for any evidence-based practice. Rather than a dilution, these evolutions of a brilliant model are crucial to ensuring you can bring these to your students. When keeping fit and fidelity in mind, such teacher-centric adaptations to local contexts enable it to endure, integrate with your curriculum and withstand the test of time.
Still curious? If you are familiar with the 6 Stages, you may appreciate this graphic that shows how the mechanisms in the POWeR Cycles overlay the 6 Stages.
Figure 6: 6 Stages Overlay on POWeR Cycle
Deshler, D. D., Alley, G. R., Warner, M. M., & Schumaker, J. B. (1981). Instructional practices for promoting skill acquisition and generalization in severely learning disabled adolescents. Learning Disability Quarterly, 4(4), 415–421.
Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Mason, L., & Friedlander, B. (2008). Powerful writing strategies for all students. Brookes.