Bringing Students Into Expert Thinking
I once watched a my Grade 9 student staring at a multi-step algebra problem, pencil hovering, eyes drifting between the question and the blank page. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to try. She simply didn’t know where to start. When I handed her a worked example from a previous lesson, with each step broken down and annotated, her shoulders dropped, pencil landed, and she murmured something like, “Oh… so that’s how to do it.” Moments like this remind us that many students don’t struggle with the ideas as much as the process for applying them. Worked examples bridge that gap.
What Are Worked Examples?
Worked examples are step-by-step demonstrations showing how to solve a problem, complete a task, or think through a concept. By making expert thinking visible, they reduce cognitive load and allow students to focus on understanding key moves instead of guessing what to do next (Sweller, Ayres, & Kalyuga, 2011). While most commonly used in mathematics, they are equally effective in writing, science, coding, social studies, and the arts.
The Importance of Worked Examples
Worked examples matter because they support learning in several interrelated ways. First, they reduce cognitive overload, allowing students to concentrate on the conceptual reasoning rather than being overwhelmed by procedural demands. Second, they help build accurate mental models, giving students insight not only into the steps themselves but also into the logic and reasoning behind them (Renkl, 2014). Finally, worked examples create a bridge to independent practice. By gradually fading the support, teachers help students transfer their understanding to new problems, tasks, or contexts.
Worked Examples in Action
The form and application of worked examples vary across disciplines. In mathematics, they might take the form of a multi-step geometry proof with margin notes explaining each step. In writing, students may study annotated paragraphs showing how evidence and explanation connect. Science classes can use lab write-ups with reasoning clearly noted for each section, while coding lessons often employ commented programs that highlight logic and structure. In social studies, source-analysis models can illustrate how claims, context, and corroboration come together. Across all these examples, the key is that students see both the final product and the thought process that created it.
What Does it Look Like?
Imagine a middle-years teacher introducing comparative paragraphs. Rather than starting with a prompt, she presents two worked examples: one strong and one intentionally flawed. Students examine both paragraphs, answering questions such as: What works well here? What is confusing? How are similarities and differences highlighted in each? Through discussion, the class develops a success criteria checklist. Only then do students attempt their own paragraphs, using the worked examples as a guide. By making the path forward visible, the task becomes less intimidating and with understanding from the start.
Worked examples can be adapted in several ways to meet diverse learning needs. Teachers may provide partially completed examples for students to fill in, or examples containing intentional errors for students to analyze. Multiple solution paths can demonstrate flexibility in thinking, and gradually faded examples help students build independence over time.
Tips for Success
- Keep examples focused and manageable to prevent cognitive overload.
- Pair examples with discussion to help students articulate their understanding.
- Model your thinking aloud, showing not just what you do, but why you do it.
- Encourage students to create their own annotated examples to deepen metacognition.
- Gradually reduce scaffolding to support independent problem-solving.
Worked examples begin as instructional scaffolds and become invitations into expert thinking. When students can see the steps, reasoning, and strategies behind a task, they gain confidence and understanding. Just as that Grade 9 student discovered the pathway through algebra, all students can thrive when we make thinking visible.
References
Renkl, A. (2014). Toward an instructionally oriented theory of example-based learning. Cognitive Science, 38(1), 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12086
Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Cognitive load theory. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8126-4
