Exploring the Instructional Model “I Do, We Do, You Do”

If you spend time in classrooms — or scrolling through teacher Twitter — you’ve likely heard a lot about “I Do, We Do, You Do.” It’s a simple phrase that represents a powerful instructional sequence: teacher modelling, guided practice, and student independence.

But lately, there’s also been confusion. Some educators assume “I Do, We Do, You Do” is the same as guided and independent practice. Others believe it’s outdated or rigid. In reality, when applied well, it’s one of the most effective ways to support skill mastery - and it aligns directly with the science of reading and cognitive load theory.

At Readable English, our lesson design builds I Do, We Do, You Do intentionally within every stage of instruction to ensure students move from supported decoding to confident, independent reading.

How Readable English Lessons Progress Toward Independence

Readable English is delivered in two core phases:

Phase 1: Breaking the Code

Students learn the Readable English glyphs - the powerful visual markings that make English transparent and decodable.

Within Breaking the Code, each lesson is structured in two parts: Teacher-Led Warm Ups and Student Activities. This structure naturally supports the “I Do, We Do, You Do” model, providing modelling, guided practice, and independent application within every lesson.

Phase 2: Integrating the Markup

Students use markup while they are reading to build fluency, comprehension, and confidence while accessing grade-level curriculum.

Within Integrating the Markup, teachers can follow a more flexible integration model (primarily using the browser extension when reading their school's HQIM), or they can follow the structured daily lessons within the learning portal mapped across three instructional categories:

• Reading Accuracy & Fluency

• Fluency & Comprehension

• Vocabulary & Integration

The purpose of Integration within the third instruction category is not to teach literacy in isolation. It’s to bring students back into content that matters - science, social studies, math, ELA - and ensure all learners can access it.

And this is where I Do, We Do, You Do becomes especially powerful.

Where “I Do, We Do, You Do” Fits inTo The Integration Lessons

In the Readable English Integration lessons, teachers are provided with a core lesson plan template that enables them to map out a lesson following the I Do, We Do, You Do model. This ensures every lesson supports a gradual release of responsibility; from modelling, to guided practice, to confident independent reading.

1. I Do - Teacher Modelling

The teacher reads academic vocabulary and lesson content in Readable English to the class, demonstrating fluent pronunciation, pacing, and expression. Students know what success looks and sounds like before attempting it themselves.

2. We Do — Guided Practice

Students and teacher read together - choral reading for vocabulary and shared reading for lesson content. Because the markup supports accurate decoding, all students are able to participate successfully, including those who might normally sit out.

3. You Do — Independent Application

Students re-read on their own and apply what they learned through a meaningful activity:

• vocabulary tasks, in Standard English

• collaborative comprehension work

• a final rereading of lesson content, without the markup

The template keeps the instructional structure consistent across subjects and grade levels while allowing teachers to personalize the activities to their curriculum.

The Result: Transfer, Not Reliance

Readable English doesn’t aim for students to lean on markup forever. It uses markup to accelerate accuracy and automaticity so that:

• decoding becomes effortless

• vocabulary sticks because it’s used in context

• comprehension improves because access barriers have been removed

As fluency develops, students naturally rely less on markup and more on their internalised understanding of the code. The structure of I Do, We Do, You Do ensures this transition is smooth, predictable, and successful.

The I Do, We Do, You Do model isn’t just an instructional trend - it reflects how learning happens. When students see success, practice it with support, and then apply it independently, confidence grows. Readable English strengthens each phase of that journey, helping every learner access grade-level content and build lifelong reading skills.

Want to learn more about Readable English? Explore our resource library or contact us to see how we can help your district equip all learners for reading success.