What is the focus of guided practice in instruction?

The focus of guided practice in instruction is to provide support while students practice new skills. This phase is critical because it allows educators to scaffold learning, guiding students through their initial attempts at applying new knowledge or skills. During guided practice, teachers are actively involved, offering feedback, modeling techniques, and addressing misunderstandings in real-time. This approach ensures that students can build confidence and competence in their abilities before transitioning to more independent forms of practice.

In this context, the other options do not align with the role of guided practice. Encouraging independent learning without support would not provide the necessary scaffolding that students often require as they're learning something new. Assessing students' prior knowledge is typically part of a different instructional phase, such as the introduction of new content or skills. Delivering content through lectures is a more passive approach to learning, contrasting with guided practice, which is interactive and focused on student engagement and application.