How We Teach
The CSI Lesson Framework
Clarity → Scaffolding → Independence
How every 60-minute session moves a student from support to ownership
Great tutoring isn’t about covering content. It’s about engineering a transfer of competence within a single session. The CSI framework structures every 60-minute lesson around three deliberate phases—each with a clear purpose, defined instructional moves, and a measurable outcome. A final consolidation phase locks in learning and sets the trajectory for what comes next
This is not a suggestion. It is the standard operating method at 100% Math.
PHASE 1: CLARITY
Minutes 0–10
Purpose
Define the target. Remove confusion. Prepare the mind for productive struggle.
Prior Knowledge
Activate what the student already knows. Surface connections to earlier work and identify the foundation the lesson will build on.
Learning Objective
State precisely what the student will be able to do by the end of the session—in language they understand.
Success Criteria
Make success visible. The student should know what a correct response looks like before attempting one.
Misconception Diagnosis
Probe for errors in understanding that will sabotage the lesson if left unaddressed. Fix them now.
Method Modelling
Demonstrate the method and narrate the thinking behind each step. Show not just what to do, but why.
OUTCOME: The student knows exactly what success looks like and has the conceptual foundation to pursue it.
PHASE 2: SCAFFOLDING
Minutes 10–35
Purpose
Build competence through structured, supported practice. This is where skill is forged.
Guided Practice
Work alongside the student. Problems are attempted together, with the tutor providing decreasing levels of input as accuracy improves.
Graduated Difficulty
Start with accessible problems that build confidence, then systematically increase complexity. Never jump—ramp.
Prompts & Cues
Use strategic questions and hints rather than direct answers. The goal is to trigger the student’s own reasoning, not to demonstrate yours.
Immediate Feedback
Correct errors in real time. Every mistake is a data point—use it to recalibrate the next problem.
Decision Rule
Move to Phase 3 when the student achieves three consecutive correct responses with minimal prompting. This is not arbitrary—it is the threshold of readiness
OUTCOME: The student can succeed with decreasing help and is ready for independent work
PHASE 3: INDEPENDENCE
Minutes 35–55
Purpose
Transfer full responsibility to the learner. This is the proving ground.
Independent Problems
The student works alone on problems at or above the target difficulty. The tutor observes but does not intervene unless the student is completely stuck
Student Explains Reasoning
The student articulates their method aloud. If they can explain it, they own it. If they can’t, the understanding is fragile.
Self-Checking
The student verifies their own answers using estimation, substitution, or alternative methods. This builds mathematical autonomy.
Unfamiliar Formats
Apply knowledge to problems the student has not seen before—different wording, different contexts, exam-style questions. Transfer is the ultimate test of understanding.
Strategic Thinking
The student begins to choose methods, recognise problem types, and make decisions without prompting. This is the shift from performer to mathematician
OUTCOME: The student demonstrates genuine ownership of the skill.
CONSOLIDATION & DIRECTION
Minutes 55–60
Purpose
Lock in learning. Set trajectory. Ensure the session’s gains carry forward.
Review of Wins
Name what the student achieved. Be specific. Vague praise is noise—precise feedback is signal.
Next Priority
Identify the single most important thing to work on next. Clarity of direction prevents drift between sessions.
Targeted Practice
Assign specific problems that reinforce today’s learning and prepare the ground for the next session. Every assignment should be purposeful.
Confidence Check
Confirm how the student feels about the material. Confidence data informs the opening of the next lesson.
OUTCOME: Progress is visible, momentum is maintained, and the student leaves with a clear sense of growth.
Why This Works
The CSI framework is grounded in three well-established principles of learning science:
Gradual Release of Responsibility. The session moves deliberately from “I do” to “We do” to “You do.” Each phase earns the next. The student never faces a challenge they haven’t been prepared for.
Formative Assessment as Instruction. Every student response is diagnostic data. Errors are not failures—they are information. The framework treats real-time assessment as the engine of learning, not a bolt-on.
Metacognitive Transfer. By requiring students to explain their reasoning and self-check, the framework develops not just mathematical skill but mathematical thinking. Students leave knowing how to learn, not just what was taught.
Every session at 100% Math follows this framework.
Every student deserves a lesson that was designed, not improvised.
