Academically At-Risk Students: creating Meaningful and Authentic contexts for learning

After teaching an academically at-risk population for almost 10 years, this statement cannot ring any truer to my ears.  This is quoted from a research report regarding a study performed to determine if Chess instruction for at-risk students enables them to develop higher-order thinking skills leading to greater reading and verbal aptitude on standardized tests.  Ultimately, the study's hypothesis was unclear, although previous studies had proven the hypothesis. 

After years of remediating instruction and breaking down to basic, repetitive exercises, I must say..."What I wish I had known then..."

"A common approach for students at risk is to remedy their deficiencies in the basics, like reading, writing, and math.  This approach mostly relies on repetitive drill. Knapp and Shields (1990) criticized the repetitive drill approach that tends to:  (a) underestimate student competencies; (b) prevent students from accessing more challenging and interesting work; and (c) DEPRIVE students of a MEANINGFUL context for learning.  Such criticism sheds light on the development of higher order cognitive skill instruction (Means & Knapp, 1991).  Pogrow's model supports the view that teaching higher order cognitive skills provides students at risk with opportunities to use what they already know, in the form of encoding and retrieving processes.  Consequently, these processes could lead students at risk to major gains in basic skills."

Reference:

Fraenkel, J., Wallen, N., Hyun, H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education.  
       New York, NY: McGraw Hill.