Abstract: “Teaching for understanding”is a teaching model developed by Project Zero and the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.It was introduced into China in 2006 and adopted in a number of provinces thereafter.This paper investigates the applicability of the“teaching for understanding”model in China.This model is helpful to cultivate students’creativity and problem-solving ability as well as to improve in-classroom teaching.In order to elevate the effectiveness oft he“teaching for understanding”model,we should do more things just like to organize teacher groups to develop creative questions for students;to target those that students easy to confuse;to design“question chain”based on the“six-tier”of understanding;to utilize multiple approaches to collect students’evaluation on teaching;and to create supportive classroom environment for students.

Key words: basic education, understanding, teaching for understanding, teaching mode