The purpose of reading is to understand text – to construct meaning from the written word. Metacognition is a well-evidenced, key component in enabling pupils to do this effectively (Baker and Beall, 2009; Zabrucky et al., 2015). What does it mean? Metacognition is comprised of two main elements: Metacognitive knowledge: knowing about your cognitive abilities, […]
According to leading academic Professor Maggie Snowling, ‘Strong foundations in oral language are the key to educational success globally’. (Snowling, n.d.) Without good spoken language, children can struggle to read and write. Supporting reading comprehension through the development of spoken language skills can ensure that children have an in-depth understanding of what they have read. […]
We know that the use of phonics is hugely important, but passing the phonics check does not automatically lead to great scores in reading. Learners also need to develop skills in comprehension and inference. So, how do we move on from decoding so that learners can understand the text, picking up on what is happening […]
Failure to develop efficient and legible handwriting in primary school can have negative consequences for academic achievement and students’ self-esteem (Feder and Majnemer, 2007). The physical demands of writing increase as children progress through school, making it essential that children learn effective habits to increase or maintain legibility and speed. Teachers can support students to […]
There are strong links between language and writing, with oral language skills being a foundation element of good written language (Bishop and Snowling, 2004). Developing oral narratives can help support children’s written narratives. What does it mean? There really is no panacea for developing writing. It is a hugely complex task dependent not only […]
The 250+ graphemes used to spell words in English mean that children need to be taught a variety of techniques to be able to spell accurately, with specific techniques required to recall spellings of highly irregular high-frequency words. Word study is one approach to teaching reading which is built upon the finding that our brains […]
Knowing how to structure ideas is hard for many learners, especially those with literacy difficulties. Scaffolding a task before they begin to work on it can help learners to develop the depth of their writing. What does it mean? Scaffolding support for pupils that find writing difficult increases the opportunity for them to become […]
Chartered College of Teaching ¬∑ Volunteering to teach Having recently qualified to teach English as a foreign language and being unable to teach abroad due to travel restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, I volunteered my services to Action West London, a charity who have been providing English language courses since 1998 for members […]
Chartered College of Teaching ¬∑ Confident by design: professional development through the lens of self-efficacy History is littered with references to the importance of confidence and the transformative power of positive self-belief. From the Roman Poet Virgil’s ‘They can because they think they can’ to Henry Ford’s ‘If you think you can or think […]
Chartered College of Teaching ¬∑ What are schools for? Rethinking accountability and policy development Like many headteachers in the UK, I am grappling with a new norm in my school on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. However, unlike most headteachers, I have just completed a doctoral research project involving teachers and senior leaders […]
We know that it’s important to have high expectations of all pupils and plan challenging work to help them learn and develop. This page includes links to a range of useful articles, blogs, research reports and resources from different sources (all freely available or available through Chartered College membership) that explore ideas relating to this […]
The Mill Primary Academy has developed a culture of celebration that rewards excellent behaviour. Clear, consistent behaviour systems reward kindness and responsibility, as well as academic achievements. Establishing these routines from the start, and being clear about what good behaviour looks like in practice, sets high expectations in the classroom and raises aspirations. Teachers have […]
Notre Dame High School in Norwich serves over 1,400 students and has a high percentage of EAL students. In this film, chemistry teacher and network research lead Niki Kaiser and assistant headteacher Roger Higgins discuss how cognitive science informs their practice. Insights from research into areas such as metacognition and memory emphasise the importance of […]
Wrenn School works with teachers at all stages in their career. One of their central beliefs is that teachers should always have the opportunity for professional development, enabling them to become the best teacher they can be. When confronted with challenges in the classroom, their approach is to research the issue for the best available […]
Discover how Easton CE Academy developed their approach to oracy. Easton CE Academy in central Bristol serves a very diverse community with over 32 languages spoken in the school. As well as a high proportion of children with English as an additional language (EAL), the school has a high proportion of children with speech and […]
Walker M, Nelson J, Bradshaw S et al. (2019) Teachers’ engagement with research: What do we know? A Research Briefing. Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Evaluation/Teachers_engagement_with_research_Research_Brief_JK.pdf (accessed 30 October 2019). Introduction This report studied how and if teachers in England use research to inform their practice. The results are based on a survey that was […]
The Chartered College Autumn Advice Surgery. We invited our student and ECT members to ask our expert panel questions. Please note, there is a bit of a lag in the audio for the first part of the webinar but it resolves itself.
