Modelling by the teacher is a cornerstone of effective teaching; revealing the thought processes (thinking aloud) of an expert learner helps to develop pupils’ metacognitive skills. Checklist Model your thinking process and choices. ✔ Model your thinking process in relation to self (your own skills, strengths and challenges). ✔ Model your thinking in relation to…
Before pupils attempt a task, it’s crucial that the teacher models how to be successful in the given task. Using a visualiser model live is an excellent strategy and supports teacher workload. Checklist Walk through the process to show children an example (or several examples depending on context/familiarity). 🗸 Think aloud. 🗸 Teach in small…
Why? When delivering new content, it’s important to teach in small steps to reduce cognitive load. Checklist Don’t ask questions: teach the new content. ✔ Reveal new information slowly. ✔ Avoid using speech and text simultaneously: children cannot listen and read simultaneously. ✔ Strip back presentation: remove extraneous visuals and text. ✔ Use signalling to…
“What we attend to is ultimately what we learn” – Peps Mccrea. Ensure that, during the I DO phase, pupils show the learning behaviours that mean they will successful. Checklist Ensure that pens/pencils are down are children are not multi-tasking 🗸 Children are looking at you (and any visuals you are using) 🗸 Children are actively…
When delivering new content, it’s important to teach in small steps to reduce cognitive load. Checklist Don’t ask questions: teach the new content. 🗸 Use visual representation, allowing thinking and processing time (e.g. in science, a simplified diagram of the heart). 🗸 Use simple diagrams/models 🗸 Avoid using speech and text: children cannot listen and…
Establish the purpose of the learning, share the intended outcomes and link learning to previous learning. Checklist The learning intention relates to the learning not the doing 🗸 Learning outcome is clear and concise 🗸 An example is given 🗸 A link to why this learning may be useful in the real world 🗸 Examples…
Consider: What core knowledge must children have before they can access the new learning? Carry out a prerequisite knowledge check to ensure that children have this knowledge. Checklist Make a list of the knowledge children must have to access their new learning. ✔ Provide an opportunity for children to show this knowledge (carefully considering the…
Establish what children already know and ensure that new learning builds on prior learning. Knowledge builds on knowledge. Checklist Be aware of pupils’ previous learning (both in their current year group and in previous year groups). ✔ Plan how to link the new knowledge to pupils’ existing knowledge. ✔ Revisit the ‘Big Ideas’ within each curriculum…
Establishing well-rehearsed routines in the classroom can ensure low-level disruptions are avoided and learning time is maximised.
Provide opportunities for retrieval practice to support the storage of knowledge into long-term memory.