Nearly two years ago, I began researching and writing ‘Closing the Reading Gap’. After writing my book on vocabulary, I knew that reading was the natural next step. I knew that every …
Home School: History Week
Ok – let’s be clear: I am not a historian, nor am I a primary school teacher. But in my newfound role as home-schooling Dad, I have wanted to devise some additional …
Home School Resources
Home schooling is a surprising new reality for lots of working parents. I have two young children – aged 8 (year 4) and 11 (year 6) – and now home school is …
‘We Did Vocabulary Last Year’
“We did vocabulary last year.” I have the privilege to speak to lots of teachers and school leaders about vocabulary, accessing the school curriculum, along with the challenges of making a difference …
We are ‘Doing Curriculum’ – so what are we stopping?
“From the teachers’ perspective, the education system is “noisy”: Teachers are surrounded by multiple and conflicting messages about what is most important to do. Furthermore, if they focus too much on any …
Reading by the beach
Reading by the beach normally evokes glossy scenes of lying on the beach, amidst the heady scent of suncream and sea air, along with a good ol’ story. Well, this blog isn’t about such a sunny scene…
Curriculum Development and Teacher Development
“Curriculum development must rest on teacher development” Lawrence Stenhouse, ‘An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development’ Paying attention to the careful, skilled development of your curriculum is essential business for every school. …
On the RISE
This week saw the publication of the Education Endowment Foundation RISE (Research-leads Improving Students’ Education) Project. It was one of the first projects in England that attempted to mobilise the emerging role …
What do we mean by ‘knowledge rich’ anyway?
Recently, I published a blog on the EEF website on a ‘knowledge rich’ curriculum – you can find it here. I have republished it on my website for regular readers. A New Year’s Prediction: 2019 will be The Year of Curriculum. …
Vocabulary Clinic
This academic year, over at Teach Secondary, I have the great pleasure of sharing a ‘Vocabulary Clinic’ article each month. It is a quick burst of vocabulary ideas and insights. You can find …