How do children learn best? It is a complex question isn’t it. It is striking that as teachers we may be knee-deep in our pupils learning for most of the …
Vocabulary Development Reading List
For a long time now I have been reading about vocabulary development. After teaching English Language and English Literature for over a decade and a half (including child language acquisition), …
The ‘Reading Gap’ between Primary and Secondary School
A lot of attention is rightly devoted by schools to address primary to secondary ‘transition’. We know that as children move schools it can prove a difficult move emotionally. Therefore, …
Telling Stories about Words
“Stories are psychologically privileged in the human mind.” Daniel Willingham The mind thinks and remembers in stories. It is part of the architecture of human memory and our human experience. …
The Truth About Homework
“Most homework teachers set is crap.” Dylan Wiliam, ResearchEd 2014. The subject of homework inspires strong opinions. Teachers, parents and students themselves all have a view on the matter and …
The Shape of Stories
Have you ever considered the shape of a story? Perhaps it is a tale that undulates and dips, before rising to a finish. Or it is a story that is …
Top 10 Online Education Articles of 2017
As the year comes to the end, my envy at the legion of best book lists of the year drove home to me how little time I’ve devoted to reading …
Thinking Hard…and Motivation
Are you struggling to motivate your horizontal students too? So we have found the secret to learning…thinking hard. Part one of this series – you can find it here – …