Teacher Knowledge

Thinking Framework

Thinking Framework

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September 28, 2023
Framework Oracy Cards

These are oracy cards contain question and answer stems that help children to find the linguistic solutions to express their understanding. They are perfect for continuous provision and small group exercises.

They can also be used to stretch and challenge children 'in the moment'. They are great resource for responsive teaching and having these printed and laminated, enables classrooms to keep children thinking and talking like experts. They are double sided and are designed to for multiple use. Use them with whiteboard markers for quick and systematic questioning.

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September 28, 2023
A4 Printable Framework Actions

The Universal Thinking Framework's Learning Actions Word Document is a versatile tool for educators. This compact A4 sheet features all learning actions, allowing teachers to quickly create tangible classroom resources. With its ease of use, teachers can readily cut out the actions for use as labels or manipulatives in learning activities.

The document's format is convenient for printing and lamination, or directly pasting into books. This resource aids in promoting an accessible language of learning within classrooms and enables teachers to swiftly incorporate the Framework's concepts into their everyday teaching practices.

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September 20, 2023
Framework Curriculum Strategy

The Universal Thinking Framework Strategy Document is a concise PDF guide providing practical applications of the framework across the curriculum. It offers useful ideas for lesson planning, crafting assessments, and promotes agendas like 'learning to learn' and enhancing study skills.

This guide also outlines how to scaffold challenging tasks and stretch higher-attaining learners, fostering student independence. Ideal for familiarizing educators with the framework's terminology, this document paves the way for improved teaching strategies and learning outcomes. It is a valuable resource for schools aiming to integrate effective cognitive tools into their pedagogical approach.

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September 20, 2023
Framework Slides

The Universal Thinking Framework's PowerPoint slides are a dynamic, adaptable resource for teachers and students alike. They illustrate each learning action within the framework, serving as an excellent tool for familiarizing both children and educators with various cognitive processes essential for learning.

This downloadable resource is not just informative but highly customizable, allowing teachers to modify it for different learning activities. It proves invaluable in staff workshops, aiding in collaborative understanding and implementation of the framework. Its user-friendly design encourages interaction and engagement, making it an effective medium for introducing and reinforcing the Universal Thinking Framework in school communities.

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September 20, 2023
Framework Guide

This visually appealing PDF guide provides teachers a comprehensive introduction to the Universal Thinking Framework. Not based on a hierarchy, the framework presents five colour-coded sections, each focusing on different cognitive processes essential for classroom learning. The guide elucidates how these sections can be sequenced into 'learning pathways', transitioning pupils from novice to expert thinking.

It discusses taking initial steps, organizing ideas, critical thinking, language usage, and knowledge application. As students and teachers increasingly adopt the framework, it fosters an exciting shift towards independent, strategic learning and lifelong intellectual growth. A useful tool for encouraging more thoughtful, effective classroom practice.

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September 20, 2023
Thinking Framework Icons

This downloadable folder contains PNG icons representing individual learning actions from the Universal Thinking Framework. Ideal for fostering creative lesson planning and enriching assessments, these versatile images can be effortlessly integrated into PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and other instructional materials. With the option to print them onto stickers, teachers can also physically reinforce learning actions within the classroom environment.

Providing a visual representation of the framework's components, these icons can aid in enhancing students' understanding and recall. They offer an invaluable resource to teachers, aiding in the creation of dynamic, engaging, and cognitively enriching lessons.

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September 20, 2023
Thinking Framework Introductory Powerpoint

This PowerPoint is a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the Universal Thinking Framework for teachers. Ideal for staff development and CPD meetings, it provides an overview of the framework's role in tackling common educational challenges. The presentation pinpoints why some students may struggle with their learning progress, addressing issues like processing new information and understanding how to proceed with tasks.

Furthermore, it highlights the importance of a robust language for learning within classrooms. With its clear, engaging format, this PowerPoint is a vital tool for schools looking to incorporate the Universal Thinking Framework into their educational strategies.

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September 20, 2023
Framework Posters

The poster pack is a visually appealing and informative set designed for classroom walls or corridors. Each poster within the pack represents an individual learning action from the Universal Thinking Framework, providing clear and accessible definitions. These posters serve as constant visual reminders, prompting understanding of the diverse learning terms within the framework.

They are an invaluable tool for both teachers and students, promoting rich conversations about thinking and learning, supporting the implementation of the framework in everyday teaching and learning. Downloadable and easy to display, these posters are essential for making the cognitive actions in the framework tangible and interactive.

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Teacher Knowledge

Thinking Maps

Thinking Maps

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Specific Thinking Guide
Develop ideas
Using the Essence

Create new ideas by getting to the heart of the issue and then looking elsewhere whilst retaining the essential qualities.

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Specific Thinking Guide
Different perspectives
Thinking Boxes

Analyse an object or topic from different perspectives - local, global and its place in history.

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Specific Thinking Guide
Analyse an issue
SCAMPER Analysis

Analyse something according to the SCAMPER principle - what could be substituted, combined, adapted, modified, put to other uses, eliminated or rearranged?

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Specific Thinking Guide
Develop ideas
Possible Futures

Think about the way in which a particular theme or issue may develop in the near future.

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Specific Thinking Guide
Explore an issues
Impact Boxes

Think through the impact and consequences of an event. What are the knock-on effects? Think of the diagram as a series of ripples working their way out.

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Specific Thinking Guide
Different perspectives
From a Different Angle

Examine a topic through a variety of different subject lenses. Understand how knowledge changes dependent on the perspective from which it is viewed.

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Generic Thinking Guide
What happened?
Cycle

A cycle diagram is a circular chart that illustrates a series of actions or steps that flow to another. Start by putting the first stage in one of the boxes. In the next box round the circle, place the next step and so on.

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Generic Thinking Guide
What is it?
Mindmap

A mindmap is a great way of organising a topic into themes. These categories can be used to sort information into related items for example, social, environmental or technological changes.

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Generic Thinking Guide
Why did it happen?
Fishbone Diagram

A fishbone diagram is a tool used to visualize all the potential causes of a problem in order to discover the root causes.

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Generic Thinking Guide
How is it similar/different?
Venn Diagram

Venn diagrams are a good tool for comparing things. They can tell us what is similar and what is different about two or more items.

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Generic Thinking Guide
What happened?
Flow Chart

Flow Charts are graphical representations of processes, sequences or events. You are explaining what happened or how to do something chronologically.

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Generic Thinking Guide
How is it similar/different?
Diamond 9

Diamond 9 templates are a great tool when you need to rank or prioritise information. They can help us make a reasoned decision about something.

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Generic Thinking Guide
Why did it happen?
Input - Output Diagram

Input - Output diagrams help us map out the causes and effects of a particular event. This helps us understand why something happened and what the implications are.

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Generic Thinking Guide
What is it?
Tree Diagram

Tree diagrams help you organise and understand the hierarchy of information in a body of knowledge. The branches help you group ideas so you can see the big picture.

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Teacher Knowledge

Block Resources

Block Resources

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Language and Knowledge Outcomes

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Mental Modelling across the Curriculum

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
What is the Teacher Innovation Program?

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Chronological Concepts across the Curriculum

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Conceptual Understanding Across the Curriculum

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
An overview of deployment opportunities across the curriculum

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
How do mental models promote metacognition?

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Developing Thinking through Talk

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Why start with a Concept?

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Child Development Outcomes of Mental Modelling

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
What does Comprehension look like across the Curriculum?

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Balancing Academic and Child Development Agendas

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
An overview of Curriculum Opportunities

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Science
Any age
Think like a scientist

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Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Using conjunctions to compare and contrast ideas

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Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Make links across sentences using adverbials of time

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Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Identify and use adverbs

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Writing
Writing Examples

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Grammar
5-7 Yrs
Joining sentences with Run-Ons

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Spelling
5-7 Yrs
Word operation activity

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Grammar
5-7 Yrs
Use common conjunctions

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Writing
8-11 Yrs
Writing an explanation

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Grammar
Any age
Word Classes

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Spelling
5-7 Yrs
Long Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

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Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Building a Complex Sentence

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Writing
Any age
Writing a Recount 2

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Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Build a noun phrase

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Writing
Any age
Creating a Story

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Writing
Any age
Writing a Recount

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Writing
8-11 Yrs
Point Evidence Explain

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Spelling
5-7 Yrs
CVC Spelling

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Writing
Any age
Writing an explanation

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Comprehension
Any age
Think like an Expert

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Comprehension
Any age
Card Sorting Exercises for Organising information

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Comprehension
Any age
Sequencing Ideas into a Logical Order

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Comprehension
Any age
Making Comparisons

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Science
Any age
Digestive System

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Comprehension
Any age
Reading for Meaning

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Comprehension
Any age
Categorising

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Comprehension
Any age
Cause and Effect

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History
8-11 Yrs
What did the Romans do for Us

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Curriculum Strategy
Mental Models for the Curriculum

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Comprehension
Knowledge Models

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Essentials
Blank Template for Printables

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Essentials
Colour Code for Bricks

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Fraction Models

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Number Towers

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Rounding

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Place Value

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Repeating Patterns

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Multiplication Vocabulary

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Multiplication and Division

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Ratios

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Teacher Knowledge

Oracy

Oracy

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September 28, 2023
Framework Oracy Cards

These are oracy cards contain question and answer stems that help children to find the linguistic solutions to express their understanding. They are perfect for continuous provision and small group exercises.

They can also be used to stretch and challenge children 'in the moment'. They are great resource for responsive teaching and having these printed and laminated, enables classrooms to keep children thinking and talking like experts. They are double sided and are designed to for multiple use. Use them with whiteboard markers for quick and systematic questioning.

DownloadPrintables
June 26, 2023
Guiding Classroom Talk

The downloadable resource is a guide for teachers, offering an array of tactics to foster meaningful classroom discussions. It presents versatile strategies that educators can incorporate into their teaching repertoire to cultivate a more engaging dialogue. These tactics range from effectively framing questions, promoting active listening, to encouraging student-led discussions.

It provides educators with the tools to stimulate intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and active participation among students. By applying these methods, teachers can transform their classrooms into dynamic learning environments where discussions go beyond surface-level comprehension, leading to deeper understanding and retention of knowledge. The resource serves as a valuable tool for any educator committed to interactive and effective pedagogy.

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June 26, 2023
Talk Tactics

"Talk Tactics" is a downloadable resource aimed to enhance classroom conversations and foster diverse perspectives. It involves children taking on various roles or personas, thereby enabling them to participate in discussions in ways they might not ordinarily do. The resource includes a set of printable and laminatable cards, each describing a different persona that guides students' contributions to discussions.

By promoting a variety of conversational roles, it encourages students to delve deeper into topics, cultivate empathy, and broaden their communication skills. This tool is highly versatile and can be utilized across various subjects, making classroom discussions more dynamic and enriching.

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Teacher Knowledge

My Assessments

My Assessments

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June 26, 2023
Action Research Canvas

The Lesson Design Canvas is a classroom action research worksheet for teachers, facilitating the design of classroom experiments. It encourages teachers to identify a learning need (1), propose an intervention (2), define desired academic outcomes (3), and determine the skills and behaviors to nurture (4). The canvas incorporates a selection of common learning difficulties, toolkits for intervention, academic outcomes, and wider educational progress expectations based on the skills framework.

This practical tool allows teachers to use structural learning tools and frameworks to address specific learning needs, predict improvements, and nurture broader educational development, thereby promoting classroom-based research and experimentation.

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June 26, 2023
Action Research

The Research into Practice Program is an innovative teacher professional development initiative that combines cognitive science and design thinking to tackle classroom challenges. It unpacks complex issues into actionable steps through a three-stage innovation process: Explore (understand and define learning challenges), Design (ideate and experiment solutions), and Change (reflect and implement practices).

This approach fosters a new mindset in teachers, encouraging openness, collaboration, optimism, bravery, and a deeper understanding of educational 'whys'. Outcomes of the program include changes in teacher perceptions, putting research into action, making staff learning purposeful, focusing staff meetings on learner needs, and celebrating achievements with the 'Cognition First' badge.

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June 26, 2023
Independent Learning Skills

The Becoming an Independent Learner tool is an insightful self-assessment audit that helps students gauge their progression towards independent learning. Covering three core areas – Metacognition, Strategy Planning and Problem-Solving, and Reflection and Self-Regulation – the tool guides students through stages of awareness, understanding, application, evaluation, and fluency of various thinking actions and strategies. It aids students in recognising the importance of strategy selection, breaking down complex tasks, reflection, and self-improvement.

This tool encourages students to take strategic decisions in their learning, fostering a mindset of autonomy, resilience, and lifelong learning. It's an effective means for promoting self-regulated learning and metacognitive awareness.

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September 28, 2023
Metacognition Skills

The Developing Metacognition tool is a comprehensive self-audit for students to assess their knowledge of cognition and regulation of their own learning. It covers declarative, procedural, and conditional aspects of cognition, inviting students to reflect on their intellectual strengths, strategy usage, and motivation.

Additionally, it explores students' planning and information management skills, monitoring of their own learning, ability to correct errors (debugging), and evaluation of performance. This visual tool, focusing on study skills, aids students in identifying their current proficiency and areas needing improvement. It provides a valuable gauge for students to enhance their metacognitive awareness and self-directed learning.

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June 26, 2023
Metacognitive Awareness

The Metacognitive Awareness Checker is a self-assessment tool for students to gauge their own metacognitive skills and study habits. Comprising a set of 23 statements, it encourages students to reflect on their learning processes, focusing on aspects like time management, self-motivation, problem-solving strategies, and comprehension checks.

This questionnaire allows students to rate themselves across these areas, from needing improvement to consistently implementing. It fosters an environment of self-awareness, helping students identify their strengths and areas for growth. This downloadable tool can be frequently revisited, enabling students to track progress and enhance their learning autonomy and effectiveness.

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June 26, 2023
Learning Skills Spreadsheet

The Learning Skills Framework also provides a downloadable, user-friendly spreadsheet designed to monitor students' progress in mastering the eight key skills. Teachers can allocate scores from 0 (beginning) to 4 (mastery) for each skill, depending on a student's progress. The total score indicates students' overall development and pinpoints areas needing further improvement.

This effective tool offers a clear, structured method to track not just academic progress, but also the development of crucial classroom skills, promoting an in-depth understanding of each student's learning journey and aiding the formulation of personalized teaching strategies.

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June 26, 2023
Learning Skills Badges

The Learning Skills Framework emphasizes eight crucial skills that serve as badges: Learning Together and Communicating Clearly under Social Skills; Thinking It Through and Reflecting on My Learning under Cognitive Skills; Being Creative and Making Connections under Creative Skills; and Staying Engaged and Building Resilience under Personal Skills. These badges, which can be downloaded, printed or inserted into stickers or certificates, act as tangible recognitions of the mastery of specific learning skills and behaviors. Their use reinforces the adoption and application of these essential skills, thereby supporting learners' overall growth and development.

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June 26, 2023
Learning Skills Framework Booklet

The Learning Skills Framework is a guide to fostering cognitive and behavioral attributes in students, pivotal for academic success and beyond. The framework identifies eight key skills organized into four thematic pairs: Social Skills (Learning Together, Communicating Clearly), Cognitive Skills (Thinking It Through, Reflecting on My Learning), Creative Skills (Being Creative, Making Connections), and Personal Skills (Staying Engaged, Building Resilience).

These skills are instrumental for curriculum delivery and subject knowledge, offering a roadmap for lifelong success. Assessment tools within this framework help monitor progress, and a badging system reinforces skill adoption. Scores are awarded and totalled to identify areas of strength and development, guiding future planning and progress tracking.

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Teacher Knowledge

Blog Posts

Blog Posts

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Articles

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Teacher Knowledge

Posters

Posters

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October 2, 2023
Differentiation in the Classroom

Transform your approach to inclusive education with our downloadable PDF poster on differentiation strategies in the classroom. Tailored for school leaders, this visually compelling guide provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of evidence-based methods to foster an inclusive learning environment.

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October 2, 2023
Embracing Neurodiversity

Designed specifically for school leaders, this visually engaging guide outlines key principles for creating learning environments that celebrate neurodiversity. Whether you're new to the concept or looking to refine your existing practices, this resource offers actionable insights to foster inclusion and ensure every student feels valued and supported.

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June 26, 2023
Oracy

Oracy is the skill of effective verbal communication and comprehension. It's crucial for children's learning and development. Explanatory talk, often led by teachers, aims to clarify concepts and ideas, enhancing knowledge acquisition. Conversely, exploratory talk, which is interactive, encourages children to express thoughts, ask questions, and develop reasoning skills.

Though both forms have distinct purposes, they work together in classrooms to bolster oracy. Explanatory talk imparts knowledge, while exploratory talk stimulates critical thinking and deeper understanding, thus crafting better communicators and engaged learners.

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April 17, 2023
Teaching and Learning Wisdom

Alex Quigley's top-level ideas for good teaching and learning include a focus on building strong relationships with students, providing clear and engaging instruction, promoting independent learning, using formative assessment to guide instruction, and creating a positive and inclusive classroom environment.

These ideas are presented in a downloadable poster format for educators to share and use as a starting point for evidence-informed teaching and learning policy.

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April 17, 2023
Rosenshines Principles of Instruction

Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction are a set of research-based principles that focus on the effectiveness of certain methods of teaching. They provide suggestions for the implementation of these principles in the classroom and are based on extensive research in education and cognitive science.

The principles are intended to bridge the gap between educational research and classroom practice and include examples of activities employed by "master teachers" whose students achieved the highest gains in achievement tests.

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June 30, 2023
Becoming a Skilled Reader

To become skilled at reading, we need to work on both the word-recognition strands (phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition of familiar words) and the language-comprehension strands (background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge).

These strands work together as we become accurate, fluent, and increasingly automatic with repetition and practice. It takes instruction and practice over time to develop these skills.

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April 17, 2023
Promoting Deeper Learning Outcomes

To promote deeper learning outcomes in the classroom, teachers should focus on helping students make connections between the facts and procedures they are learning and the essential principles and enduring understandings within a discipline. This can be achieved through a variety of teaching strategies such as, asking open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking and discussion and providing opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.

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April 17, 2023
Motivated Teaching

It is important to motivate learners because when they are motivated, they pay more attention, put in more effort, persist for longer, and are able to work more independently. On the other hand, unmotivated learners get distracted easily and do the bare minimum.

By motivating learners, teachers can help them achieve their full potential and become successful in their academic and personal lives. Motivation can also lead to a more positive and enjoyable learning experience for both the learners and the teachers.

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April 17, 2023
Metacognitive Strategies for Improving Listening

Metacognitive instruction can be used to develop and facilitate the process of listening comprehension, reducing the complexity of listening comprehension for less-skilled listeners.

Metacognitive instruction can also help students become more effective readers. It involves teaching students to actively engage in the reading process by asking themselves questions about what they are reading. This helps them comprehend the material better, understand its main ideas, and recognize important details.

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April 17, 2023
Metacognitive Questioning

Metacognitive questioning is a technique used by teachers to help students actively reflect on their learning process. It involves asking students questions that encourage them to think about how they learn, what they already know, and what they need to do to improve their understanding of a topic.

Metacognitive questioning can help students develop metacognitive habits, which are essential for becoming self-sufficient learners. By reflecting on their learning process, students can identify gaps in their knowledge, solidify concepts, and develop strategies for learning new material more effectively.

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April 17, 2023
Metacognitive Strategies

Metacognitive strategies are techniques that assist students in becoming self-regulating learners and developing a strong sense of agency in their learning. These strategies empower students to think about their own thinking, which enhances their control over their own learning and personal capacity for self-regulation and managing motivation for learning.

Examples of metacognitive activities include planning how to approach learning tasks, identifying appropriate strategies to complete a task, evaluating progress, and monitoring comprehension.

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April 17, 2023
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory that organizes human needs into a hierarchy, ranging from basic physiological needs such as food and water to higher-level, abstract needs such as self-fulfillment. Maslow proposed that when a lower need is met, the next need on the hierarchy becomes our focus of attention.

The five categories of needs according to Maslow are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

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April 17, 2023
Making Curriculum Changes

Schools can develop their curriculum by first establishing their curriculum principles, which should reflect the school's values, context, pedagogical approaches, and needs. They should then set out their pupil entitlement, which explains how they intend to broaden the curriculum with educational visits, extracurricular activities, and other curriculum enrichment experiences.

It is important to consider what pupils will experience as they move through school and to map these out for each year group. All of these steps should be discussed and defined with all stakeholders.

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April 17, 2023
Learning Fundamentals

The fundamentals of learning are evidence-informed principles that focus on the attributes of the learner. These student behaviours are the cornerstone of learning anything and are indeed 'learnable'.

Simple verbs are used that even young children can understand. The list has purposefully moved away from teacher behaviours and placed attention on the attributes of the learner.

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April 17, 2023
Helping dyslexic learners

We can support dyslexic learners by creating a supportive and collaborative classroom culture, getting to know each learner as an individual, and encouraging them to get to know each other. Using multisensory input and activities can also be helpful in giving learners more than one way to make connections and learn concepts.

This can involve a combination of reading, listening, viewing, touching objects, moving physically around the space, or using gestures.

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April 17, 2023
Formative Assessment Principles

The principles of formative assessment include identifying and responding to the students' learning needs, making frequent and interactive assessments of student understanding, adjusting teaching to meet individual student needs, actively involving students in the process, and developing skills that enable students to learn better.

When used as a framework for teaching, formative assessment can change the way teachers interact with students, set up learning situations, guide students toward learning goals, and define student success.

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April 17, 2023
Executive Functioning Skills

Executive functioning skills are the skills involved in setting goals, planning, and getting things done. They include working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control, which includes self-control. These skills are responsible for many abilities, such as paying attention, organizing, planning, prioritizing, starting tasks and staying focused on them to completion, understanding different points of view, regulating emotions, and self-monitoring.

These skills usually develop quickly in early childhood and continue to develop into the mid-20s.

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April 17, 2023
Metacognitive Skills

Metacognitive skills refer to the ability to think about one's own thinking processes, to monitor and regulate one's own cognitive processes, and to plan and evaluate one's own learning. It involves being aware of one's own strengths and weaknesses, setting goals, and selecting strategies to achieve those goals.

Metacognitive skills are an important aspect of self-regulated learning and can be taught to students through specific strategies and interventions.

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April 17, 2023
Purposeful formative assessment

Teachers can use formative assessment to monitor students' learning by providing regular and timely feedback on what they've done well and what they need to improve on. It can take a variety of forms, from informal quizzes to verbal feedback on a piece of work. To be effective, formative assessment needs to take place on a daily basis during teaching and learning.

Formative assessment is used to help teachers decide how to further develop student understanding, identify gaps in the pupils' learning, and target those gaps by adjusting their planning sequences of learning to address those gaps.

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April 17, 2023
Dual Coding Techniques

Students can use dual coding by examining how words describe images and how images represent text, explaining images in their own words, and drawing an image based on words. Dual coding allows for two ways of understanding and remembering information by combining verbal material with visuals in teaching practice.

It is important to keep it simple and not combine more than two types of multimedia. Students can also be encouraged to draw something to aid in their understanding of the material.

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April 17, 2023
Developing Creative Learners

Creative learning is a type of learning experience that encourages learners to engage deeply with process of problem-solving, critical thinking, risk-taking and curiosity. Through creative learning experiences, learners develop an increased sense of confidence as they are able to propose innovative ideas and resolutions while also feeling comfortable taking risks even when the result may not be successful.

Creative learning also helps foster a curious mindset by offering unconventional ways to learn, sparking curiosity and leading learners to interesting insights.

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April 17, 2023
Block building and learning

Block play is a form of Open-Ended Play where children learn through playing with blocks, which allows them to be imaginative or constructive. It is a useful and versatile learning technique during the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and is a great way to introduce toddlers to many concepts for the first time, such as transporting, building, representations, pattern-making, problem-solving, and much more.

As children get older, particularly between the ages of two and five, they’ll gradually build up more complex block play techniques and extend their learning. Block play aids children’s skills and development across the board.

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April 17, 2023
Backwards Planning

Backward design is a method of designing an educational curriculum by setting goals before choosing instructional methods and forms of assessment. It typically involves identifying the desired results, determining acceptable levels of evidence to support those results, designing culminating assessment tasks and a range of assessment methods, and designing activities that will make the desired results happen.

The idea is to teach toward the "end point" or learning goals, which ensures that content taught remains focused and organized. This approach challenges traditional methods of curriculum planning where a list of content is created or selected before planning assessments and lessons.

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Teacher Knowledge

Videos

Videos

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Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Language and Knowledge Outcomes

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Mental Modelling across the Curriculum

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
What is the Teacher Innovation Program?

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Chronological Concepts across the Curriculum

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Conceptual Understanding Across the Curriculum

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
An overview of deployment opportunities across the curriculum

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
How do mental models promote metacognition?

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Developing Thinking through Talk

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Why start with a Concept?

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Child Development Outcomes of Mental Modelling

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
What does Comprehension look like across the Curriculum?

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
Balancing Academic and Child Development Agendas

DownloadPrintables
Curriculum Strategy
Any age
An overview of Curriculum Opportunities

DownloadPrintables
Science
Any age
Think like a scientist

DownloadPrintables
Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Using conjunctions to compare and contrast ideas

DownloadPrintables
Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Make links across sentences using adverbials of time

DownloadPrintables
Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Identify and use adverbs

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Writing
Writing Examples

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Grammar
5-7 Yrs
Joining sentences with Run-Ons

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Spelling
5-7 Yrs
Word operation activity

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Grammar
5-7 Yrs
Use common conjunctions

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Writing
8-11 Yrs
Writing an explanation

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Grammar
Any age
Word Classes

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Spelling
5-7 Yrs
Long Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

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Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Building a Complex Sentence

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Writing
Any age
Writing a Recount 2

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Grammar
8-11 Yrs
Build a noun phrase

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Writing
Any age
Creating a Story

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Writing
Any age
Writing a Recount

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Writing
8-11 Yrs
Point Evidence Explain

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Spelling
5-7 Yrs
CVC Spelling

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Writing
Any age
Writing an explanation

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Comprehension
Any age
Think like an Expert

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Comprehension
Any age
Card Sorting Exercises for Organising information

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Comprehension
Any age
Sequencing Ideas into a Logical Order

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Comprehension
Any age
Making Comparisons

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Science
Any age
Digestive System

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Comprehension
Any age
Reading for Meaning

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Comprehension
Any age
Categorising

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Comprehension
Any age
Cause and Effect

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History
8-11 Yrs
What did the Romans do for Us

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Curriculum Strategy
Mental Models for the Curriculum

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Comprehension
Knowledge Models

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Essentials
Blank Template for Printables

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Essentials
Colour Code for Bricks

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Fraction Models

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Number Towers

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Rounding

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Place Value

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Repeating Patterns

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Multiplication Vocabulary

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Multiplication and Division

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Maths
8-11 Yrs
Ratios

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Teacher Knowledge

Research and insights from the world of education.

Research and insights from the world of education.

Filter Button Styling

The Science of improved language comprehension

EP Magazine

Language comprehension deficits for chiddren with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) need not necessarily be permanent.

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Metacognition

The Role of Metacognition in Education

Izabela Krasiejko

According to the ideas that define the changes of the contemporary education in Poland, school should not be an institution focused only on teaching, but it also should develop the urge to learn in students, to help them in their self-development and self-realization.

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Metacognition

The 5 Literacies of Mindful Learning

Educational Leadership

When we show students how to be present and focused, they not only learn better, but they also live better.

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Metacognition

Special educational needs: an analysis and summary of data sources

DfE

This report from the DfE gives an overview of the attainment, progress and destinations of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

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SEND

SEN support: a survey of schools and colleges

DfE

SEN support is the term given to children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities and require support, but who do not have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or Statement of SEN.

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SEND

Self-Sufficient Learners Make Successful Workers

Science of learning

It’s easy to see that escalating technical, socioeconomic, geopolitical, and demographic changes are altering how we work and the nature of jobs. Many call these changes the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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Metacognition

Rethinking Learning Potential

Independent School

One of a teacher’s most essential jobs is to guide and motivate students to increase their intelligence.

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Metacognition

Questioning for Controversial and Critical Thinking Dialogues in the Social Studies Classroom

Issues in Teacher Education

To conceptualize questioning it may be best to define the word by its basic meanings. The American Heritage Dictionary (1991) defines a question as “an expression of inquiry that invites or calls for a reply”.

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Critical Thinking

Pursuing the DEPTHS of Knowledge

Educational Leadership

Whether students are engaging in deep learning or just recalling facts, rigorous instruction should be part of the plan.

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Metacognition

Preparing for literacy: Improving communication, language and literacy in the early years

Education Endowment Foundation

This report focuses on the teaching of communication, language and literacy to children aged between 3 and 5. It may also be relevant for older pupils who have fallen behind their peers, or for younger pupils who are making rapid progress.

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Language

Overcoming barriers to student achievement in mathematics through teachers’ action research

University of Bristol

This project looked at ways in which teachers can raise attainment in GCSE mathematics and thereby increase the access chances of more disadvantaged pupils.

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Maths

Neuroscience reveals that boredom hurts

Kappan

Students who seem to willfully defy admonishments to focus on their work may not be doing so intentionally but rather as a normal, age-appropriate brain reaction.

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Metacognition

Metacognition in Liberal Education

Liberal Education

The group found that metacognition was an effective tool for focusing students’ attention more consciously on their learning

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Metacognition

Metacognition and self-regulated learning

Education Endowment Foundation

The Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning kit was launched in 2011 and continues to show Metacognitive practice as a high performing classroom strategy.

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Metacognition

Literacy and the whole child

Literacy Today

Whole child pedagogy centers on the belief that children should not be conceptualized as a disparate collection of cognitive, physical, and socioemotional parts, but instead should be viewed as dynamic individuals.

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Literacy

Literacy difficulties – the Driver Youth Trust position

The Driver Youth Trust

The Driver Youth Trust (DYT) is a charity which aims to improve the outcomes of young people who struggle with literacy.

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Literacy

Learning to learn: understanding the brain and learning

Techniques

Being able to learn new information with the ability to retain and recall is necessary for attainment.

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Metacognition

Improving literacy in secondary schools

Education Endowment Foundation

Young people who leave school with poor literacy skills have poorer outcomes on almost every measure including health, employment and finance.

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Literacy

How to Know What Students Know

Educational Leadership

Total participation techniques get all students engaged with content, giving teachers feedback about what they know.

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Metacognition

How Metacognitive Strategies Can Maximize Learning

The International Educator

Gregory Thomas defines metacognition as an individual’s knowledge, awareness and control of his/her thinking and learning strategies.

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Metacognition

Fulfilling the promise of highly able students in secondary schools

Dr R. Montacute for the The Sutton Trust

The Sutton Trust’s Missing Talent report found that 15 per cent of previously high attaining pupils at key stage 2 (KS2) failed to achieve in the top 25 per cent at GCSE, and that this group of ‘missing talent’ is more likely to include students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Critical Thinking

Bridging the word gap at transition

Oxford University Press

Much has been written about the importance of closing the word gap as children start primary school. However, there has been relatively little focus on the transition from primary to secondary school (10–11 year olds).

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Literacy

Social Mobility and covid-19

The Sutton Trust

This briefing looks at how the current Covid-19 crisis is likely to impact the most disadvantaged young people during their time in education and into the workplace.

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Disadvantaged

Study for Early Education and Development

E. Melhuish and J. Gardiner for DfE

The Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) includes a major longitudinal study designed to provide evidence on the effectiveness of early years education.

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Improving mathematics in the early years and key stage 1

Educational Endowment Foundation

Early mathematical understanding for young children is strongly associated with later school achievement. However, not all children learn the skills they need to succeed.

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Maths

Special educational needs and disabilities

House of Commons Education Committee

In 2014 Parliament introduced legislation to transform the educational experiences of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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SEND

Cultural Education Partnershipss

NfER

The Cultural Education Partnership Group (CEPG) was formed in 2012. It is made up of strategic partners who are interested in shared approaches to improving access to cultural education for young people.

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Disadvantaged

Critical thinking skills fire up teacher learning

The shifting landscape of adult learning

Teachers and educational leaders need to be fully and continuously be supported in their professional growth around the changes they face.

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Critical Thinking

Closing the gap? Trends in educational attainment and disadvantage

Education Policy Institute:

This report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) considers the attainment gaps between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.

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Disadvantaged

Catalysts for Creativity

Educational Leadership

We tend to think of creativity as fairy dust, magic, and eureka moments. In fact, it’s a process.

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Creativity

Building Students Sense

Educational Leadership

Practices inspired by the maker movement can build students’ sensitivity to design and empower them to design and redesign things themselves.

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Problem Solving

Improving Literacy in Key Stage Two

EEF

Good literacy skills provide us with the building blocks not just for academic success, but for fulfilling careers and rewarding lives.

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Literacy

Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools

EEF

Young people who leave school without good literacy skills are held back at every stage of life.

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Literacy

Three things systems thinkers do

Cabrera Research

Your brain will process information into mental models (organised information that affects how we see the world). Organised stuff becomes useable knowledge.

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Schema

Visual thinking strategies = creative and critical thinking

Kappan

The synergy that occurs between creativity and critical thinking allows powerful learning to occur.

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Visuals

Making Thinking Visible

Ron Ritchhart

When learners speak, write, or draw their ideas, they deepen their cognition. Project Zero's Visible Thinking approach shows how.

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Visuals

Habits of Mind Self Assessment

Unknown

A short reflection activity for children.

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Learning behaviours

Habits of Mind

How2s

Traditional settings focus on how many answers a student knows. When we teach for the Habits of Mind, we are interested also in how students behave when they don't know an answer.

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Learning behaviours

Life Lessons: Improving essential life skills for young people

The Sutton Trust

Adult life requires a range of skills in order for people to flourish, both in the workplace and in their daily lives, from the confidence and motivation to seek challenges and complete tasks, to the interpersonal skills that aid teamwork and other social interactions.

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A.I.

Worldwide Educating For the Future Index

The Economist

The rapid development of digital technology and the globalised nature of economic systems are creating an entirely new set of educational challenges for the world to adapt to.

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A.I.

The impact of non-cognitive skills on outcomes for young people

EEF

The term ‘non-cognitive skills’ refers to a set of attitudes, behaviours, and strategies that are thought to underpin success in school and at work, such as motivation, perseverance, and self-control.

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Learning behaviours

Hard Thinking About Soft Skills

Guy Claxton and Arthur Costa

Habits like persisting and drawing on past knowledge are some of the most essential dispositions we can teach.

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Learning behaviours

The emergence and early development of self regulation in young children

Cambridge University

Metacognitive and self-regulatory abilities are of fundamental significance for children’s general and academic development, and also, that these abilities are highly teachable.

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Metacognition

EEF Metacognition Summary

EEF

Metacognition and Self Regulated Learning Summary of recommendations

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Metacognition

Dual Coding and Visual

Oliver Caviglioli

People learn better from graphics and words than from words alone... you can help people learn better if you include appropriately designed graphics in instructional presentations.

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Visuals

Memory and Meaning

Oliver Caviglioli

Understanding is memory in disguise.

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Schema

Dual Coding to Explain Ideas

Oliver Caviglioli

People learn better from graphics and words than from words alone - says Richard E Mayer.

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Visuals

Dual Coding to Organise Ideas

Oliver Caviglioli

If we can entertain the notion that ideas are objects, then we have a new way of understanding how to organise them.

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Visuals

Collaborative Reasoning: Expanding Ways for Children to Talk and Think in School

Educational Psychology Review

Collaborative Reasoning discussions are intended to create a forum for children to listen to one another think out loud as they learn to engage in reasoned argumentation.

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Problem Solving

Collaborative problem-solving and why it matters for learning

Rose Luckin - University College London

Collaborative problem-solving is a key skill for the workplace, and its importance is only likely to grow as further automation takes place.

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Problem Solving

Playful Writing

University of Cambridge

Building stories together to inspire young writers: a teacher handbook

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Play

Children with better co-ordination more likely to achieve at school

University of Leeds

Young children with better eye-to-hand co-ordination were more likely to achieve higher scores for reading, writing and maths according to new research.

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Play

Summary of the benefits of Lego

Various

A short outline of why building bricks are so important.

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Play

Back to the basics with six bricks

Brent Hutcheson

Deceptively simple but extremely powerful educational approach.

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Play

Blocks: “Standard” Equipment for Today’s Primary Classrooms

Sean Durham

Blocks: Great Learning Tools From Infancy Through the Primary Grades

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Play

Low achievers during collaborative problem solving

Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, University of Northern Iowa

he purpose of this study was to extend this research by examining the influence of additional factors, in particular, achievement goals and comprehension monitoring, on low achieving students’ constructive activity after receiving help from a high achieving peer.

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Problem Solving

From Cognitive Load Theory to Collaborative Cognitive Load Theory

Paul Kirschner & John Sweller

We illustrate how and why cognitive load theory, by adding these concepts, can throw light on collaborative learning and generate principles specific to the design and study of collaborative learning.

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Problem Solving

Solved! Making the case for collaborative problem-solving

NESTA

The evidence set out in this report confirms a great deal of research which has shown the rising importance of a cluster of skills that are both very ancient, and very relevant to the near future.

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Problem Solving

How can we foster creativity in school?

OECD

Andreas Schleicher, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD addresses an audience in Paris.

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Creativity

Teaching Inference

Robert J. Marzano

Thinking and reasoning processes such as problem solving, decision making, and the like have been identified as legitimate and even necessary 21st century skills. Making inferences is the foundation to many higher-level thinking processes.

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Critical Thinking

Skill 5: Critical Thinking

Ellen Galinsky and Nicole Gardner

In this issue, Ellen and Nicole discuss the fifth life skill, critical thinking, and offer teachers practical suggestions for promoting this skill in their work with preschoolers.

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Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools

The Foundation for Critical Thinking

This miniature guide focuses on of the essence of critical thinking concepts and tools distilled into pocket size.

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Critical Thinking

How to Teach Critical Thinking

Daniel T. Willingham

Despite consensus on the need for critical thinking, there is still considerable debate over how it is learned and, subsequently, how education can best support students to develop critical thinking capabilities.

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Critical Thinking

Durham Commission on Creativity and Education

Durham University

The Commission is a joint research collaboration between Durham University and Arts Council England, convened to look at the role creativity and creative thinking should play in the education of young people.

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Creativity

Teacher Knowledge

Research and insights from the world of education.

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