What is Orthography? ‘The conventional spelling system of a language.’ ‘The study of spelling and how letters combine to represent sounds and form words.’ (Oxford English Dictionary) High quality SSP ensuring children have a solid foundational knowledge of GPCs The first way we use orthography is when teaching pupils phonics in KS1. We advocate the …
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What is the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check? Designed to determine whether children can recall times tables facts fluently. Allow schools to identify children who need more help becoming secure in their times tables knowledge, but not specific gaps (sadly!). There is no pass/fail for the test, so no resits required (unlike Year 1 Phonics …
The importance of stories Schools who score highly in the Phonics Screening Check note that building a love of stories and reading plays a big part in their success (DfE, 2021). 2019 survey by the Literacy Trust found that children who enjoy reading were up to three times more likely to have higher than expected …
How to Get the Most out of Decodable Reading Books Read More »
Why use GPC Characters? Associating the characters with GPCs lends itself to story telling and putting these characters in meaningful contexts, which the pupils can relate to. These characters underpin the whole of the scheme and are referenced in the flashcards, decodable books, lesson plans, interventions, teaching books and formation rhymes. The characters are used …
Using GPC Characters for Engaging Phonics Teaching and Learning Read More »
What are bar models? Where did they come from? Bar models have been part of the Singapore Ministry of Education’s mathematics’ concrete, pictorial, abstract process since the late 1980s. Their origins date back further than the late 1980s, though. They were used as part of the American psychologist and educationalist, Jerome Bruner’s three-part lesson process …
What are bar models and how to use them to solve problems Read More »
About the Phonics Screening Check What is it? A statutory phonic knowledge screening for Year 1 pupils was introduced in 2011/12 in England. It is conducted orally and 1:1 with teacher, usually lasts 5-10 minutes (although there is no set time limit). The test should be done with a teacher that the child knows to …
The best ways to run and prepare your class for the Phonics Screening Check Read More »
What are the essentials of an evidence-based intervention? Prior Knowledge By activating prior knowledge, teachers help students become ready to assimilate new information. This cueing helps the learner associate new information with previously learned knowledge. Wendling, B.J. and Mather, N. (2008) ‘Donald Hebb who was influential in the area of neuropsychology famously said that “Cells …
How to Plan and Run Impactful Phonics Interventions Read More »
Phonics Shed is designed to run from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 2; but can extend into Key Stage 2 for those children who need further support in phonics. It connects with the existing Spelling Shed scheme to ensure all curriculum objectives are met, while preparing the children for their Phonics Screening assessment …
What is the CPA approach and where did it come from? The concrete, pictorial, abstract approach to mathematics has been a key feature of teaching and learning in Singapore since the 1980s. The approach is inspired by the work of Jerome Bruner, an American psychologist, who developed the process in the late 1960s. It has …
The Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach in mathematics Read More »
What is mastery in mathematics? The term ‘mastery’ means pupils acquiring a profound, secure, lasting and adaptable knowledge and skillset in mathematics. You will sometimes also hear the phrase “teaching for mastery” which refers to schoolwide policies and classroom practices that come together to allow children the best opportunities to achieve mastery in mathematics. For …
