Dyslexia: Issues with definitions and diagnoses
Teaching a struggling reader, whether they are seven or seventeen, can be a gut-wrenching experience. It can make the typical tasks of a school day difficult and sap the enjoyment out of learning. It is no surprise then that every teacher, and parent, wants to get to the root of
What do we mean by high expectations?
"They can because they think they can." ('Possunt quia posse videntur') Virgil's 'Aeneid' High expectations can be a mysterious thing. Something ineffable. You can understand them when you experience it. You may be able to tell a tale about when someone had
Scaffolding and PEAL paragraphs
"Scaffolds are not intended to be permanent. If everyone has a scaffold all of the time, it's not a scaffold, it's just your lesson plan." 'The Scaffolding Effect', by Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb Teachers understand that scaffolds can be vital supports
Supporting struggling writers
The saying goes that what gets assessed gets taught. But for teachers, when it comes to the act of writing to learn, that is not always true. Students can spend thousands of hours writing in the classroom, but if they struggle with writing it can still remain unaddressed. Why is
Great teaching and targeted academic support
High quality teaching - each day and each hour - is likely to prove the greatest lever for securing success in education. Not only that, but it is likely to be disproportionately beneficial to pupils who struggle and have additional learning needs. So far, so obvious. In the new OFSTED
Adaptive teaching: Stretch and challenge
"A precocious child," Miss Honey said, "is one that shows amazing intelligence early on. You are an unbelievably precocious child.” "Am I really?" Matilda asked. Adaptive teaching is usually discussed as a responsive approach to teaching students who routinely struggle. It describes how teachers can
The oversimplification trap
Are we in danger of making learning too simple? When it comes to students in the classroom, we can simplify an explanation of a concept into PPT where complex phrases become glossy icons. Books can become short booklets. Subjects become revision guides. Tricky topics can get distilled into knowledge organisers