British summer time is about to begin and the year continues to tick over at pace. If things are moving a little too fast, perhaps take a few minutes to reflect and read about the latest reading and writing in education. This edition includes writing on the state of writing in schools, a new book on helping young children fend off distractions, as well as new research on worked examples and feedback, new EEF Teaching Assistant guidance, the curriculum interim report, and more.

What I am writing...

My latest blog explores 'What is happening with writing?', drawing upon a recent EEF practice review exploring writing in primary and secondary schools in England. It concisely explores some of the key differences between writing at primary and secondary school, as well as the dearth of good assessment that may be masking key issues in writing development. READ MORE HERE.

My most popular blog in the spring was 'Adaptive Teaching: Scaffolds, Scale, Style and Structure'. It explores how teachers can adapt tasks in lessons to take into account adapting for scaffolds, the scale of the task, and some structure and style choices. It is practical and focused on supporting teachers to make manageable responses without differentiating to create multiple lessons. READ MORE HERE. You can also find the following free tool related to the blog on my RESOURCES PAGE HERE.

What I am reading...

Attention and distraction seem to be peristant issues in education right now. From mobile phones and media distraction, to the importance of attention for learning, the precious value of focusing in seemingly at a premium. An excellent new book by Prof Sam Wass and Dr Gemma Goldenberg, entitled 'Take Action on Distraction: The definitive guide on improving attention and focus in the Early Years and Key Stage One' explores the topic for young children in Early Years and Key Stage 1. It is a really compelling, evidence-rich, and accessible book. It explores expected topics such as classroom noise, and 'visible noise', along with better understanding neurodiversity and attention. I was struck by the helpful analogy of children who are 'dandelions' and 'orchids' (in how they respond to the environment), as well as how developing consistent environments (and 'schema') can really help young children. This was one of my favourite reads of the year so far. READ MORE HERE.

What research (and resources) to be interested in...

The Education Endowment Foundation has updated its popular and long-standing 'Deploying Teaching Assistant' guidance report. It has a lot of consistency with previous research findings, but it makes an important shift to helpful clear messaging about how TAs can better scaffold pupils' independence. READ MORE HERE.

The Department of Education has now released its 'Curriculum and Assessment Review: Interim Report' which outlines the key debates and principles underpinning the prospective review outcomes due out in the autumn. READ MORE HERE.

How do we best teach using 'worked examples'? Teachers of students of every age deploy worked examples, but practice can be variable, and the example you pick really matters. A new study, with the title 'Teaching with worked examples – Why the selection of problems for exemplification is critical', exploring worked examples with a small study with university age students. It reveals how when students are given more ambiguous examples, rather than helping, it could possibly have a negative impact (inflating confidence and creating fuzzy understanding). READ THE RESEARCH HERE.

A new study by Zhang and Fiorella (2025), explores how getting students to explain their errors after feedback really aided understanding. Entitled, 'Effects of self-explaining feedback on learning from problem-solving errors', it reveals unsurprising findings that talk after feedback aids learning and student understanding of feedback. It is key we create space to support students to respond to their feedback meaningfully, or all that precious time won't be well spent. READ THE RESEARCH HERE.

What students are struggling in my school or college, why, and what can we do about it? My Teachology masterclass - live in Manchester and online - on 'Why Learning Fails (And How to Fix It)', occur only once more this academic year, tackling key issues to support all students who struggle with the school curriculum. It covers knowledge gaps, the issue of why students forget the curriculum, and how to help all students learn with greater independence and fend of 'learned helplessness'. FIND OUT MORE HERE.