11 minute read
TEST-ENhANCED LEARNING RESEARCh-INFORMED INSIGhTS INTO RETRIEvAL PRACTICE
PEDAGOGY
StAtement 1:
Advertisement
Explicitly define the knowledge - Teacher knowledge is at the heart of test enhanced learning.
StAtement 2: Design
a testing routine. Teacher expertise is at the heart of retrieval.
StAtement 3: Lead
the approach. And when I say lead, also teach the pupils why testing is such a powerful approach to learning.
StAtement 4:
Design for low failure rates. Learning is emotional and emotions influence adolescents’ achievement, over and above the effects of general cognitive ability and prior accomplishments. The optimal error rate ‘could’ be as low as 15% (Wilson et al, 2019) or even lower (Eglington et al, 2020). Plan for 85% success - especially during encoding.
StAtement 5: Testing
and self-assessment develops metacognitive monitoring and enhances metacognition accuracy, (Rivers, 2020), directing more informed study decisions.
StAtement 6: Testing
as homework, or self-directed testing, can be very effective.
StAtement 7: The
most efficient retrieval schedule is a personalised one, accounting for the learner’s rates of forgetting and prior knowledge, (Latimer et al, 2021). There are tools that support personalised spaced retrieval practice. Regrettably, the term “retrieval” is misleading. It implies a terminal strategy. A test at the end. A test, post learning.
Testing is, and informs, learning. It is more than retrieval.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it a million times more: the first time students retrieve shouldn’t be on a … final exam.” Renowned Cognitive Psychologist, Pooja Agarwal. And we have not yet mentioned the benefits of pre-testing or potentiated learning, testing during learning.
Further Reading:
https://teacherhead. com/2022/06/18/whendaily-quiz-regimes-becomelethal-mutations-of-retrievalpractice/
Developing oracy SkillS To raiSe aTTainmenT
Oracy development is often overlooked, in favour of written literacy and numeracy. But prioritising it is hugely important, as Kelly Coleman explains.
By Kelly Coleman
Pedagogy
In recent years, the term “oracy” has increasingly been used in education. The term was first used by Andrew Wilkinson in 1965 to describe the speaking and listening skills needed to be a good communicator. This was echoed more recently by Geoff Barton, who noted that we need to see oracy as an integral part of teaching and learning.
To get our classrooms talking then, we need to provide opportunities throughout all subjects (not just in English lessons) and make it a schoolwide focus.
The Communication Trust published a report, Talking About A Generation in 2017 in which they identified some staggering statistics:
• By the age of 5, 75% of children who experienced poverty persistently are below average in language development compared to 35% who hadn’t experienced poverty.
• Those same children are 10 times less likely to achieve expected levels in Maths.
• They are also more than twice as likely to be unemployed at the age of 34.
• They are twice as likely to experience mental health difficulties.
Furthermore, The National Literacy Trust noted that in some inner-city classes, disadvantaged children contribute, on average, just four words per lesson and usually start school 19 months behind their wealthier peers in language and vocabulary. With this current research, and the increasing gap thanks to the Covid pandemic, why should schools prioritise oracy, in the same way as written literacy and numeracy?
Firstly, according to the Better Communication Research Programme, those with good communication skills are 4 times more likely to achieve GCSE grade 4 or higher.
Secondly, it improves verbal reasoning and can gain the equivalent of 2 months progress in Maths and Science , according to the Education Endowment Foundation.
More importantly though, is the positive impact it has on confidence, self-esteem, resilience and engagement in society. This is according to the Sutton Trust and 97% of teachers and 94% of employers agreeing.
With all the research pointing towards a correlation between oracy and progress, the bigger question is how do we make our classrooms talk? And how do we achieve this without making it another tick-box exercise, or another layer of work for already busy staff?
Some Simple, yet effective oracy StrategieS:
1. Questioning that requires pupils to “think”. Get them to clarify, probe and/or recommend. The more that students require depth from their responses, the greater the opportunity for oracydevelopment. 2. Thought stems (in the same way that writing stems are used).
3. Allowing thinking time for students to formulate thoughts. One tip I took from a colleague is I take a drink of water while pupils are thinking so that I don’t inadvertently rush them.
4. Pupil-led feedback and critiques. Gallery critiques are a great way to peer assess, but to also encourage constructive talk.
5. Use the register! Legally, we have to do it, so why not make it part of the lesson? For example, as you call the register, rather than replying with “yes”, get the pupils to recall one thing they learnt from the previous lesson or even just one thing they did at the weekend. Contribution is the most important thing here, rather than the quality of response.
6. Random tasks on display that get them talking: Would You Rather? Thunks, Riddles to Solve, Tongue Twisters, Problems to Solve (I’ve noticed that the more random ones get the most engagement!)
7. Build confidence by using critical buddies, triad-groups, or think, pair, share.
8. Debate questions: In my previous school, I stuck random questions on classroom doors and as pupils entered the room, the teacher would ask them for their view. It’s a quick, friendly entrance to the room and builds great rapport quickly too. I circulated the questions every week and stuck them on different doors so that pupils saw different questions each time.
9. Scenarios: putting pupils into imagined situations. The scenarios can be as imaginative as you like. Get students to think creatively and present their solutions to the problems you’ve presented them with.
10. Lockdowns have given us technology – so let’s use it! At my current school I have started using Teams which allows pupils to video, or record themselves, and submit it to me to listen to. As an English teacher, this has changed my life when marking homework! (You can also record verbal feedback.)
Oracy is ultimately a whole school responsibility and the impacts can be huge. As James Britton noted, “Reading and writing float on a sea of talk”. Therefore by encouraging oracydevelopment, we are also at the very root, cultivating the skills needed by our pupils to support their development in literacy, numeracy and social skills too.
further reading:
• https://cfey.org/wp-content/ uploads/2016/11/Oracy-Report. pdf • https://literacytrust.org.uk/ research-services/researchreports • https://ican.org.uk/media/3215/ tct_talkingaboutageneration_ report_online_update.pdf • https://www.gov.uk/ government/collections/bettercommunication-researchprogramme • https:// educationendowmentfoundation. org.uk/education-evidence/ teaching-learning-toolkit • https://www.suttontrust.com/ our-research/
PEDAGOGY
OutdOOr Play: an EssEntial stratEgy FOr ChilddEvElOPmEnt and WEllbEing
An increasing number of children and young people are finding it difficult to cope, and anxiety and depression are on the rise. Studies show that children need to feel capable, trusted and able to make decisions. In this piece, Sarah Watkins argues that outdoor play is one of the most effective ways we can support children’s wellbeing.
By Sarah Watkins
Placeness
“Children are active participants in their own development, reflecting the intrinsic human drive to explore and master one’s environment.” (Shonkoff and Phillips) Neurons to Neighborhoods.
Our sense of place, identity and wellbeing are closely intertwined – the places where we played as children helped shape who we are. If you think back to your own childhood, your memories of outdoor play are probably most vivid because play engages so many different senses.
‘Placeness’ is an old word that means having or occupying a place and I’ve decided to reclaim it. How truly do children feel they occupy their play space? Do they feel like custodians, visitors or even intruders?
I was Head of School at the same school I attended as a child. On the day I started, a four-year-old pupil asked me shyly “do you know where the secret hiding place is outside?” “Yes,” I replied, “because I went to this school!” We then went straight out to find it together. I was first shown this area by older children, who probably learned about it from their older peers. Why not find out which areas of the outside space are viewed by the children as special? You can also increase a sense of belonging by getting the children to carry out an audit of the space: children tend to know every stone and bush so they have a unique perspective. The Anna Freud Centre states that when children feel listened to this develops their sense of belonging and this can act as a buffer against the effects of disadvantage. A child-led audit can also stimulate great discussion amongst staff.
Children have an instinctive need to put their mark on their environment. Make them responsible for watering and planting, and storage and maintenance of outdoor play resources, which should be easily accessible.
autonomy
Trusting children to manage play resources gives them the message that they are capable and trusted. Autonomy is a vital feature of flow, where children are completely absorbed in an activity that they find genuine satisfaction in. For physical and mental health, children need what occupational therapists call ‘the just right challenge’ – not too easy and not too difficult. One of the best ways to achieve this is to give children of all ages regular access to large loose parts such as cable reels, planks, plastic crates, sections of guttering, buckets, tyres and logs.
Don’t just keep loose parts for EYFS: all children need to experience a sense of control and experience exhilarating play that supports them to test their limits. Simon Nicholson, who coined the term loose parts, called for a “laboratory type environment where [children] can experiment, enjoy and find out things for themselves.” It’s joyful to watch KS2 children collaborate to create their own STEM challenges, making a tree swing, a kart, or a restaurant from loose parts.
Local businesses are often delighted to be able to donate loose parts, supporting sustainability. Why not send home a wish list with pupils?
PEDAGOGY
Rewilding
We all need to feel connected to nature in order to feel good and function well, and regular opportunities to play in nature improve children’s emotional wellbeing, particularly if the environment includes ‘wild’ spaces rather than just adultfriendly manicured outdoor areas. Greening the play space helps children feel restored and stimulates their sensory system. Without time in nature, stress and fatigue levels are likely to increase.
Even as little as five minutes of ‘green exercise’ can improve mood and self-esteem, and children need access to green space in all weathers. A great investment is good quality waterproof clothing for all staff.
Natural outdoor environments have also been shown to have a more positive effect on the quality of children’s speech and language. They are an ideal springboard for vocabulary building because they are constantly changing with the seasons. (The outdoor space is also a great arena to support children to build conflict resolution skills).
Plants can grow in even the smallest outdoor area, and a good diversity of plants will attract a wide range of minibeasts so that the play area is less sterile and more therapeutic. If you can let areas grow wild, establish no-mow areas and throw down some wildflower seeds. Drought-resistant plants such as succulents are ideal for small spaces and survive well in containers. If you look at the planting around supermarkets or new housing developments, you’ll often see shrubs, hostas, daylilies, sedum, astilbe, and achillea – all plants that do well with very little attention. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary, and mint are equally robust and when crushed, they release a moodelevating scent.
Risk in Play
The Health and Safety Executive states that we need a balanced approach to risk in play, and warns against sterile play environments that prevent children expanding their learning and stretching their abilities. But what is ‘risky play?’ To me, it is simply child directed play where children are enabled to challenge themselves, make evaluations and decisions and test themselves. For one child, this may be tree climbing, for another it might be allowing a ladybird on their hand.
Studies have found that loose parts play outdoors helps children become less fearful and able to take progressively more healthy risks. When they have repeated opportunities to explore age appropriate, healthy risk taking, children become better prepared to deal with subsequent anxiety and fear provoking situations. Having the opportunity to roll tyres down a slope or walk across a plank between two crates encourages children to practise making safe decisions.
More than ever, children need to feel ownership of their play space and they need opportunities to understand their own capabilities and develop perseverance. What’s more, happier, more engaged children means happier break times and better focus in the classroom!
