Norwich
Teachers had created many visual reminders and prompts on displays and walls. Being able to access help where needed stopped children being overloaded.
Flipcharts were used and hung on walls, including prior learning information. This allowed children to concentrate on what we were saying because they had the info on the walls.
The visualiser was used for marvellous mistakes, annotated and then printed out. Strategies were created for what to do when you are in the pit or having a closed mindset. This helped children use their own strategies if they felt overloaded.
Prior knowledge starters helped the teachers because the learning is more appropriately focused and chunked. This helped children to retain the information.
Midlothian
All teachers had split lessons into small tasks, discussed with partners, doing the task or step, then coming back for feedback. Learning is now broken down into manageable stages so children feel a sense of achievement.
Writing tasks began with input and shared ideas. This has more meaning to children.
Learning walls and working walls were being built up as skills progressed and children are using these as tools for learning. They have access and exposure to learning and notice changes to the walls.
Teachers incorporate teaching points into lay to make links for children. This is putting learning into context and allows for responsive planning and teaching.
Use of PowerPoints is minimal and the focus is more on visuals. Smart board files are saved so that children can refer back.
By putting learning into songs or rhymes children are able to recall facts more easily.
Teachers were using quizzes to revisit learning which has helped embed knowledge.
” I have just begun weekly class quizzes that incorporate learning from the past in all curricular areas. Children work with their talk partners to answer the questions. At the moment we have multiple choice of four options. I have only done two quizzes so far but I have noticed areas of strength developing where children are retrieving facts from working wall (e.g. properties of 3D shapes) and areas where I need to consolidate through teaching.”
Joanne Stevens
North Wales 1
Working walls had helped children have points of reference. The walls are used to aid learning rather than for displays which they don’t refer to.
Colour coded displays also helped key children in to information they needed, so that books and wall information were colour matched. Children are using the walls and find resources to help.
Using toolboxes for certain resources or equipment has enabled children to use these independently.
North Wales 2
Talk for Writing for science had allowed children to remember science vocabulary.
Starter questions allowed children to start to think about the topic in hand for that lesson.
Mind maps on display were another point of reference.
Showing children good and bad examples and co-constructing success criteria had improved the standard of work considerably by making children aware of expectations and breaking the task down.
Having mid lesson pit stops to review the work so far and working walls which give a point of reference helped children’s cognitive load.