Tag: Primary

15. Metacognition with Zoe Enser

15. Metacognition with Zoe Enser

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Zoe Enser

Helen Prince and Zoe Enser discuss metacognitive learning and how this can motivate students to feel empowered, helping them to build independence and resilience and become lifelong learners.

Zoe Enser was a teacher of English for over twenty years, a middle and senior leader and is currently working across Kent with the Education People as their English Specialist Adviser and an ELE (Evidence Lead in Education) for the EEF. She is also an author, having co-written Fiorella and Mayer’s Generative Learning in Action and the CPD Curriculum: Creating the Conditions for Growth and is a writer for TES and other educational publications. Zoe tweets at @greeborunner

Further reading and support:
  • Zoe explores metacognition in more detail and how student wellbeing can benefit from embedding these practices on the Oxford Education Blog.
  • Metacognition is one of the pillars of the Oxford Smart Curriculum. Find out more and read the curriculum direction paper.
14. Teaching tips for the Key Stage 2 classroom with Sophie Bartlett

14. Teaching tips for the Key Stage 2 classroom with Sophie Bartlett

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Sophie Bartlett

Helen Prince talks to Sophie Bartlett about her experiences of being a primary Year 5/6 teacher. Sophie shares some great tips on how to use vocabulary in mixed year groups and explains how she successfully teaches whole class reading using techniques including echo reading. Sophie also talks about how she uses Twitter as a positive way to engage and support other teachers and NQTs.

Sophie Bartlett is a Year 5/6 primary teacher, English & curriculum lead, and the brains behind #TeachLikeAChumpion. She tweets at @_MissieBee

Further reading and support:

  • The 3 Cs for a successful transition to secondary school. Emily Weston shares her top tips for a successful transition from Year 6 to Year 7 on the Oxford Education Blog.
  • Download our newest report ‘How Schools are Closing the Word Gap: The Oxford Language Report 2021-22’ for a series of case studies from teachers packed with ideas and suggestions for narrowing the Word Gap.
  • Explore TreeTops Greatest Stories, a rich series of 39 key stories, handpicked by world famous author Michael Morpurgo, to enthral children and develop and extend their reading experiences.
13. Talking transition across the key stages

13. Talking transition across the key stages

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Emily Weston

Helen Prince talks to Emily Weston about the key role teachers can play in bridging the word gap at transition. Emily discusses her experience of moving from being a primary teacher to a transition role at a secondary school. She offers tips for improving transition from Year 6 to Year 7, for teachers and parents, and has some good advice for NQTs.

Emily Weston is a KS2/3 Transition teacher, blogger and founder of #TeacherSelfCareSunday on Twitter. She tweets at @primaryteachew

Further reading and support:

9. A lifelong love of storytelling – part 2

9. A lifelong love of storytelling – part 2

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Michael Morpurgo

Helen Prince talks to Michael Morpurgo about his childhood, teaching career and success as a storyteller and writer. We learn how Michael’s love of stories was inspired by his actor mother and how a courageous decision to tell his first story to a Year 6 class, along with encouragement from Headteacher Mrs Skiffington, opened the door to him becoming an author of magical children’s books. 

If you missed part 1 we would recommend listening to that episode before tuning in to part 2. 

Michael Morpurgo is an award-winning storyteller, author, poet and playwright who has written over 120 books; a former teacher who went on to become Children’s Laureate. Michael is also series editor of TreeTops Greatest Stories published by Oxford University Press. 

Further reading and support:

  • Explore TreeTops Greatest Stories.
  • Find out how your child expands their vocabulary at primary school, and discover how you can help them learn new vocabulary at home here.
8. A lifelong love of storytelling – part 1

8. A lifelong love of storytelling – part 1

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Michael Morpurgo

Helen Prince talks to Michael Morpurgo about his childhood, teaching career and success as a storyteller and writer. We learn how Michael’s love of stories was inspired by his actor mother and how a courageous decision to tell his first story to a Year 6 class, along with encouragement from Headteacher Mrs Skiffington, opened the door to him becoming an author of magical children’s books.

Michael Morpurgo is an award-winning storyteller, author, poet and playwright who has written over 120 books; a former teacher who went on to become Children’s Laureate. Michael is also series editor of TreeTops Greatest Stories published by Oxford University Press.

Further reading and support:

  • Explore TreeTops Greatest Stories.
  • Find out how your child expands their vocabulary at primary school, and discover how you can help them learn new vocabulary at home here.
7. Teaching and parenting with Gogglebox’s voice of reason

7. Teaching and parenting with Gogglebox’s voice of reason

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Baasit Siddiqui

Helen Prince talks to Baasit Siddiqui about his time as a teacher and his journey to becoming one of our favourite Gogglebox regulars.   

As well as being a professional educator, Baasit has been helping to support his daughter’s home learning during school closures. Baasit talks about the remote learning strategies his child’s school used to help build pupils’ vocabulary, as well as the positive experience of seeing his daughter learn through play during lockdown.  

Baasit Siddiqui is the managing director of Siddiqui Education Ltd. Baasit’s passion is to educate, motivate and build aspirations of disadvantaged school children across the nation, using his unique experiences and connections as an educator, entertainer and entrepreneur. He tweets at @SiddiquiEdu

Further reading and support:

5. How can the Word Gap affect communication in pupils with SEND?

5. How can the Word Gap affect communication in pupils with SEND?

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Louise Pennington

Helen Prince talks to Louise Pennington about communication in children with special educational needs.  Louise outlines the challenges some children with SEND face from early years through to secondary education and how the Word Gap can affect this, before offering strategies to help support teachers and pupils. 

Louise Pennington is the Professional Development Lead for maths and Numicon at Oxford University Press. She is a founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and previous Primary Teacher, SENCO and Local Authority SEND Team Leader.  Louise tweets at @pdLouiseP

Further reading and support:

4. Lockdown learnings with Laura Patch: a light-hearted look at acting and home-schooling in the pandemic

4. Lockdown learnings with Laura Patch: a light-hearted look at acting and home-schooling in the pandemic

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Laura Patch

Helen Prince talks to Laura Patch about who and what inspired her to pursue a career in acting. Laura discusses how a broad vocabulary range helps her develop the characters she plays. They also chat about some of the challenges faced by parents during home schooling (peppered with amusing anecdotes from the village WhatsApp group!).

Laura Patch is a British comedy actor and mum to three young boys.

Further reading and support:

3. Covid’s impact on Early Years teaching – how to identify and address gaps in learning

3. Covid’s impact on Early Years teaching – how to identify and address gaps in learning

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Phil Minns

Helen Prince and Phil Minns chat about the joy of working in an Early Years setting, and discuss the impact of school closures on Early Years learning. They look at how to identify and prioritize which gaps to focus on, as well as discussing the importance of EYFS teachers working with KS1 teachers to ensure children have the basics to build on in the next step in their education.

Phil also talks about his time with Ofsted and the rewarding moments of working with schools.  A funny and light-hearted conversation covering everything from drama and stories to crisp flavours and musicals! 

Phil is one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and is the specialist advisor for Early Years and Primary education. He has been Assistant Director of Children’s Services with responsibility for education, SEND and Early Years. 

Further reading and support:

  • Find out about Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), an evidence based intervention programme for children aged 4-5 to overcome language difficulties, independently evaulated by the EEF.
  • Word Sparks is a collection of fiction and non-fiction titles to help improve Early Years vocabulary and phonics.
  • Explore our ebooks library for Letters and Sounds.
  • Little Blending Books is a collection of books to help children practise sounding and blending words.
  • Kalim started in Reception as one of the youngest in his year. He started to learn sounds in September and by April could read, enjoy and understand simple storybooks. Watch his reading journey with Read Write Inc. Phonics.
2. How to engage children with reading to expand their vocabulary

2. How to engage children with reading to expand their vocabulary

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Shareen Wilkinson

The link between extensive reading and a broad vocabulary is well known, but how can teachers expand children’s vocabulary when they’re reluctant to read?  

Helen Prince and Shareen Wilkinson talk about children’s literature, early memories, reading and poetry. Shareen discusses the different strategies she uses to engage children with reading; including dance, music and drama. Shareen also shares stories from her best lessons and why they’ve been so successful.  A lovely conversation looking at the link between vocabulary and reading in primary schools. 

Shareen Wilkinson is a primary school senior leader, former LA lead Primary English advisor, and an established educational author and series editor. Shareen advises at national level, including as a DfE grammar and reading (KS1 and KS2) subject specialist. She tweets at @ShareenAdvice

Further reading and support:

  • Shareen offers practical strategies to teach vocabulary in the classroom in this blog.
  • Shareen’s popular webinar on ‘Closing the vocabulary gap in primary schools’ is available to watch on demand.
  • Find out more about Word Sparks, fully decodable books that tackle the word gap, developed with series editors Shareen Wilkinson and James Clements.