In foreign language education, decisions must be taken on what languages to teach, who will teach them, in which schools (i.e. all, only urban, only rural), in which grades, the number of hours a week, and the cost involved. This book explores the answers to these questions across a number of Asian polities. It illustrates why some of the efforts undertaken are successful and why some are not, why - despite significant investments of time and resources - some students do not seem to acquire the languages being taught, and why some teachers responsible for instruction in the designated foreign languages have problems achieving fluency in the designated language or have other language teaching difficulties. It suggests some strategies various polities might attempt to achieve their stated language learning objectives. This book was originally published as a special issue of Current Issues in Language Planning.

How often do your primary school pupils have the opportunity to engage in open-ended, sustained pieces of work that offer them choice and control?

Do you find that the curriculum restricts openings to provide your pupils with real challenge?

Is your school grappling with finding effective ways in which to elicit authentic pupil voice?

"

Children as Researchers in Primary Schools "is an innovative and unique resource for practitioners supporting children to become real world researchers in the primary classroom. It will supply you with the skills and ideas you need to implement a children as researchers framework in your school that can be adapted for different ages and abilities. Children in primary schools are accustomed to being set short-term goals and are often unaware of long-term aims or of the connections between the concepts and skills they are learning. In contrast, this book demonstrates that children engaging in the research process have authentic opportunities to apply invaluable personal, learning and thinking skills while managing their own projects, making their voices heard and experiencing increased levels of engagement and self-esteem.

Based on the author s 4-year research study exploring the experiences of young researchers and teachers in primary schools, and on her considerable experience of training young researchers, this book also contains:

• the history and theory behind children as researchers initiatives;
• a model for good practice based on successful real life case studies;
• questions for reflective practice;
• practical examples of research in the classroom;
• photocopiable resources;
• opportunities for self-evaluation.

This comprehensive resource will be appeal to primary teachers, educational practitioners and students on CPD and ITT courses. It will also be of interest to teacher trainers, to academics involved in teaching and research and to all those interested in promoting children s voices.

Do you believe that continuous improvement in teaching is essential?

Do you wish to enhance your understanding of how children learn?

Are you eager to become a well-informed professional?

From the author of the hugely respected Foundations of Primary Teaching, this advanced textbook explores the essential elements of teaching and learning and the process of becoming a caring and competent teacher. It introduces a wide range of education issues, challenges and requirements with the intention of promoting advanced classroom practice, both for individuals and within teams. The book offers insights, ideas, hints and thought-provoking education topics for individual reflection and team discussion.

With a focus on understanding the teaching and learning processes and the factors that impact upon providing a high quality education for every pupil, this book discusses in detail key learning skills, dilemmas and challenges for primary teachers and themes in continuing professional development. It covers issues in teaching and learning including:

• The nature/nurture debate
• Motivation
• Emotional and moral development
• Raising boys achievement levels
• Gender and teachers
• Accelerated learning
• Reflective practice.

Including action points, hints and challenges, this book will be of interest to trainee teachers, postgraduates, experienced qualified teachers, deputy head teachers and head teachers who wish to be more consistently effective and make a positive impact on the lives of children in their primary classroom.

"We believe that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances. Learning outside the classroom is about raising achievement through an organised, powerful approach to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance."

LOTC Initiative manifesto

In Learning Outside the Primary Classroom, the educationalist and writer Fred Sedgwick explores in a practical way the many opportunities for intense learning that children and teachers can find outside the confines of the usual learning environment, the classroom.

This original work is based on tried and tested methods from UK primary schools. The author draws on current concerns in the educational world regarding outdoor learning as exemplified by the eight sector Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) initiative (supported by Ofsted), but remains refreshingly independent in approach.

Using a metaphor of concentric circles Learning Outside the Primary Classroom starts with a brief opening chapter based in the classroom itself before moving outwards to explore the learning possibilities presented by the immediate environs of the school playgrounds, gym halls, sports fields etc. Later chapters move beyond the school gates to explore the local shops, parks, religious centres, libraries and town halls and the myriad learning opportunities they represent. The final chapters explore the possibilities of larger scale day trips to major galleries and museums and more ambitious field trips.

Intended for use in childcare, preschool, Head Start, and with children in kindergarten and early primary grades, the latest in the "Active Experiences" series is based on the most recent, nationally recognized research regarding children's approaches to learning as well as current NCTM curriculum guidelines for mathematics. The content is clear and concise, with practically applied chapters on ways to guide children's mathematical thinking and learning. Key topics involve group work, investigations, and projects; are grounded in children's interests and needs; and, build, one upon the other to form a coherent learning curriculum. Additionally, each reflects the most recent standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This edition has been thoroughly revised to include updated "Home-School Connection" features that illustrate various ways to support children's daily learning of mathematics; more developmentally appropriate and intentional assessment guidance than ever before; research-based guides explaining children's cognitive and skill development in all math content areas, based on the Learning Trajectories Approach; and a new technology resource found at the end of every chapter.

Charles Dickens is arguably the greatest storyteller in English Literature and his novels have been loved and respected for nearly two hundred years. As accurate reflections of Victorian society they are unparalleled. Vivid characters and realistic settings are created in the mind of the reader, all laced with Dickens inimitable humour, wit and lacerating political comment.

This book aims to bring alive these characters and settings in the minds of children. It provides a comprehensive resource for children not only to learn about the literary heritage of the English language, but also to encourage them to create meanings from these classic stories through their personal, social and cultural experiences. The authors set each novel in context, providing a synopsis of the book, as well as characters, settings themes and symbolism. Works covered include:

• A Christmas Carol
• Bleak House
• David Copperfield
• Great Expectations
• Hard Times
• Oliver Twist

But this book doesn t just aim to introduce classic literature to children; it also provides a wide range of truly contemporary tools with which they can respond creatively, including: drama and film, blogs, web 2.0 technologies, multimodality and animation and graphic novels.

The book is also accompanied by a CD which contains chapter outlines, extended text extracts, and practical resource sheets, including PowerPoint presentations, book review templates and flash cards, as well as a set of 8 week lesson plans for each novel.

The Essential Charles Dickens School Resource provides essential classroom learning material for teachers and literacy co-ordinators teaching Key Stages 1 -3, as well as CPD students and those studying on PGCE English/Drama courses.

Now in its fifth edition, Foundations of Primary Teaching will be an essential resource for any trainee or practicing primary teacher. Written in a friendly and accessible manner, this book has been updated in line with the new curriculum and provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of teaching within the primary school. It blends theory and practice to foster and develop effective pedagogy and, in so doing, to stimulate your thinking, expand your horizons and motivate you to relish one of the most thrilling, frustrating, exhausting, exciting and important jobs in the world.

Written specifically for student teachers on BA, BEd and PGCE courses, as well as students taking Education Studies, this text will encourage you to develop a fuller understanding and appreciation of teaching as professional practice through an emphasis on:

• Reflective thinking and action
• Relationships and motivation in the classroom
• A full range of tried and tested teaching and assessment strategies
• Creativity and transferable teaching skills
• Personalised learning.

Also incorporating new material on changes and innovations that have taken place in education; childhood; the process of, and context for, learning; and issues teachers face, as well as updated further reading lists, this wholly revised fifth edition should be on the bookshelf of all student teachers on initial teacher training courses at the primary level, newly qualified teachers and more experienced teachers wishing to enhance their practice.

This volume provides a rigorous examination of theoretical concepts such as need, interest, growth, play, experience, activity and self-expression. It also makes an important contribution towards getting a closely argued educational theory. In the first part of the book the author establishes general aims and ends with suggestions as to what the curriculum ought to be. The second part is concerned with the procedures of learning and teaching appropriate to such a curriculum.

Why is primary education so high on the political agenda, and so contentious?

Why is the performance of primary schools so often in the media spotlight?

Why should primary teachers trouble themselves with the politics of their work?

Politics and the Primary Teacher is an accessible introduction to some of the thorniest aspects of a primary teacher 's role. It aims to support your understanding of the constant changes in education policy, give you confidence to engage critically with current political debates, and consider how you might shape your response accordingly.

Including questions for reflection, and selected further reading and resources, it examines the complex interface between the work of a teacher and the world beyond the classroom walls. Key issues explored include:

• assessment, testing, league tables and national accountability measures
• the media 's impact in shaping both local and national views about education
• political implications of new policies such as academies and free schools
• conditions of work in the classroom and workforce remodelling
• the curriculum, its purposes and structure
• pedagogy and teaching methods
• education for citizenship, health and well-being.

Politics and the Primary Teacher is essential reading for all education professionals who want to think more deeply about primary education, what it offers, and how children, families and communities are served by the primary school.

Beginning with descriptions of the ways in which children make sense of their experience and the world, such as fantasy, stories and games, Egan constructs his argument that constituting this foundational layer are sets of cultural sense-making capacities, reflected in oral cultures throughout the world. Egan sees education as the acquisition of these sets of sense-making capacities, available in our culture, and his goal is to conceptualize primary education in a way that over comes the dichotomy between progressivisim and traditionalism, attending both the needs of the individual child and the accumulation of knowledge.

This book does not cover the whole field of Infants' Teaching but is concerned mainly with general principles and matters which are open to the non-specialist. Some technical subjects such as Physical Education have been omitted but nonetheless the volume provides a thorough (if somewhat dated) introduction to early years education in the first half of the twentieth century.

The first part of the book discusses aims, who should determine them and how they might be determined. The second part discusses some more specific topics of learning and teaching, such as learning how to learn, the integrated day and the use of competition. The author distinguishes three broad levels of thought in looking at schools: the details of choice and decision; the general principles which are, or ought to be, guiding that detailed practice; and the theoretical commentaries on the guiding principles available from the various disciplines which constitute the study of education.

Why is assessment so important in the teaching-learning process? How should we assess pupils in the primary classroom? Assessing Learning in the Primary Classroom is an accessible introduction to the concepts critical to a professional understanding of this vital aspect of a teacher's role. It comprehensively considers the principles underpinning effective assessment, the different forms it can take and the different purposes it serves, both within and beyond the classroom.Linking the latest research and theory with examples of assessment in the classroom, it considers key issues such as: Why we assess How we assess How we ensure quality in assessment: validity and reliability Assessment internal and external to the school Statutory assessment throughout the primary school Local, national and international assessment Using assessment results in pupil, teacher, school and system evaluation Assessing Learning in the Primary Classroom is for all students undertaking their PGCE, those working at masters level, and experienced teachers who wish to broaden their understanding of both the value and pitfalls of educational assessment.

Talking Points: Discussion Activities in the Primary Classroom encourages and supports classroom discussion on a range of topics, enabling children to develop the important life-skill of effective group communication. Children who can explain their own ideas and take account of the points of view and reasons of others are in the process of becoming truly educated. This book offers a straightforward way of teaching children discussion skills within the framework of a creative curriculum.

The book provides an introduction on how to help children learn the skills of group discussion, offering six essential Talk Lessons to use in the classroom, alongside suggestions on how teachers can plan their lessons with a talk focus, set learning outcomes and create their own Talking Points to suit topics they are teaching. The main body of the book contains the Talking Points resources which are an excellent, tried and tested way of stimulating and supporting extended talk about a topic. The Talking Points in this book offer model for teachers to create further Talking Points for their own classes. The Talking Points included here offer discussion in several curriculum areas including: -

• Science
• Literacy
• Philosophy and creativity for children
• History
• Mathematics
• Art and Music

This invaluable book offers engaging, stimulating and thought provoking ideas for children to pit their wits against, promoting skills in discussion, analysis, reasoning and interaction. It is highly beneficial reading for teachers working in Key Stage 2, head teachers and those responsible for staff development, as well as students on teacher training courses and graduate training programmes.

What links Cinderella to Harry Potter? What can The Simpsons teach us about character creation? What is the False Horizon moment? What are the two classic openings and five effective endings of a newspaper story? Aimed at primary and early secondary school teachers, Tricks of the Writer 's Trade uses a simple, straightforward and highly-entertaining method to reveal a myriad of writing approaches, from basic story structure through to advanced scriptwriting, and the techniques used by professional writers and journalists.

Covering fiction and non-fiction writing, chapters include guidance on:

• Story structure
• Creating characters
• Persuasive writing
• Informative writing
• Scriptwriting
• Writing techniques

By following its step-by-step approach and using the resources and materials provided, teachers can engage their pupils, improve their writing skills dramatically and have fun while they re doing it. Writing lessons will never be the same again

Tricks of the Writer 's Trade is an invaluable resource for all Primary Teachers, Key Stage Three English teachers and literacy coordinators as well as PGCE students.

How can we ensure we use technology effectively with young children?

Using New Web Tools in the Primary Classroom is for all teachers interested in the application of new web-based ICTs to primary teaching. It offers a justification for using Web 2.0 tools and explores tangible ways in which technologies such as blogs, wikis, podcasting, media sharing and social networking sites can enhance classroom practice, teaching and learning.

Considering key issues such as how children learn, curriculum, policy, and children 's prior experiences of ICT, this book focuses on the expectations and needs of the child and how technology can be unlocked to meet those needs now and in the future. Key ideas considered include:

• Diverse views of social software in education
• Using web tools to create and reinforce stimulating learning environments
• Teacher skills and the availability of suitable technology
• Competing demands of government policies and curriculum
• Practical ideas for enriching learning through social software: Children as producers of knowledge, as explorers, and as communicators.

Enhanced with reflective questions and tasks to support your own thinking, and with practical ideas for using web-based ICTs in a range of subjects and in topic work, Using New Web Tools in the Primary Classroom is a rich resource for all student and practising primary school teachers. Those on Education Studies courses interested in new internet technologies and their potential to enhance learning within primary schools will also find much food for thought.

Who are the key thinkers in education?

What are the hot topics in education?

Where will education go from here?

The Routledge Companion to Education presents the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide available to the key theories, themes and topics in education. Forty specially commissioned chapters, covering all aspects of education, introduce you to the ideas, research and issues that have shaped this most diverse, dynamic and fluid field.

• Part one provides an introduction to the key theories, thinkers and disciplines within education
• Part two covers ideas and issues about how, what and why learning takes place
• Part three includes analysis on particular approaches to education and explores the issues that attract much contemporary interest.

Written by an international team of expert contributors, the chapters all include a descriptive introduction, an analysis of the key ideas and debates, an overview of the latest research, key questions for research and carefully selected further reading.

The Routledge Companion to Education is a succinct, detailed, authoritative overview of the topics which are at the forefront of educational research and discourse today. This classic collection is a bookshelf essential for every student and scholar serious about the study of education.

- Offers a wealth of practical suggestions on how to support 5-11 year old children with speech, language and communication difficulties - Fully updated with new strategies and sections focusing on working with parents, identification, and supporting children post-pandemic. - First edition won the NASEN/TES Teaching and Learning Award in 2005. - Both authors provide training for practitioners working with pupils of all ages with SLCN and manage the ‘Language for Learning’ project based in Worcestershire. - Like the previous two editions, the book will be printed in full colour.

Teaching Foreign Languages in the Primary School is for every teacher -whether generalist or specialist, trainee or experienced - wanting to confidently introduce foreign language teaching into their classroom. Based on the author's extensive experience of teaching across Key Stages 1-2, this book provides practical strategies that can be easily implemented in your setting. Offering comprehensive guidance on the pedagogy that underpins language teaching, it covers everything you'll need to teach foreign languages effectively: Planning, teaching and assessment Pedagogical approaches Integrating primary languages across the curriculum Where to find and how to use good resources Using TAs effectively to support language learning Inclusive practice Using ICT in language teaching How to promote children's intercultural understanding Illustrated with useful lesson ideas and a range of examples from the classroom, Teaching Foreign Languages in the Primary School is an indispensable source of support for all student and practising primary school teachers.

Part of a series of texts, "Active Experiences for Active Children: Science, Third Edition, " is unique to the market by providing a theoretical foundation for teaching science to preschoolers and primary-grade children alongside meaningful, standards-based, constructivist, hands-on learning "experiences" to guide teachers in their practice. Organized around the National Science Education Standards and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, the textconsists of clear, concise, usable guides for planning meaningful learning experiences in science for children in childcare settings, preschool programs, Head Start and other federally funded programs, and kindergarten. Primary-grade children should be engaged in active experiential learning as well, and each experience is extended to the early primary grades (grades 1-3). The experiences in this book are meaningful because they: - are grounded in children's interests and needs in their here-and-now world.- have integrity in terms of content key to science.- involve children in group work, investigations, or projects based on inquiry learning.- have continuity: One experience builds on another, forming a complete, coherent, integrated learning curriculum for young children as well as connecting the early childhood setting to children's homes and communities. - provide time and opportunity for children to think and reflect on their experiences.- provide the teacher with the opportunity to document and assess children's learning. Organized to address a variety of audiences, the text is formatted in two parts: Part One offers a foundation for young children and science; Part Two offers thematic based units full of resources for teachers, teacher strategies, and inquiry-based experiences for children. The content has been expanded in the third edition to include a new chapter on engaging children with the natural world (Chapter 14), references to the most recent reports on science education from the National Academies, updated and expanded lists of books and Web sites for children and adults, and new activities. This highly- readable, user-friendly series text is formatted with an engaging, conversational style that will connect and resonate with its varied readers.

Following on from the huge success of Boys Don't Try? this essential new book answers nine key questions about how teachers and schools can best tackle boys' academic underperformance. For decades schools have grappled with the most significant barriers to male academic success: a lack of motivation to succeed, poor attitudes to learning, lower literacy levels and a reluctance to read for pleasure or write at length. In this compelling book, Mark Roberts provides clear answers about how teachers can tackle 'The Boy Question'. Each chapter answers a frequently asked question about how best to teach boys, outlining the issue and demonstrating what can be done about it. Informed by a wealth of research and the author's personal experience of successfully teaching boys, this book offers an abundance of practical advice for the busy classroom teacher. It will shine a light on what makes boys tick and how we can design effective curriculums to ensure they can best acquire powerful knowledge. With practical advice and examples to help address anti-social attitudes and stem the cycle of boys' underachievement, this is essential reading for all teachers and school leaders.

Turning Pupils on to Learning documents and makes visible how creative learning approaches can engage and motivate children in their learning. The book features six case studies of creative learning projects that cover the early years through to Key Stage 3 which are written by the teachers and creative practitioners involved. From the creation of new learning spaces to wider curriculum innovation, the case studies discuss the need for the projects, how they came about, the activities and challenges and the lasting outcomes for teachers and pupils. They describe a model of learning that offers an ethical way for children to engage with the world, which develops their creative skills and supports high achievement. Each case study is supported by a wealth of questions and activities designed to provoke personal reflection and professional development discussions with colleagues. Turning Pupils on to Learning also features an accessible overview of the key issues and debates of the book. It comprehensively explains: What is meant by creativity, engagement and motivation in learning The critical importance of developing a creative pedagogy How to implement creative initiatives that motivate young people The value of listening to young people's voices How to influence school and classroom culture which engages pupils This practical book is an invaluable guide for all those involved in teaching and engaging young people.

"The text is extraordinarily succinct, very well organised and highly readable. Each chapter examines in depth specific aspects of teaching and learning in drama and well-chosen practical examples can readily be adopted by teachers. A 'must' for all primary schools." Drama (the Journal of National Drama) Review of 'Drama in Primary English teaching' Teaching Primary English through Drama builds on the success of the classic text Drama in Primary English, inspiring ideas and techniques for teaching English skills through the medium of drama. Focusing on the power of drama to promote effective learning in primary education, Suzi Clipson-Boyles demonstrates how reading, writing, speaking and listening skills may be developed in ways that will motivate and engage pupils. She uses specific examples from the English curriculum, and also makes links to other areas of the curriculum. In addition, the book explains how assessment during drama can help teachers to evaluate pupils' progress in English. Further guidance is given on how drama can enrich studying for pupils who are learning English as a foreign language. The book also provides a chapter on developing drama as an art form in its own right, with simple ideas and practical suggestions on how to enhance performances. Teaching Primary English through Drama presents a wide range of drama approaches from ten-minute starter activities to stimulate ideas such as fun ways to practise reading, through to longer projects that can provide contexts for extended writing or help with presentation and performance. The chapters show how drama can help to bring lessons alive in imaginative ways that not only promote enjoyment but also enhance achievement. This comprehensive and practical guide offers essential reading for primary teachers and other practitioners, and is a valuable resource to trainees. It also provides an excellent foundation for those who wish to extend their expertise further towards drama as a subject specialism.

Students taking control of their own learning is an upcoming trend in education. With the novelty of this method, there is still room for further improvements to be made on the application of this strategy. Managing Self-Directed Learning in Primary School Education: Emerging Research and Opportunities is an essential reference source on the examination, role, and function of independent learning at the elementary level. Featuring extensive coverage on a relevant range of topics and perspectives such as learning assessment, constructivism, and student factors, this publication is ideal for researchers and educators seeking the latest research on student learning and instructional design.

The transition from primary to secondary school can often be a difficult time for children, and managing the transition smoothly has posed a problem for teachers at both upper primary and lower secondary level. At a time when 'childhood' recedes and 'adulthood' beckons, the inequalities between individual children can widen, and meeting the needs of all children is a challenge.

Bridging the Transition from Primary to Secondary School offers an insight into children's development, building a framework for the creation of appropriate and relevant educational experiences of children between the ages of 10-12. Based on the five 'transition bridges' - administrative, social and personal, curriculum, pedagogy, and autonomy and managing learning - this book is a complete guide to the primary-secondary transition.

Chapters cover:

• A review of the issues and challenges of transition and school transfer;
• Management of physical, intellectual, social and emotional changes;
• Issues of changing self-identity;
• Approaches to ensure curriculum progression and continuity;
• Ways to develop cooperation between primary and secondary schools;
• Alternatives to traditional primary-secondary systems and pedagogy.

This book will be essential reading for all trainee teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate education students, and those working with children over the transition. The contributors offer a wealth of guidance and insight into meeting the educational and social needs of children through early adolescence.