Primary education is in a period of transition. The whole question of what constitutes 'good practice' is being vigorously debated. This reader looks at primary practice in the light of this debate, examining it in the context of continuing efforts to understand and improve the learning opportunities offered to children in school. It offers a range of research into how classrooms work and the development of specific curriculum areas: science, technology, mathematics, the arts, humanities and language. The final section takes a closer look at life in the primary classroom from the perspectives of the children and their teachers.

Over the last 25 years, reading processes have been the focus of an enormous amount of research in experimental psychology as well as in other disciplines. The theories and models emerging from this research have greatly advanced understanding of both normal acquisition and of reading disabilities. Although great progress has been made, there are certain aspects that have been relatively neglected in the current understanding. Specifically, the role of visual factors has received less attention than that of other component processes. This is particularly surprising since reading and writing are distinct from the other language processes of speaking and listening in large part by virtue of the fact that a visual dimension is involved. Relevant research is broadly scattered both geographically and in terms of disciplines, and there have been no major reviews or books concerned with the visual dimension of reading and reading disabilities.
The purpose of this book is to bring together a broad range of evidence that concerns the role of visual information in reading and reading disabilities. Because reading processes are of central interest to cognitive scientists, neuropsychologists, psycholinguists, clinicians, and educators, this book should draw a very broad readership.

Teaching Geography Creatively was Winner of the Geographical Association Gold Award 2014 and Winner of the Geographical Association Silver Award 2017. This fully updated second edition of Teaching Geography Creatively is a stimulating source of guidance for busy trainee and experienced teachers. Packed full of practical approaches for bringing the teaching of geography to life, it offers a range of innovative ideas for exploring physical geography, human geography and environmental issues. Underpinned by the very latest research and theory, expert authors from schools and universities explore the inter-relationship between creativity and learning, and consider how creativity can enhance pupils' motivation, self-image and well-being. Two brand new chapters focus on creative approaches to learning about the physical world, as well as the value of alternative learning settings. Further imaginative ideas include: games and starter activities as entry points for creative learning how to keep geography messy the outdoors and learning beyond the classroom how to teach geography using your local area the links between geography and other areas of the curriculum looking at geography, creativity and the future fun and games in geography engaging with the world through picture-books teaching about sustainability. With contemporary, cutting-edge practice at the forefront, Teaching Geography Creatively is an essential read for all trainee and practicing teachers, offering a variety of practical strategies to create a fun and stimulating learning environment. In the process it offers a pedagogy that respects the integrity of children as joyful and imaginative learners and which offers a vision of how geography can contribute to constructing a better and more equitable world.

Primary teachers have always been required to master a wealth of knowledge and professional skills and recent debate has led to pressure for ever higher levels of competence. Ted Wragg's book aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the skills needed by today's primary teachers. Separate chapters cover such central demands of the job as explaining new topics, asking stimulating questions and settling down with a new class, and one chapter is devoted to the particular problems of supply teachers. Based on extensive research in classrooms over a number of years, "Primary Teaching Skills" is designed for both student and novice teachers, as well as their more experienced colleagues at any stage of their professional development.

This book offers a creative and practical guide for K-6 teachers on how to effectively integrate creative movement and the performing arts into the curriculum to increase student engagement, deepen learning, improve retention, and get kids moving during the school day. Chapters offer concrete ideas for integrating creative movement and theater into subjects such as math, science, literacy, and social studies. Drawing on two decades of experience, Dr. Becker outlines key skills, offers rich examples, and provides adaptable and flexible classroom tested lesson plans that align with Common Core Standards, the NGSS, C3 Social Studies Standards, and the National Core Arts Standards. Activities are grounded in arts integration, which is steadily gaining interest in school reform as an effective teaching strategy that increases student outcomes academically and socially; particularly effective for students who have traditionally been marginalized. This book will benefit practicing educators who want to invigorate their practice, pre-service teachers who want to expand their toolkit, as well as school leaders looking to employ policies that support movement and arts during the school day. Jump in and get your kids Moving Through the School Day and see how active and engaging learning can be!

The inclusion of technology in subjects taught to primary school students presents teachers with an exciting and somewhat daunting challenge. "Design and Technology in the Primary School" aims to provide teachers with a definition and exploration of design and technology activities through a project approach. The book includes case studies which illustrate how teachers with little or no previous experience can draw on their existing knowledge of materials, processes, and local authority support, to develop successful projects linking areas of the curriculum with design and technology.
Guidance is also offered on topic planning with design and technology activities either central to the topic being studies, or as a development of a topic from another curriculum area.
This book offers a strong practical approach to embarking on design and technology activities through projects, topic designs, and case studies. It will encourage not only student teachers but their more experienced colleagues in developing existing skills and talents in teaching technology and design through the use of familiar topics.

The new National Curriculum emphasises the importance of composition but also 'transcription' i.e. spelling and 'fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.' Our exciting new 'Let's Do Handwriting' titles provide all the help that children need to write fluently and legibly. Through guided practice in letter structure and the correct formation of joins, the children are encouraged to develop a clear, attractive style to use with fluency and speed in their everyday writing. The extensive handwritten practice of a wide range of words also helps to broaden vocabulary and spelling skills. As with every title in the Andrew Brodie Basics range, parents can ensure that their children's efforts are well rewarded. Each book features regular progress checks as well as a wide variety of attractive reward stickers. To help the children along, Marjorie the Meercat gives lots of useful tips!

The new National Curriculum emphasises the importance of composition but also 'transcription' i.e. spelling and 'fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.' Our exciting new 'Let's Do Handwriting' titles provide all the help that children need to write fluently and legibly. Through guided practice in letter structure and the correct formation of joins, the children are encouraged to develop a clear, attractive style to use with fluency and speed in their everyday writing. The extensive handwritten practice of a wide range of words also helps to broaden vocabulary and spelling skills. As with every title in the Andrew Brodie Basics range, parents can ensure that their children's efforts are well rewarded. Each book features regular progress checks as well as a wide variety of attractive reward stickers. To help the children along, Marjorie the Meercat gives lots of useful tips!

This volume centers on the words and experiences of teachers and students who used QUILL -- a software package developed by the authors to aid in writing instruction. It looks in detail at the stories of these early users and considers questions relevant for other teachers, students, researchers, and developers of educational innovations. Questions posed include:
* What does it mean to develop an environment for literacy in an actual classroom?
* How can a teacher create an environment in which students work together toward meaningful goals?
* How can a teacher promote the rich communication so necessary for developing language?
* What is the role of technology in the practice and development of literacy?
The examination of the QUILL experiences provides a fuller and more revealing account of what it meant to use QUILL than would have been possible through standard evaluation techniques. At the same time, the focus on the particulars also finds analogues in analyses of similar pieces of open-ended software or educational innovations in general.

Teaching Technology: Intermediate to Senior Phase responds to the need for a comprehensive guide to a subject area that teachers often experience as complex. It provides an entry point to fluent and confident Technology teaching through engaging with the content and methodology of the CAPS Technology Education curriculum in South African schools. Its approach and features help student and in-service teachers to produce technologically literate learners.

Practically and resourcefully, Teaching Technology presents the history and theoretical underpinnings of the subject, mapping the integration of Science and Technology teaching. By presenting African perspectives of technology and its uses, and acknowledging the richness of indigenous knowledge,the book guides students and in-service teachers in using learners’ cultural knowledge as a springboard for greater conceptual understanding.

It also offers suggestions for productive Technology teaching in schools across the spe ct rum of resource availability by focusing on resource access and use, classroom management, lesson planning, inclusivity, methodology and assessment.

Teaching Technology is suitable for students taking Intermediate and Senior Phase Technology teaching methodology courses in the BEd, PGCE and ACE/ADE programmes, as well as in-service teachers of Technology who seek to develop professionally.

Arithmetic Ninja for Ages 5-6 is the essential photocopiable maths resource for every Year 1 classroom from Andrew Jennings, the creator of Vocabulary Ninja, Comprehension Ninja and Write Like a Ninja. Split into 38 weeks, this book features over 680 question cards and is fully aligned to the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum for mathematics. With activities for each day of the week plus a bonus challenge, this book is the perfect resource for daily maths practice and quick lesson starters. The exercises in this book get progressively harder each week, and are divided into three Ninja levels to ensure differentiation. There are answers at the back to help with marking and cutting lines on each page so the activities can easily be cut out and stuck in exercise books. Perfect for SATs preparation, the multiplication tables check and mental maths practice, this book is ideal for busy primary teachers who only want to visit the photocopier once a week. The resources are flexible and high-quality, and will ensure all pupils are maths Ninjas by the end of the year. For more must-have Ninja books by Andrew Jennings (@VocabularyNinja), check out Vocabulary Ninja, Comprehension Ninja, Write Like a Ninja and Times Tables Ninja.

Arithmetic Ninja for Ages 9-10 is the essential photocopiable maths resource for every Year 5 classroom from Andrew Jennings, the creator of Vocabulary Ninja, Comprehension Ninja and Write Like a Ninja. Split into 38 weeks, this book features over 680 question cards and is fully aligned to the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum for mathematics. With activities for each day of the week plus a bonus challenge, this book is the perfect resource for daily maths practice and quick lesson starters. The exercises in this book get progressively harder each week, and are divided into three Ninja levels to ensure differentiation. There are answers at the back to help with marking and cutting lines on each page so the activities can easily be cut out and stuck in exercise books. Perfect for SATs preparation, the multiplication tables check and mental maths practice, this book is ideal for busy primary teachers who only want to visit the photocopier once a week. The resources are flexible and high-quality, and will ensure all pupils are maths Ninjas by the end of the year. For more must-have Ninja books by Andrew Jennings (@VocabularyNinja), check out Vocabulary Ninja, Comprehension Ninja, Write Like a Ninja and Times Tables Ninja.

Arithmetic Ninja for Ages 6-7 is the essential photocopiable maths resource for every Year 2 classroom from Andrew Jennings, the creator of Vocabulary Ninja, Comprehension Ninja and Write Like a Ninja. Split into 38 weeks, this book features over 680 question cards and is fully aligned to the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum for mathematics. With activities for each day of the week plus a bonus challenge, this book is the perfect resource for daily maths practice and quick lesson starters. The exercises in this book get progressively harder each week, and are divided into three Ninja levels to ensure differentiation. There are answers at the back to help with marking and cutting lines on each page so the activities can easily be cut out and stuck in exercise books. Perfect for SATs preparation, the multiplication tables check and mental maths practice, this book is ideal for busy primary teachers who only want to visit the photocopier once a week. The resources are flexible and high-quality, and will ensure all pupils are maths Ninjas by the end of the year. For more must-have Ninja books by Andrew Jennings (@VocabularyNinja), check out Vocabulary Ninja, Comprehension Ninja, Write Like a Ninja and Times Tables Ninja.

Group work is generally accepted as part of the educational ideology of today's primary classrooms. It can, however, mean almost anything from group seating as a technique of classroom management to fully collaborative learning. The authors start from the position that getting children to work together is time-consuming and not easy and that teachers need some assurance that it is worthwhile. Drawing on the work of Vygotsky they look at the importance of collaboration in the development of higher mental functions and also discuss the social and emotional advantages that children can derive from working together. Also using case studies derived from the ORACLE II group work project at Leicester, the authors also take into account the advances made in collaborative group work in other countries. The result is a set of guidelines from which individual teachers can derive policies suitable for the circumstances in their own schools. This book should be of interest to undergraduates and academics in primary education and also to primary school teachers.

Hardbound. The papers appearing in this volume reflect current thinking about the contexts of our thought, methodology, the nature of experience while teaching and program improvement, and how we conceptualize play in the curriculum.

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.

This edited collection analyses the use of comics in primary and secondary education. The editors and contributors draw together global research to examine how comics can be used for critical inquiry within schools, and how they can be used within specific disciplines. As comics are beginning to be recognised more widely as an important resource for teaching, with a huge breadth of topics and styles, this interdisciplinary book unites a variety of research to analyse how learning is 'done' with and through comics. The book will be of interest to educational practitioners and school teachers, as well as students and scholars of comic studies, education and social sciences more broadly.

The Education Reform Act of 1988 has caused a revolution in the educational system of England and Wales. The educational tradition and practice of more than 100 years was swept away and schools found that the system of which they were part and which had been one of the most decentralized in Europe was now one of the most centralized. A National Curriculum emerged with profile components, attainment targets, programmes of study and statements of attainment along with a requirement for formal assessment at the end of four key stages in a pupil's educational career. Within these new requirements were embedded a number of concerns for clearly identified skills, knowledge and understanding, for development and progression.

This second edition of The Teaching Assistant's Guide to Effective Interaction is the definitive guide to teaching assistant-pupil interaction, fully updated with examples from schools that have implemented techniques from the first edition. An invaluable professional development tool for classroom support staff and the teachers who work with them, this new edition answers the need for specific, practical guidance on the role of the teaching assistant. This practical and accessible guide sets out a role for teaching assistants that focuses on developing pupils' independence and ownership of learning, with key learning points now summarised in each chapter. Based on a classroom-tested framework and covering the main contexts in which teaching assistants work, it includes a range of strategies and reflective activities to help improve the support provided to pupils in everyday settings. This book sets out successful strategies for: Responding to additional needs Understanding the principles behind effective classroom talk Carefully scaffolding pupils' learning Delivering intervention programmes The Teaching Assistant's Guide to Effective Interaction is an essential read for all teaching assistants and will also be of interest to school leaders, SENCOs and teachers in both primary and secondary schools who wish to improve their deployment of teaching assistants and their own interactions with pupils. Used in combination with Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools, The Teaching Assistant's Guide to Effective Interaction is a comprehensive and unrivalled resource for supporting school workforce improvement.

Current trends in education suggest that pupils should have more responsibility for their own learning, but how can they if they don't understand the what, the why and the how? This practical guide explores the idea that a metacognitive approach enables pupils to develop skills for lifelong learning. If pupils can identify the what, the why, and the how of their learning, they can begin to formulate strategies for overcoming challenges and for continuous improvement. In this book, the authors truly engage with research into the link between metacognition and learning, and the idea that if you can effectively articulate your thoughts and strategies regarding how you learn, you might then be in a better position to take actions in order to improve and to be able to learn best. An appendix of useful resources is also included, which offers a range of activities surrounding the language of learning, reflection and metacognition, as well essential advice on how to develop metacognition in the early years (4-8), middle years (8-10), and upper years (10-13). Metacognition in the Primary Classroom demonstrates how important it is for children to be well-enough informed to play an active role in learning better. Having the language skills to talk about your learning, and the opportunity to share ideas and strategies with others, enables all concerned to explore and develop approaches in order to learn better. This book is a crucial read for anyone interested in ensuring that pupils take an active role in their own learning.

Researchers examining children's mathematics acquisition are now questioning the belief that children learn mathematics principally through formalized, in-school mathematics education. There is increasing evidence that children gain mathematical understanding through their participation in out-of-school cultural practices and that their mathematics only occasionally resembles what they learn in the classroom. Culture and Cognitive Development presents the latest research by Dr. Geoffrey Saxe on this issue. In examinations of the mathematical understandings of child candy sellers in an urban center in northeastern Brazil, Dr. Saxe finds sharp contrasts between mathematics as practiced in school and in real-world settings. In this unique research project he presents a penetrating conceptual treatment of the interplay between culture and cognitive development, filling a void in current research literature. Subjects examined include: the interplay between sociocultural and cognitive developmental processes the differences between math knowledge learned in and out of the classroom the ways math learning in the classroom is modified by children's out-of-school mathematics and, correspondingly, how practical out-of-school mathematics use is modified by formal education

This engaging book offers an in-depth introduction to teaching mathematics through problem-solving, providing lessons and techniques that can be used in classrooms for both primary and lower secondary grades. Based on the innovative and successful Japanese approaches of Teaching Through Problem-solving (TTP) and Collaborative Lesson Research (CLR), renowned mathematics education scholar Akihiko Takahashi demonstrates how these teaching methods can be successfully adapted in schools outside of Japan. TTP encourages students to try and solve a problem independently, rather than relying on the format of lectures and walkthroughs provided in classrooms across the world. Teaching Mathematics Through Problem-Solving gives educators the tools to restructure their lesson and curriculum design to make creative and adaptive problem-solving the main way students learn new procedures. Takahashi showcases TTP lessons for elementary and secondary classrooms, showing how teachers can create their own TTP lessons and units using techniques adapted from Japanese educators through CLR. Examples are discussed in relation to the Common Core State Standards, though the methods and lessons offered can be used in any country. Teaching Mathematics Through Problem-Solving offers an innovative new approach to teaching mathematics written by a leading expert in Japanese mathematics education, suitable for pre-service and in-service primary and secondary math educators.

For thousands of years, religion has been a key element of human societies. Whenever we, as educators, exclude or minimize religion's vast role in society, we leave out a large part of our world's shared history. This is a serious act of educational omission, even neglect, on the part of our nation's public middle and secondary schools, particularly when adolescents are so ready to engage in meaningful conversation about the world that surrounds them. Our book's central purpose is to provide middle-level and high school teachers with the necessary background knowledge and pedagogical skills necessary to help adolescents become religiously literate learners and citizens. Currently, there is no text like ours on the market that both covers a number of world religions, and presents concrete recommendations for teaching and learning this material. Our book is meant to educate the following audiences: teacher educators, middle-level and high school teachers in all content areas, administrators, school boards, and parents. For us, educating for religious literacy is all about bringing adolescents into the 21st century of teeming religious and spiritual diversity - a long-neglected component of the multicultural curriculum in public schools. In a post-9/11 world, religious literacy requires that students understand the whats and whys of differing religious beliefs, both in their own country and elsewhere. It means looking for commonalities, as well as differences, between and among the great wisdom traditions - both nationally and internationally. It is about understanding how all of us might live peacefully in a religiously diverse world. Our book accomplishes these goals by being informative, practical, experiential, case-based, and, above all, accessible to beginners.

Eminent scholars from around the globe gathered to discuss how educational systems would change if the prevailing principles of constructivism were applied to three major aspects of those systems -- knowledge and learning, communication, and environment. This volume provides documentation of the proceedings of this important meeting - - the Early Childhood Action Group of the Sixth International Congress on Mathematics Education.
This international assembly, representing such diverse disciplines as mathematics and math education, epistemology, philosophy, cognitive science, psycholinguistics, and science education, is the first to examine early childhood mathematics education from constructivist and international perspectives in addition to formulating recommendations for future work in the field.

Constructing a Personal Orientation to Music Teaching: Growth, Inquiry, and Agency, (Second Edition), is a textbook for studies in music education. Expanding upon the first edition, the authors promote inquiry and reflection to facilitate teacher growth, lifelong learning, and a disposition toward educational change. The revised text responds to current calls for social change and teacher education reform by reaffirming and intensifying the need for music teachers to adopt a personal orientation toward their work. A personal orientation encourages teachers to initiate their own growth, engage in inquiry, and exercise agency in school contexts. Strongly grounded in current theories and research in teacher education, Constructing a Personal Orientation to Music Teaching: Growth, Inquiry, and Agency strives to do the following: Engage readers in analyzing their own experiences in order to conceptualize the complexity of teaching Involve them in clarifying their reasons for seeking a career in teaching Support their insights, questions, and reflections about their work Promote a reflective, critical attitude about schools in general as music teachers are urged to think of themselves as change agents in school settings Construct a moral purpose as a compass to guide their current and future endeavors in the profession. Every chapter includes a wealth of pedagogical features, including new methodologies and examples of practice to engage the readers in processes of inquiry and reflection. The second edition is organized in two parts. Part I focuses on positioning music teachers as learners in the profession, significantly expanding concepts explored in the first edition that are central to a personal orientation to professional growth. In the new edition, a reconceptualized Chapter 5 challenges teachers to cultivate their identities as change agents. The second half of the book-focusing on becoming a student of music teaching- features five new chapters. A provocative chapter on curriculum sets the stage for a set of additional chapters that invite deeper considerations of the commonplaces of teacher, learners, subject matter, and context. An epilogue speaks directly to the power of agency, imagination, and hope in teachers' lives.