Teachers frequently complain that, when they talking to students in class, information goes in one ear and out of the other, with nothing happening inbetween! Listening has been neglected in education, in spite of it being the most frequently used skill in learning. This unique and practicle book seeks to redress this situation by treating listening as a thinking activity, and developing a step-by-step approach to its improvement, using knowledge about how the brain works.

Exam Board: AQA Level & Subject: GCSE Combined Science: Synergy First teaching: September 2016 Next exams: June 2023 AQA approved This book covers Unit 1 of the new 2016 GCSE Combined Science: Synergy course. The grouping of content follows that in the specification. Topic openers set the scene by providing a short overview of the links between the different chapters in a Topic. Linking questions between spreads and from chapter to chapter also help explain the narrative thread that links a Synergy topic together. Working Scientifically objectives linked to the AQA Combined Science: Synergy specification are identified, and questions addressing Working Scientifically skills embedded throughout. * Each spread is divided into three sections - starting with language, ideas and questions that are accessible to all and increasing in complexity to develop and practise ideas further. * Key concept spreads highlight core ideas that students must grasp before they can move on, and which will develop their understanding of the whole topic. * A dedicated spread for every required practical helps students analyse the practical, reflect on the science skills and knowledge they have developed and apply these skills to different contexts. * Maths skills spreads focus on the maths requirements of the AQA Combined Science specification, explaining concepts and providing opportunities to practise and apply maths in a relevant scientific context. * Throughout the book the questions become increasingly synoptic, helping students to draw together ideas from any part of Unit 1 in preparation for the terminal exams. * Higher-only content is clearly flagged so students can move seamlessly between tiers depending on their performance during the course. * End of chapter questions allow students to check that they have understood the ideas in the chapter and can apply these to new contexts. The questions are levelled in four sections of increasing demand. Questions on Higher-only content are also clearly flagged.

We are all different. Every child in every class in every school in the land is different. And yet we have a 'one size fits all' curriculum that everyone must follow. How can we best deal with this apparent anomaly, in order to provide meaningful learning experiences for all students? Teachers are now discouraged from grouping children according to abilities - inclusion is the buzzword. So radical solutions are needed to help all children learn within a group, whatever their personal and academic needs, and whatever their social background. This book analyses the issues surrounding the world of difference we see in schools today. It unpacks the elements of diversity - personality, intelligence, styles of learning and communicating, social class, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, learning difficulties, disabilities, views and values - and suggests practical strategies to make teachers' lives easier and their students' study less stressful. All children need personal skills, particularly communication and co-operation skills, in order to cope with learning within their own context and at their own level. This book considers how such key skills emerge from the interaction of physical, mental, emotional and social development, and suggests initiatives such as 'The Critical Skills Programme' and the 'Communication Opportunity Group Scheme' to give students from every background more chances to talk, think, express feelings and share views. A comprehensive overview of common learning difficulties and medical conditions in children is also provided - including characteristics of each condition, classroom organization tips, and contact details of relevant support groups - with the aim of helping educators further develop their management of individuals and diverse groups. If you have an interest in making education work - whether you are a teacher, teaching assistant, school counsellor, social worker, therapist, psychologist or other educator - 'A World of Difference' is for you.

Strategies for Closing the Learning Gap has been written as a practical companion to the hugely successful Closing the Learning Gap. In this, his fourth book, Mike Hughes attempts to translate the explosion in our understanding of how the brain works into practical strategies that will work in the classroom. The book: highlights some of the key issues emerging from recent discoveries about the brain simplifies them; offers practical strategies and ideas as to how to apply this research in the classroom; The strategies described have been:; written by teachers for teachers; successfully implemented and refined in the classroom; effective in increasing motivation, improving learning and raising attainment

The way into thinking skills. The book outlines the importance of talk both at home and in the classroom. It emphasises that talking is more than just communication, it is the way into thinking skills development. How do I know what I think until I've heard myself say it? Some children are never given the opportunity to develop their talking skills in order to structure their thinking. This book addresses this issue head on, with carefully analysed research and a whole host of practical classroom activities to help children into quality talking and deeper thinking.