Primary

Children who get off to a good start in learning to read, only to struggle later on, are more common than you might think, says Megan Dixon

We should consider what the research tells us about the influence of prior knowledge on reading, but we need to exercise caution about lifting and shifting pedagogical practice, warns Megan Dixon

Teaching her Year 2 class sign language has improved learning in writing and maths, as well as motivation and lesson flow, says teacher Amy Smith

According to research, around 1.7 million children are struggling to talk and understand words – so how can teachers help in the classroom? Jane Harris, chief executive of Speech and Language UK, shares her advice

After working with a theatre school, one primary established its own ‘immersive’ reading space, with great results, as Kate Parker finds

The first week back to school can be exhausting – but if you take the time to re-establish classroom routines with primary pupils early on, both teaching and learning will benefit, says Jen Foster

A nativity performance is a highlight in the school calendar – and this year, Flakefleet Primary decided to do things a little differently. Headteacher Dave McPartlin explains how it worked

It’s tempting to point the finger at Covid for falling reading scores, but we can’t ignore underlying problems that were there before the pandemic, says Megan Dixon

Writing outcomes this year may tell a bleak story, but the situation isn’t hopeless, says Alex Quigley, with simple classroom practices able to have a big impact

With new research revealing that the number of ‘very low’ attainers in Year 2 reading has tripled post-Covid, academy trust chief Cathie Paine says the situation would be worse without teachers’ ‘colossal’ catch-up efforts

Despite the dominance of digital time these days, the curriculum says that all children must learn to read an analogue clock by age 7. For some pupils with SEND, this presents specific challenges, says Liz Hawker, as she shares her advice

A recent trial into popular phonics programmes raises some questions about how we balance competing priorities in research, says Megan Dixon