Primary

Wednesday

31st May 2023

Why England’s Pirls results aren’t all that they seem
England’s climb up the international rankings for reading has been seen as a success story for phonics – but the results aren’t as straightforward as they seem, says Christian Bokhove
Why England’s PIRLs results aren’t all that they seem

Wednesday

24th May 2023

How New Zealand has (almost) learned to love phonics
Four years ago, the New Zealand government set out to transform the way reading was taught in its schools. Holly Korbey reports on what happened next
New Zealand phonics

Tuesday

16th May 2023

Why don’t we screen for comprehension?
Our assessment of children’s reading skills is currently missing a crucial component, says Megan Dixon
Football, reading

Friday

21st Apr 2023

Why we let pupils sit wherever they like
When one primary school experimented with flexible seating arrangements and different types of chairs, it was surprised at the results
Why we let pupils sit wherever they like

Monday

17th Apr 2023

Why ‘late-emerging’ poor readers should be on your radar
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
Why ‘late-emerging’ poor readers should be on your radar

Thursday

2nd Mar 2023

Reading and prior knowledge: what the research says
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
Books

Friday

17th Feb 2023

How BSL has transformed learning in my classroom
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
How BSL has transformed learning in my classroom

Friday

10th Feb 2023

How to help children with speech and language difficulties
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
How teachers can support children with speech and language challenges

Friday

13th Jan 2023

How immersive theatre helped boost reading for pleasure
After working with a theatre school, one primary established its own ‘immersive’ reading space, with great results, as Kate Parker finds
How immersive theatre helped us boost reading for pleasure

Tuesday

3rd Jan 2023

How to re-establish routines in January
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
Coffee

Monday

12th Dec 2022

How we made our nativity an immersive theatre experience
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
Christmas

Thursday

1st Dec 2022

Why has the number of struggling readers tripled?
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
Why has the number of struggling readers tripled?