New for 2016! Featured Author: Naomi...
I am pleased to present Naomi, who recently approached KeyStage2Literacy with a request to post her own ideas on the site and I could not be happier to share her first few articles- hopefully the first of many. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that there are other people out there who are enthusiastic and passionate about education and ways in which to make learning fun and interesting for them. I look forward to publishing more of Naomi's work this year.
Article #2: Six Key Areas That The New Education Minister Must Tackle
The pupils of today are the pioneers of tomorrow. That’s why the education system matters so much to the UK’s economic outlook. We need our schools, colleges and universities to be a breeding ground for dynamic, talented and forward thinking individuals who can drive forward innovations across every industry.
No pressure, then, on incoming education secretary Justine Greening. She just needs to deliver on all of that. Having been appointed by new Prime Minister Theresa May, what does she need to do to succeed? Here are six key issues that Justine Greening will need to address…
Recruitment
The TES puts recruitment as the ‘most pressing issue’ for the incoming education secretary. Without enough teachers, any plans to improve the nation’s education will come unstuck. The Government has missed its own recruitment targets for the last few years now and, while it would argue that it is getting more people into the profession, more needs to be done to fill teacher and teaching assistant jobs.
Primary assessment
It’s fair to say that last year’s primary school assessments were a bit of an embarrassment. With test papers leaked in key stage one and children left in tears because the key stage two test was too tough, there is more than a little room for improvement. Ms Greening will need to ensure that her department, like the children, learns a few lessons and improves. A better run primary assessment can get the next generation of children off to the right start.
Funding
Schools up and down the country are feeling the pinch at the moment – with many facing a real terms cut to their budget. Ms Greening has already bought herself a little breathing space by delaying the announcement of a new national funding formula, but that in itself will be a very tricky decision to get right in the coming months. In higher education, the Government will also need to be wary of the impact of increasing tuition fees, with some universities now taking the chance to charge more than £9,000 for the first time.
Research
The new Government will have to get to grips with what Brexit means in practice, for the country. That matters for education too, with universities in particular keen to secure their fair share of the European research funding pot. York University vice-chancellor Koen Lamberts recently raised concerns about losing both money and influence on the continent, with a knock-on effect in areas such as science.
Academies
Nicky Morgan, Ms Greening’s predecessor, might have rowed back a little from plans to force all schools to become academies but the Government still wants to see more schools make the transition. The new education secretary could do with clarifying this stance so that everyone is clear on the future of the schooling system.
Reputation
There are a few bridges that need building by Ms Greening. Outsiders would be forgiven for thinking that the teaching profession and academia are constantly in conflict with the Government, which isn’t a good starting point to help deliver the best possible results for children.
She’ll need to work hard to stave off the threat of strike action and ‘take the profession with her’ with any changes that are delivered. Better relations here might boost the standing of the teaching profession and help with issues such as recruitment.
No pressure, then, on incoming education secretary Justine Greening. She just needs to deliver on all of that. Having been appointed by new Prime Minister Theresa May, what does she need to do to succeed? Here are six key issues that Justine Greening will need to address…
Recruitment
The TES puts recruitment as the ‘most pressing issue’ for the incoming education secretary. Without enough teachers, any plans to improve the nation’s education will come unstuck. The Government has missed its own recruitment targets for the last few years now and, while it would argue that it is getting more people into the profession, more needs to be done to fill teacher and teaching assistant jobs.
Primary assessment
It’s fair to say that last year’s primary school assessments were a bit of an embarrassment. With test papers leaked in key stage one and children left in tears because the key stage two test was too tough, there is more than a little room for improvement. Ms Greening will need to ensure that her department, like the children, learns a few lessons and improves. A better run primary assessment can get the next generation of children off to the right start.
Funding
Schools up and down the country are feeling the pinch at the moment – with many facing a real terms cut to their budget. Ms Greening has already bought herself a little breathing space by delaying the announcement of a new national funding formula, but that in itself will be a very tricky decision to get right in the coming months. In higher education, the Government will also need to be wary of the impact of increasing tuition fees, with some universities now taking the chance to charge more than £9,000 for the first time.
Research
The new Government will have to get to grips with what Brexit means in practice, for the country. That matters for education too, with universities in particular keen to secure their fair share of the European research funding pot. York University vice-chancellor Koen Lamberts recently raised concerns about losing both money and influence on the continent, with a knock-on effect in areas such as science.
Academies
Nicky Morgan, Ms Greening’s predecessor, might have rowed back a little from plans to force all schools to become academies but the Government still wants to see more schools make the transition. The new education secretary could do with clarifying this stance so that everyone is clear on the future of the schooling system.
Reputation
There are a few bridges that need building by Ms Greening. Outsiders would be forgiven for thinking that the teaching profession and academia are constantly in conflict with the Government, which isn’t a good starting point to help deliver the best possible results for children.
She’ll need to work hard to stave off the threat of strike action and ‘take the profession with her’ with any changes that are delivered. Better relations here might boost the standing of the teaching profession and help with issues such as recruitment.
Article #1: How To Teach Spelling With Sticky Notes
If there’s one thing many of us struggle with as children (and as adults), it’s spelling. For some it comes naturally, but for others, it’s a case of trial and tribulation as we trip over the formation of letters and the bizarre rules (and exceptions to the rules) that the English language is crammed with.
So, how can we make learning to spell a little bit easier? Well, one thing that we can do is to make a game of it using stationery. Yes, really – here’s how to teach spelling with sticky notes.
First, begin by telling the students the rule you’ll be focussing on. For instance, if you’re teaching spellings of nouns ending in ‘y’ where it’s necessary to change the ‘y’ for an ‘i’ and add ‘es’ to make it plural (for example, changing ‘party’ into ‘parties), recap the rule first. Ensure that everyone has a grasp of the rule, as you’ll shortly be asking them to spend some time thinking without your guidance.
Then, divide the students into pairs or threes. Give them approximately ten minutes to come up with as many words as they can that follow this rule, keeping in mind that you’ll need to make this challenge age-appropriate. Expect the quantity and quality of words to be within a particular range depending on the developmental stage of the children you’re teaching, and take care when grouping children to ensure that there’s a good balance of ability within each team.
It’s also a good idea to incentivise children at this point. For instance, award house points (or a similar reward system) to encourage children to think of the most interesting or unusual words they can. This brings about an additional learning benefit whereby a strong knowledge of words learnt from reading can be rewarded and encouraged further.
Then, once the ten minutes is up, ask each pair or group to choose the most interesting or unusual word they have found. They’ll need to be prepared to explain its meaning to the rest of the class. Then (and this is where the sticky notes come in), ask them to write the word, spelling it correctly, on a sticky note. (If you need to buy sticky notes to ensure that every child has an adequate amount in their groupings, check out stationery suppliers such as GLS).
Once the word has been written on the sticky note, ask the class to check the accuracy of the spelling, correcting it if necessary (and explaining what was incorrect to begin with). Similarly, ask the class to confirm that the word fits with the studied spelling rule (so for this particular lesson, words such as ‘balcony’ and ‘adversary’ would be excellent examples from children of early key stage two level).
Then, stick the sticky note on the wall within a special feature display titled ‘We Love Spelling!’. Doing so will encourage enthusiasm for the game, make children feel that their effort is appreciated, and will also keep spelling rules fresh in their minds.
If the class is struggling to follow the rule or spell the word correctly with its proper ending, use sticky notes to write the front half of the word, and on a separate sticky note, write the back half of the word. ‘Swap’ the endings (i.e. remove and replace the sticky notes) so that children can see how a noun is spelt when it’s singular, compared to how it’s spelt in its plural form. Encourage them to join in with this activity, challenging them to show you how the word should be spelt if it’s a single noun or a plural noun.
So, how can we make learning to spell a little bit easier? Well, one thing that we can do is to make a game of it using stationery. Yes, really – here’s how to teach spelling with sticky notes.
First, begin by telling the students the rule you’ll be focussing on. For instance, if you’re teaching spellings of nouns ending in ‘y’ where it’s necessary to change the ‘y’ for an ‘i’ and add ‘es’ to make it plural (for example, changing ‘party’ into ‘parties), recap the rule first. Ensure that everyone has a grasp of the rule, as you’ll shortly be asking them to spend some time thinking without your guidance.
Then, divide the students into pairs or threes. Give them approximately ten minutes to come up with as many words as they can that follow this rule, keeping in mind that you’ll need to make this challenge age-appropriate. Expect the quantity and quality of words to be within a particular range depending on the developmental stage of the children you’re teaching, and take care when grouping children to ensure that there’s a good balance of ability within each team.
It’s also a good idea to incentivise children at this point. For instance, award house points (or a similar reward system) to encourage children to think of the most interesting or unusual words they can. This brings about an additional learning benefit whereby a strong knowledge of words learnt from reading can be rewarded and encouraged further.
Then, once the ten minutes is up, ask each pair or group to choose the most interesting or unusual word they have found. They’ll need to be prepared to explain its meaning to the rest of the class. Then (and this is where the sticky notes come in), ask them to write the word, spelling it correctly, on a sticky note. (If you need to buy sticky notes to ensure that every child has an adequate amount in their groupings, check out stationery suppliers such as GLS).
Once the word has been written on the sticky note, ask the class to check the accuracy of the spelling, correcting it if necessary (and explaining what was incorrect to begin with). Similarly, ask the class to confirm that the word fits with the studied spelling rule (so for this particular lesson, words such as ‘balcony’ and ‘adversary’ would be excellent examples from children of early key stage two level).
Then, stick the sticky note on the wall within a special feature display titled ‘We Love Spelling!’. Doing so will encourage enthusiasm for the game, make children feel that their effort is appreciated, and will also keep spelling rules fresh in their minds.
If the class is struggling to follow the rule or spell the word correctly with its proper ending, use sticky notes to write the front half of the word, and on a separate sticky note, write the back half of the word. ‘Swap’ the endings (i.e. remove and replace the sticky notes) so that children can see how a noun is spelt when it’s singular, compared to how it’s spelt in its plural form. Encourage them to join in with this activity, challenging them to show you how the word should be spelt if it’s a single noun or a plural noun.