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Thinking skills - getting advice (adjustments) KS1

  • Provide clear, direct instruction, cueing and positive reinforcement of key skills (e.g. good listening, putting hand up, waiting etc.)

  • Use spaced learning (content/topics which are taught and revisited at spaced intervals) at a whole-class level.

  • Organise and structure classroom talk and dialogue, including active listening and the use of learning partners, and opportunities for constructive conversations through collaborative earning (e.g. Kagan Groups).

  • Provide whole-class input using visual, kinaesthetic and auditory cues to support attention memory and listening. Incorporate regular movement / reset breaks.

  • Use visual organisation strategies at a whole-class level (e.g., timetables, planners, knowledge organisers, task plans, self-evaluation tools).

  • Reduce load on working memory –break instructions down into chunks, offer repetition and visual cues. Use whole-class initiatives which also improve memory and recall skills (e.g., Talk for Writing).

  • Provide examples of the expected outcome of a task ('What A Good One Looks Like' [WAGOLL]), displayed on working walls.

  • Use multi-sensory learning approaches and access to tangible resources across the curriculum (e.g., cubes, counters, number lines, spelling, or word mats).

  • Employ strategies at a whole class level to encourage children’s metacognition and self-regulation(i.e., the ability to monitor, direct and review their own learning, through explicitly thinking about their own learning, setting goals, and evaluating progress) and support executive function skills (these are a set of skills and mental processes that develop throughout childhood and adolescence, which support children to self-regulate, initiate, attend to, and persevere with activities successfully).

This can be through explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies, following the seven-step model (please use this link to access the Education Endowment Foundation’s guide on metacognition and self-regulated learning). The seven-step model involves:

  1. Activating prior knowledge;
  2. Explicit strategy instruction;
  3. Modelling of learned strategy;
  4. Memorisation of strategy;
  5. Guided practice;
  6. Independent practice;
  7. Structured reflection.

Teachers/ adults model own thinking and understanding at a whole-class level (e.g., modelling self-talk when preparing for a task, making mistakes, and monitoring own levels of reading comprehension).

Provide sensitive levels of challenge and mediation based on the child's needs, encouraging independence where possible.