Improving The Primary School

How can teachers improve what they do in the primary classroom? Which teaching methods will help you and your pupils to perform effectively? These are the questions that every teacher will be asking him or herself in today's climate of targets and tables. Much research over recent years has focused on the role of the teacher and how effective classroom practice is achieved. The book discusses many areas of topical importance including: teaching methods motivating learners and matching work to children how to structure children's learning classroom control and organisation teaching literacy teaching children with special education needs working with parents. It also looks at the increasing role of the teacher as a researcher and how colloborative practices are providing a way for teaches to appraise both their own progress and that of their colleagues. This book should be of particular interest to the classroom teacher who is looking for ways to develop his or her teaching but has limited time to explore the research. It sets out to translate the findings of research into practical terms which teachers can easily use.

This book is a practical and informative guide on how to improve your primary school. It is aimed at those in leadership positions: headteachers, senior staff, advisors, inspectors and education officers. Aimed specifically at the primary school, this book: * links research to classroom practice for results * appeals to those in leadership roles * is concise, readable and of great practical use * provides the reader with information that can improve the individual school.

Using drama right across the curriculum to improve and invigorate teaching and learning, this book provides whole school and individual class approaches underpinned by sound theory and implemented in a real primary school. Explanations and examples are given in a clear and accessible style, and links are made to The National Strategy. The book illustrates a wide range of strategies that show how drama can help with: behavior inclusion and multicultural issues improving the whole school ethos involving parents and governors. This user-friendly and comprehensive text is the perfect support tool for teachers and managers ready to improve their school regardless of whether they're approaching drama for the first time or are already passionate about it.

One of the most important challenges teachers face is making sure children can read. It is an absolutely crucial skill, and current educational policy is giving it a very high priority. Based on one of the largest studies ever undertaken of what primary schools do to improve literacy, this book reports what Professor Ted Wragg and his research team found. The importance placed on literacy has never been greater. When children learn to read, they are laying the foundations for their entire educational future. Effective teachers can make a huge difference, as a poor start can hinder children throughout their schooling and beyond. By looking at what actually goes on in classrooms, this volume provides an invaluable insight into what happens to children and how their reading progresses. It shows how particular teachers manage the improvement of their pupils' reading levels, and also follows individual pupils through a school year. This is a very readbale account of a fascinating and crucial area of research that is highly topical. Every class teacher should read it.

This book is a practical and informative guide on how to improve your primary school. It is aimed at those in leadership positions: headteachers, senior staff, advisors, inspectors and education officers. Aimed specifically at the primary school, this book: * links research to classroom practice for results * appeals to those in leadership roles * is concise, readable and of great practical use * provides the reader with information that can improve the individual school.

This study presents policy options for improving the effectiveness of primary schools in developing countries. It examines problems common to most developing countries and presents an array of low-cost policy alternatives that have proved useful in a variety of settings.

Action research, explored in this book, is a seven-step process for improving teaching and learning in classrooms at all levels. Through practical examples, research tools, and easy-to-follow "implementation strategies," Richard Sagor guides readers through the process from start to finish. Learn how to uncover and use the data that already exist in your classrooms and schools to answer significant questions about your individual or collective concerns and interests. Sagor covers each step in the action research process in detail: selecting a focus, clarifying theories, identifying research questions, collecting data, analyzing data, reporting results, and taking informed action. Drawing from the experience of individual teachers, faculties, and school districts, Sagor describes how action research can enhance teachers' professional standing and efficacy while helping them succeed in settings characterized by increasingly diverse student populations and an emphasis on standards-based reform. The book also demonstrates how administrators and policymakers can use action research to bolster efforts related to accreditation, teacher supervision, and job-embedded staff development. Part how-to guide, part inspirational treatise, Guiding School Improvement with Action Research provides advice, information, and encouragement to anyone interested in reinventing schools as learning communities and restructuring teaching as the true profession it was meant to be.