Raising Achievement Pocketbook

The drive in schools to ensure that all students reach their potential is fuelled by a wealth of data for tracking progress and revealing which groups and individuals are underachieving. The challenge for teachers is to find strategies that 'close the gap', allowing every pupil the best possible chance of success. With characteristic energy, Caroline Bentley-Davies shows how to strengthen learning and engagement, so boosting progress and attainment. After dispelling some commonly held beliefs about raising achievement, Caroline describes a 'climate for achievement'. Drawing on education research on feedback, metacognition and motivation, she brings theory to life with examples and case studies. Her section on exams and revision cleverly applies the theory of marginal gains and elsewhere she highlights the role of parents and peers and stresses the importance of great CPD. A thought-provoking read that could raise your game and improve student outcomes.

This third edition of the Head of Department's Pocketbook will support middle leaders in both primary and secondary schools in carrying out their jobs confidently and efficiently. Authors Brin Best and Will Thomas know from experience that managing diverse teams in a climate of inflated performance expectations is no easy task. They devote a section of the Pocketbook to leadership and management, encompassing vision, goals and creativity, as well as challenging adult behaviours, up-skilling, influencing and motivating colleagues. A later chapter called 'Raising Student Achievement' looks at excellence in the classroom and includes material on enriching and supporting learning, data use and lesson planning. Effective documentation and raising the profile of your department or curriculum area are also explored. Whether you're new to middle leadership or a seasoned hand, you'll find the self-evaluation checklist at the end of the book a useful professional development tool.

During her work as a teacher trainer and revision expert, Caroline Bentley-Davies noticed that educators are clamouring for guidance on how to help their students remember the content covered in their lessons. In this book, Caroline answers that call by identifying the teaching techniques that contribute most effectively to long-term learning. She then sets out how to deliver content in such a way that it stays in pupils' memories for longer and leads to greater independence and better exam performance. Underpinned by a blend of research and theory, the tried-and-tested approaches are closely tied to classroom realities that will be familiar to all teachers. She delves into the role of planning as an important foundation for achieving long-term retention and improved recall on the part of students, and also shares guidance on how to secure maximum participation - so that there are no passengers sitting on the sidelines of the lesson. Caroline also shares a toolkit of 50 engaging, tried-and-tested strategies designed to help teachers ensure that their students remember what they teach them - and, throughout the book, she provides thinking points and actions to encourage teachers' reflections upon their own classroom practice. Suitable for all teachers and senior leaders looking to improve their pupils' learning and attainment.

Are you an inchworm or a grasshopper? These are the descriptive terms applied by Professor Steve Chinn and colleagues to two distinct maths learning styles. While grasshoppers get the bigger picture and have a real facility with number, inchworms understand a great deal less. They follow mathematical procedures mechanically without understanding number and without the capacity to be flexible, creative or to check their work. Not all inchworms are dyscalculic, but all dyscalculics are inchworms. In the Dyscalculia Pocketbook you will find out exactly what dyscalculia is (and why it's not the same as maths anxiety); discover the possible causes of dyscalculia, its different subtypes and the learning difficulties it gives rise to; learn about different ways to identify dyscalculia and - importantly - find support strategies for supporting children who have this specific learning difficulty. Author Judy Hornigold nicely balances research, theory and practice. She reminds us about the three components of a mathematical idea and the six levels of knowledge but the Pocketbook is full of classroom examples and applications, recommended resources ( and how to use them), teaching ideas, tips, and games that will support and develop the maths ability of dyscalculic learners

Whether you're teaching novice writers, older children or adults, you'll benefit from Julie Bennett's enthusiasm and expertise. She presents handwriting as both an art and a science. Either way, it can be mastered. Julie covers all bases: teaching, improving and troubleshooting handwriting. Starting with the basics - seating, posture, paper and writing implements - she then fixes the goalposts with a handwriting checklist. This is the reference point for remedying a range of common problems (e.g. uneven spacing between words and letters or inconsistent slope and slant) using Julie's multi-sensory 'Key Notes' method. A chapter on teaching beginner writers moves through the stages of writing from pre-literate to fluency, and a section on solving handwriting problems (e.g. for left-handers or those with dysgraphia or arthritis) is followed by a treasure trove of resources: schemes, aids, software, websites and books. Sign up for your copies now!

'The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled' (Plutarch). The trouble is that, as much as we believe those words, we're sometimes under such pressure to 'deliver' that we're tricked into the spoon-feeding shortcut. We then become trapped, with our pupils, in an unhealthy cycle where we do more and more of the work and they rely on us more and more heavily. The Independent Learning Pocketbook is about breaking that cycle and creating ambitious learners who are self-regulated, self-motivated, resourceful and resilient - learners with clear goals and direction and who use their initiative to achieve success. Peter Anstee draws on a variety of research, as well as first-hand classroom experience and observation, in this clear-sighted look at how to inspire and nurture the people you teach to become lifelong learners.

All children are challenging to some extent, but some are more challenging than others. Students with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) can be tough to support and teach. This pocketbook helps you to do just that. It focuses on three particular behaviour disorders: ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), CD (Conduct Disorder) and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Fintan O'Regan, an internationally renowned expert on ADHD, explains why some children are prone to developing a can't learn, won't learn or don't care attitude. He devotes individual chapters to each behaviour pattern and uses Vicki, Liam and Darren to illustrate typical characteristics. Practical classroom strategies include lesson scenarios, with example dialogues showing how different teacher responses can lead to different outcomes. Whether you're looking for explanations, tips, ideas, or strategies (or maybe just reassurance and support) this book fits the bill.