MODULE SJIE 4006: PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING AND TEACHING


Discuss three specific strategies that support the delivery of effective teaching and learning in a classroom. Use academic literature and examples from your own setting to support your response.



This assignment will discuss a range of practical strategies that are used to support effective teaching and learning within the classroom environment. There are numerous strategies available to teaching staff, such as phonics programmes, active learn, rewards charts, guided reading, group work, 1:1 support, restorative practice and outdoor learning to name but a few. In its Foundation Phase Framework, the Welsh Government (2015, p.2) states that children should ‘enjoy the best possible physical and mental, social and emotional health’. For this assignment we will draw on three specific examples used within a primary school setting of approximately 500 pupils aged 3 to 11 years old, which we shall refer to as Setting A. The school identifies around 11% of its pupils as having additional learning needs, which is lower than the national average of 22%, and less than 20 pupils have a statement of special educational needs. 

One particular strategy which can be used to great effect is 1:1 support with an individual child, and small group support for those who are needing extra input. In Setting A, those children with additional learning needs (ALN) are allocated 1:1 time with a Teaching Assistant (TA) depending on their level of need. This could be to sit with a child within the classroom to go over instructions in a way that facilitates the child’s understanding of a task, to clarify certain key points, or to direct a child by scaffolding learning. This scaffolding is explained by Bruner (2004, cited in Graf & Birch, 2009, p.11) who suggests that an ‘interested adult can provide structures or connections that help the learner to persist and develop their understanding’. Time can also be spent helping a child to develop and recognise specific coping strategies to enable their own learning. 

This 1:1 intervention may also be necessary for those who have missed out on large chunks of their formative learning, and who will therefore find it hard to continue making progress until those gaps in knowledge have been plugged. In such cases individual work or small group work can be used to catch up e.g. Spotlight Maths uses various games to illustrate mathematical concepts. It is important that these sessions are a safe place for the child to feel like they can have a go and not be afraid to fail. This 1:1 support can also come in the form of additional reading time, speech and language development or the more pastoral role of listening to a child who is having difficulties. 1:1 and group support can vary enormously in both content, quality and delivery. Concern has been expressed that these sessions are led by TA’s who do not have the experience of the teacher, or often the training to carry out such a task for the most needy of pupils. Another concern is that in some schools 1:1 support is often carried out outside the classroom, so removing children from their peers. It is important to ensure that the child does not become distanced from his peers or that so called ‘velcro’ attachment to a particular TA occurs to the detriment of the child’s independence. In Setting A, records are kept of all 1:1 sessions and monitoring carried out in discrete ways such as book scrutinies and verbal feedback, to ensure that progress is being made in all areas. TA’s are placed in classrooms with the pupils to complete their work wherever practical. Perhaps training TA’s in 1:1 support in its many guises would be a productive and cost effective exercise to enhance a TA’s input and increase the quality of delivery.

Another strategy that is used in many settings are phonics packages to deliver literacy within the lower school when learning to read, write and spell. One such example is the Read Write Inc programme of phonics used in Setting A. This system ‘provides a structured and systematic approach to teaching literacy…. it is designed to create fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers’ (Miskin, 2017). From reception onwards a set of phonics are taught using a series of phonics cards. The cards are colourful, and each sound has a rhyme to enhance retention e.g. ‘ng’ thing on a string. Sounds are modelled by staff and then repeated aloud by the children in group sessions so that individuals don’t feel pressurised or singled out, and can also learn from their peers. Repetition of these sounds daily is required initially. When basic phonics work on set 1 sounds has been completed, the children are assessed and put into groups depending on their phonic knowledge rather than their age. They will then progress through the stages of the programme, learning the additional sounds of sets 2 and 3 as they go. Pupils are not rushed through the stages, but rather selected for a stage when their knowledge allows. This is often helpful for those who may be a little slower to grasp an idea than their peers. It is also an advantageous system for More Able and Talented children as progression is based on ability rather than age, and completion of the programme can therefore be speedy. Writing and spelling linked to sounds taught also occurs on a daily basis. Books which accompany the sessions are a mixture of fiction and non-fiction and have a broad appeal. Groups are small in number which increases teacher input for the individuals, and feedback of writing and spelling is instant so that mis-conceptions can be headed off early, and praise and encouragement delivered immediately, so that the child knows what they have done well. However, the programme is very expensive to buy in its entirety, and staffing levels are very high to deliver the programme. In Setting A, a total of 12 staff are needed to deliver this daily to KS1 classes, meaning that this responsibility falls to both TA’s and teachers. Training of teachers for competency in the programme is time consuming, but is essential if the terminology required and the rigid framework are to be adhered to. This rigid framework has its issues in that it can be very prescriptive and boring for some, and can be particularly difficult for those who have attention issues, as focus needs to be maintained throughout. Perhaps in these situations the groups need to be very small (approx 3-5 children) so that focus can be controlled more effectively. In Setting A, another issue was that parents were tending to say the phonic sounds incorrectly. This problem was overcome by implementing training session for parents, so that teachers and parents were teaching the same thing.

Another useful strategy to support learning is the involvement of physical activity or movement. Moyles (2007, p.120) suggests ‘daily physical activity in and beyond the classroom walls stimulates and invigorates the brain, enhances personal fitness and becomes part of a balanced and progressive programme for physical skill development’. Movement when incorporated into a lesson may therefore help with attention span and aid learning as ‘aerobic exercise can improve a number of aspects of cognition and performance’ (Hillman, 2017). Team sports or shared physical activities can also develop important socialisation skills as Moyles (2007, p.117) goes on to state ‘co-operation in physical activity can promote harmony and peaceful interaction between young people’ leading to a calmer classroom environment. Development of the physical skills of fine and gross motor functions are important for tasks such as handwriting and manipulatory activities, and exercise can also increase confidence and self-esteem. Physical activities must however be planned sensitively to involve all members of the class, accounting for physical disability or ALN, and be beyond reproach when considering safeguarding issues. In Setting A, there is anecdotal evidence which suggests that a daily afternoon walk around the playground as a whole class often refreshes the mind to facilitate learning, and yoga lessons are taught with great success within the classroom to promote calm and focus. Many parent’s of children in Setting A report their child's enthusiasm for this activity and have also implemented the strategy at home to aid behaviour.

In summary, there are many strategies which can be used to great effect, but all require that planning and preparation for classroom activities are done thoughtfully, and with the specific class children in mind, to ensure not only their academic outcomes are improved, but that the social and emotional needs of the child’s development are also met. As educators we must also ensure that the range of activities on offer is varied and differentiated to deliver a stimulating and inclusive education.