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Over the past few years, ​differentiation' has become an increasingly unpopular term in teaching. Most likely, it was an unintended consequence of an accountability system that incentivised teachers to ​'prove' they were differentiating by generating multiple worksheets or by organising mini-lessons for different groups.

In a helpful document entitled, ​' Differentiation - Why and How?', NASEN capture some of the problems:

The possible danger behind this is that it may lead to a lowering of expectations, particularly when in-class groupings are permanent e.g. ​the bottom group' receives a different task to everyone else, regardless of the particular needs or aptitudes of the pupils in this area of learning. The provision of ​'unnecessarily elaborate' approaches is not considered to support the learning and progress for the majority of pupils; this means that, for example, the practice of providing three levels of task for every lesson, with different worksheets etc, would not be appropriate. [1]NASEN also remind us that there will still be pupils with SEND who need and benefit from different resources, teaching materials and strategies to access their learning.

Is it time for ​'adaptive teaching' to replace differentiation?

If ​'differentiation' comes with too much baggage, it may be timely to move forward with new terminology and ideas. The term ​'adaptive teaching', especially as set out in the Early Career Framework, resets our expectations about what it means to differentiate, and it offers a more helpful and practical model.

For a start, it is what you think it is: being responsive to information about learning, then adjusting teaching to better match pupil need. In that respect, it's a helpful term that does what it says on the tin. As with anything in education that sounds like common sense, though, we need to explore the nuance if we want to build a shared understanding of exactly what this looks like in the classroom.

The Early Career Framework is certainly a good starting point (I won't reproduce it in full here, but I recommend reading Standard 5). It breaks the term ​'adaptive teaching' into more concrete recommendations for teaching. For example:

Provide opportunity for all pupils to experience success by:

Adapting lessons, whilst maintaining high expectations for all, so that all pupils have the opportunity to meet expectations.

Balancing input of new content so that pupils master important concepts.

Making effective use of teaching assistants.

But even this requires further unpacking. The third bullet point alone is the topic of an entire EEF guidance report: ​'Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants'! And there are other questions we might ask about this section. How exactly do we adapt lessons? What sort of adaptations are we talking about? What is the right balance of new content to mastery of existing concepts?

How are schools and Trusts tackling ​'adaptive teaching'?

School leaders play a vital role in helping staff achieve precision around exactly what particular practices, like ​'adaptive teaching' involve in classrooms and across the school (their ​'active ingredients').

It isn't as simple as saying, ​'Here's what adaptive teaching means: now use it.' Instead, we have to build shared understanding over time. What does it mean in our context? What does it mean in maths or PE lessons? Clearly, adaptive teaching places a great emphasis on formative assessment, so are our assessments well designed to produce information that guides instruction?

In my trust - Education South West - we've tried to commit the time to developing exactly this kind of shared understanding. We've shared the evidence, drafted definitions, sought feedback on them and have taken steps to develop a model to help teachers think about adaptive teaching in more concrete terms.

See our shared resource on adaptive teaching here:

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‘differentiation’ has become an increasingly unpopular term in teaching. most likely

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it was an unintended consequence of an accountability system that incentivised teachers to ‘prove’ they were differentiating by generating multiple worksheets or by organising mini-lessons for different groups.  in a helpful document entitled

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nasen capture some of the problems: the possible danger behind this is that it may lead to a lowering of expectations

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particularly when in-class groupings are permanent e.g. 'the bottom group' receives a different task to everyone else

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regardless of the particular needs or aptitudes of the pupils in this area of learning. the provision of 'unnecessarily elaborate' approaches is not considered to support the learning and progress for the majority of pupils; this means that

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the practice of providing three levels of task for every lesson

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would not be appropriate. [1]   nasen also remind us that there will still be pupils with send who need and benefit from different resources

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teaching materials and strategies to access their learning.  is it time for ‘adaptive teaching’ to replace differentiation?  if ‘differentiation’ comes with too much baggage

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it may be timely to move forward with new terminology and ideas. the term ‘adaptive teaching’

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especially as set out in the early career framework

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resets our expectations about what it means to differentiate

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and it offers a more helpful and practical model.  for a start

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it is what you think it is: being responsive to information about learning

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then adjusting teaching to better match pupil need. in that respect

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it’s a helpful term that does what it says on the tin. as with anything in education that sounds like common sense

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we need to explore the nuance if we want to build a shared understanding of exactly what this looks like in the classroom.  the early career framework is certainly a good starting point (i won’t reproduce it in full here

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but i recommend reading standard 5). it breaks the term ‘adaptive teaching’ into more concrete recommendations for teaching. for example:  provide opportunity for all pupils to experience success by:  adapting lessons

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whilst maintaining high expectations for all

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so that all pupils have the opportunity to meet expectations. balancing input of new content so that pupils master important concepts. making effective use of teaching assistants.  but even this requires further unpacking. the third bullet point alone is the topic of an entire eef guidance report : ‘making best use of teaching assistants’! and there are other questions we might ask about this section. how exactly do we adapt lessons? what sort of adaptations are we talking about? what is the right balance of new content to mastery of existing concepts?  how are schools and trusts tackling ‘adaptive teaching’?  school leaders play a vital role in helping staff achieve precision around exactly what particular practices

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like ‘adaptive teaching’ involve in classrooms and across the school (their ‘active ingredients’).  it isn’t as simple as saying

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‘here’s what adaptive teaching means: now use it.’ instead

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we have to build shared understanding over time. what does it mean in our context? what does it mean in maths or pe lessons? clearly

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adaptive teaching places a great emphasis on formative assessment

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so are our assessments well designed to produce information that guides instruction?  in my trust – education south west – we’ve tried to commit the time to developing exactly this kind of shared understanding. we’ve shared the evidence

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sought feedback on them and have taken steps to develop a model to help teachers think about adaptive teaching in more concrete terms. see our shared resource on adaptive teaching here:      is this the final outcome? definitely not. the model presents a generic view of some elements of adaptive teaching. its primary purpose is to help teachers understand what adaptive teaching looks like

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EEF blog: Moving from 'differentiation' to 'adaptive teaching'

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What does adaptive teaching mean for Education South West?

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Assess, adjust, adapt – what does adaptive teaching mean to you?

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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However, as Alex Quigley's blog on this subject demonstrates, understanding just one individual pupil's prior knowledge and thinking is a complex process; doing this with entire classes or year groups can therefore be extremely challenging.

Due to the broad range of school experiences children and young people have had over the past year, it is likely that the variation between pupils' knowledge is more substantial than usual - a trend captured by the research summarised here. This has made decision-making around what and how to teach even more difficult

So, how do teachers - as the Early Career Framework states - adapt to pupils' needs ​'in a responsive way, including by providing targeted support to pupils who are struggling', whilst also ​'maintaining high expectations for all'?

Described by Black and Wiliam1 as an interpretation of a pupils' ​"contribution in terms of what it reveals about [their] thinking and motivation", diagnostic assessment is undoubtedly instrumental to effective adaptive teaching

It is of course possible to use diagnostic assessment ineffectively. By employing unsuitable tests to determine which pupils receive interventions or making unwarranted judgements on pupil understanding from limited questioning techniques, diagnostic processes could have negative impacts on pupils' opportunities and learning. For example, using a past SATS or GCSE paper to isolate pupil misconceptions is unlikely to provide the sort of information teachers need to make nuanced judgments about pupil understanding

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the early career framework (or ‘ecf’) is the evidence base which underpins a new entitlement to a structured 2-year package of high-quality professional development for early career teachers. it sets out what early career teachers should be entitled to learn about and learn how to do when entering the teaching profession. this blog from research and policy manager harry madgwick builds on the contents of the ecf to explore how assessment can help teachers adapt teaching to the needs of pupils.   in the last year

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we have acquired a wealth of new words related to health and medicine. words like ‘incubation’

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‘asymptomatic’ and ‘epidemiology’ have become commonplace in our everyday interactions. whilst we should be cautious about applying medical language to education

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some processes from health sciences can be helpful in the context of teaching

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for example ‘diagnoses’ and ‘prognoses’. put simply

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diagnosis involves the identification of a problem

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or in medical science – a disease. prognosis follows the diagnosis

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determining the most appropriate course of action for addressing the identified issue

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often with a prediction as to the outcome of the intended treatment   diagnosing pupil needs the diagnosis/prognosis paradigm sits at the heart of great teaching and underpins what most would recognise as formative assessment. ultimately

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to know how best to teach pupils we need some understanding of what they are bringing to the classroom: of how their prior knowledge might lead to pre- and misconceptions

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to what extent they are ready to encounter new information

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and whether they are motivated to learn and succeed (see our latest guidance report

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‘teacher feedback to improve pupil learning’). with this information

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altering the level of challenge and support with which tasks are set

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ensuring all pupils can acquire new knowledge and skills without being overwhelmed.     on adaptive teaching

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the early career framework states that:   pupils are likely to learn at different rates and to require different levels and types of support from teachers to succeed.  seeking to understand pupils’ differences

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including their different levels of prior knowledge and potential barriers to learning

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is an essential part of teaching.  adapting teaching in a responsive way

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including by providing targeted support to pupils who are struggling

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is likely to increase pupil success.     however

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as alex quigley’s blog on this subject demonstrates

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understanding just one individual pupil’s prior knowledge and thinking is a complex process; doing this with entire classes or year groups can therefore be extremely challenging. due to the broad range of school experiences children and young people have had over the past year

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it is likely that the variation between pupils’ knowledge is more substantial than usual – a trend captured by the research summarised here. this has made decision-making around what and how to teach even more difficult so

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how do teachers – as the early career framework states – adapt to pupils’ needs ‘in a responsive way

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including by providing targeted support to pupils who are struggling’

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whilst also ‘maintaining high expectations for all’? described by black and wiliam1 as an interpretation of a pupils’ “contribution in terms of what it reveals about [their] thinking and motivation”

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diagnostic assessment is undoubtedly instrumental to effective adaptive teaching it is of course possible to use diagnostic assessment ineffectively. by employing unsuitable tests to determine which pupils receive interventions or making unwarranted judgements on pupil understanding from limited questioning techniques

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diagnostic processes could have negative impacts on pupils’ opportunities and learning. for example

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using a past sats or gcse paper to isolate pupil misconceptions is unlikely to provide the sort of information teachers need to make nuanced judgments about pupil understanding     to adapt teaching to the needs of pupils

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EEF Blog: ECF - Exploring the Evidence: 'Adaptive Teaching' and...

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Full Package - SEND: Aim High, Plan Support

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(You can download this list as a PDF here: High-quality teaching for pupils with SEND)

It will be helpful to ask your SENCo for advice if you are unsure about particular SEND strategies linked to specific needs. Talk to teachers who have worked with certain pupils previously. Using these strategies to deploy teaching assistants to supplement what you do as the teacher, not simply replace your instruction, would be a best bet.

Nothing new here? Excellent... High-quality teaching for pupils with SEND is good teaching for all.

This phrase trips off the tongue but it is sometimes difficult to define how it looks in school. Every teacher must find what works in their classrooms, for their teaching and their pupils. Do teachers in your school have a repertoire they can draw on? Is training required to add in additional strategies?

Weaving in these specific approaches enables us to deftly adapt our teaching, bringing out strategies at appropriate times, well-matched to content and individual needs

Having a sharp, well-defined repertoire of approaches will help ensure high expectations for all are maintained, next steps are well-informed and pupils with SEND thrive

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how can schools best support learning for pupils with send in the unpredictable year ahead? that's the question our learning behaviours specialist

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kirsten mould - who also works at mary webb school and science college in shropshire as head of personalised learning/transition and senco - addresses here

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proposing five evidence-based strategies that can help...   pupils with special education needs and disabilities (send) are rightly at the forefront of our planning for the new academic year. refreshing our repertoire of high-quality teaching with colleagues is something i am thinking about as we plan for the full return of pupils at my school.  having a sharp

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well-defined repertoire of approaches will help ensure high expectations for all are maintained

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next steps are well-informed and pupils with send thrive.  the eef’s guidance report on special educational needs in mainstream schools aims to support schools in evaluating and developing their provision

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using the evidence base as a starting point to inform practice. knowing our pupils is an important thread within the evidence on improving behaviour

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but also in supporting pupils with send so

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how can we best adapt what we plan and do in the classroom? the eef evidence review underpinning this guidance report found strong evidence that high-quality teaching for pupils with send is firmly based on strategies that will already be in the repertoire of every mainstream teacher

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or can be relatively easily added to it the five strategies outlined here were identified as having relatively strong evidence for their effectiveness in supporting pupils with send:  1. scaffolding what is it? ‘scaffolding’ is a metaphor for temporary support that is removed when it is no longer required. initially

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a teacher would provide enough support so that pupils can successfully complete tasks that they could not do independently. this requires effective assessment to gain a precise understanding of the pupil’s current capabilities. examples:  support could be visual

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sentence starters can all be useful.  reminders of what equipment is needed for each lesson and classroom routines can be useful.  scaffolding discussion of texts: promoting prediction

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clarification and summarising  2. explicit instruction what is it? explicit instruction refers to a range of teacher-led approaches

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focused on teacher demonstration followed by guided practice and independent practice. explicit instruction is not just “teaching by telling” or “transmission teaching” one popular approach to explicit instruction is rosenshine’s ‘principles of instruction’. examples:  worked examples with the teacher modelling self-regulation and thought processes is helpful. a teacher might teach a pupil a strategy for summarising a paragraph by initially ‘thinking aloud’ while identifying the topic of the paragraph to model this process to the pupil. they would then give the pupil the opportunity to practise this skill. using visual aids and concrete examples promotes discussion and links in learning.  3. cognitive and metacognitive strategies what is it? cognitive strategies are skills like memorisation techniques or subject specific strategies like methods to solve problems in maths. metacognitive strategies help pupils plan

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monitor and evaluate their learning examples:  chunking the task will support pupils with send - this may be through provision of checklists

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instructions on a whiteboard or providing one question at a time. this helps reduce distractions to avoid overloading working memory.  prompt sheets that help pupils to evaluate their progress

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with ideas for further support.  4. flexible grouping what is it? flexible grouping describes when pupils are allocated to smaller groups based on the individual needs that they currently share with other pupils. such groups can be formed for an explicit purpose and disbanded when that purpose is met examples:  allocating temporar

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EEF Blog: Five evidence-based strategies to support high-quality...

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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EEF blog: ‘Five-a-day’ to improve SEND outcomes

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The EEF’s SEND Specialist Gary Aubin explores how teachers can support pupils with SEND in their daily practice.

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Ofsted have released research reviews into the curriculum for most, but not all, of the subjects from the National Curriculum. My summaries of each of these reports can be found by clicking here.

Click here to find all of the Ofsted Subject Research Reviews.

This summary is based on all of my notes which relate to SEND provision in different subjects of the curriculum. This has not been released as a separate document by Ofsted and is purely based on my own notes from each of the reports. This summary might be useful for curriculum leaders and SENDCos, staff supporting learners across the curriculum, as well as primary teachers and others who teach more than one subject.

(There was very little mention in the review so this subject does not feature in this post)

Below you will find the general points for SEND provision as well as notes for each individual subject.

If you would like to support the work I do at the same time as downloading a high-quality PDF version of the visual summary, please visit my Gumroad page by clicking here. (I've included an additional PDF of the written notes and editable Microsoft Word version as a thank you for your support 🙏).

🌟 Common Findings from Across The Research Reviews

· All research reviews assert the point that every curriculum should be ambitious for all pupils. Teachers should have high expectations that SEND pupils can achieve in each curriculum area.

· There is a general theme that the content of the curriculum should in no way be unnecessarily diluted or held back from SEND learners.

· Instead, the subject curricula should organise knowledge in a sequential way which increases all pupils' ability to make sense and learn the content. This knowledge should be delivered in suitable size 'chunks' (components) which do not overload working memory.

· In addition, the pedagogy of the subject makes a difference. Teachers should choose methods of instructions which ensure pupils can pay attention to the curriculum object and not be held back by unnecessarily-elaborate task design.

· Fundamentally, individual knowledge of SEND learners plays a huge role in how the curriculum can be adapted so that they are not disadvantaged.

· The reviews suggest that differentiation of curriculum outcomes would only be appropriate for children with more complex needs.

· It is not appropriate to adopt a single approach to SEND in the art classroom.

· It is important that the curriculum be ambitious for all pupils.

· The specified end points of the national curriculum apply to all children; pupils with the most complex needs might require that the curricular goals be adapted for them.

· Pupils with SEND generally do not benefi t from differentiated teaching, activities, or resources to achieve a curriculum goal.

· Targeted teaching is different to differentiation: it can enable teachers to break down or reinforce aspects of the curriculum. This might mean that some pupils practise different components of the curriculum when studying the same content areas.

· Theories of cognitive load are important for teachers to consider when working with pupils with SEND. Cognitive overload inhibits pupils' ability to retain knowledge and develop schemas. Isolating the important aspects of a piece of work is a useful way for teachers to structure learning.

· Expectations for pupils with SEND should not be unnecessarily lowered. When introducing pupils to the work of artists, it can be useful to start with identifiable subject matter so that pupils have more chance of making sense of the artwork. This means that SEND pupils are being enabled to study the same artists as their peers.

· Teachers should think carefully about which teaching approaches and activities are both subject-specific and will enable all pupils - including pupils with SEND - to learn and to remember what they have been taught in the long term.

· Leaders might consider including the study of artists who might be considered 'disabled' so that pupils have a range of positive role models.

· The general principles for effective teaching are just as relevant for pupils with SEND.

· Pupils with SEND generally do not benefit from differentiated teaching, activities or resources to achieve a curriculum goal.

· Differentiation is not the same as targeted teaching, such as repetition of phonic knowledge.

· Teachers should use a phonics approach to address gaps in phonic knowledge. It is not necessarily helpful to attribute gaps to dyslexia. Pupils with SEND are very likely to need much more frequent repetition as they learn GPCs.

· It is rarely necessary to make changes to the curriculum for pupils with SEND; it is sometimes necessary to modify approaches.

· There is a need for all pupils to share the same curriculum, and same level of ambition and expectation for geographical knowledge. (Except for the most complex learning needs)

· Pupils' specific needs dictate the modifications required e.g. well-spaced print benefits dyslexic pupils.

· Designing lessons which 'chunks' components of knowledge into small steps supports those pupils who find learning more difficult.

· It is important to brief TAs about the content they may be supporting pupils with.

Research on pupils with SEND and history education is lacking.

Knowledge of individual needs should determine how the curriculum is adapted (if at all) and how pupils are supported to achieve.

All pupils are entitled to a broad history curriculum.

Adaptations for pupils with complex learning needs may be appropriate in some cases. However, the adaptations should be in how the subject is taught rather than the content the children are expected to learn. This is because background (hinterland) and contextual knowledge is so important when learning history. To not be taught content can limit children's access to the curriculum.

It is likely that the most effective support will combine supporting pupils to pay extra attention to the core learning, whilst ensuring that pupils learn history through rich contexts and meaningful examples.

· Participation in languages education by SEND learners after KS3 is low.

· There can be low expectations of pupils with SEND and their potential to learn languages.

· Explicit instruction is a highly effective way of teaching disadvantaged children and those with SEND.

· SEND pupils also benefit hugely from systematic rehearsal of declarative (know that...) and procedural knowledge (know how...).

· ASD children can benefit by using any propensity for memorisation to memorise core facts and methods so that they can dedicate more thinking time to learning problem-solving strategies

· Explicit, systematic instruction and rehearsal increase the chances of success for SEND learners.

· Explicit instruction is a highly effective way of teaching disadvantaged children and those with SEND. These children also benefit hugely from systematic rehearsal of declarative and procedural knowledge.

· ASD children can benefit by using any propensity for memorisation to memorise core facts and methods so that they can dedicate more thinking time to learning problem-solving strategies

· Scaffolding is essential but should be carefully considered so that children do not become dependent on them.

· Manipulatives should be used to reveal useful information rather than be used as an external memory device. Using resources is more valuable when relationships are focused upon. Don't forget to plan for how children will stop using manipulatives.

· Manipulatives can also be a distraction and do not always ensure that a pupil will understand the concept they aim to represent.

· The most useful resources for early methods are those associated with efficiency, accuracy and simplicity. There are also some equipment, such as a sorobon, which can inherently support the acquisition of key facts as well as displaying the connections that lead to stronger recall and understanding e.g. bridging through five or ten.

There are some general principles which are particularly important for SEND learners. Namely, these are:

· cognitive load theory

· explicit teaching of curriculum 'components'

· clarity of instruction.

· There is no one-size-fits-all approach; however, when barriers are identified and overcome, pupils' potential can be achieved. High expectations for all pupils are therefore so important.

· Research suggests the following strategies are important to consider for SEND learners:

· reducing the burden on working memory

· using appropriately supportive routines

· using a combination of learning modes which enhance clarity or accessibility

· the adaption of materials to ensure good challenge which is achievable.

PE Curriculum Design - Considerations for SEND learners

· Schools should understand SEND pupils' individual needs rather than treating them as a homogenous group. The curriculum should be ambitious for all pupils and should not limit what SEND pupils can achieve.

· Inclusion should always be planned for and aspirations for SEND pupils should always be high: it might be better to make adaptations to the main activity, rather than plan for fully adapted practice.

· SEND learners benefit from plentiful opportunity for practice, especially during their early years. Intervention at this point can reduce barriers in later years.

· The report suggests that there are gaps in teachers' subject and pedagogical content knowledge for SEND-specific pedagogy.

· Some lessons will require adaptations to be made to ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum alongside their peers.

· There are many types of adaptations that could be made, depending on the specific needs of the pupils with SEND. This might be the colour, size or shape of a ball, or allowing additional time to complete a movement or response.

· Discussing adaptions with pupils can help teachers make appropriate adaptations.

· Pre-teaching of instructions and vocabulary might also be effective for some pupils with SEND.

· Teachers might need to make adaptations to assessment methods to make them appropriate for pupils with SEND - importantly, these methods should not limit what pupils with SEND can achieve.

· RE curricula should be designed to give all learners - especially the most disadvantaged and those with SEND - the knowledge they need to succeed in life. RE makes a significant contribution to the overall knowledge pupils will need in life.

· It is best to remove unnecessary barriers to learning - such as overly-elaborate task design - so that SEND learners, who may find it hard to focus on the curriculum objects of the lesson, are more likely to succeed.

· When knowledge is broken down into key components and organised sequentially, this can help all learners to succeed.

· Working memory limitations correlate strongly with pupils' performance in science.

If you would like to support the work I do at the same time as downloading a high-quality PDF version of the visual summary, please visit my Gumroad page by clicking here. (I've included an additional PDF of the written notes and editable Microsoft Word version as a thank you for your support 🙏).

If not, click the box below to download a PDF of the visual summary.

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SEND and Ofsted Research Reviews: Insights for Leaders, SENDCos and TeachersSEND and Ofsted Research Reviews: Insights for Leaders, SENDCos and Teachers

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Insights into ensuring curriculum effectiveness for SEND learners taken from the Ofsted subject research reviews, aimed at curriculum leaders, SENDCos and all involved with SEND learners.

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The ' Frayer model ' is a long-standing graphic organiser that has been deployed in classrooms with success for decades (it was first conceived Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin). It is a simple but effective model to help students to organise their understanding of a new academic term or complex vocabulary choice.

The traditional model is as follows:

I have been using the 'Frayer model' for around two years now in my English lessons. It has proven a useful model to help me explicitly focus my teaching of important literary terms in English. Last year, I undertook a 'disciplined inquiry' on my practice to explore if it proved an effective way to teach complex vocabulary in the GCSE poetry I was teaching.

I decided to adapt the typical 'Frayer Model' to make it more appropriate to literature study (the flexibility and simplicity of this graphic organiser is why it proves so useable). Here, a student selects the word "chartered" from William Blake's poem, ' London', using our adapted headings:

Here is an extract from the resultant close analysis of the poem, revealing the student's use of their 'Frayer model' (with some peer feedback):

Does the 'Frayer model' alone transform understanding of words? Well, no - not really. Still, I found it a quick and handy strategy to explicitly closely analyse important vocabulary choices in English. In subsequent questionnaire feedback, numerous students commented that the model was helpful in getting them to recognise the most important 'keystone' words and ideas to analyse.

The 'Frayer Model' in Science

Over the last year at Huntington school we have had a focus on help our students access the more challenging reading and academic vocabulary demands of the new curriculum. We have focused on some generic strategies, like the 'Frayer model' and similar graphic organisers, but crucially, these have been applied in our secondary school subject disciplines.

Alister Talbot, one of our Science teachers, has been inquiring about using the 'Frayer model' as tool in his Key Stage 3 Science lessons:

"I've been using the 'Frayer model' in my year 8 science lessons to explore key lesson vocabulary in more detail. I've used it to baseline my students - asking them what they already know about the word and where they have used it previously (science setting or non-science setting). We've then moved onto exploring in the word in a bit more detail - looking at the etymology of the word and also the morphology.

For example, the key word 'sub-atomic' we explored what 'sub' meant and other words which contain 'sub'. After exploring the word more, I have used the 'Frayer model' to get the students to write some definitive notes on the word - either the key definition or a diagram relating to the specification. Finally, I've encouraged students to use the word - either in using the key word in response to an exam question/writing their own explanation of a concept using the key word.

My year 8 students seem to have very much enjoyed using the Frayer model - they have especially enjoyed discussing where they have come across the word previously and the variety of out-of-classroom-contexts which they have come up with have been great. They students also enjoy learning about the morphology and etymology of the word - although this does take time during the lessons and in the great scheme of preparing for exam I (indeed, some of my students have questioned this). Of particular interest has been observing how pupils have used the word after being taught the content of the lesson and how they have answered exam questions - many have written explanations with a real grasp of the true meaning of the word, not just a superficial overview."

You can see an example from Alister's teaching here:

You can see that Alister (and his students!) ask valid questions about the 'why' and 'when' of using the 'Frayer model', not just 'what is it?' On a subject level, these type of questions are exactly what we should be asking. Some researchers have critiqued the time-intensive nature of the approach. We should of course explain our methods to our students too when possible. As academic literacy proves such a challenge for our students in Science, perhaps without them realising it, it is important to question how we best communicate the essential language of our subject domains.

In keeping with the flexibility of the 'Frayer model' across the curriculum, research has been undertaken on the effectiveness of the Frayer model for mathematics teaching, as well as a general strategy for acquiring and deepening vocabulary knowledge. It can be used by teachers to explicitly teach key vocabulary, prove a prompt for discussion, or used by students to record their word knowledge with greater depth than is typical.

The 'Frayer model' is now firmly lodged into my teacher toolkit. And that isn't just because 'Frayer' is a homophone reminder of my lovely daughter 'Freya'!

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Vocabulary Knowledge and the 'Frayer Model'

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The ' Frayer model ' is a long-standing graphic organiser that has been deployed in classrooms with success for decades (it was first conceived Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin). It is a simple but effective model to help students to organise their understanding of a new academic term or complex vocabulary choice.

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High quality teaching: The 'five-a- day' principle