Improving outcomes for our Low Ability Attainers

1. To reflect on the learning experiences of our Low Attainers2. To explore strategies and approaches to improve learning and

progress for our Low Attainers3. To identify key literacy skills needed for success in each subject4. To evaluate and amend a scheme of work to reflect our morning

learning

going over things a million times because it

makes it stick in your head

knowing there will be consequences if you

don't work - LOLOs are used

the support from the CALS

having a choice of ways to present our work

having tasks broken down into chunks

doing different activities in the

same lesson

using white boards so we all feel we can

contribute without feeling intimidated

clear LOs - knowing what you need to do to make

progress

games and the element of

competition

different sheets with different levels of help

and challenge

peer and self assessment so you know what you're supposed to

do to improve

What helps us learn best …. By 11N6

What can we do to make the learning for these students more effective?

1. Concentrate in the key concepts and ideas

2. Pay attention to the Big Picture and show how ideas fit together

3. Pay attention to developing the key skills of literacy and numeracy every lesson

4. Ensure the curriculum relates to the life experiences of the students

5. Use a high proportion of interactive teaching in all lessons, including:– Clear presentations and demonstrations– Modelling– Questioning– Appropriate challenge

6. Use assessment for learning to help student to understand what they are aiming for and what a high quality response looks like

7. Use the structured approach to lesson design, planning lessons as a series of episodes. Low Ability students benefit from having lots of starters and plenaries that review their learning at regular intervals within each lesson

The big concepts

Students who are lower attaining find the jump from using concrete examples to the abstract difficult. They need help in order to make this jump.

Learning sequences that use small steps while still allowing students to see the big picture have been found to be very effective.

What are the Big Concepts in your subject?

The big concepts

• These ‘big ideas’ need to be shared with students.

• Concept map.

• Linking ideas together

Literacy

The following characteristics are typical of lower-attaining students:

– reluctance to write – and ploys for avoiding writing tasks;– poor handwriting to disguise weak spelling;– difficulties in understanding the language of written instructions and

questions;– problems with reading non-fiction texts, and with inference and

deduction;– inability to adapt writing styles to different audiences and purposes.

However, it is important to remember that not all students will have all these characteristics, and many will have some strengths, particularly in expressing ideas orally and through drama activities.

Word level

• There are a number of techniques that can be used to promote a more active use of key words. All of the following ideas can be used as starter or plenary activities.

1. Write the words on pieces of card. Each lesson, select the three most relevant words for that lesson and move them from the ‘word bank’ to be displayed next to the board or in some other prominent place in the classroom. Indicate to the class whenever the word is used in the context of the lesson.

2. When using a worksheet or help sheet, always highlight the selected key words in bold and reinforce their use in the text.

5. Give students personal workbooks in which they record new key words when they encounter them. The workbooks can then be used for practice.

4. Ask one student to select a word from the word bank and talk about it for 30 seconds without repeating themselves. The other students judge whether the talk is an accurate account of what the word means and how it is used.

3. Ask students to make up their own mnemonics for subject-specific terms.

Text level

Developing reading

• These students often lack the skills of scanning and skimming, which can be explicitly taught within the context of the subject.

• In addition, Directed Activities Related to Text (DARTs) provide a very motivating and accessible means of developing reading skills. They fall into two types:

– analysis, such as highlighting activities on complete text,

– or construction activities involving sequencing and synthesis of text parts

Developing writingModelling• This is the most effective method of

introducing students to the conventions of text. Here a teacher shows how to construct a new text type, expressing their thinking out loud as they proceed, making the decisions explicit.

Writing frames• These are attempts to scaffold students’ first

attempts at writing a particular text type and can help students structure their writing. For example, when supporting students’ attempts to write explanations of ‘how’ and ‘why’, you might provide them with the following frames:

– Explaining how: First, next, then, after, Finally– Explaining why: I want to explain why,

because, however, in conclusion

Techniques to aid recall

• Lower-attaining students often have great difficulty in recalling facts.

• When students are required to apply learning to a new context, the problem is compounded if they cannot recall what has gone before.

• In order for recall to be effective:– review learning on a regular basis. – starters and plenaries are vital– diagrammatic representation of the key points.– turning the key words into a mnemonic or acronym.

What can be done within a lesson?

1. Create context: Put the content in an interesting context where students are actively engaged and it will be remembered much more readily.

2. Use starters and plenaries: students remember more from the beginning and end of a learning experience than they do from the middle. Plan lessons with several different episodes, thus creating lots of ‘beginnings’ in order to improve learning and recall. Starters and plenaries do not have to occur only at the beginning and end of lessons.

4. Make time to think: Memory and understanding are two separate things. Students will remember information more easily if they understand it properly first.

3. Make it different: Boring and mundane experiences are easily forgotten. Conversely, students will remember the dramatic and the unusual.

Structuring the LearningLesson part Time

Objectives and learning outcomesWhat learning objectives do you plan to meet and what specific learning outcomes are you looking for?

Developing skillsHow will you plan to develop literacy and numeracy, and support recall?

AssessmentHow will you plan to provide students with feedback about what they need to do to improve, and how can you involve students in peer and self-assessment?

VocabularyHow will you introduce key words?

ResourcesWhat is needed during the course of the lesson to help students work independently when appropriate?

Episode / Activity 1: Starter What will this include: will it focus on literacy or numeracy?

Episode / Activity 2: Starter What will this include: will it focus on literacy or numeracy?

Further episodes How many episodes will you plan and how will you plan to revisit learning at regular intervals?

Final episode: PlenaryHow will you involve students in assessing and understanding what they have learned?

Task 1

• What are our expectations for our Low Attaining Students:– In the classroom– In their books– In relation to their targets

• What do we need to change?

Task 2 – how can I improve the learning and progress of my Low Attaining

students? • I need to do more … • I need to do fewer …