The 3Rs - Reading, w®iting, and research to be interested in #15
The 3Rs is my fortnightly newsletter where I’ll share my new w®iting, reading, and the research evidence that is most interesting and useful in the world of education.
What is worth reading?
How do you develop expertise most effectively? Perhaps the most important living researcher on the science of expertise is Anders Ericsson. His exploration of ‘deliberate practice’ has been seminal in understanding how a precise approach to practice can be vital to success in any field. ‘Peak: Secrets from the Science of Expertise’ is Ericsson’s collaboration with author Robert Pool.
It coined the popular notion of 10,000 hours, popularised by Malcolm Gladwell, but Peak is more thorough, robust and systematic that similar books in the field. Busting full of compelling human stories, from remembering letter strings to Mozart on strings, it is a tour de force of popular science, for those in education and far beyond. READ MORE HERE.
What I am writing…
How should pupils read in class and why does reading fluency matter? My latest blog is on supporting reading in class, alongside ensuring that pupils effectively develop their reading fluency. The blog, entitled, ‘Getting Reading Fluency Right’, offers a breakdown of reading fluency approaches that can be integrated into everyday lessons, with useful links, and more. READ MORE HERE.
As revision guides top the book charts, are pupils using them effectively? In all likelihood, most revision guides will be badly used. I have blogged ‘10 Tips for Using Revision Guides’ for both pupils, their parents and teachers. It is a range of accessible approaches, informed by principles from cognitive science, to ensure pupils make best use of such guides during their revision. READ MORE HERE.
What research I am interested in…
What is the state of tutoring in England? The Sutton Trust Commissioned COSMO report (2023) has revealed the latest data on tutoring. The research reveals that the proportion of pupils benefitting from private tutoring is at its highest level since 2005, but it is still dominated by well-off households. Though the National Tutoring Programme has had its issues, it has seen growth in tutoring in more disadvantaged areas. READ MORE HERE.
How much does prior knowledge influence reading comprehension, and how do you activate that knowledge? A recent study by Hattan, Alexander and Luppo (2023), entitled, ‘Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation’ exploring the different conditions for activating prior knowledge. Their research helpfully breaks down effective prior knowledge activation, such as older primary school pupils benefitting from whole class discussion, but less so by writing things down; whereas by university age, most strategies were manageable and successful. READ MORE HERE.
Check out my blog www.theconfidentteacher.com for lots more on of the 3 Rs.