Presentation slide Early learning of skills at home Think about a memory of learning a skill at home – as early in your life as you can remember Skills such as walking, dressing yourself or using implements Make a brief note of what you remember of the experience and share it with a person sitting near you

Presentation slide 1.3 Early learning of skills at school Think about your earliest memory of learning a skill at school Skills such as finding a place to sit, getting a drink or managing your food/toilet needs, reading some words or making a model Make a brief note of what you remember of the experience and share it with a person sitting near you

Presentation slide 1.4 Learning skills as an adult Think about a skill you have learnt recently – such as how to operate a new gadget like a mobile phone, an MP3 player, a piece of kitchen equipment, a power tool or a digital camera Make a brief note about how you tackled this and share the points with a group of people sitting near you

Presentation slide 1.5 Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning Each individual learner has a preferred style: Visual seeing Auditory listening Kinaesthetic doing or moving

Presentation slide 2.1 Observing 4- and 5-year-olds Do the pupils appear to understand the task? Are they confident in the way they approach the task? How do pupils work together? Do they all tackle the task in the same way?

Presentation slide 2.2 Some key aspects of the learning observed To be active in learning, pupils need to feel confident and competent Pupils build on what they already know and can do Pupils learn by doing, by talking and by watching Learning is a social activity

Presentation slide 2.3 Observing 6- and 7-year-olds Do pupils appear to understand the task? Are they confident in the way they approach the task? How do pupils work together? Do they all tackle the task in the same way?

Presentation slide 2.4 Some key aspects of the learning observed Individual pupils approach learning in different ways Pupils develop through what interests them Pupils learn from working together Pupils use language to build their learning

Presentation slide 2.5 Observing 10- and 11-year-olds Do pupils appear to understand the task? Are they confident in the way they approach the task? How do pupils work together? Do they all tackle the task in the same way?

Presentation slide 2.6 Some key aspects of learning observed Pupils have different approaches to learning Pupils learn from tackling a task together and develop a range of approaches Some pupils are active, some pupils support and some watch others and then add their suggestions Pupils make links between previous and new concepts to build or ‘scaffold’ their learning

Presentation slide 3.1 Assessment for learning The main method we use to understand a pupil’s individual learning is through observation This forms part of the daily routines of all staff who work with pupils It is helpful if brief, factual notes can be made during observation for sharing later These observation notes, together with evidence of work produced, can then be used to form judgements about how the pupil’s learning is progressing and what they need to learn next This is termed ‘formative assessment’ or ‘assessment for learning’

Presentation slide 3.2 Some key aspects of the learning observed Learning is an active process Each pupil is unique, having their own experiences, skills, understanding, knowledge and preferred approaches to learning Language plays a key role in learning

Presentation slide 3.3 Some key aspects of the learning observed Some pupils can work more independently than others Adults enable progress with learning by observing an individual pupil’s progress and supporting their next step

Presentation slide 3.4 Some key aspects of the discussion The teacher and TA are working as a classroom team to benefit pupils’ learning It is important to find a few moments to share observations of pupils’ learning, orally or through notes

Presentation slide 3.5 Some key aspects of the learning observed Pupils’ learning is supported through developing their skills in using resources and processing information Tasks need to be broken down and adult input given at key intervals to assess pupils’ understanding and support their progress in learning

Presentation slide 3.6 Some key aspects of the learning observed Learning is consolidated when it is applied in a variety of contexts A game format allows practice and repetition while preserving motivation and engagement Pupils need to feel confident that they can make mistakes without criticism

Presentation slide 4.1 Matching assessments and planning to observed learning needs Match any learning task to the observed learning needs of an individual learner Identify barriers that prevent pupils learning to their full potential Respect all learners Have high expectations for each pupil