Primary

Sunday

8th Sep 2024

AI tools for planning lessons? It just won’t work
The government’s move to use AI to help teachers with workload is well-meaning, but fundamentally misunderstands the process, writes Ed Finch
Broken robot toy

Wednesday

7th Aug 2024

What would ‘phonics for maths’ actually look like?
Politicians have suggested we should make early maths more like phonics, but what would that look like in practice? Tes spoke to maths researcher Daniel Ansari to find out
Could the ‘phonics of maths’ work in your classroom?

Friday

2nd Aug 2024

Is this the ‘right’ way to teach early maths?
What does the research say about the best way to teach early maths and build better mathematicians? Two maths experts explore five things every primary teacher should know

Thursday

1st Aug 2024

Inside the primary writing wars
With general agreement now about how to teach reading, attention is shifting to improving writing instruction – but can the research provide a clear solution?
Is there a formula for teaching writing?

Thursday

18th Jul 2024

Transition: We made Year 6 more like Year 7 - and it’s helped
For pupils moving up from primary to secondary, the shift to having different teachers for each subject can be difficult, but a radical change to Year 6 at this school has been hugely beneficial
Transition: How we made Year 6 more like Year 7 - and how it helped

Sunday

14th Jul 2024

A new plan to end the reading wars
‘It’s not about phonics vs whole language,’ say two researchers who offer their new theory on teaching reading and writing effectively
‘It’s not about phonics vs whole language’ - our plan to end the reading wars

Monday

8th Jul 2024

Thirst for knowledge left reading comprehension in the shadows
The previous government’s obsession with building knowledge was counterproductive for teaching reading comprehension – now I’m hoping for a new era with less focus on knowing more, says Megan Dixon
reading book

Sunday

30th Jun 2024

How to have a pupil-led art lesson that actually works
Letting pupils take the lead on creative activity might be a scary thought, but the benefits can be enormous, writes specialist art teacher Mandy Barrett
How to have a student-led art lesson that actually works

Monday

17th Jun 2024

What works (and what doesn’t) when teaching reading comprehension?
New research is exploring what teachers really need to be able to help pupils improve their skills at understanding texts. Megan Dixon takes a look
Woman lantern book

Sunday

9th Jun 2024

How classroom stories can help to heal trauma
The healing power of storytelling for mental health is well established, writes author and teacher Catherine Bruton – so let’s bring it back to classrooms
Classroom stories

Monday

20th May 2024

How daisy chains can boost spoken language skills
With new research linking fine motor skills and language ability, perhaps some old-fashioned learning activities should make a comeback, writes Megan Dixon
child with flowers daisy

Sunday

28th Apr 2024

Sats: How to use arrays to develop multiplicative understanding
Formal methods aren’t always best for multiplication, writes Laura Tyler, but these primary maths approaches can teach helpful alternatives
Multiply abstract mirror