Innovative teaching methods

Use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support

Category short code Description
Assistive technology access

Our learners have access to • Assistive Technologies • Instructional Apps – that provide instruction, modelling and practice opportunities • Non-Instructional Apps – that provide tools to aid learning e.g. note taking, highlighting • Speech Generating Apps – to augment the communication skills of learners with communication difficulties • Speech to Text Apps – to support learners with writing difficulties

Explicit instruction methods

Our teachers give explicit instruction and ◦ Daily, Weekly, Monthly Review (Retrieval Practice) ◦ Present new material using small steps ◦ Ask Questions (including non-examples to anticipate misconceptions) ◦ Provide Models ◦ Guided practice ◦ Check understanding ◦ Independent Practice

Flexible grouping strategies

Our teachers • Use Flexible Groupings • Pre teach new concepts, overlearn taught facts, or practice skills • Benefit from teacher expertise • Provide opportunities for collaborative learning across a range of attainment levels • Give learners time to process information and share ideas collaboratively

Metacognitive strategy teaching

Our teachers use ◦ Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies • Explicitly teach and model how to apply metacognitive strategies to plan, monitor and evaluate learning • Set an appropriate level of challenge through effectively managing cognitive load (chunking) • Provide opportunities for independence through the gradual release of responsibility

Scaffold usage

Our teachers use ◦ Scaffolds (to aid understanding and promote independence) ◦ Visual scaffolds (e.g. key vocabulary, task boards, now/next, counters, number lines) ◦ Written scaffolds (e.g. writing frames, success criteria, word banks, checklists, partially worked examples, graphic organisers) ◦ Verbal scaffolds (e.g. to break down instructions, simplify or clarify vocabulary)