Closing the word gap – what can we learn from research?

Overview

You've no doubt seen plenty of research around vocabulary, but how do you embed it effectively in your teaching? The goal in this session is exactly that: to explore the research that underpins what we know about vocabulary development and how it influences children’s academic success. It then looks at how you can relate that to classroom practices. The emphasis on growing children's vocabularies can feel intimidating on top of all the other school improvement aims, and it can be difficult to know where to start. So here Ruth looks at choosing the right words to help boost children's vocabularies, as well as revisiting and reusing them in context, rather than simply exposing them to the words, which will not be enough.

Course Materials:

Presentation Slides - Download

.pptx file

Course Trainer

Former headteacher Ruth is now an independent education advisor, supporting schools, trusts and other organisations across the UK. She is currently chair of the National Association of Advisors in English (NAAE), an associate consultant for the National Literacy Trust (NLT) and a member of The United Kingdom Literacy Association's (UKLA) awards and members committee.

About the Course

This series of 8 units has been developed in partnership with The National Literacy Trust to help you develop a cumulative, rich vocabulary curriculum throughout your school. During this course, Ruth Baker-Leask will explore the research that underpins what we know about words and how they work, as well as the essential word knowledge that children need and practical strategies that you can embed into your teaching.