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Lesson Design @ Stephenson Coherence throughout sequences and lessons

Lesson Structure (not for all lessons but as a guide)

  1. Anchor task - a real-life problem to explore the key concept in mixed-ability groups with concrete, pictorial and abstract approaches all encouraged and connected to allow children to make links between them and to prior learning. The children's methods are discussed as a class, with the teacher helping to provide structure, with models explored (linking pictorial, abstract and concrete).
  2. Activity &/or Guided Practice - sometimes a game or puzzle and/or practising carefully-chosen questions, tasks or problems which draw out the concept in pairs on whiteboards or shared sheets with concrete resources available to allow all learners to access and "Prove it!" visually and support articulation.
  3. Independent Practice - children move to carefully chosen questions or activities when ready or some may need more time to explore in a small group as the understanding is key rather than the recording. Some may be ready to go deeper with prompts from the challenge diagram. This will depend on the understanding of the child in each lesson.
  4. And repeat? Steps 2 and 3 or 1,2 and 3 may be repeated with additional activities to further explore, clarify, practise or apply concepts.
  5. Use Your Head or Journalling - an opportunity for all learners to explore the concept in a way they have not met before through a group activity (this could be a low-threshold-high ceiling task) or to show what they have understood by generalising or explaining a task in detail (reflecting on their learning and showing what they understand or completing the anchor task independently).
Some of the ways to support learning at any point of the lesson.

Key Features

  • Mixed groups within the classroom - an expectation that all can do Maths with possible misconceptions/barriers considered and discussed as a team.
  • Concrete. Pictoral. Abstract. - available for all. (tables sets/boxes help!)
  • Lots of talk and active learning
  • Children expected to construct meaning and explanations (precise vocabulary and stem sentences used regularly to support understanding of the concept).
  • Allowing time. Slowing down - working at the children's pace.
  • Small step progression with crafted lessons, using variation (each question used for a reason, to support understanding of the concept ) rather than variety (randomly-chosen practise).
  • How to support and deepen is carefully tailored to each part of a lesson.
  • Masterclasses - additional time with an adult who was part of the lesson to secure key concepts (so children can "keep up" and are ready for the next lesson).
Some of the ways to deepen learning at any point of the lesson.

To think about...

  • Looking for deeper thought and connections to support children to commit to long-term memory, not speed at every part of the lesson.
  • Additional 'Low threshold, high ceiling tasks', to also use investigations and make topic links and the use of Maths stories to add real context.
  • Daily skills also built in - Trio Time or Hi Five (with counting stick daily)
  • Collaborative planning is essential - all those facilitating in class need to have worked through the concepts as the children will.
  • Support and challenge is essential - tailored both to the concept and the children in each class.
Created By
Jo Morrison
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