S5 E12 - The Secret Weapon for Effective Retrieval Practice

The Structured Literacy Podcast

Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch!

Curriculum organisers are powerful tools for implementing effective retrieval practice in the classroom. These simple three-page documents provide clarity for teachers about what to teach while helping students understand exactly what they need to focus on during retrieval and review activities.
• Originated from Joe Kirby's "knowledge organisers" at the Michaela School in London
• Provide clarity for teachers on what content to cover without dictating teaching methods
• Include student-friendly vocabulary definitions, key understandings, and questions with answers
• Connect to assessment through achievement standards and language functions
• Help break down instruction into manageable parts following Rosenshine's principles
• Enable teachers to evaluate what students already know to make connections to new learning
• Support students' cognitive load by organising content clearly
• Can be used to scaffold language development for all students, especially EAL learners
• Include simple rubrics with A-E performance descriptors as success criteria
Creating curriculum organisers for each unit will help you deliver concise, strong, targeted teaching right from the start. While implementing evidence-based practices has its complexities, understanding what students need helps us engineer success for them and for ourselves.
For more information about today's episode, visit www.jocelynseamereducation.com

Quick Links
Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage
The Resource Room
Youtube channel
Facebook Page
#jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpractice #earlyprimaryyears #primaryschool #primaryschools #primaryschoolteacher #earlyyearseducation #earlyyearseducator #structuredliteracy #scienceofreading #classroom #learning #learningisfun #studentsuccess #studentsupport #teacherlife #theresourceroom #theevergreenteacher #upperprimary #upperprimaryteacher #thestructuredliteracypodcast #phoneme #grapheme #phonics #syntheticphonics

Chapters

1. S5 E12 - The Secret Weapon for Effective Retrieval Practice (00:00:00)

2. Introduction and Episode Focus (00:01:14)

3. What Are Curriculum Organizers? (00:02:10)

4. Benefits for Teachers and Students (00:03:59)

5. Three-Page Format Example (00:05:43)

6. Connecting to Retrieval Practice (00:09:38)

7. Making Learning Achievable for All (00:12:06)