School Shorts

Professor James Chapman has been advocating for a move to structured literacy since the early 1990s. Now that it is being brought into schools more widely, he discusses the mixed reviews as to how it is going so far.

He also discusses his role in bringing in earlier 'checkpoints' to track students progress through assessments or tests.

He cautions against 'false praise', saying feedback needs to be honest and specific to foster self-belief and motivation.

Is it true that boys are generally better than girls at maths? Can a teacher's maths anxiety rub off on their students?

Daniel Ansari is a neuroscientist with a focus on how the brain learns maths. This episode explores common misconceptions when it comes to maths skills.

The conversation looks at the need for early detection of learning difficulties like dyscalculia, and the use of some tools that teachers and parents are using to check a child's understanding.

Helping kids to decode the sounds within words is one part of reading practice - the other important part is to read a wide variety of books with them to extend their vocabulary and understanding of words.

In this episode we speak with Gemma McCaw. Many might know her for her achievements with the Black Sticks, but she is also a passionate advocate for reading. She talks about her approach to screens and social media - and how her own approach was shaped by her personal experience of online bullying.