Deeper Learning in Primary Classrooms
Differentiation is common place in classrooms in the UK and across the world, most often demonstrated by separating children by their abilities or academic level. However, modern day learning has seen a new methodology come into teaching styles and the current buzz is around deeper learning for students.
But what is this?
Deeper learning refers to a set of learning outcomes born from the Hewlett Foundation ideology on getting the most from education.
- Mastery of rigorous academic content
- Development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- The ability to work collaboratively
- Effective oral and written communication
- Learning how to learn
- Developing and maintaining an academic mindset
The motivation behind this style of teaching/learning, is to give children the skills they need to be able to apply knowledge they learn in class to real-world circumstances and effectively solve problems that they encounter.
How do you teach this in a classroom?
There is no clear-cut answer on how to teach deeper learning to classes; there are many methods that achieve the same result. One tried and tested technique which see’s a great deal of success, is for teachers to inspire children with mastery of the skills, which in turn motivates children to want to master it themselves.
Letting them work out the solution, method or answer with minimal help encourages the more abled children to ‘think deeper’ and others to explore their own capabilities, building confidence in their competence in problem solving. With Empiribox, teachers are encouraged to start a lesson with a wow! demonstration, sparking interest in all students, followed by child led investigations.
Empiribox lessons are designed to promote deeper learning and mastery of science skills, regardless of age or ability. Our scheme teaches all children in KS2 the same thing at the same time, allowing schools to submerge in the subject and promote a deeper learning experience for students.
Using hands-on investigations to practically teach the scientific skills enables children to try different ways to solve a problem. They learn that getting something wrong does not mean it has failed, just that they need to approach the issue from a different start point and learn from their findings to build on their knowledge.
Empiribox lessons inspire children to science and motivate them to learn more about the subject, continuing their studies as they get older. Giving children the skill set to solve problems, think outside the box and overcome challenges in new ways helps them to grow into confident adults and fulfil their dreams, opening many doors for them professionally.
