Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Kieran Mackle

Welcome to Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, the podcast that gives you a peek inside the minds of some truly inspirational primary teachers. Whether you're new to the profession or a school leader with tons of experience this podcast is a must listen. For references, links and extended cut video episodes head over to www.thinkingdeeply.info

  1. A Human Education for an Artificial World: Rachel Higginson on oracy, belonging and what schools must protect in the age of AI

    5 DAYS AGO

    A Human Education for an Artificial World: Rachel Higginson on oracy, belonging and what schools must protect in the age of AI

    Get your tickets for the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TDaPE Conference Online⁠⁠⁠⁠ For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via support@alta-education.com Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview Finding my voice - https://findingmyvoice.co.uk/ Episode 287: This week I’m joined by Rachel Higginson for a wide-ranging conversation about what it might mean to offer children a genuinely human education in an increasingly artificial world. We discuss why the rise of AI should prompt us to think not only about how technology might be used in schools, but about what kind of human capacities education now needs to protect and develop. Rachel argues that schools need to pay renewed attention to purpose, self-awareness, relatedness, autonomy, competence, dialogue and the conditions that allow young people to find and use their voice. Along the way, we explore the relationship between oracy and self, the ideas behind Finding My Voice, the dangers of reducing oracy to a set of performative speaking techniques, and the importance of listening as a serious educational act. We also discuss cognitive science, professional judgement, disciplinary language, inclusion, social mobility, code-switching, authenticity and the role of schools as places where children can experience the kinds of human connection they may not always find elsewhere. It is a conversation about oracy, but it is also about much more than oracy. It is about what education is for, what teachers can protect, and why the human work of schooling may matter more than ever.

    53 min
  2. AI Tutors in Schools: Breakthrough or Hype?

    25 APR

    AI Tutors in Schools: Breakthrough or Hype?

    Get your tickets for the⁠⁠⁠⁠ TDaPE Conference Online⁠⁠⁠ For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via support@alta-education.com Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview Jen and Donny - www.luminaryliteracy.co.uk Episode 286: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about AI for Schools, James Radburn and Neil Almond explore one of the most heavily discussed areas of AI in education: AI tutors. But before asking whether AI tutors work, they begin with a more important question: what do we actually mean by an AI tutor? Is it a pupil using ChatGPT for homework help? A carefully designed intelligent tutoring system? A curriculum-aligned tool with structured prompts and guardrails? Or a human-in-the-loop model where AI supports the work of expert teachers? Across the conversation, James and Neil consider the promise, the evidence and the risks. They discuss research into AI-supported tutoring, the particular appeal of tutoring systems in mathematics, the importance of feedback, diagnosis and spaced retrieval, and whether AI might help pupils consolidate learning more effectively. At the same time, they raise serious questions about safeguarding, cognitive offloading, personalisation, equity, motivation, teacher expertise and the danger of treating all AI tutors as if they are the same thing. This is not a simple pro-AI or anti-AI conversation. It is a thoughtful attempt to ask what AI tutors might actually be good for, where the hype may be running ahead of the evidence, and what schools should be thinking about before placing too much faith in the next big educational technology.

    52 min
  3. Illuminating Metacognition in Writing with Jen Sutherland and Donny Morrison

    18 APR

    Illuminating Metacognition in Writing with Jen Sutherland and Donny Morrison

    Get your tickets for the⁠⁠⁠ TDaPE Conference Online⁠⁠ For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via support@alta-education.com Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview Jen and Donny - www.luminaryliteracy.co.uk Episode 285: In this episode of Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, Kieran is joined by Jen Sutherland and Donny Morrison to explore metacognition in writing and why it matters so much for developing young writers. The conversation begins by clarifying the difference between cognition and metacognition before moving into what metacognitive strategies in writing actually look like in practice. They also examine why these strategies deserve more attention in classrooms. Too often, writing becomes a product-driven exercise where students focus on finishing a piece or cramming in features rather than understanding the process of writing itself. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for anyone interested in improving writing instruction and helping more students see themselves as writers.

    41 min
  4. Beyond the Right Answer: Teaching for Deep Mathematical Understanding

    11 APR

    Beyond the Right Answer: Teaching for Deep Mathematical Understanding

    Get your tickets for the⁠⁠ TDaPE Conference Online⁠ For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via support@alta-education.com Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview Episode 284: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Stuart Welsh delivers a session on ways to develop deep mathematical understanding. An example of the sessions available as part of the TDaPE Online Conference, Stuart outlines the high-quality PD available by clicking on the link above or visiting here. All proceeds will be donated to Velindre Cancer Centre.

    50 min
  5. Protecting the Human Work: AI in Schools, 15 Months On

    4 APR

    Protecting the Human Work: AI in Schools, 15 Months On

    For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe First look only for shrewd description readers tickets to TDaPE Conference Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via support@alta-education.com Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview Episode 283: More than a year after their last conversation, Kieran is joined again by Dominic Bristow and Hannah Gillott to revisit one of the most important questions in education right now: what is AI actually proving useful for in schools, and where should we still be very cautious? The discussion focuses on AI feedback for writing, how tools like Stylus have developed, and what schools now seem prepared to trust AI to do. Along the way, they explore a set of bigger issues too: the difference between outsourcing work and outsourcing thought, why better assessment data only matters if classroom practice changes, and why leaders should begin with the problem they are trying to solve rather than the technology itself. This is not a conversation about gimmicks or easy answers. It is a thoughtful look at guardrails, teacher oversight, formative assessment, workload, implementation, and the enduring importance of human judgement in teaching. If you are trying to think clearly about AI in education, rather than simply react to the noise around it, this one is well worth your time.

    50 min
  6. Leadership, Belonging and the Power of Teams with Sam Crome

    28 MAR

    Leadership, Belonging and the Power of Teams with Sam Crome

    For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via support@alta-education.com Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview Episode 282: What makes a team work in a school and what do leaders get wrong when they focus too heavily on individual leadership? In this episode of Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, I’m joined by Sam Crome, author of The Power of Teams, to explore what effective leadership looks like when the focus shifts from heroic individuals to purposeful, well-run teams. We discuss Sam’s move from secondary leadership into primary headship and what that transition has revealed about staff culture, team structure and the opportunities schools miss when meetings become informal, unfocused or overly dependent on one person. The conversation explores belonging, psychological safety, follow-through, and the importance of competence and consistency in building teams that actually move work forward. We also dig into what schools can learn from beyond education, from sport to the military to healthcare, and why deliberate debriefing, long-term meeting design and small, focused improvements may matter far more than many leaders realise. This is a practical conversation about leadership, culture and how schools become better places to work when teams are designed with care.

    47 min
  7. March 2026: What Emerged Across the Conversations

    25 MAR

    March 2026: What Emerged Across the Conversations

    For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via support@alta-education.com Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview Episode 281: March was another strong month for Thinking Deeply About Primary Education. In this episode, I revisit the moments, ideas and questions from March 2026 that stayed with me longest. This is not a clip reel for the sake of it. It’s a chance to slow down, connect threads across conversations, and surface the professional ideas that feel most live right now, from classroom practice to leadership, curriculum and professional development. If you missed any March episodes, this is your way in. If you listened to them all, this is a chance to hear them differently.

    29 min
  8. One to One Correspondence: The Hidden Challenge in Learning to Count

    21 MAR

    One to One Correspondence: The Hidden Challenge in Learning to Count

    For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hey! What You Reading For ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - ⁠⁠⁠https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI For Teachers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via ⁠⁠⁠support@alta-education.com⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Story of Maths⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview⁠⁠⁠ Episode 280: Counting can look simple from a distance, but for many children it is anything but. In this episode, I explore one to one correspondence: the idea that each object counted must be matched to one number word, and one number word only. I look at why this principle matters so much in early mathematics, what it can look like when it is not yet secure, and how careful scaffolding can help children move from fragile, inaccurate counting towards greater independence and confidence. Drawing on classroom practice, I explore how teachers can use modelling, manipulation, arrangement, and formative assessment to make the structure of counting more visible. I also reflect on what this tells us about effective scaffolding more broadly: not as a way of lowering demand, but as a way of making important mathematics learnable. This episode will be particularly relevant for early years and primary teachers thinking carefully about the foundations of number and how to support children when counting begins to break down.

    30 min
4.9
out of 5
69 Ratings

About

Welcome to Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, the podcast that gives you a peek inside the minds of some truly inspirational primary teachers. Whether you're new to the profession or a school leader with tons of experience this podcast is a must listen. For references, links and extended cut video episodes head over to www.thinkingdeeply.info

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