Background Knowledge

Complete the interactive activities in the Seneca app to work towards your CPD certificate.

Prior Knowledge

According to CLT, working memory is limited, but long-term memory is not. Helping students to create connections between novel information and prior knowledge is key.

Examples

The use of concrete examples is a very effective teaching and learning technique.
However, if the chosen example is something that the students don't know, it can be a distraction & have a negative effect on learning.
- Instead of creating links to prior knowledge and long-term memory, an example that students aren't familiar with will add to working memory load.

Curriculum

It is important that the curriculum follows a logical structure.
Content should be built on top of previous content and links between them to be explicitly made.
It is crucial to always revisit past topics in order to help students link novel information to prior knowledge.

The Vocabulary Gap

Knowledge of vocabulary and literacy are important factors on students' academic achievement.

95%

In 1989, Batia Laufer conducted an experiment and discovered that readers needed to know at least 95% of the words in a text to be able to comprehend it fully.

The Gap

In 2018, a report by Oxford University Press revealed that 49% of primary students and 43% of secondary students had a vocabulary so limited that their learning of subjects was impaired.
The vocabulary gap between different pupils seems to come from the quantity and quality of the interactions between children and parents (or primary carers), as well as the socio-economic status of their families.

Consequences of the gap

The same report showed that 91% of teachers believe a limited vocabulary reduces students' achievement in English.
85% of teachers believe a limited vocabulary reduces achievement in other subjects as well.
Poor vocabulary prevents students from comprehending the national exam papers, which leads to worse grades.
Limited vocabulary can also reduce students' self-esteem and attendance rates.

Closing the gap

All teachers, not only English teachers, need to be responsible for increasing students' vocabulary and literacy skills.
Explicitly teaching vocabulary.
An increasing focus on reading.
Checking for understanding of words, and not assuming students know them.
Teach synonyms and antonyms, as well as use the words in different contexts.