We often have to ‘struggle’ to learn. By definition, learning means a change in our long-term memory (something new has been added), but learning is often an uncertain, uneven process.…

Intelligence… ‘The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills’. New Oxford Dictionary of English ‘Intelligence is a very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to…

I think the phrase ‘Natural talent’ is an oxymoron. ‘She’s a natural mathematician’. Or footballer or pianist or linguist or cook or singer or painter or plasterer or dancer -…

A recent David Didau blog got me thinking about this. When people talk about ‘Teaching to the Top’, what exactly do they mean? Do they mean that teachers should pitch…

There are many theories in what can loosely be called the science of learning, including the view that the higher the bar, the better people do, from struggle comes success…

‘…the best that has been thought and said…’? This quotation from Matthew Arnold (question mark is mine) from his 1869 book ‘Culture and Anarchy’, has been interpreted by many (some…

Good assessment in school It is a truism to say that there is good assessment, and there is bad assessment.  Assessment is an essential part of teaching, of course. But…

In schools, we use the words ‘Skill’ and ‘Skills’ frequently and the word ‘Expertise’ far less. This is partly because the Government, and the Department for Education in particular, have…

‘Automaticity’ means knowing something so well that we can do it without conscious thought. Experienced drivers do much of their driving ‘on autopilot’ and, indeed, automaticity helps us do all…

It is generally accepted that ‘experts’ and ‘novices’ should be taught differently, and experts may well do a lot of problem-solving and ‘discovery learning’ activities, for example. But for all…