In school, your child will be taught specific memory strategies to help them remember the core sticky knowledge identified in our curriculum and shared via our Sticky Knowledge Organisers. These strategies are based on action-based research by Rich Allen (Green Light Classrooms) which will help them access their long-term memory. We want to ensure that children remember what they have been taught, because if they can't remember it, we may as well have never taught it.
As part of our teaching sequence, children will have dedicated lessons focused on teaching the strategies and then using them in our Revisit and Reignite lessons. This is where we revise learning already taught so far and introduce in a new concept to 'reignite' children's interest and excitement about their learning. We often don't teach the new piece of learning in this lesson, but 'drop it in' to generate more questions from the children and add these to the class topic 'Curious Questioning'.
Children will also have a 'Memory Scrapbook' (introduced Spring 2022) that will travel through your child's learning journey with them at Penponds.
These will have the Sticky Knowledge Organisers in, and children will be completing work every couple of weeks to show what they have learnt so far in the topic. We will also be teaching memory strategy activities
The work children will complete in their Memory Scrapbook, will be and should be unique to them. Children will be able to have ownership and choose how they want to present their learning. Although in the younger years they will be supported in this initially. The point is if every child creates the same piece of work, in the same way, it isn't special to them and will not ignite their memory. If is it special and personal to them - it will.
At the end of the topic, children will take part in Memory Cafes, where they will go back and look at their memory work, share their scrapbook with a friend over a drink and a snack and discuss their learning so far. If their friend has remembered something they did not, they can edit their Memory Scrapbook. Children will revisit these books throughout their time at Penponds - eventually children will be looking back at their memory work form Reception when they are in Year 6!
