What is ‘Overlearning’? Why it works. Why it is so important.

A very recent study by scientists (January 2017) has tested the principle of ‘Overlearning’ and found it to be effective. Science Daily – January 30th, 2017.

‘Overlearning’ is when something is learned  and then relearned. Apparently musicians do it a lot – they learn a piece to perfection but they still practice the piece.

‘Overlearning’ is something that all good teachers recognise as useful. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen as much as it should for two reasons:

1. The curriculum is so full of content that it is difficult to find time to repeat learning.
2. Lesson observations are all about the progress pupils make. It is difficult to quantify progress if a student understood something yesterday and is doing the same thing today.

So what does ‘Overlearning’ do?

Essentially it locks understanding more firmly into the mind.

A very common problem which we encounter in tutoring is forgotten information/knowledge/understanding. What we do to remedy this, or to help a child with a  learning disability such as dyslexia, is to help them understand then repeat the learning (overlearn) until they do not forget it.

This has proved so successful at Kip McGrath that, from humble beginnings it is now a global business some 40 years later which has even had the ear of the Commonwealth Education Ministers.

How did the scientists prove its effectiveness?

In the study, they took two groups which were balanced. The gave both groups the same thing to learn and tested them to assess how well it had been learned. The following day they gave one group the first learning task again; the other group had a different task. They were then tested again.

The group with the second task had understood it but, when tested on the first task they had forgotten it. The group who did the first task twice had improved their understanding further. For a thorough report, read the article in Science Daily linked above.

What does this mean for your child?

• Do homework
• Don’t think, ‘I’ve got it!’ and stop. It will be forgotten.
• Book a FREE assessment at Kip McGrath if they are struggling at school and are not catching up with support from school.

Kip McGrath Sheffield North

A Simple Guide to People Building (satire)

DOES THE DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION THINKS CHILDREN’S LEARNING CAN BE PUT TOGETHER LIKE A HOUSE?

I have looked at the building manuals from the Department for Education (DfE) which were carefully put together under the previous Chief Surveyor, Mr Gove. Here goes:

1. Lay a course of finest brick (we recommend those produced by the Outstanding Learning Objective Brick Company) on a bed of mortar (Inspirational Teacher Mortar Company of course).
2. Speed is of the essence here. The DfE have calculated that to build World Class houses we must lay bricks flat-out over 11 years. No time can be wasted!
3. If some of the bricks are not well laid, crack on! You’ll never finish the house in time if you don’t.
4. Do not concern yourself if, due to the speed of laying, bricks drop out of the walls and large holes appear in the structure. To put every brick in your world standard house you can’t delay. Applications from the Ministry of Magic (MoM) are available if gravity becomes an issue.
5. Does your house appear to be tottering? Tough! World Class house building requires a relentless approach.
6. Has your house fallen down? Continue where you laid your previous brick. “But I can’t get bricks to float in mid-air!” you cry. Never mind – fill in the MoM application form and don’t bother us.

When finished we will look at truly magnificent World Class houses surrounded by tottering heaps that need intervention to help them stand up and tell everybody how well we have done (or blame the builders!). The builders, of course, will be exhausted and barely able to function.

“Is there another way?” I hear you ask. According to the Ministry of Common Sense (MoCS), we could use tried and trusted house building techniques where each brick is laid carefully and, if anything is wrong, we go back straight away and sort it out. Yes, it does take longer but once these houses are finished they can stand up on their own, are useful and don’t require lots of maintenance to keep the basic structure standing. In fact, we can even add value with an extension.

http://kipmcgrath.co.uk/Sheffield-North/

Testing Times

How to cope in a testing world

Children in our schools are amongst the most tested in the world. Whenever this is challenged we are told that we need to know how they are doing or that the results help us to ensure quality in our education.

The quality of our education system is a theme I will tackle another time. One thing is for sure – our children have to take tests and, to achieve certain things in life, they have to pass them.

It has been said that you need to have GCSEs to dig a hole in the road. I can’t imagine someone repairing your water, gas or electricity thinking about Shakespeare, the finer points of grammar or trigonometry while up to their ankles in water, trying to avoid getting blown up or electrocuted.

Why the need for GCSEs?

The simple answer is, ‘To open the door’.

I am often approached by parents wanting to do get their children through exams and tests. Frequently, they have waited too long and the mountain to climb has become considerable. Here are a few thoughts to help our children on their way:

Don’t leave it too late – If you or your child are feeling unsure, get an independent assessment and take action. A few months before exams is too late – much better to take action sooner.

Without additional help, the gap in attainment becomes wider and, over time, harder to bridge.

 

Progress is usually much quicker with tuition, especially if a child has fallen behind where they should be.

 

The first graph shows how an attainment gap left lone gets wider and wider. The second shows how tuition can retrieve the situation if something is done in time.

Develop good habits – Good and regular homework, eating, bedtime and social routines will help take the pressure off. Regular exercise will make you feel better, helps with stress and aids concentration.

Be realistic – It is said that if you aim for the moon and miss you will land among the stars. This is not necessarily true. A target that is too ambitious and missed becomes demoralising.

Eat small portions – Not food  (although that may be healthier)! Achieving goals is what I’m on about. A realistic short-term goal that is achieved will spur you on to the next challenge and the next. This can become a virtuous circle.

There is no magic wand – To succeed you need effort (and some ability). A tutor or teacher can lead you to the water, but you have to do the drinking.

David Kaye is the Centre Director for Kip McGrath Education Centres Sheffield North in Ecclesfield and was a former headteacher with 26 years experience in South and West Yorkshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are your children struggling at school ? How can we help?

It was reported last month that white children are falling behind other groups at GCSE. In 2014, the gender gap at GCSE had grown to nearly 9% with the boys coming off worse.

The report highlighted a lack of support from parents as being the key – to be specific, parental engagement. I can imagine hardworking parents throwing their arms in the air in exasperation at this. ‘How can we do more?’.

On reflection, however, it is clear – wishing on a star is unlikely to get us very far. If we want the best for ourselves or our families, we have to find a way of putting in the hard yards. If they can be made easier, then so much the better.

Parenting is a difficult task for which, in my experience, we are only prepared by our own experience as children and bits of information (often conflicting) from sources such as the internet.

First, I would caution against being passive – expecting someone else to wave the magic wand for us. Of course, teachers and other professionals have the job of education, but it is so much more than that.

Don’t rely on others to make it work. Ask yourself what you can do. Here are a few areas to consider: routines, homework time, bed time, attendance at parents’ evenings, TV and computer time. There will be many more. I would suggest planning what you want well in advance and being realistic. After all, these routines must be kept going for a long time if they are to become good habits.

Another ingredient that cannot be missed is graft. A child can’t magic good grades out of thin air. Genius is, as Thomas Edison observed, ‘One percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration’.

I am sorry to bear bad tidings at this point to all our younger readers. No matter how many bells and whistles are added to learning there is an element of boredom that goes with success. Would it do any harm to experience it? It may make the good things in life seem even better!

Finally, be positive and expect good things. Of course, they won’t come without effort, but being affirmative is a proven way of making it easier to achieve.

David Kaye is the Centre Director for Kip McGrath Education Centres Sheffield North in Ecclesfield and is a former headteacher with 25 years’ experience in South and West Yorkshire.

SATs are over! Let summer begin…but beware!

SATs are over. For Year 6 children at least, the pressure is off – for now. But their education journey is entering a critical stage, at the end of which will be public exams leading to their first qualifications at the age of sixteen.

Over the years, Keystage 2 SATs have taken on an importance leading to much stress for the children taking them and their teachers.

SATs are really about holding the schools to account for the progress their pupils make and the standards they reach. They do not affect the choice of school, unlike the old 11+, so why do the children taking them get so stressed?

Keystage 2 SATs are the first formal tests primary children will have encountered. Yes, SATs are being brought back into Keystage 1 (the end of the infant years), but their assessments are delivered more informally. For 11 year olds, they will enter an exam room, be seated in rows and will have their assessments taken under exam conditions. I am sure we all remember that feeling! For most of us, even if very bright, it will have been stressful.

Then there has been the preparation: months of past papers and schools days full of teaching to the test. For those not quite up to the grade many will have been withdrawn from class for SATs boosters. These may improve their final marks, but the disadvantage is that they are likely to take place during more enjoyable aspects of the curriculum.

Some children may even have had booster lessons before and after school. All will have had increasing amounts of homework.

Now SATs are over, children and teachers alike will have little left in the tank and, quite likely, not much appetite for the staples of maths, reading and writing. It is a very uneven learning journey.

Children should not take their eye off the ball. Their path through school still has a long way to go.

Most high schools will test their new Year 7 intake sometime after starting. Secondary education marks the beginning of a new and very important phase with GCSEs and other real qualifications at the end of it.

I hope our primary school leavers enjoy the summer. Relax and recharge. You have earned it.

David Kaye is the Centre Director for Kip McGrath Education Centres Sheffield North in Ecclesfield and is a former headteacher with 25 years’ experience in South and West Yorkshire.

What is Kip McGrath Sheffield North?

All children, if taught well, can succeed.

David Kaye with two students at Kip McGrath Sheffield North

Kip McGrath’s international tuition centres have been providing top quality tutoring for nearly 40 years. We are world leaders in private English and Maths tuition for six to sixteen-year-olds.

Our Sheffield North centre’s team of fully-qualified, experienced teachers hold enhanced disclosure certificates.

The centre is owned and run by former head teacher David Kaye, who has 25 years’ experience in education. His dynamic,

The Kip McGrath Education Centre at Hydra Park (near Hydra Kids)

positive, kind yet firm approach helps him to motivate even the most disillusioned students.

Each child is given a free assessment. A special programme is then designed to suit their individual needs. Our tutors receive extensive, ongoing training in the latest interactive and manual resources. All this, combined with one-to-one guidance, enables us to:
• Significantly boost children’s confidence
• Help every child achieve their full potential in the chosen subject