Leeds EAZ Case Study Group

Tricia Firth of Bankside Primary School

The focus of this case study was on 'How Accelerated Learning techniques can improve my teaching of Year Six Special Needs pupils'.

Tricia started her account of her action research by saying that this was 'my fifth year in teaching and accelerated learning has totally changed my practice from what I learned in college.' Her interest is in pupils with special needs and her research work is contributing to a University M.Ed.

She has, in her research, to consider aims, outcomes, investigative methods and data collection, duration and how it impacts on her own learning. Throughout the research Tricia has kept a reflective journal.

Tricia had noticed that for her cohort of pupils a long break, such as a summer holiday, meant a shift back into a 'special needs mentality'. She had to work hard to keep them believing in themselves. They often said things like 'what if we try and go further and can't do it?' She used a range of data including baseline oral interviews, video, photographs, and samples of work, questionnaires, testing, analysis of group discussions and attendance records.

Amongst the techniques she has secured success with are

testing on the spot rather than later
child friendly tests through game shows and quizzes
use of child friendly level descriptors
weekly review
learning support team used to get children to school on time
reading maths and science papers to children sitting SATS
writing to parents to inform them about accelerated learning, diet, meditation, water, memory
changed the form of reading away from individual to paired
encouraged mixed ability reading pairings with high ability partner trained to prompt, rehearse answers, encourage guesses
use of more elaborate questioning strategies - eg., 'that was a brilliant one point answer, how can we make it two/'
toast in the morning and apples in the afternoon
lesson broken up into smaller chunks 'despite what literacy or numeracy strategy says'
instant marking

She made a fascinating discovery on recall of content and context. 'I'd ask them a question and they'd answer correctly, then I'd hand them the SATS paper and ask them the same question and they'd go blank.' Tricia has noticed a definite upswing as a result of utilising the accelerated learning methods. She has her own critical friends in the special needs group and they are able to type their thoughts about any differences they notice in lessons or tell a more able child. She also uses photographs for discussion work later. Confidentiality is a part of her agreement with the critical friends.

Theresa Spellman of Ebor Gardens Primary School
The focus of this case study was the identification of learning preference in a group of children.

Theresa focussed on the application of VAK from the perspective of a Primary SENCO. Her purpose was to establish if she could identify evidence of learning style preference by detailed observation of the learning behaviours of a group of children. The focus was essentially about improving Theresa's own sensitivity to learning preference clues.

Theresa started by describing how she had 'practised being aware for a week!' By Friday she had become disconsolate, as her attempts to define and locate any compelling evidence had been frustrated. However, she noticed that a child in her Year Six Class was, in telling a story about something she had seen on television, very animated. Accompanying her verbal descriptions were a pattern of hand gestures. When she did not have the words she would take more care over the gestures and try and present the gesture so that the others could interpret it more easily. Theresa noticed that much of her description concerned textures and the 'feel' of the experience. The child was describing how the television programme had shown you how to make a papier-mâché skull with a hole in the top. Through the hole you pushed your hand in order to retrieve a small prize, however, the skull was filled with 'gunge'. This made for a very physical and for this child highly pleasurable experience. Theresa has since noted that the child seems to need to be able to physically represent new information in order to understand.

A boy in the same class seemed to spend a great deal of time doodling. His exercise books were covered with his own drawings. He would be frustrated if, having completed some written work, there were no opportunities to represent his understanding visually. He would frequently draw his teacher's attention by saying 'look at this' or 'let me show you'. He was known to be able to draw maps with accuracy. His spelling was improved when he had an accurate picture of the correct original 'in his head'.

A third pupil, a boy, was known to be clever with songs and with manipulating language. Theresa noticed in class he would use phrases like, 'you're not listening to me'. He would sound out his spellings. As the class practised singing different songs he would adapt the lyrics. 'We all live in a yellow submarine' became 'we all live in a tub of margarine'. The class teacher used music to facilitate learning and for brain breaks. The Bee Gees song 'Tragedy' was adapted by the boy for playground purposes. The new lyrics quickly produced a popular playground hit: 'Tragedy, when your mum's in bed with your uncle Fred, it's a Tragedy!'

Theresa intends to use her developing skill in identifying evidence of learning style preference to help with a multi-sensory approach to the teaching of spelling.

Linda Ward of Leopold Primary School
The focus of this case study was an evaluation using pupil questionnaires of the impact of memory mapping for SATS revision in Maths, English and Science.

Linda used an inventory in a tightly controlled research project to find out about improvements in recall and in attitude arising as a result of introducing memory mapping for SATS revision in Maths, English and Science. Her success criteria included the children being able to draw memory maps, explain them to others and record relevant data in a systematic way on the maps.

She provided examples of children's work that clearly showed improvements in technique and organisation and breadth of content. The questions she included were:

What is a memory map?
In what ways do you think memory maps could be useful?
Did you find the memory maps you did during SATS Science revision helpful? Why? Why not?
Did you use memory maps to help you revise at home?
Would you use memory maps to help you revise in the future?
In what other subjects do you think memory maps would be useful and why?
Could you do a memory map yourself
- with a lot of help?
- With a little help?
- without any help?
Think about the 1940's memory map. How do you
- Think the information on it could help your teachers?
- Think the information on it could help you?
- Feel about your completed memory map and why?
Please add any comments you would like to make about memory mapping

Her research had made her more aware of the volume of writing, some of it unstructured, children are given as a matter of course in school. The maps had made the information more readily accessible for children

Alex McGregor of Shakespeare Primary School
The focus of this case study was into specific applications of music to enhance speed of pupils' writing in a test situation.

Alex started by saying that the accelerated learning books had helped him justify his use of music in the classroom. His objective was to explore the influence of music on performance in tests and specifically to see if certain types of music could speed children's handwriting.

In some preparatory work he explored the value of music in
i. helping with mental process,
ii. helping to alleviate anxiety, and
iii. helping focus on a task.

He found that some pieces of music could help with children's reading. Just as a metronome might encourage a more flowing response, he found that some composers helped whilst others didn't. For Alex and his class, Haydn helped with reading cadence but Mozart did not.

Children when interviewed about the use of music as part of their test practice commented:

"At first it made me feel nervous but then it made me feel calm and I knew this is it!"

"The music for the test is like Countdown on the telly but it goes on for 45 minutes"

Alex used composer Steve Reich's 18 Musicians, to try and get the children to be able to write faster. Having practise, he then put the music on in the last ten minutes of his class test. A pupil, Katherine, commented,

"I liked the music because it stopped me from working at my usual speed which, can I tell you, is not very fast.'

Alex concluded that music, carefully chosen could have a number of positive uses in advantaging children's classroom learning.

Kath Depledge and Denise Maruszczak of Ebor Gardens Primary School
The focus of this case study was the use of Accelerated Learning techniques to raise self-esteem amongst a Year Six class.

The presentation of this research utilised a self-esteem gauge to describe how, gradually and over a period of months, affirmation statements, achievement posters and whole group certificate had been used to raise the self belief of the class. Peripherals were placed around the classroom and regularly referred to make learning points.

Having worked hard with the whole class strategies Kath and Denise then changed the emphasis towards individuals. The desk label activity had not been successful until the words themselves were placed away from individual children and onto a safe space on the classroom wall. Good work assemblies, open votes for class prefects and special person statements were used to further individualise the esteem approach. The special person statements consisted of every child saying one positive thing about every other person in the class. The statements were then collated onto a certificate, laminated and then presented in an extravagant ceremony.

Visual display is used to reinforce positive attitudes to learning. Posters state things like, 'there are no stupid questions', 'this is a no put down zone'. The learning environment has been a focus for work. Learning posters were used in class and children's work was displayed outside of class in corridors and more public spaces. In class some exemplar material was also use for demonstrating learning points. Regular physical reprieve through a range of short rehearsed brain break activities is now used comprehensively. All children now bring 'sports drink' bottles to hold water. The water is therefore available at any time in a lesson. The children and the teachers discuss the merits of using or not using music as part of lessons and then agree which music would be appropriate and when.

Circle time has been linked to the use of 'can do language' and children are directly encouraged to use I statements to help them be more assertive. Can do language has been a noticeable success with more evidence of it occurring throughout the school day.

Jim Philipson and John Krempic of Primrose High School.
The focus of this case study was the design of Accelerated Learning in a 60-minute Year Seven Maths lesson.

The lesson begins before the class is in the classroom, with a deliberate attempt to establish positive relationships as pupils line up outside. Each pupil is recognised, affirmed and welcomed. Music is often played on entry. The Big Picture is broken into the Year's work, the term's work, the current unit of work and the focus - via the learning objectives - of the lesson. Pupils are constantly reminded of the place of this learning experience in relation to what has gone and what is to come. This is the Big Picture and outcomes phase.

Artefacts - coloured plastic shapes, educational 'toys' - are used to pose questions. 'What sort of shape is this? Where might you see it? Why does it differ from this shape? The teacher on the basis of the responses then constructs a memory map of what we already know. This helps a collective recording of what we already know.

What was described as 'an interactive modelling phase' using VAK stimuli then takes place. This builds confidence, increases opportunities to use the language of the topic and develops good listening and good looking. Paired work involving air drawing of the shapes and guessing of the shape name occurs. This is the input phase completed.

The activation and demonstration phases occur using a chart for individuals to identify similarities and differences between a range of shapes. Using the charted information a plenary now takes place where the learning outcomes are revisited. The question 'what have we learned?' is posed through quick fire question and answers. The memory map is then used to add information and to prepare for the start of the next lesson.

Caroline Tothill and Wyn Pritchard of Hillcrest Primary School
The focus of this case study was the use of Accelerated Learning techniques and in particular those relating to activities, environment, skills and techniques to assist with Year Six SATS.

This research had taken place in a time frame where building work was going on around and inside the school. There were three aspects to the study: activities, environment and the development of pupil skills and learning techniques.

Caroline and Wyn explained how different activities supported Accelerated Learning. For example, pictures into words and drama. An orbit is 'when something goes around something else'. As children rehearse the meaning of the word Orbit they demonstrate at the same time. Children 'see' the words as they say them. They are encouraged to plan stories by seeing the summary word for each part of the story in a different colour and texture. Exciting beginning is seen as bright red and shiny, problem is green and grows, the solution is long thin and blue and the end is silver and falls in sparkles. Children are encouraged to see the word before 'swallowing them'. Dram is used to practice being the character in your story. Children adopt a variety of different and sometimes oppositional roles within the story.

Environment had also been an area of research. Detailed work was done in relation to drinks, brain gym, breathing, music and display. In utilising display Caroline and Wyn described it like this.

"Display has been an invaluable revision resource. We have all of science AT2 on a large wall Concept map that the children helped to create. Aside from Maths Mountains, maths language and mental maths tool boxes have also been displayed. These tools come from the toolbox in our heads and are chosen by children when explaining methods they have used. We explained clearly to the children what was expected of them for each level in English and have these displayed ready to refer to. W also had an English wall that was added to each week and the children were able to use it as a tool to aid revision as it had key words and memory triggers on it"

Revision techniques involved practise of memory techniques including:

Concept maps
Organisation of ideas by topic
Pictures to go with words
Lists
Mnemonics
Making up silly stories abut items
Visualising the words

Caroline and Wyn also gave detailed insights into how they had used paired shares - for explaining maths vocabulary and for practising SATs questions. They used roundabout where children assembled arrange of written responses on large sheets of paper organised on the hall floor in a circle and jigsaw, where lots of individual bits of information are assembled together to make a large complete picture - eg. the skeleton or parts of a plant.

Maxine Dennis, Richard Stanley and Melanie Woodcock of Bankside Primary School

The focus of this case study was how to teach a Year Five/Six literacy lesson using Accelerated Learning technique.

The intervention looked at four areas: developing relaxation skills, managing physical resourcefulness, techniques for recording information and use of plenary discussion.

Maxine Dennis demonstrated how an active concert could be used to relax children and help them develop their own relaxation strategies. To an accompanying piece of music - R. Kelly's 'I believe I can fly' she read a script which would help a child relax. The script used invitational language to help the child imagine him or her self on a cloud drifting gently above the school. As the music continues to play, the child is encouraged to be aware of how pleasant it feels and notice the safe surroundings. Then in the same state of mind the child is encouraged to take any worries that will stop them from learning and drop them through an imaginary trapdoor away from the cloud and towards the ground below. They are encouraged to keep all the happy thoughts.

Maxine then demonstrated how, as part of the relaxation techniques she would practise good breathing with a class, encouraging them all the while to focus on positive thoughts.

Richard Stanley demonstrated different ways of helping children keep their attention directed to a learning task. Careful chosen and distributed cross-lateral and controlled physical activity could, he felt, be used to keep a class attending to the learning in a more resourceful way. He gave several examples including 'do what I say not what I do' where children get a chance to practise careful listening with physical responses.

Melanie and Richard described how memory mapping could be used successfully in plant growth and reproduction and non-fiction genre work. The real value had emerged in subsequent discussion activities where examples were passed around and discussed. Richard noted, 'It's fantastic to see the differences in the children.'