Let’s Think in English is a teaching programme created at King’s College London since 2009 to help students develop the reasoning skills needed for success in English. This is vitally important for the new GCSE English examinations but for strongest effect teaching should start in Key Stage 3.
Over 300 schools are now using the programme, mainly in London and the South East but also in Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol, North Yorkshire, Stockport and Liverpool with more joining each term.
The programme consists of 30+ high-interest lessons all using English texts – fiction, poetry, non-fiction and film – with others being designed specifically to support GCSE, especially with 19th century and non-fiction texts.
They are designed to be used fortnightly over two years and involve reading, open-ended questioning and structured group discussion. They systematically develop students’ skills of inference, deduction and analysis, increasing their confidence, resilience, understanding and ability to express their ideas. In particular, they provide oral experience in drafting which will be essential in challenging timed GCSE examinations where students will need to draft effective evaluation and comparison answers at sight.
Let’s Think in English at KS2 consists of a suite of high-interest lessons which are intended to be used fortnightly. They are largely oral, based on reading, open-ended questioning and structured group discussion which increases pupils’ reasoning skills. A particular feature is metacognition (structured reflection) which makes pupils more aware of their thinking processes and how they think most effectively.
Leah is an Associate Tutor for Let’s Think in English and can deliver the programme training in single schools or for school clusters in Hampshire. Costs for individual schools can vary depending on the number of schools involved – do get in touch for more information. Secondary and primary phase Let’s Think network groups exist in Hampshire for ongoing development in schools that have completed the initial training.
A new KS2 cluster for initial training launches through the ETC Teaching School Alliance from November 2017. Click here for booking link or contact Leah for more information.
Contact Leah if you a Hampshire school or cluster wishing to commission Let’s Think development training.
For further information on the programme go to:
https://www.letsthinkinenglish.org
For enquiries on training outside of Hampshire, or to contact the lead tutors,
Contact Laurie Smith at laurie.smith@kcl.ac.uk or Michael Walsh at michael.walsh@letsthink.org.uk.