Back to School Tips: Lindsay Pickton

Oxford Primary

We asked Lindsay Pickton and Christine Chen for their top back to school tips, and here’s what they came up with!

Lindsay Pickton

  • Step back on a regular basis; give yourself space to think about what you actually want the children to achieve. Then plan for that!
  • Always keep in mind that, in your lessons, the children should be doing most of the work. Plan to let go early, assess and address!

  • No prizes for who does the lengthiest marking; the goal is to bring about progress, and concise, directive marking tends to do this better!
  • Guided reading is brilliant for the development of comprehension through dialogue, it’s not about hearing children read aloud: 1-1 is best for word-reading!
  • Keep praise specific, and focused on effort and process. Praising a child’s abilities can lead to them developing a fixed mindset, and so undermine their future progress.
  • Learning involves making mistakes: value errors overtly and show how they help move us on. If a child gets everything right first time, he or she could already do it!

Lindsay Pickton is an experienced Teaching and Learning Advisor specialising in Primary Literacy. He leads inspiring and practical training for all aspects of English teaching, from guided reading to drama and reading for pleasure. Hear from Lindsay at a free event this term, focusing on how effective guided reading using Project X Origins can help you meet the higher standards of the new National Curriculum.

Christine Chen is an experienced Literacy Consultant and Learning and Teaching Advisor, specialising in quality first teaching, curriculum development and leadership coaching. She has held teaching and senior leadership posts. Christine has recently co-authored  Project X Teaching Handbooks for Years 3-4 and Years 5-6.