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Research shows that a key strategy to making excellent progress in learning is being able to put information from the short term memory into the long term memory and then being able to recall this knowledge.
Due to the nature of examinations now being at the end of two years, it is vital that students are able to remember information over a longer period of time and be able to easily access it and apply it to exam questions. Cramming lots of information for many different subjects several weeks before exams is not the most effective way of revising and retaining information.
We use Knowledge Organisers as the basis for homework in order to strengthen understanding of key information, concepts and subject specific terminology.
What are Knowledge Organisers?
A Knowledge Organisers is a set of key facts or information that includes all the key knowledge that a student will need in order to master a unit or topic. The purpose of Knowledge Organisers are to help the student to embed key information into their long-term memory so that they then focus on applying this information and go on to deepening understanding.
How does it work?
Students have a homework timetable detailing which subjects are set each day. They should spend 30 minutes per subject self-testing the information on the Knowledge Organiser that their class teacher has specified. We use Show My Homework to inform the students of the details of the homework set.
Please note that whilst homework may be set for a particular day, it may be set and returned at other times. The day indicated is set aside to help students manage their workload across the week.
Key Stage Three:
KS3 students have Knowledge Organiser homework plus a numeracy and literacy homework each week. The KS3 timetable is below:
|
|
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
|
Monday |
English
|
English |
|
Tuesday |
Maths
|
Maths |
|
Wednesday |
Science MFL |
Science MFL |
|
Thursday |
History Geography |
History Geography Computing |
|
Friday |
RE Music Drama |
RE Art DT |
Some departments may set an extended project to complete over several weeks designed to extend students’ wider understanding of a topic, but no other homeworks are set.
Key Stage 4:
KS4 students have Knowledge Organiser homework but may also be set an additional homework to complete per subject per week, which should take no more than an hour to complete. The KS4 timetable is below:
|
|
Week 1 and Week 2 |
|
Monday |
English RE |
|
Tuesday |
Maths Option Block A |
|
Wednesday |
Biology Option Block B |
|
Thursday |
Chemistry Option Block C |
|
Friday |
Physics Option Block D |
Key Stage 5:
KS5 have Knowledge Organiser homework as well as additional homework set by the teacher during the week:
|
|
Week 1 and Week 2 |
|
Monday |
Option Block 1 |
|
Tuesday |
Option Block 2 |
|
Wednesday |
Option Block 3 |
|
Thursday |
Option Block 4 |
|
Friday |
Free choice |
How will the teachers check understanding?
Teachers check the homework exercise books to see if the self-quizzing practice is of sufficient quantity and quality. Students should complete at least one full page of self-quizzing, it must be neat and accurate, with all errors and spelling mistakes corrected in purple pen.
Lessons will include a range of knowledge retrieval activities, for example ‘low stakes’ testing where students are required to recall knowledge. This enables students to revisit previous learning from the whole curriculum rather than just what they have done recently.
Where can I find the Knowledge Organisers?
All Knowledge Organisers can be found in the student area in SharePoint.
How can my child use the Knowledge Organisers?
- The traditional “look, cover, write” approach that they should be familiar with. A reminder of how to do this can be found by following this link: Click here
- Self-quizzing: students use the Knowledge Organiser to create a set of questions and then answer them without looking at the Knowledge Organiser:
- Multiple choice questions
- True or False
- Short Explanation questions
- Odd one out
- If this is the answer then what is the question
Apps such as Memrise or Quizlet allow you to use or create your own quizzes based on topics.
- Convert the information into a mind map or diagrams.
- Ask someone else to test them on the spellings of keywords and definitions.
- Create a glossary or keywords and definitions.
- Create flashcards. Click here for how to use the Leitner method of making flash cards. You can also create flashcards online using Quizlet.
- “Just a Minute”: ask your child to try and list as many facts from the Knowledge Organiser for 1 minute straight, without repetition, hesitation or deviation.
- Create a PowerPoint presentation or poster about the information on the Knowledge Organiser.
- Create a comic strip or simple drawings with descriptions to help remember sequences of events
- Use a revision clock or hexagon revision task
How can I help my child with their Knowledge Organiser homework?
As Knowledge Organisers have all of the information that the student needs to understand on them, it means that parents/carers do not need to worry about not having all of the subject specific knowledge to be able to help their child. It also makes it easier to check that children have done their homework and revision. Below are some suggested strategies that you could do with your child to help them engage effectively with their Knowledge Organisers:
- Check that they have self-quizzed to enable them to memorise: they cover up one side of the knowledge
- Read through the organiser with your son/daughter and ask them to explain the ideas to you.
- They could convert the information into a mind map or diagrams.
- Test them on the spellings of keywords and the definitions.
- Get them to create a glossary (list) of the key words and definitions.
- Read out parts of the organiser to them, but miss out keywords or phrases and ask them to complete the missing sections.
