Life Based Learning ™
Delivering subject content through nine life themes
Category: New Thinking & Curriculum Reform
The Journey Begins
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. Izaak Walton Many thanks for joining me on this journey!
MAC in a nutshell
The ‘MAC in a Nutshell’ diagram below identifies the learning areas through which the key stages 1 & 2 National Curriculum in England for 5- to 11-year-olds can be delivered.
New thinking for a new decade
Hello! If you are coming to this website for the first time, a very warm welcome. Glad you have found us! A new year — in this case, a new decade — is a perfect opportunity for new thinking. That’s something we certainly need… Continue Reading “New thinking for a new decade”
Coral reef threat to 25 percent of all marine creatures
Our ravished oceans face another threat: irreversible damage to the world’s beautiful coral reefs. As reported by Aljazeera, half the corals on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have died over the past 25 years. Climate change is irreversibly destroying the World Heritage-listed underwater ecosystem. Coral… Continue Reading “Coral reef threat to 25 percent of all marine creatures”
Why should KS1&2 geography be taught with a community focus?
I am passionate about the need for young children’s subject learning to be taught through life themes. I welcome your comments and suggestions about how we might develop our message about learning through life themes. An example of teaching subjects through life themes is… Continue Reading “Why should KS1&2 geography be taught with a community focus?”
Pressure on teachers to do more than teach the current curriculum
Life-based learning offers a solution to preserve the core educational purpose of education and meet the increasing social demands on schools. Amanda Spielman in her address to mark the launch of Ofsted’s Annual Report 2019/20 identifies ‘the pressure on schools to do more than… Continue Reading “Pressure on teachers to do more than teach the current curriculum”
Why should KS1&2 music be taught with a communication focus?
The UK government’s National Curriculum subject of music for 5- to 11-year-old children is in desperate need of a boost as an educationally overlooked, but highly social, vehicle of communication between people. Music is a ubiquitous communication tool permeating society 24/7 through radio,… Continue Reading “Why should KS1&2 music be taught with a communication focus?”
History in schools can heal divisions and create a more tolerant society
The use of the ‘community’ concept to frame learning in history, social geography and citizenship deepens children’s understanding of — and strengthens their commitment to — society.
Let’s go for change as we move into the 21st year in the 21st century
A change in the focus by the UK government in the education of primary school children — aged 5 to 11 years — is long over due to meet the urgent challenges of the 21st century. It is clear our children need to learn… Continue Reading “Let’s go for change as we move into the 21st year in the 21st century”
Harnessing the curriculum to fully nurture children’s ability to communicate
Effective communication is much more than being able to read and write well. We urgently need an approach to learning that recognises the role that all curriculum subjects can play in developing children’s communication skills. The National Curriculum in England for 5- to 11-year-old… Continue Reading “Harnessing the curriculum to fully nurture children’s ability to communicate”