From micro to macro
I am still thinking deeply about our curriculum. Having previously thought a great deal about micro curriculum planning, this thinking is more macro thinking.
I have thought hard and consulted on the principles and purpose of our curriculum. How it reflect our school’s values, context, pedagogical approaches. We are an all-through independent school, so there is not an entitlement as such, rather there is opportunity and enrichment. Our public facing statement is “A broad, relevant, challenging and exciting curriculum.” The importance of a House system and co-curricular ‘opportunity and enrichment’ is elevated.
In framing the ‘breadth and balance’ of our curriculum, we are working towards explicitly connecting and sequencing the curriculum (“happy accidents”), seeking coherence (both in content and pedagogy), building a cumulative approach to content and assessment. Designing a curriculum in which the pupils see themselves (mirrors / local) and a curriculum that encourages pupils to see the world (windows).
Finally we are directing (not proscribing) the teaching narrative. How will the connected and coherent substantive knowledge (and skills) outlined in the long-term plans be assessed, taught, revisited and built upon – cumulatively.
We are currently moving to raising the profile of reading, the acquisition of substantive and powerful vocabulary, and oracy and discussion. This curriculum and pedagogy outlook includes the teaching of word patterns or morphology. The arrival of Vocabulous is timely.
Vocabulous
Just 26 root words unlock over 1,000 English words. Over 60% of English vocabulary and over 90% of our scientific and technical vocabulary, comes from Latin and Ancient Greek. Not forgetting French, Spanish and Italian also use the same roots.
Vocabulous uses Latin and Greek root words to teach word patterns. Pupils then use these patterns to work out the meaning of unknown words which share the same root. For example, the root “scrip-” meaning “write” can help pupils understand “inscription”, “manuscript” and “prescription”. Vocabulous encourages pupils to be “word detectives,” enabling pupils to expand their own vocabulary.
It is great to see the Vocabulous project taking shape.