Ideas for the classroom

Working with the Primary Languages Website

The Primary Languages website is a fantastic resource bank of activities, but that is not by any means its most significant raison d’être. As an online tool-kit for teachers, it provides comprehensive access to a range of professional development (CPD) materials. It is vital that practitioners engage with the issues surrounding Primary Languages entitlement in order to provide teaching and learning which is high quality, comprehensive and sustainable.

This piece is an example, using the clip used in the article 1,2,3 Los! Linking Languages With PE, of one way in which you may consider using the Primary Languages website for CPD.

Children are learning all the time. They make connections between their learning consciously and unconsciously. Often they make connections that we cannot plan or predict. Integrating languages into the primary curriculum can lead to significant gains in children’s understanding as they interpret and reinterpret their knowledge in a fresh and challenging context. Effective integration can motivate teachers and learners and makes the best use of the curriculum time available.

• Access the theme Embedding from the Teachers’ Zone and the sub-theme Cross curricular links

• Look at theme and sub-theme text. Why is using an embedded approach a useful mechanism for teaching languages in particular? Could you add to the reasons given?

• Watch the video clip Movement with the sound down. If you didn’t know this was a language lesson, what skills would still be obvious (or maybe less obvious) and a valuable support for pupils’ learning and development?

• Watch the video again with the sound on. List the knowledge, skills and understanding the children are using / acquiring. Compare your list with a colleague.

• Open the Professional Development Think Piece and compare your lists with the links to the KS2 Framework objectives identified.

• Look at Development section of the Think Piece. Where can you find further guidance on developing cross-curricular links?

• On the Standards Site, go to the KS2 Framework Online cross-curricular links pages.
  Find the KS2 Framework objectives identified for this clip and discuss the suggested links.

• Could you think of other ideas using this objective that could be used as PE warm-ups? Try out some ideas with your class.