Table Of ContentRESPONSIVE TEACHING
This essential guide helps teachers refi ne their approach to fundamental challenges in
the classroom. Based on research from cognitive science and formative assessment, it
ensures teachers can offer all students the support and challenge they need – and can do so
sustainably.
Written by an experienced teacher and teacher educator, the book balances evidence-
informed principles and practical suggestions. It contains:
• A detailed exploration of six core problems that all teachers face in planning lessons,
assessing learning and responding to students.
• Effective practical strategies to address each of these problems across a range of
subjects.
• Useful examples of each strategy in practice and accounts from teachers already using
these approaches.
• Checklists to apply each principle successfully and advice tailored to teachers with
specific responsibilities.
This innovative book is a valuable resource for new and experienced teachers alike who wish
to become more responsive. It offers the evidence, practical strategies and supportive advice
needed to make sustainable, worthwhile changes.
Harry Fletcher-Wood is Associate Dean at the Institute for Teaching. He has spent a decade
in schools as a classroom teacher, head of professional development and as a researcher. He
blogs regularly at improvingteaching.co.uk and tweets as @HFletcherWood.
RESPONSIVE TEACHING
Cognitive Science and Formative
Assessment in Practice
Harry Fletcher-Wood
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Harry Fletcher-Wood
The right of Harry Fletcher-Wood to be identifi ed as author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice : Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Fletcher-Wood, Harry, author.
Title: Responsive teaching : cognitive science and formative assessment
in practice / Harry Fletcher-Wood.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, [2018] | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2017060136 (print) | LCCN 2018014627 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781315099699 (ebook) | ISBN 9781138296879 (hbk) |
ISBN 9781138296893 (pbk) | ISBN 9781315099699 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Effective teaching. | Cognitive learning. | Lesson planning. |
Educational tests and measurements.
Classifi cation: LCC LB1025.3 (ebook) | LCC LB1025.3 .F59 2018 (print) |
DDC 371.102—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017060136
ISBN: 978-1-138-29687-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-29689-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-09969-9 (ebk)
Typeset in Interstate
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
In memory of Claire Hartnett
CONTENTS
List of fi gures viii
Acknowledgements ix
Foreword by Dylan Wiliam x
Introduction: getting responsive teaching wrong 1
1 How can we plan a unit, when we want students to learn
so much, and have so little time? 16
2 How can we plan a lesson, when we want students to learn
so much, and have so little time? 33
3 How can we show students what success looks like? 47
4 How can we tell what students learned in the lesson? 58
5 How can we tell what students are thinking? 75
6 How can we help every student improve? 96
7 How can we make this work in reality? 122
Conclusion 145
Bibliography 146
Index 154
FIGURES
0.1 Responsive teaching – where to start 15
1.1 Knowledge organiser: Hitler’s rise to power 22
1.2 Year 5 knowledge organiser: Crime and Punishment 23
1.3 GCSE knowledge organiser: Jekyll and Hyde 24
1.4 A unit sequence 29
1.5 A unit sequence in chemistry 29
1.6 Subject knowledge for teaching sheet 31
3.1 Proof example 56
3.2 Proof completion 56
4.1 An arithmetic example 72
5.1 A hinge question in maths 84
6.1 Different levels of feedback 98
6.2 Feedback: a decision tree 120
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have benefi ted enormously from the support, suggestions and challenges of friends, col-
leagues and early readers.
Contributions by Damian Benney, Jason Chahal, Robin Conway, Rowan Pearson, Michael
Pershan, Lizzie Strang and Warren Valentine brought critical ideas to life: thank you.
Marcus Bennison, Adam Boxer, Jon Brunskill, Emma McCrea and James Theobald allowed
me to share examples of their work: thank you.
My understanding of key ideas was transformed, as was the book, by conversations with
Daisy Christodoulou (success criteria), Peps McCrea (focusing on problems), Michael Pershan
(feedback) and Gaurav Singh (prototypes and toolkits): thank you.
Valuable ideas, suggestions and encouragement came from Steve Adcock, David Barclay,
Jen Barker, Christian Bokhove, Adam Boxer, Melissa Christey, Pie Corbett, Zeba Clarke, Lucy
Crehan, Sarah Donarski, Toby French, Josh Goodrich, Nick Hassey, Clare Hill, Sara Hjelm,
Niki Kaiser, Ollie Lovell, Ben Moss, Lisa Pettifer, Arthur Reeves, Emma Saadatzadeh, Roo
Stenning, Phil Stock, Ben White, Henry Wiggins, Dylan Wiliam and Routledge’s anonymous
reviewers: thank you.
David Didau and Joe Kirby’s scepticism did not convince me, but it pushed my thinking.
Isabel Buckles, Emily Hammond, Will Hopkinson, Yusuf Mohammed and Paul Sims tested
many of these ideas and showed me what guidance might be helpful: thank you.
These ideas were refi ned through presentation to, and questions from, trainees and col-
leagues at Ark Teacher Training and delegates at the 2017 Historical Association Conference.
The Institute for Teaching has provided the ideal blend of challenge and support: thank
you especially to Marie Hamer, Matt Hood and Peps McCrea.
I’m grateful to Clare Ashworth at Routledge and to Annamarie Kino, whose suggestion
this book was.
Most importantly, thank you Loren.
