Developing Vocabulary - CPD Package for Teaching and Learning

Developing vocabulary CPD package for teaching and learning to support whole school staff professional development for both primary and secondary schools.

We wrote the developing vocabulary CPD package for teaching and learning to support and guide whole-school staff professional development and to support the implementation of a comprehensive, strategic approach to vocabulary work in schools.

Our materials introduce some of the most important research on developing vocabulary and draw upon our considerable expertise as English advisers to provide the subject knowledge needed to feel confident and informed in this area. The resources support a whole school approach, and now include a 30-minute webinar for those intending to take on the role of trainer, in which we aim to show you around the materials and guide you through the strategic implementation of vocabulary development work in your school.

A series of six sessions is provided, each written to last around an hour and a half, but trainers can choose to adapt this to best fit what time they have allocated to the programme. Within the electronic ‘pack’ you will find the following:

• 6 detailed session plans/presenter notes (these include the subject knowledge needed to run training, links to further reading and a number of suggestions for adaptations)
• PowerPoint presentations for each session
• Photocopiable resource masters for the sessions

Plans all have common features:

• Suggested timings
• Descriptions and explanations of activities
• Reference to resources required

Pre- and post-session tasks are provided, with the expectation that attendees will complete these in order to get the most out of each session. Each begins with a ‘word warm-up’ to encourage word consciousness and model activities worth doing with children; all end with a short activity to encourage reflection on what has been learned during the session.

There's also a great article in the Primary Matters magazine, written by Rebecca New, one of our English advisors, about developing vocabulary.