Teaching goes beyond classroom lessons. It also means always learning, finding new strategies, and looking for better ways to help students grow. For us teachers, seminars and training are important because they help us become better educators. Recently, we joined the 3-Day Capacity Building on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, themed “From Sounds and Stories to Numbers and Reasoning: Strengthening Instruction through Explicit Teaching.” This seminar was designed for Key Stage 1 teachers and focused on improving how we teach young learners.
The three-day seminar was a valuable learning experience for everyone. It reminded us that basic literacy and numeracy are at the core of education. Before students can handle more difficult lessons, they need to master reading, writing, counting, and reasoning. This means that teachers of young learners play a significant role in building a strong foundation for their students.
A key part of the seminar was learning about Explicit Teaching. This method focuses on giving clear, simple, and organized lessons so students can follow each step. It helps students feel more involved and confident because teachers guide them closely through the learning process.
The seminar highlighted the three important phases of Explicit Teaching:
“I Do”
In this phase, the teacher shows and explains the lesson or skill. Students watch as the teacher goes through each step. This helps them see how to do the task before trying it themselves. For example, in literacy, the teacher might show how to pronounce sounds, read smoothly, or build sentences. In numeracy, the teacher works through math problems step by step.
This phase showed us that young students need clear examples and guidance. They learn best when teachers show them what to do, not just tell them.
“We Do”
The second phase is about working together. Here, the teacher and students practice the skill together. Students are encouraged to join in while the teacher offers help, feedback, and support. Mistakes become chances to learn. Pupils gain confidence because they know their teacher is guiding them along the way. During the seminar, we participated in various group activities that demonstrated how effective guided practice can be in improving understanding and classroom participation.
“You Do”
The last phase lets students try what they have learned on their own. After watching and practicing together, they can do the task on their own. This helps teachers see if students are ready to move on or need more help.
The “You Do” phase teaches learners independence and responsibility. It encourages them to trust their abilities as they apply the skills they learned from their teacher.
Throughout the seminar, different speakers and helpers shared ideas, classroom methods, and fun activities to improve literacy and numeracy teaching for Key Stage 1 learners. We learned useful ways to teach phonics, understanding, vocabulary building, counting skills, number sense, and problem-solving to young children.
Aside from the lessons and workshops, the seminar also served as an avenue for teachers to share experiences, challenges, and best practices in the classroom. It was comforting to know that many educators face similar struggles in teaching young learners, yet we all continue to strive and do our best for our pupils' success.
The seminar reminded us that teaching young children takes patience, creativity, and passion. Every child learns in their own way, so it’s our job to create lessons that help them succeed. With explicit teaching, we can guide our students to better understand lessons and feel more confident.
As the three-day training concluded, we felt more inspired and motivated to return to our classrooms equipped with new knowledge and strategies. The seminar not only strengthened our teaching skills but also renewed our commitment to providing quality education for every learner.
The 3-Day Capacity Building on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy was a meaningful and valuable experience for all Key Stage 1 teachers. The theme, “From Sounds and Stories to Numbers and Reasoning: Strengthening Instruction through Explicit Teaching,” highlighted the importance of providing young learners with proper guidance, clear instruction, and meaningful learning experiences.
As teachers, seminars like this remind us that learning is ongoing. Just as we help our students grow every day, we also need to keep learning so we can make a positive difference in their lives.