May’s felt like one of those months where everything clicks into place. I’ve wrapped up my Task Design series, launched WAGOLL+, and explored how learning really plays out in a Primary classroom. From curriculum design to questioning strategies, the focus has stayed the same - making learning stick and making sense of how to help children think about the right things.
📬 Free Articles
The final two posts in the Task Design series landed this month, digging into Sequencing and Cause & Effect. Both go beyond simple recall tasks and instead help children build meaningful connections and structure. I also stepped back and zoomed out with one post exploring how the SOI model can shape Primary lesson design, while another looked at how we can apply cognitive science with child development in mind. Together, these four pieces map out the ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘who’ of Primary teaching and if you’re building a CPD session or tweaking your planning, they’re worth a look.
The SOI Model and Primary Lesson Design
A practical breakdown of the Select–Organise–Integrate model, with examples threaded across subjects and key stages. (2.53k views)
Considering the Primary Child: Teaching with Development in Mind
Why age, stage, and development matter when applying cognitive science in the classroom. (2.87k views)
Cause and Effect Knowledge: Designing Tasks That Help Children Think Part 6
Using structure to help children understand consequences, relationships, and reasoning. (2.63k views)
Sequencing Knowledge: Designing Tasks That Help Children Think Part 5
From timelines to swim lanes - structuring thinking through clear task design. (3.12k views)
🧰 Task Design Toolkit - Live Now!
A FREE toolkit with four downloadable task design for thinking packs, looking at example tasks for Chunking, Ranking, Sequencing and Cause and Effect. Great for teachers lacking inspiration and for leaders to use in CPD sessions. (2.27k views)
⭐ WAGOLL+ Articles (Paid Subscribers)
I am humbled to see so many of you join WAGOLL+ in its first full month. These paid posts go a bit deeper - not just the research thinking, but what it actually looks like in the classroom. This month, I broke down how gestures can help children organise knowledge and reduce cognitive load (especially for EAL or younger learners), and I shared a full guide to scaffolded questioning with visuals, a few models, and examples across subjects. And of course, I launched the Teaching & Learning Vault: a growing stash of one-pagers to download and use with your team.
⭐ Scaffolded Questioning: Rebuilding Understanding in Real Time
A step-by-step guide to layering questions to identify misconceptions and support recall, with bar model visuals and worked examples in maths and reading. (2.19k views)
⭐ WAGOLL+ Teaching & Learning Vault
All your downloadable one-pagers and resource packs in one place — from gestures to task design. (1.93k views)
⭐ Gestures: A Primary Classroom Hack for Organising Knowledge
Explore how gesture supports cognitive load, comparison, and sequencing with examples and a downloadable one-pager. (2.62k views)
📚 Books That Stick – May’s Recommendations
If you’re anything like me, your stack of professional reads is always one book too many, but this month I’ve kept it focused. Four books really stuck: The Science of Learning is still my go-to for clear, actionable research; Captivology challenged how I think about attention; Year One is the book I wish I had as an ECT; and The Extended Mind in Action has completely reframed how I think about the classroom environment. One per week - just enough to stay inspired without feeling swamped.
📘 Books That Stick: The Science of Learning - 99 Studies That Every Teacher Needs to Know
99 Studies That Every Teacher Needs to Know→ Read
📘 Books That Stick: Captivology
What captures and holds attention, and why it matters in your classroom.
📘 Books That Stick: Year One: Lighting the Path on Your First Year in Teaching
Reflective, practical, and a must-read for ECTs or those supporting them.
📘 Books That Stick: The Extended Mind in Action
Thinking is not just in the head, it’s social, embodied and share.
🔜 Coming Up in June
🗂️ More WAGOLL+ Vault Resources
📚 4 New Book Reviews
🧩 Task Design Meets External Memory Field
🚀 How to Help Children Organise Knowledge
Thanks again for reading, sharing, and supporting. If you’re not already a WAGOLL+ subscriber, now’s a great time to upgrade and unlock more teaching tools each week.
In a bit,
Coops 😎