Researched Based Teaching

How We Plan Teaching and Learning

At Riverside, we plan every lesson with three key principles in mind: prior learning, key questioning, and misconceptions. These approaches are rooted in educational research and help us give children the best chance to succeed.

1. Building on Prior Learning

Children learn best when new knowledge connects to what they already know. That’s why lessons often begin with a review or recap of earlier learning. This helps children:

Strengthen memory through practice and retrieval.
Make links between old and new knowledge.
Reduce overload in their thinking so they can focus on the new ideas.

In practice, this might look like a quick modelled example, a short discussion, or revisiting a concept from last week before moving on.

Research shows this approach improves long-term learning (Rosenshine, Principles of Instruction, 2012; Sweller, Cognitive Load Theory, 1988).

2. Using Key Questioning

Carefully chosen questions guide learning. Our teachers use questioning to:

Check what children understand and identify gaps.
Encourage deeper thinking and reasoning.
Support rich classroom dialogue, where children explain, justify, and build on each other’s ideas.

This ensures lessons are active, engaging, and tailored to what children need in the moment.

Studies highlight the importance of effective questioning in raising standards (Black & Wiliam, Inside the Black Box, 1998; Alexander, Dialogic Teaching, 2017).

3. Tackling Misconceptions

Sometimes children develop ideas that aren’t quite right. These misconceptions can stick unless they are addressed directly. Our teachers:

Plan for common misconceptions in each subject.
Use examples, counter-examples, and discussion to challenge incorrect ideas.
Encourage children to explain their thinking so we can address misunderstandings quickly.

By doing this, we ensure children build accurate and secure understanding.

Research shows misconceptions must be identified and directly challenged to secure accurate understanding (Posner et al., Conceptual Change Theory, 1982; Education Endowment Foundation, Teacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning, 2021).

Why This Matters

Research in education and cognitive science shows that when teachers build on prior knowledge, ask purposeful questions, and tackle misconceptions, children:

Retain learning for longer.
Develop stronger understanding.
Gain confidence in applying knowledge to new situations.

This is why you’ll often see lessons at our school begin with a recap, include plenty of questioning, and take time to address mistakes as valuable learning opportunities.