How will using a knowledge organiser in my Geography units support children’s independence throughout year 1?

Year 1 teachers know that sometimes, children can struggle with the transition from EYFS to a more ‘formal’ style of learning in Y1. It can be difficult for some pupils to retain the sense of independence fostered in the early years, whilst adhering to a more demanding curriculum.

Knowledge organisers can help children to regain some of that autonomy. Why not try out different ways of using this knowledge organiser to give pupils real ownership of their learning. You could:

• Allow children to access the knowledge organiser when they feel it would support their learning.
• Encourage pupils to add to the KO information or vocabulary that they might find useful to use.
• Set open-ended knowledge organiser-based tasks for children to complete as introduction, recap or plenary activities. For example, they could tell a partner 3 facts they have learnt about Shanghai, or give more details about human and physical features of the city.
• Keep the KO handy for children during any child-initiated sessions – you may find them playing ‘teachers’ with it, or using it in their news reports!

However you choose to use this versatile resource, make sure that your children become familiar and comfortable using it to support their own learning in a way that is best for them.

Will this ‘What is it like to live in Shanghai?’ knowledge organiser support my assessment in Geography?

Assessment periods seem to come around all too quickly, and can feel like a daunting time. But at Kapow Primary, we have you covered. Not only can you use our assessment resources  to assess knowledge at the beginning and end of the unit, but our handy knowledge organisers can support you in this too! Here’s how:

• Use it at the beginning and end of lessons (or even to fill a spare 5 minutes), and do a KO quiz. You’ll be able to spot any misconceptions very quickly!
• Get pupils to self-assess using the knowledge organiser to support them. What areas do they know lots about? Where would they like more support?
• Get pupils to ask you/each other questions based on the knowledge organiser. You’ll soon figure out where they are unsure of something, based on their questions and their answers.
• Allow pupils to become ‘teacher’ for 5 minutes, using the KO to help them. Which areas are they most confident in? Where are there inaccuracies?

Make using the knowledge organiser fun and engaging, and pupils will not even realise that they are being assessed.