How sequencing your vocabulary curriculum supports classroom teaching

Sequencing is a method of ordering learning; it allows teachers to plan which knowledge learners will encounter within a certain period of time. It forms part of a holistic approach to planning lessons, where knowledge is introduced and consolidated seamlessly.

“[Sequencing] gives [learners] the skills and the knowledge in the right order from Nursery to Year 6 within each subject.” - Caroline Pudner, Cornerstones Education

In the classroom, this might look like planning homework tasks to reinforce taught knowledge, introducing new knowledge in meaningful chunks, or pre-teaching the vocabulary learners need to know for a new topic before the content is taught.

One aspect of learning that greatly benefits from a sequenced approach is your vocabulary curriculum - in every subject. Sequencing vocabulary can also support teaching overall. By sequencing vocabulary instruction, teachers can provide explicit instruction on Tier 2 and Tier 3 terms learners need to know to grasp a new concept or topic. This is crucial for overall attainment across the curriculum.

With the help of digital curriculum planning tools, such as Bedrock Mapper, teachers can customise the start and end date of set terms in their vocabulary curriculum.

The Ofsted framework of the 3 I’s - Intent, Implementation and Impact - mentions sequencing as a crucial component of teaching with intent, involving addressing learners with the highest level of need and delivering differentiated, ambitious content for every student. To ensure that topics challenge learners while remaining accessible, sequencing and pre-teaching vocabulary is crucial.

In addition to this, sequencing vocabulary instruction allows teachers to interleave learning in a way time does not allow in the classroom. Vocabulary from one topic can be scheduled and recapped while another is taught, providing opportunities for revision and ensuring long-term retention. Thanks to sequencing, learning is constant for all topics even while one is being focused on in the classroom.

Pre-teaching is the strategy of introducing learners to the vocabulary or content knowledge of an upcoming topic before it is taught in the classroom. When content is pre-taught, learners enter the classroom with the skills they need for comprehension and understanding already in place, ready to be recapped and mastered as the topic is taught.

Here are some ways you can use Mapper’s sequencing functionality to pre-teach vocabulary and link it to your classroom teaching:

Introduce the vocabulary learners need to access a lesson before you have taught the content, giving them time to work through the new terms. Using start dates for new vocabulary allows you to pre-teach learners the vocabulary they need before the lesson begins, forging a link between classroom teaching and tech. As well as this, you can edit the written activities on premade Bedrock-created content to match your lesson plans, linking students’ learning to the classroom.

Much like when incorporating optional end dates into pre-teaching, sequenced vocabulary can be used to assess understanding in a low-stakes way throughout learning. Teachers can use their personalised reporting to address misconceptions, identify areas to recap in class, provide targeted instruction for students who need additional scaffolding, and even reward learners who are deserving of praise - this ensures every learner in the class receives personalised attention for their learning.

Arranging formative assessments and observing improvement can be time consuming when done manually.

With Mapper, teachers can track progress over time and receive tangible data affirming the benefits of pre-teaching vocabulary alongside in-class lessons, which not only informs curriculum planning and strengthens buy-in for whole-school literacy. Every teacher in the school has equal visibility of the benefits of Tier 3 vocabulary instruction for their learners.

By sequencing their vocabulary curriculum to revisit content after the topic has been taught, Mapper’s sequencing allows students to revise previous content and boost their long-term retention. Sequencing vocabulary in this way not only provides opportunities for in-depth revision, but also helps learners connect current taught content to prior knowledge, encouraging them to forge links. This process moves learners beyond just retaining and understanding knowledge, enabling them to think, speak, write and read like subject experts.

Giving learners access to set vocabulary for a long time allows them to return to previously taught content, boosting their retention over time. Learners can work through the content at their own pace, at home or in the classroom, spending more time on topics they find more challenging - this gives learners the freedom to take ownership of their progress, and is a fantastic way to introduce them to the self-driven study environment of higher education and careers in the future - this further supports Ofsted’s recommendations.

To further encourage learners to revisit past content, vocabulary can be sequenced in blocks separate from that which is being taught in the classroom, allowing for interleaving. For example, if your class is completing a focused block on rivers, then the vocabulary assigned on Mapper could be on coasts. This encourages learners to revise previously taught knowledge and make links to the current topic, encouraging rich subject expertise in every discipline.

The Bedrock-created content available on Mapper is easily editable, allowing teachers to alter pre-made vocabulary activities to match their lessons. For example, a vocabulary term in Geography may link closely to a case study used in class - teachers have the freedom to edit individual words to match their lessons while still saving time by accessing pre-planned lesson activities.

This, combined with utilising Mapper’s sequencing function to pre-teach and assess taught vocabulary, links the work learners complete on Mapper with learning completed in the classroom, creating a holistic learning experience for every student.