– “the beating heart of each unit.”
What are they?
A Knowledge Organiser is a single A4 sheet of paper that lists the important facts and key concepts – not practical skills – that pupils should know by the end of a unit of work. Knowledge Organisers can be an essential tool for children, parents and class teachers.
Why are they useful?
Knowledge Organisers have many benefits for students. The primary benefit of Knowledge Organisers is they provide teachers, students and parents with the ‘bigger picture’ of a topic or key concepts of a subject area. For example, some Science topics can be complicated, so having the clear diagrams, essential concepts, key terms and explanations on a piece of A4 paper can be very helpful. A Knowledge Organiser can be used as one of the most effective study strategies to build student’s confidence and knowledge over the year. Students can use a Knowledge Organiser as a revision tool to prepare for assessments.
How do we use them?
Students will use Knowledge Organisers in class, but will also use them to assist with homework tasks. The secret to success lies in regularly revisiting the concepts to be learned. This helps students to transfer knowledge from their short-term memory to long term memory.
There are numerous ways to use Knowledge Organisers, but the following are the most important ways to make the most of Knowledge Organisers for students and parents.
Students:
• To quiz themselves in lessons and at home (see diagrams on the next page)
• To practise spelling key vocabulary
• As a way to trigger memories from lessons about key information
Parents:
• To understand exactly what their children are supposed to learn and remember
• To know what language they should use when discussing learning at home
• To know how to support their children in learning about a topic
The most common way that a student will use a Knowledge Organiser is Learn, Cover, Write, Correct, Repeat.
Here is a step-by-step guide of how to do Learn, Cover, Write, Check, Repeat so students remember more and make progress.
How to use a Knowledge Organiser – step by step guide
