TTS Educators' Podcast

In this episode, Adam Marycz - Early Childhood Educationalist at TTS and host of this podcast - is joined by Dr William Zoppellini, a researcher, educator, and founder of Coffee & Theory, whose work focuses on understanding how children learn and develop.

Adam and William explore the critical role of play-based learning in education, emphasizing its importance in developing essential skills for the future. They also highlight the necessity of adapting teaching methods to prepare children for a rapidly changing world, where collaboration and resilience are key.

TTS is proud to be the Strategic Partner of the Play is Learning Campaign. Get involved today by visiting https://mmtplay.com/pages/play-is-learning-campaign

If you enjoyed this episode or learned something new, be sure to comment, leave us a review and keep up to date with our social media channels for future activities.

(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

In this episode, Adam Marycz - Early Childhood Educationalist at TTS and host of this podcast - is joined by Tina Farr, Headteacher of St. Ebbe's Primary School in Oxford, and a strong advocate for play in education. 

Tina shares her journey of embedding play-based learning into Key Stage 1 and discusses the impact of play on children's learning and wellbeing. Discover how a focus on play enhances children's development, confidence, and attainment, and learn practical strategies for implementing play in the classroom.

TTS is proud to be the Strategic Partner of the Play is Learning Campaign. Get involved today by visiting https://mmtplay.com/pages/play-is-learning-campaign

If you enjoyed this episode or learned something new, be sure to comment, leave us a review and keep up to date with our social media channels for future activities.

(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

In this episode, Adam Marycz - Early Childhood Educationalist at TTS and host of this podcast - is joined by Professor Julie Fisher, an independent Early Years Adviser and Visiting Professor of Early Childhood Education at Oxford Brookes University.

They discuss the vital role of play in early childhood and Key Stage 1 education and explore research evidence, practical strategies, and policy implications for embedding play-based learning to enhance children's development and educational outcomes.

TTS is proud to be the Strategic Partner of the Play is Learning Campaign. Get involved today by visiting https://mmtplay.com/pages/play-is-learning-campaign

If you enjoyed this episode or learned something new, be sure to comment, leave us a review and keep up to date with our social media channels for future activities.

(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

In this episode, Adam Marycz - Early Childhood Educationalist at TTS and host of this podcast - is joined by Ruth Lue-Quee to discuss the Play is Learning Campaign and the broader role of play in education. 

Ruth heads up the Play is Learning campaign and talks in depth about its origins and overall aim to make play and continuous provision statutory in England’s Key Stage 1 curriculum. Adam and Ruth talk about addressing developmental gaps in education and look at international perspectives on play in education. 

The conversation goes on to look at the impact of play-based learning and Ruth’s campaigning journey - from what inspired her to start, to her petition being debated in Westminster, and what is coming next. 

TTS is proud to be the Strategic Partner of the Play is Learning Campaign. Get involved today by visiting https://mmtplay.com/pages/play-is-learning-campaign  

If you enjoyed this episode or learned something new, be sure to comment, leave us a review and keep up to date with our social media channels for future activities.

(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)  

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

In this episode, Dr Shaddai Tembo and Louisa Reeves discuss how speech and language skills are used across each curriculum area. They discuss when planning a curriculum, how important it is for teachers to consider their cohort's abilities to ensure that every child is supported.

Louisa talks about the role senior leaders have in creating a communication-focused school culture and how staff are supported with the skills and tools to support the children in the classroom. There is also reference to how educators can advocate for change on the Speech and Language UK website.

Practitioners may be interested to learn more about navigating external pressures in education and learning more about the policy and political landscape surrounding language and communication. Louisa gives her views on feeling hopeful for the future, how fast she feels progress is being made and hopes that ministers listen to the charity sector and to families.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

Dr Shaddai Tembo and Louisa Reeves tackle the understanding of speech and language development and provide practical strategies for teachers, including training opportunities available to them.

Shaddai and Louisa discuss how hard it is to develop oracy skills and look at the intersection of language, behaviour and mental health. Louisa references statistics on who is facing challenges and the pair touch on the role of social media, influenced by adult behaviours too.

Practitioners may be interested to learn more about how they communicate, ask questions and adapt their own teaching practice. They can also find guidance on screen time from the World Health Organisation and think harder about the value of a language-rich environment, as well as what this looks like in practice.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

In this episode, Dr Shaddai Tembo and Louisa Reeves, discuss the different types of speech and language challenges. Louisa shares how a child’s upbringing can affect their early communication experiences and touches on how speech and language challenges can be prevented.

Louisa goes into detail on early intervention and identification and better understanding groups with speech and language challenges. She discusses how children with lifelong challenges may thrive earlier on but struggle later in life when they are being assessed to higher levels and the social demands are higher.

Practitioners may be interested to learn about the importance of home languages and encouraging children’s native language as a foundation to learn English more effectively. There is also a discussion on the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as signposting to support and free resources.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

Dr. Shaddai Tembo is joined by Louisa Reeves, Director of Policy and Evidence at Speech and Language UK, to introduce and discuss language and communication and highlight its value to everybody. 

Louisa explains her career journey as a speech and language therapist and her role at Speech and Language UK. She touches on the role that her organisation has played in supporting educators, families and young people, as well as sharing insightful research findings. 

Practitioners may be interested to learn more about thinking about language and communication as a core skill to help young people from all backgrounds navigate life and set them up for success in the future. Louisa also shares types of support that educators and parents can get for free to support children and help bridge the current social oracy divide. 

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)  

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

In this episode, Dr Shaddi Tembo and Co-found of Dyscalculia Network, Rob Jennings discuss dyscalculia and differentiation. Rob touches on spotting signs – with the help of a free checklist resource - and putting an assessment in place, which may help lead to a diagnosis.

Rob and Shaddai discuss the importance of early intervention and support on number sense at an early age. Rob offers his future vision for dyscalculia awareness and his desire to make maths relevant, as it plays such a key role in later life.

Practitioners may be interested to learn more about multimodal approaches to mathematics education in this episode, as well as changing attitudes towards people who struggle with mathematics.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.

Dr Shaddai Tembo and co-founder of Dyscalculia Network, Rob Jennings, dive into the topic of maths anxiety. They discuss how Dyscalculia can cause anxiety and the gender dynamics in mathematical learning.   

Rob and Shaddai discuss understanding safe talk and the assessment challenges for children with dyscalculia. The pair also focus on supporting parents who have dyscalculia themselves, and helping all parents try to reinforce the learnings from the classroom at home.  

Practitioners may be interested to learn more about embedding oracy within their schools, with a focus of how to do this when teaching mathematics, as well as how the Dyscalculia Network can support through their resources and information. 

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)  

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.