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Knowledge for Teachers

Brendan Lee
Knowledge for Teachers
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  • S03E15 - Anna Stokke on on Cutting Through the Noise in Maths Education
    In this episode of Knowledge for Teachers, I sit down with Dr. Anna Stokke—mathematician, professor, and host of the Chalk and Talk podcast—to unpack what really works in maths education. Anna shares her journey from academic research to advocacy, and why she’s become such a strong voice for evidence-informed teaching. We explore how to separate genuine research from marketing spin, why fluency is about much more than speed, and the dangers of relying on “engagement” as a proxy for learning. Anna also highlights simple, practical strategies—like cover-copy-compare and spaced retrieval—that help students build the confidence they need to tackle more complex maths. If you’ve ever wondered how to cut through the noise and focus on what truly improves student outcomes, this conversation is packed with insights you can take straight back to your classroom. Resources mentioned: Wise Math (advocacy group) Archimedes Math School JUMP Math (Canadian maths program) Singapore Primary Math Program ResearchEd (conference, where Anna presented) Chalk and Talk (Anna Stokke’s podcast)   You can connect with Anna: Twitter/X: @rastokke Linkedin Website: https://www.annastokke.com/   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast   About  Dr. Anna Stokke is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Winnipeg. She is a recipient of a 3M National Teaching Fellowship, which is Canada's most prestigious award for teaching excellence and educational leadership at the post-secondary level. She is co-founder and President of the non-profit organization Archimedes Math Schools, which delivers after-school math classes for children. She hosts the popular math education podcast Chalk & Talk, where she discusses evidence-informed math teaching with leading education experts.   2025 Australian School Improvement Summit The 2025 Australian School Improvement Summit is coming to Sydney on Wednesday 29 October — a one-day event bringing together system leaders, researchers, principals, and expert practitioners to focus on what works in schools, and how to make it happen at scale. Hear from leading voices like Natalie Wexler (The Knowledge Gap), curriculum expert Dr Ben Jensen, and school leaders Lisa Holt (Rosebud Secondary College), Manisha Gazula (Marsden Road Public School), and Dr Greg Ashman (Ballarat Clarendon College). If you’re a school leader or educator committed to improving outcomes for every student — and believe in doing fewer things, better — this is an event not to miss. Special offer for listeners: 20% off full-price tickets with code LearnWithLee. Check out the full program and register here: https://shorturl.at/Ku9v4
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  • S03E14 - Close Reading Simplified with Christopher Such
    In this episode, Brendan Lee is joined once again by Christopher Such—teacher, author, and one of the most practical voices in reading instruction. His new book, Primary Reading Simplified, takes the research on how children learn to read and shows us what it actually looks like in the classroom. This conversation zooms in on one of the trickiest areas for teachers: close reading. Chris explains why it doesn’t need to feel intimidating, how to plan lessons that spark genuine discussion, and the misconceptions that often trip schools up. He also shares three simple reading lesson structures that can bring clarity and balance to your literacy block, along with practical tips for asking purposeful questions that help students think more deeply about texts. If you’ve ever wondered how to make close reading purposeful, achievable, and enjoyable, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to make it work.   Resources mentioned: Primary Reading Simplified (Christopher Such’s latest book) The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading (Christopher Such’s earlier book) Bringing Words to Life by Beck, McKeown, and Kucan Scarborough’s Reading Rope The Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Hennessy The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler Reading Reconsidered by Doug Lemov, Colleen Driggs, and Erica Woolway The EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) Guidance Report on Improving Literacy Timothy Shanahan Timothy Rasinski Aidan Chambers   You can connect with Chris: Twitter: @Suchmo83 Linkedin Website: https://primarycolour.home.blog/   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast   About Chris Christopher Such is a primary teacher, school leader, and author based in the UK, best known for his ability to make the science of reading accessible and practical for classroom teachers. His first book, The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading, has become a go-to resource for educators wanting to bridge research and practice. His latest book, Primary Reading Simplified, builds on that work—offering clear, classroom-ready structures for teaching reading beyond phonics, including fluency, extended reading, and close reading. Drawing on years of experience teaching across primary year levels and working with schools around the world, Chris is passionate about helping teachers cut through the noise and focus on what truly helps children become confident, capable readers.  
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  • S03E13 - A Learner’s Toolkit for Students and Teachers with Dr. Vicky Leighton and Dr. Terry Byers
    In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Vicky Leighton and Dr. Terry Byers from Churchie (Anglican Church Grammar School) and they share how they’re bringing the science of learning to life in real classrooms for both students and teachers. We dive into their work on A Learner’s Toolkit, explore why teacher clarity matters more than ever and unpack a groundbreaking PD model that’s personal, contextual, and actually sticks. Plus, Terry brings the analogies including a surprisingly fitting comparison between cows and the science of learning! Whether you’re leading change across a school or just trying to sharpen your practice, this episode is full of insight, laughter and plenty to think about.   Resources mentioned: A Learner’s Toolkit (ALT) – for students and teachers TRIM Framework Sarah Cottinghat Dr. Tom Perry John Dunlosky John Hattie The impact of a preparatory science of learning intervention in secondary schools contexts in Australia Research into practice: from blueprint to jigsaw   ResearchEd - A Matter of Translation Friday, 5 September 2025 Anglican Church Grammar School Keynote Speakers Dr Carl Hendricks (Live from the UK) Professor Daniel Willingham (Live from the USA) Professor Tanya Serry (in person) Brendan Lee will also be presenting!   You can connect with Vicky: Twitter: @victorialynne99 Linkedin Website: alearnerstoolkit.com.au Youtube   You can connect with Terry: Twitter: @tezzabyers Linkedin Website: alearnerstoolkit.com.au   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast
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  • S03E12 - Daniel Ansari on Number Sense, Fluency and Understanding Math Difficulties
    What do young children really need to understand about numbers? And why do some students struggle so much with maths—even from the very beginning? In this insightful episode, I’m joined by Professor Daniel Ansari, a leading cognitive neuroscientist whose work has shaped how we understand early mathematical development. We explore what number sense actually is, why symbolic understanding is so important and how to build arithmetic fluency without creating anxiety. Daniel also unpacks key ideas around subitising, dyscalculia and the role of spatial reasoning in maths success. If you teach in the early years or support students who find maths difficult, this episode is packed with practical insights you can take straight into your classroom. Tune in for an evidence-based conversation that will empower you to better support every child's mathematical journey, fostering confidence, fluency and a genuine love for maths! Resources mentioned: The Maths Guarantee (Grattan Institute report) The Maths Guarantee: A guide for principals (Grattan Institute) Assisting Students Struggling with Math (a guide from the Institute of Education Sciences) McNeil, N. M., Jordan, N. C., Viegut, A. A., & Ansari, D. (2025). What the science of learning teaches us about arithmetic fluency. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 26(1), 10-57. Times Tables Rock Stars Stanislas Dehaene's Number Sense Chalk and Talk podcast (by Anna Stokke) You can connect with Daniel: Twitter: @NumCogLab Linkedin You can connect with Brendan: Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast About Professor Daniel Ansari Daniel Ansari is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning at Western University. Ansari and his team in the Numerical Cognition Laboratory explore how children develop numerical and mathematical skills and why some children struggle to acquire mathematical skills and knowledge. Ansari and his team are committed to bridging between the Science of Learning and K-12 Classrooms. Ansari is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research (CIFAR).   🎯 Struggling to know whether to model again or move on? You’re not alone — and this course is for you. Effective Primary Maths Teaching is my live, two-day online course designed to help you stop second-guessing and start teaching with clarity and purpose. Across two highly practical days, I’ll walk you through: ✅ When and why to use explicit instruction, word problems, fluency tasks, and more ✅ How to align your teaching with student readiness ✅ The nuts and bolts of effective daily reviews, worked examples, and fluency practice ✅ A practical framework to help you teach responsively — not reactively Everything’s grounded in the science of learning, backed by real classroom examples, and designed so you can take action straight away. You’ll leave with a workbook, an action plan, and the confidence to use it all on Monday. 🗓️ Dates: Day 1 – Monday 4 August 2025 (9am–3pm AET) Day 2 – Monday 1 September 2025 (9am–3pm AET) 🖥️ Live online (with recordings) | 🧠 10 hours total | 💲 $299 Whether you’re a teacher wanting clarity or a leader building consistency, this is the course people tell me they wish they’d done years ago. ▶️ Register now: events.humanitix.com/effective-primary-maths-teaching The last one sold out — don’t miss out.
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  • S03E11 - Know Thy Purpose: Jocelyn Seamer on Transforming 3–6 Literacy
    In this episode, I’m joined by Jocelyn Seamer—educational consultant, author, and leading voice in structured literacy—to unpack what effective literacy instruction really looks like in the upper primary years. We dive into how to move beyond levelled texts and strategy-heavy comprehension lessons, and instead build a literacy block grounded in rich texts, explicit instruction, and purposeful writing.   Jocelyn shares practical advice on everything from planning with backward design, to teaching spelling through morphology, to managing cognitive load with the “stretchy band” analogy. Whether you’re trying to make sense of guided reading, support struggling readers, or link reading and writing more effectively, this episode is packed with clarity and actionable ideas.   Key topics include: Replacing levelled texts with rich, age-appropriate reading Designing integrated, text-based units that link reading and writing Explicit vocabulary and background knowledge instruction The role of syntax, spelling, and morphology in building strong writers Responsive teaching and avoiding the “dress rehearsal” trap in assessments   A must-listen for any Year 3–6 teacher ready to teach literacy with more clarity, purpose, and impact. Resources mentioned: Reading Reconsidered – Doug Lemov Five Plagues of the Developing Reader – from Reading Reconsidered The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis Velveteen Rabbit – Margery Williams Rose Meets Mr. Wintergarten – Bob Graham The Lost Thing – Shaun Tan Bringing Words to Life – Beck, McKeown & Kucan Questioning the Author – Beck, McKeown & Sandora DIBELS and Acadience – normed reading screeners Motif – free assessments Kenn Apel’s morphology assessments Jared Cooney Horvath   You can connect with Jocelyn: Linkedin Facebook: @JocelynSeamerEducation Youtube: @JocelynSeamerEducation Podcast: The Structured Literacy Podcast Website: www.jocelynseamereducation.com/   You can connect with Brendan: Twitter: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Website: learnwithlee.net   Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast   About  Jocelyn Seamer is a former teacher, tutor and school leader who has experienced, first-hand, the transformative power of evidence-based practice in literacy instruction. She has led teams to grow and develop school policy and practice to reflect the vast body of evidence that makes up the Science of Reading.   Through her own classroom practice and leadership roles in schools, Jocelyn has developed a strong understanding of how you can take simple, yet effective action to get every child on the road to literacy proficiency in the first years of school. Jocelyn feels a very personal responsibility to provide opportunities for classroom teachers to have access to the information and training they need to change children's lives and looks forward to helping you achieve great things in your teaching practice.   Read more on Jocelyn Seamer Education.   🎯 Struggling to know whether to model again or move on? You’re not alone — and this course is for you. Effective Primary Maths Teaching is my live, two-day online course designed to help you stop second-guessing and start teaching with clarity and purpose. Across two highly practical days, I’ll walk you through: ✅ When and why to use explicit instruction, word problems, fluency tasks, and more ✅ How to align your teaching with student readiness ✅ The nuts and bolts of effective daily reviews, worked examples, and fluency practice ✅ A practical framework to help you teach responsively — not reactively Everything’s grounded in the science of learning, backed by real classroom examples, and designed so you can take action straight away. You’ll leave with a workbook, an action plan, and the confidence to use it all on Monday. 🗓️ Dates: Day 1 – Monday 4 August 2025 (9am–3pm AET) Day 2 – Monday 1 September 2025 (9am–3pm AET) 🖥️ Live online (with recordings) | 🧠 10 hours total | 💲 $299 Whether you’re a teacher wanting clarity or a leader building consistency, this is the course people tell me they wish they’d done years ago. ▶️ Register now: events.humanitix.com/effective-primary-maths-teaching The last one sold out — don’t miss out.
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About Knowledge for Teachers

In the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, host Brendan Lee will be chatting to researchers, teachers and experts about what evidence-informed education is and the nuances involved with actually implementing effective and sustainable school based education.
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