TASC Using TASC to develop literacy skills A.Long 2008

What is TASC?

• Developed by Belle Wallace • An approach which can support the development of thinking skills ‘thinking about thinking’ • ‘Thinking Actively in a Social Context’

Why use TASC?

• We need to model thinking and problem solving strategies- to share our thinking strategies whilst allowing children to experiment with their own • It is an approach to learning which allows children to develop a rehearsed & internalised structure to use within subjects & across the curriculum • Plan-Do-Review (New orders)

How does TASC work?

• Allows learners to build the essential skills ‘ identifying problems, deriving a range of possible strategies to resolve them, solving them as well as possible, then reviewing the whole thinking process to refine and crystallise the procedures ready for next time.’ ( Belle Wallace 2002)

The TASC Wheel

devised by Belle Wallace

Using TASC to develop an awareness of the grapheme ‘s’

• How do you teach sounds/letters now?

Gather / Organise

What do I know about this?

• In pairs, look at our new letter of the day which is on the card. What can you tell each other about it?

• Share your ideas with the rest of the class.

Identify

What is the task?

• This is a letter ‘s’. This is how we write it. These are the things we already know about it. • What things can we do to help us remember this letter?

Generate

How many ideas can I think of?

• Think-Pair-Share things we already do to help us to learn new letters and see if you can think of some new ideas we can try.

Decide

Which is the best idea?

• Think of those ideas we have talked about. What do you want to do? Choose a way to try it - one of those you have seen or a way of your own. Try more than one way if you have time.

Implement

Let’s do it!

• Is there any equipment you need or any questions you need to ask?

• GO AND DO IT!

Evaluate

How well did I do?

• Who can draw an ‘s’ for me? What must we remember? Draw your ‘s’ and tell me if it is better than the ones you used to do.

Communicate

Let’s tell someone!

• Who can tell me things about an ‘s’?

• Tell your partner what you have to remember when forming an ‘s’.

Learn from Experience

What have I learned?

• Which activities would you like to try again when you learn the next new letter?