Research School Network: Implementing Vocabulary Instruction James Crane discusses the complexities of leading literacy and how to use the implementation guidance to support the process.

The National Literacy Trust defines literacy as the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world. It is an all encompassing term that consists of many facets. As well as the core aspects above, it comprises vocabulary, comprehension and talk. The power of literacy is undeniable, being able to read, write, speak, listen and articulate thought is empowering in terms of both attaining well in school and succeeding beyond the school gates. Therefore, the importance of a well structured and well-planned approach to supporting students with literacy in a school is not one to be taken lightly. The challenge for school leaders is delivering it, with fidelity, in all corners of the school.

A useful place to start when thinking about implementation is the EEF’s guide to implementation which can be found here. Phil Stock, Director of Greenshaw Research School discusses how to move beyond the engage and unite phases of recommendation 1 here.

In this blog we will be exploring Recommendation 2 – Attend to the contextual factors that influence implementation: The behaviours that drive implementation are influenced by what is being implemented, the existing systems and structures, and whether there are people in place who can enable change. We will be discussing how the guidance can be used to support the implementation of a specific literacy strand – vocabulary.

The first contextual factor is around the explicit nature of what is being implemented. In short it needs to be evidence informed. Other aspects to consider are whether the approach has worked in other schools, is right for the setting, meets an identified need and is feasible to implement. The approach also needs to be organised in a way that supports implementation, for example, it is clearly defined, measurable, adaptable, resourced and so forth.

At Durrington High School we have used this guidance to support our work on vocabulary instruction. Focusing on the 4 pillars of vocabulary instruction: curriculum design, defined routine, retention strategies and assessment model. This was designed to clearly define what we are looking to implement, measure our actions along the way in terms of student use and understand our key terms through formative assessment strategies. We have neatly built in termly reviews with our curriculum leaders where we can adapt and amend our plan moving forward.

The second contextual factor is around understanding how the internal and external systems and structures support social interactions, which are fundamental during this process. This is very much about repurposing existing systems and structures and not about bolting on new systems and structures. These systems and structures should allow people to enact the behaviours that drive effective implementation. Monitoring systems should allow time for staff to reflect, staff need to be afforded time to engage properly and the planning should support staff to unite their understanding.

This factor takes very careful consideration and thought, as we are all busy teachers in schools, therefore using current systems with small amendments is far more advantageous than creating new structures or systems. We have done this by amending our key stage three assessments to include vocabulary specific questions as opposed to adding in vocabulary tests. The monitoring process will be during timetabled classroom walkthroughs and not added in extra walkthroughs. We have also set up a shared drive for leaders to add their subject specific examples around the retention strategies of vocabulary instruction. This was done to support our staff to unite their understanding but also engage in the implementation – an example of this can be found below from our fantastic SME department.

The final contextual factor is enabling change, in short this about ensuring those who can support, lead and positively influence implementation have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help and feel empowered to act and have agency. Distributing leadership and support has many advantages: it shares the burden of leading change, it brings in different perspectives and expertise, and it builds resilience as implementation becomes less reliant on specific individuals.

In our example of vocabulary instruction we have addressed this factor by involving our curriculum leaders throughout the whole process of implementation, this will continue to be the case moving forward. Each of our curriculum leaders has agency to identify the vocabulary linked to their subject area, what retention strategies to use (examples of which can be found below) and how to intertwine the vocabulary specific questions into the summative assessment model.

The importance of improving the literacy of our students can never be underestimated. However it is a challenge that has been ever present in schools and as such the importance of a strategic implementation approach to literacy improvement can also never be underestimated. Developing a climate within our schools that allows for the effective delivery of a literacy strategy requires us to identify and support our change enablers (i.e. our curriculum leads), using existing structures to enhance rather than restrain our strategy (i..e KS3 assessments) and ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of the what and the why.

It is not easy, but get it right and the impact it will have will most certainly be worth the hard yards.

James Crane

Deputy Director of Durrington Research School