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

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

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.

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

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

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

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)

Twitter: @NumCogLab

Linkedin

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

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).

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.