Research drives what we do

At Cleverbean, our team is passionately committed to evidence-based practices, ensuring that teachers have access to the highest quality materials for effective teaching. Drawing from extensive individual experiences ranging from 10-20 years in diverse classroom settings, our team guarantees support with the most effective practices. We believe that the combination of Cleverbean's materials combined with the support of Loomi and your expertise, will ensure student engagement, achievement of educational outcomes, and a profound love for learning.

What is it?

The ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ model is broadly recognised as a successful approach for moving classroom instruction, from teacher-centred whole group delivery to student-centred collaboration and independent practice. It is often referred to as the ‘I do, We do, You do’ mode of delivery. It proposes a plan of instruction which includes demonstration, prompt and practice. Research tells us that the Gradual Release of Responsibility model of instruction is an effective approach for improving literacy achievement (Fisher & Frey, 2007), reading comprehension (Lloyd, 2004), and literacy outcomes for English language learners (Kong & Pearson, 2003).

How do we use it?

The Gradual Release of Responsibility model is fundamental to Cleverbean’s instructional approach. All of our lessons are structured to enact the model, starting with the ‘Modelled’ stage, moving into ‘Guided’, and finally the ‘Independent’ stage. We implement this model by demonstrating concepts explicitly providing prompts, and guiding collaborative and independent practice.
Our use of the Gradual Release of Responsibility model is not just about receiving instructions; it's a collaborative process where teachers support students to build their independence. This flexible teaching method ensures all Cleverbean’s lessons promote engagement and curiosity, fostering a classroom environment where students become confident, creative and critical thinking learners. Cleverbean’s Loomi tool is also designed to develop students’ independence as writers. It acts as a support for students, providing them with immediate and ongoing feedback related to individual lesson outcomes. Loomi has been uniquely designed to enact the Gradual Release of Responsibility, supporting students to become more independent with feedback that is timely, personalised and actionable.

What is it?

The Science of Learning provides current and relevant information on how students learn, and how teachers can help them improve their learning. It is important for all teachers to know about the principles of learning and how they can apply them in the classroom.

Sometimes, teachers make assumptions about how students learn based on their own experiences and what feels right to them; however, it's important to acknowledge that our intuition can be wrong. For example, reading a text several times without any breaks or checks for understanding might not actually help us understand and remember the information better. Cognitive science can show us more effective ways to learn and retain information.

A key aspect of learning is memory; it's how we store and use information over time. Teachers can help students to increase their learning better by understanding how memory works, and using that knowledge in their teaching. By introducing new information at the right time and in the right way, teachers can help students remember it better. Providing tasks that reinforce what students have learned will help them think critically and creatively.

When it comes to evidence-based reading instruction (the Science of Reading), Scarborough’s Reading Rope (a tool created by Dr. Hollis Scarborough to understand the complexities of reading) is fundamental to understanding how students learn to read. It consists of two parts: word recognition and language comprehension. Importantly, the Reading Rope helps identify areas of weakness and guides interventions for struggling readers. It also highlights how building literacy knowledge is critical to reading success. Literacy knowledge refers to understanding the purposes, features and conventions of texts. As students progress through primary and secondary school, they need opportunities to read a wide variety of genres and receive explicit instruction on text structures. Importantly, this research shows that students with greater literacy knowledge are more likely to understand the texts they encounter, and thus become skilled readers and writers.

The Science of Learning is a developing field that combines neuroscience, psychology and other lsciences relating to learning. It shows that the brain continues to grow and develop throughout your life, determined by your relationships, environments and experiences. This research has many practical implications for creating opportunities for all learners in the literacy classroom.

How do we use it?

Cleverbean's approach to literacy is rooted in their in-depth understanding of the Science of Learning. Informed by evidence based practice and cognitive science, our materials are aligned with key principles that enhance educational outcomes for all students.

We acknowledge that learning involves a change in long-term memory, highlighting the connection between working memory and storing knowledge for future use. Our lesson plans encourage repeated practice for consolidation of knowledge to ensure effective learning, fostering the development of robust mental models.

Understanding the limited capacity of working memory, Cleverbean presents all of the information from their lessons and supporting materials in manageable chunks, providing opportunities at each stage of the lesson for guidance, feedback and importantly, for practice. This approach supports all students through tailoring strategies to support the diverse capacities for processing information. Loomi has also been designed with this in front of mind. The feedback students receive (in written and aural forms) is provided in clear and concise student-friendly language. Students are also able to revisit previous feedback to ensure they have correctly followed instructions and suggestions for improvement.

Cleverbean prioritises mastery, guiding students to store and recall knowledge meaningfully. Through varied practice, students develop fluency, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Relevant background knowledge is consolidated, empowering students to apply it creatively. This approach is evident in all lesson materials and in the structure of Loomi, which encourages students to consolidate their learning through repeated practice.

Finally, using insights from Scarborough’s Reading Rope, Cleverbean designs reading lessons with a focus on two key aspects: word recognition and language comprehension. For word recognition, our lessons follow a systematic approach teaching phonics, starting with basic concepts such as single letters and progressing to more complex ones. Early learners benefit from using picture books and engaging literacy activities. To improve students’ comprehension, our lessons concentrate on vocabulary, background knowledge, and understanding language structures. Structured for explicit teaching and consolidation of learning, we also incorporate diverse mentor texts to enhance students' reading experiences.

What is it?

Formative assessment is a collaborative process that involves both students and teachers. It is not something that is done to students, but rather with them. It involves ongoing feedback and checks during the learning process to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses. The goal is to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student achievement. Unlike summative assessment, which evaluates educational outcomes, formative assessment focuses on providing qualitative feedback to both students and teachers. It is a continuous process that allows teachers to monitor student progress and make informed decisions about their instruction. This type of assessment supports students in becoming self-directed learners, helping them to set goals and take responsibility for their own learning. Formative assessment can take many forms, such as single sentences, verbal responses or short written texts. Two experts in formative assessment are Dylan Wiliam and John Hattie. Dylan Wiliam’s research outlines five key strategies that support effective formative assessment. These strategies include clarifying learning intentions, having effective classroom discussions, providing feedback, activating students as learning resources for each other, and activating students as owners of their own learning. John Hattie discusses the principles and practices of effective teaching and learning in his book ‘Visible Learning’. Like Wiliam, his research supports ongoing feedback as being crucial for students' academic learning outcomes. Both of these experts highlight the importance of using assessment to make learning more visible and to enhance its power as a learning tool.

How do we use it?

Cleverbean strongly supports the practical benefits of formative assessment for teachers and students. It is this commitment to improving learning outcomes that led to the development of Loomi, which provides students with targeted feedback related to their writing. In all our lessons, we embed formative assessment prompts that directly align with learning intentions and success criteria. These are included at the end of every lesson plan and align with the feedback that Loomi provides. Some of our lessons also feature digital tools such as Google Forms that can be used to conduct efficient and effective formative feedback, with little to no preparation from the teacher. This ensures that teachers can seamlessly incorporate these assessment tools into their daily instruction. Cleverbean's commitment to formative assessment goes beyond theory; it's a practical integration into every lesson. Using Loomi makes the feedback process as part of quality formative assessment more manageable, productive and efficient for both students and teachers.

What is it?

Differentiation is a high impact strategy where teachers vary their instructional approaches to the content, the process, and/or the product in anticipation of, or in response to student differences in readiness, interests and learning. When it comes to content, teachers can use materials at different reading levels, provide auditory and visual aids, and meet with small groups to re-teach or extend learning. In terms of process, teachers can use tiered activities, groupings and manipulatives to support different learners. For products, students can be provided with options to express their learning, such as drawing a picture, writing a letter or verbally recounting some information.

Carol Ann Tomlinson, a well known expert in the field of differentiation, believes that differentiation is about teaching with individual students in mind. Tomlinson’s research highlights the need for recognising and building upon students’ similarities and differences in the classroom, and establishing clear learning goals. In this way, a differentiated classroom provides multiple options for students to acquire content, make sense of ideas, and express their learning: “Teachers are most likely to be most effective when they have students work with the same essential understandings but at varied levels of complexity and with different scaffolding based on the students’ current points of development” (2013, pp. 6).

How do we use it?

At Cleverbean, we advocate for the creation of robust tasks that can be effortlessly differentiated, fostering an inclusive learning environment where every student can access the curriculum and achieve academic success. Our lessons enable teachers to embed collaborative, open ended tasks that encourage critical and creative thinking, and celebrate the success of every individual student. The nature of these open-ended tasks is also reflected in the feedback delivered to students using Loomi; it is designed to provide opportunities for extension and further exploration for students who require additional challenges. This ensures that every student, regardless of their ability level, can benefit from personalised feedback that encourages deeper learning and growth. Furthermore, Cleverbean lessons provide guidance on how to adapt tasks, ensuring they are accessible for students requiring additional support, and challenging for those seeking an extra level of engagement.

Differentiation at Cleverbean is not about introducing entirely new tasks or activities; instead, it involves thoughtful adjustments to accommodate diverse phases of learning. This ensures that all students, regardless of their individual needs, can actively participate and thrive within the learning process.

What is it?

Feedback is a powerful tool, helping students to know where they stand while guiding them with clear steps to improve. Wisniewski, Zierer and Hattie (2020) conducted a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of feedback in educational settings, and their research highlights its timeliness as crucial. Feedback that is immediate has a greater impact on student learning compared to delayed feedback. When students receive feedback promptly, they can make immediate connections between their actions and the learning intentions and success criteria, leading to a deeper understanding of the material. Wisniewski, Zierer and Hattie (2020) also explored the role of feedback in promoting student motivation and engagement. They found that feedback that is specific, constructive and personalised has a positive impact on student motivation. When students receive feedback that is tailored to their individual needs and provides clear guidance for improvement, they are more likely to be motivated to put in the effort to enhance their learning. Feedback that acknowledges students' efforts and highlights their progress can also significantly boost their self-efficacy. When students perceive themselves as capable and competent, they are more likely to take on challenging tasks and persist in the face of obstacles.

How do we use it?

Feedback is an essential part of the learning process, but its effectiveness depends on how students use it. As outlined above, feedback should not only identify the quality of the work, but also provide guidance on how to improve future performance. For example, a teacher might praise a student for including a variety of verbs in their writing, and suggest improving consistency in verb tense usage for further enhancement. The purpose of feedback is to help students improve their abilities in tasks they have not yet attempted.

To be purposeful, feedback must be readily understandable and provided promptly. Cleverbean’s Loomi tool supports teachers in delivering timely, actionable and specific feedback that students can act upon. Loomi fosters self-assessment by using student-friendly language, enabling students to reflect on their work independently and identify areas needing improvement. This process equips students with the skills to become motivated, independent writers and with an understanding that good writing takes time, requiring multiple drafts and revisions. The nature of Loomi’s feedback, using the ‘Grow and Glow’ model, is also intentional. It is crucial to align feedback with a lesson's learning intention, avoiding distractions like correcting minor errors irrelevant to the actual focus of the lesson. For teachers, Loomi simplifies the monitoring of progress and makes providing quality feedback manageable. Effective feedback, when actionable, empowers students to take charge of their learning, a key aspect facilitated by Loomi.

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