Teacher-talk is a powerful tool. But while teachers must embrace teacher-talk as vital, they must also bear in mind that not all teacher-talk is created equally...Long periods of talk will not always keep a class spellbound. Other techniques are needed on which to help pupils embed learning and make progress. After all, how can we be effectively checking progress and understanding when it is we who are doing all the talking? How can we be certain that the sea of "attentive" faces before us is not simply contemplating lunch? The solution is here--a vast bank of exciting, engaging, practical ways to allow learners to access and understand complex topics and skills without relentlessly bending their ears. Strategies which not only prevent pupils from being passengers in lessons, but which also make progress visible to both teacher and learner. In an entertaining and practical way, Talk-Less Teaching shows you how to encourage learners' responsibility for their own progress without compromising test results or overall achievement. Discover hundreds of tried and tested practical tips for helping pupils understand difficult concepts and learn new skills without you developing lecture-laryngitis. `Talk-less Teaching` engages the reader from the outset with a fluent and accessible style. What struck me most about it was the pedagogical expertise that runs throughout the book but doesn't overwhelm it with technical language or eduspeak. The book is written in plain English whilst providing sophisticated solutions to complex problems that some teachers may not even realise they haveathey will after reading the book!The range of suggestions for tweaking, developing and even totally transforming classroom practice to ensure engagement and immersion of all students in learning is breath-taking. David Gibbons, Vice Chair, National Association for Teaching English Primary Committee Beautifully nuanced, balanced, readable, and as free of jargon and ideology as it''s possible to be, this outstanding book is a rich repository of ideas for showing that understanding does not have to be the victim of coverage. Steeped in the most rigorous laboratory of all - classroom practice - it joins an impressive list of books for teachers that will last long after His Master''s Voice has fallen silent. Barry J Hymer, Professor of Psychology in Education, University of Cumbria in Lancaster Isabella and Leah are both trained, qualified and experienced teachers, and it shows. This intelligent and rather well-written book sees learning through the eyes of the learners, and presents a range of strategies and arguments as to why teachers should continue to do so. It is balanced, without evident bigotry, and is rather better argued than the contentions of less experienced teachers who feel that, after a two year stint of class tourism, they can assert from an imagined superiority that talking is teaching. It isn't. Teaching is vastly more complicated than just turning up and pontificating. This book knows that and has some cracking ideas to help you turn away from the politically influenced idea perpetrated by blind pawns that boring children is educating them. Phil Beadle, Teacher and Author Part of the new Osiris Educational series, this is an entertaining and accessible collection of strategies to help improve classroom practice across the board. It''s a myth, of course, that an outstanding lesson should not feature Sir''s voice It any point whatsoever - but ''talk-less teaching'' should definitely be an option found in every educator''s toolkit, and if you''re starting to feel as though a little less time lecturing and a little more time facilitating independent learning might benefit both you and your students, then you may well find Just what you need within these pages. clear, credible advice underpins an impressive array of practical techniques designed to maximise learners'' engagement with and mastery of the content being delivered; It''s a thoroughly absorbing read throughout, and whilst it''s true that not everything that the authors suggest will necessarily work with every young person, nor every time, there''s plenty here with the potential to inspire positive change. Teach Secondary, Magazine Issue 3.7, October 2014 The voice of a teacher is arguably one of the most important assets in the armoury of tools required every day. It's so precious, in fact, that it should be protected and used with great care as it can convey so many messages throughout the school day.In fact, sometimes we can all over-talk when we are in teacher mode; we get carried away labouring our teaching point that pupils switch off to the main idea we're trying to convey. We've all been in meetings when someone in higher authority is rambling away their really important message, only to suddenly realise we've been mentally somewhere else for the last ten minutes, with no idea what the person is going on about.In their book aTalk-Less Teac