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Creating Starters

Starters fulfil a wide range of purposes, in particular using prior knowledge to introduce new topics, they also:

1. develop early levels of engagement and motivation;
2. help to get all pupils quickly on task and to inject a sense of pace and challenge;
3. are an alternative to commencing with a whole-class question-and-answer routine;
4. Provide thought-provoking and engaging beginnings to  lessons;
5. Can be used to create lively introductions and are the first stage in meeting the key lesson objectives;
6. Starters are essentially active in nature and get the lesson off to a flying start,
7. They focus on an appropriately demanding pace in thinking and learning rather than on business of activity;

Starters also create a level of challenge which is dependent upon:

• prior learning;
• level or order of thinking;
• management of pupil response;
• create an expectation that pupils will think and participate in the lesson;
• create a climate of interaction and involvement;
• create a sense of purpose in a part of the lesson which can be derailed by administrative and organisational tasks.        
  

Starters can include brief, small-group activities prior to whole-class work; or can be used ‘little and often’ teaching of skills;
You can plan starters as a sequence of discrete units to build knowledge understanding and motivation over a series of lessons;

Tip: Exploit prime learning time – pupils are often at their most receptive at the beginning of lessons and concentration levels are high, yet this time is often devoted to administrative and organisational tasks.

Overcoming problems with starters:
careful planning and preparation;
establishing a clear focus and deal decisively with distractions;
rigorously adhering to planned timings;
using a variety of starter activities over time;
using activities and routines which latecomers can quickly assimilate and join (for example, the initial task in the starter is explained briefly on a card which can be picked up and read by each pupil as they enter the classroom even if they arrive late);

Some keys to successful starters

*          Plan the starter as a discrete element of the lesson.
*          Ensure that each element contributes directly to the overall lesson objectives.
*          Choose a type of starter that best meets those lesson objectives.
*          Take account of the range of learning needs of the group.
*          Plan for the activity to be brief and keep to your planned timings.
*          Make sure that your starters show progression over time.     
*          Keep instructions clear and concise.
*          Deal with diversions and red herrings decisively.
*          Use varied and unusual routines to create motivation.
*          Plan for a brief conclusion at the end of the starter to consolidate the gains made.
*          Talk to colleagues in other subjects to exchange ideas.

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