Brendan Lee

Does anyone else feel torn when people pit explicit instruction against discovery learning? 🙋‍♂️ On one hand, I know the research: novices need guidance. "Minimal guidance" usually leads to frustration. On the other hand... as a teacher, there is nothing better than seeing a student have a genuine "Aha!" moment where they connect the dots themselves. For years, I've felt frustrated at feeling like I had to pick a side. Learning about the Instructional Hierarchy has been great at explaining how it's all about when and how. But recently, I’ve been diving into the world of Contingency Adduction and it has really started to provide some precise answers for me. It’s a framework that shows how we can engineer discovery. We don't leave it to chance. We build the tool skills to such a high level of fluency that the "discovery" becomes inevitable. It’s about designing for the "Aha!", not the "Huh?". I wrote a piece explaining how this works (and why most discovery lessons fail because they skip the fluency step). Check it out here: open.substack.com/pub/knowledgef… You might find this interesting @brian_poncy @msrebeccabirch @jettybe3 @StamStam193 @nsachdeva2019 @teacherhead @Emma_Turner75

"He’s heating up!" 🔥🏀 If you know NBA Jam you know the inspiration behind Facts on Fire. But what’s really catching fire right now is the phenomenal impact this approach is having on our students. Over 300 Victorian educators packing a room to geek out over maths facts? Wild. But when @brian_poncy is presenting it makes total sense. The momentum is undeniable. Newlands PS (a bilingual school) has even created a Facts on Fire warm-up song entirely in Spanish. 🇪🇸🎶 Huge shoutout to SOLA and Bentleigh West PS @SarahAsome for organising an epic event. Loved grabbing this shot with Brian and Karina Stocker!

Are we missing the biggest lever for improving literacy outcomes? In this episode of Knowledge for Teachers, I speak with language and literacy researcher @TrinaDSpencer2 about a powerful idea that could reshape how we approach literacy instruction in schools. We unpack: ✅ Why spoken academic language may be the true foundation of reading success ✅ How storytelling and narrative can strengthen comprehension and writing ✅ Practical shifts teachers can make to support more students to succeed On top of all that, Trina also shares her incredible personal story from being "raised by dingoes" to being the director of the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project. If you are passionate about improving literacy outcomes and want research-informed ideas you can actually use, this is an episode worth your time. 🎧 Listen here learnwithlee.net/s04e04-dr-trin…

🎟️ LAST DAY to secure your tickets to see @brian_poncy live in Australia. Do not miss this opportunity. Monday 16th March: Adelaide trybooking.com/DHZSU Wednesday 18th March: Melbourne trybooking.com/DIABM Friday 20th March: Sydney trybooking.com/DHYZG

LATEST EPISODE In this powerful episode, I sit down with @brian_poncy to unpack why maths fact fluency is the bridge to higher-order problem solving, stronger engagement and real student confidence. We explore: ✅ What fluency actually means (and why it is so often misunderstood) ✅ How carefully sequenced practice builds success and motivation ✅ Why tool skills unlock complex mathematical thinking ✅ Practical routines schools can implement immediately If you care about helping students access the maths curriculum with confidence and success, this conversation is essential listening. 🎧Listen now: learnwithlee.net/s04e03-dr-bria…

A snippet from a recent conversations with @learnwithmrlee about timed math fact practice and how it looks when done in line with the empirical literature. @rscodding @rastokke

Absolutely love this! Thank you @brian_poncy @learnwithmrlee Timing students is so powerful. It motivates and excites them. We @LexonicST set the timer for all our #literacy activities because it works. It builds automaticity and accuracy!

Sorry, the previous post had the wrong link. Here is the correct link: events.humanitix.com/implementing-e…

IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE PRIMARY MATHS INSTRUCTION It's one thing to know what effection maths instruction looks like, but it's another thing to understand how to implement it effectively. As a school leader, I had to learn this the hard way. That's why I created this course! Over the two days, I will unpack: - what school leaders need to know about effective maths instruction - curriculum design - assessments - intervention - some of the key principles from the implementation science - how to support staff through change - setting up the systems and process to ensure good ideas stick Register here: events.humanitix.com/the-primary-ma…

Kids actually love being timed. Here’s why it reduces anxiety, not causes it🔥 Listen to the full episode with @brian_poncy here: learnwithlee.net/s04e03-dr-bria…

Really enjoyed chatting with Drew and unpacking how it's all about using the right tool at the right time.

📢NEW EPISODE I've been advocating for more effective fluency practice in maths for years, and few people have influenced my thinking quite like @brian_poncy. It was an absolute pleasure talking "shop" with him as we unpacked the finer details of his Facts on Fire 2.0 program. One of the things I deeply admire about Brian's work is that it's grounded in real classrooms. He is on the ground listening, implementing and continually improving his resources to ensure they actually help schools make daily fluency practice a reality. In our conversation, Brian makes a compelling case that true fluency, defined as accuracy plus speed, is not about drill for the sake of it. It is about freeing up working memory so students can engage in reasoning, problem solving and deeper mathematical thinking. We also dive into small daily routines, sequencing, retrieval practice and the fascinating concept of contingency adduction. If you are serious about evidence-informed maths instruction, this episode is worth your time. 🎧Listen here 👇 learnwithlee.net/s04e03-dr-bria…

LATEST EPISODE In this chat, @DavidDidau unpacks five problematic patterns that often show up in everyday teaching, not because teachers are doing the wrong thing intentionally, but because schools can easily reward surface level performance over durable learning. David shares clear insights on performance versus learning, why retrieval practice is often misunderstood, how to stop students practising mistakes, and what it really means to build a culture of participation and understanding. Practical, grounded and full of reminders worth revisiting. Listen here: learnwithlee.net/s04e02-david-d… Catch David in person: - NSW (10 March) cis.org.au/event/better-t… - VIC (19 March) events.humanitix.com/coach-to-5k-wr… - WA (23 March) dsf.net.au/our-services/p…

When the design is right, insight feels surprising to the learner, but completely predictable to the teacher. I unpack this idea (and the research behind it) in my latest article here 👇 knowledgeforteachers.substack.com/p/engineering-…

5. Design the task to do the recruiting Once the prerequisites are fluent, a good task quietly pulls them together.

PLANNING FOR THE "AHA" MOMENT The “aha” moment isn’t something we should be crossing our fingers for. It’s something we can actually plan for. Discovery works best when it’s engineered. Here’s what planning for an “aha!” looks like 🧵

‘So, tell me what you know’. A brilliant question to check how secure knowledge is.