From Self-Reflection to Agency: Helping Children See Their Own Progress

What if one of the simplest ways to foster student agency was to help children stop comparing themselves with others and start looking at their own learning journey?

There is something I have been thinking about lately: in a classroom, comparison happens naturally. Children notice who finishes first, who reads more fluently, who speaks English more confidently, who seems to find maths easy, or who always has their hand up.

But is comparison a bad thing? Not necessarily, in fact even outside school we learn from one another and we notice different strategies, because we are part of a learning community.

However, I think there is another kind of comparison that deserves more space in our classrooms:

comparing ourselves with ourselves.

• Where was I when I started?
• Where am I now?
• What have I improved?
• What would I like to work on next?
• And, perhaps most importantly:
• What can I do to get there?

Nowadays it's common knowledge that every learner starts from a different place and one of the things I particularly value about the PYP is its student-centered approach: every child comes into the classroom with a different collection of experiences, knowledge, skills, strengths and needs and, for this reason, even when we offer the same learning experience to a whole class, children are not necessarily starting from the same place... And they may not need exactly the same next step.

The IB describes the PYP as a framework in which students are agents of their own learning and partners in the learning process. Agency and self-efficacy are described as fundamental to learning in the PYP, with students taking responsibility and ownership of their learning.

This makes me wonder: How can we help children become more aware of their own starting point and their own progress? 

One possible answer is through self-reflection, where reflection is more than “How did I do?”

Sometimes, when we think about reflection, we often think about questions such as: What did I learn? What did I enjoy? What was difficult?

These are useful questions, but reflection can become even more meaningful when it leads somewhere, moving reflection from simply looking backwards to also looking forwards. Questions such as

What can I already do?
What would I like to improve?
What could I do to improve it?
Is my strategy working?
What could I change? 

can shift the point of view and make a strong connection with student agency.

Looking at a more recent IB review of the literature on student agency, self-reflection is identified as one of four important components of agency, alongside intentionality, forethought and self-regulation. The review also discusses processes such as setting goals, creating plans, monitoring progress, adapting to setbacks, and reflecting on learning experiences. This connection leads students from reflection to action, shaping the process into a little cycle:

I notice: the child first becomes aware of where they are.
↓
I choose: then they identify something they would like to improve.
↓
I try: they think about a possible strategy
↓
I check: they try it.
↓
I adjust: they come back to their goal and ask:

Is this helping me?

If it is, they can continue.
If it isn't, they can try something different.

This is where reflection becomes connected to action and agency: the PYP describes action as the core of student agency and emphasizes students' responsibility and ownership of their learning.

At this point it's easy to understand that individualizing learning does not necessarily mean preparing twenty completely different activities for twenty children, instead, very often, it can mean helping each child identify their own next step.

Imagine three children working on speaking in English: one child may already be very confident and need to work on using more precise vocabulary, another may understand everything but still hesitate to speak, while a third child may need to practice forming simple sentences: the learning experience can be shared, even though the starting points and, consequently, the goals can be different too. This is where self-reflection may become a simple but powerful tool for personalizing learning.

The IB itself describes the PYP as supporting personalised and flexible learning that adapts to diverse needs, cultures and contexts.

So instead of asking: “Who is doing better?”
We can help children ask: “What can I do now that I couldn't do before?”

It's a small shift can make an important difference, because it pushes each student from comparing with others to noticing personal progress, giving children another reference point: themselves.

A child who starts with less confidence but makes significant progress may not necessarily appear to be “ahead” at the end, but their learning journey may have been enormous while another child may start from a very different point and work towards a completely different goal: if we only look at the final product, some of this progress can remain invisible.

Self-reflection can make that progress more visible and it gives children the opportunity to recognize: “At the beginning I couldn't do this, and now I can.”

And that is a very different kind of success.

References and further reading:

International Baccalaureate Organization. Primary Years Programme – Curriculum Framework.
The IB describes students as agents of their own learning and identifies agency, self-efficacy and action as fundamental elements of the PYP. 

Brandt, W. C. (2025). Measuring Student Success Skills: A Review of the Literature on Student Agency. International Baccalaureate Organization.
This review examines student agency and its relationship with goal setting, planning, self-regulation, monitoring, adaptation and self-reflection.

Toe, D., Lang, J., Paatsch, L., Yim, B., Jobling, W., Doig, B., & Aranda, G. (2016). Assessment of Student Development and Learning in IB PYP Schools. International Baccalaureate Organization.
The study examines assessment practices across PYP schools and discusses the role of student self-assessment and reflection in formative learning.

International Baccalaureate Organization. About Assessment.
The IB states that the prime objective of assessment in the PYP is to provide feedback on the learning process and stresses the importance of student and teacher self-assessment and reflection.

International Baccalaureate Organization. PYP Nano Resources – Student Agency in PYP Learning Communities.
A professional learning resource exploring how learning communities can support student agency.

🍂 Autumn Outdoors: Nature, Land Art & English Learning

Autumn is the perfect season to take learning outside. The colors change, leaves fall, acorns, pinecones appear everywhere, and suddenly the schoolyard becomes a giant outdoor classroom. For young learners, autumn offers so many opportunities to observe, collect, classify, count, create and talk, all while moving, exploring and enjoying nature. And there is another wonderful way to look at autumn: through Land Art. 

One of the first land artist I met online was Richard Shilling is a British land artist who creates  temporary artworks using natural materials found in the environment around him. Leaves, sticks, stones, seeds, grass and other natural objects become circles, patterns, sculptures and beautiful temporary compositions. His work is a wonderful starting point for children because they don't need paint, glue or lots of art supplies.They simply need to look closely at nature and use what they find.

And there is something particularly special about Land Art: it doesn't have to last forever: the wind can move it, the rain can change it, a leaf can fall away... And the artwork becomes part of nature again. This makes Land Art a beautiful way to talk to children about seasons, change, impermanence and our connection with the natural world.  

Here some ideas to enjoy both and practice English at the same time:

🍂 1. Autumn Land Art

Take the children outside and invite them to collect a few natural materials: 🍁 leaves 🌰 acorns🌲 pinecones🪵 sticks 🪨 small stones🌿 grass or seed pods

Then challenge them to create their own temporary artwork. They can make: circles, spirals, lines, patterns, symmetrical designs, little sculptures, nature pictures, etc.

Before starting, look at some of Richard Shilling's work and ask:

What can you see?
What shapes can you find?
Which materials did the artist use?
What colors can you see?
What happens if the wind blows?

ESL boost: Encourage children to describe what they are creating:

I'm using leaves and sticks.
It's a circle.
The leaves are orange and yellow.
I'm making a pattern.
This is bigger than that one.

🍁 2. Nature Mandalas

Give children a small collection of natural materials and invite them to create a nature mandala. Start from a center point and work outwards using:

🍂 leaves 🌰 acorns 🌲 pinecones 🪵 sticks 🪨 stones

Encourage children to repeat shapes, colors and patterns.

Useful vocabulary: circle, center, repeat, pattern, shape, colors, bigger, smaller, next to, between, etc.

You can also ask:
What comes next?
Can you make both sides the same?
How many leaves did you use?

🌿 Why I Love Land Art with Young English Learners

One of the things I love most about outdoor learning is that English becomes meaningful because children have something real to talk about.

They are not simply learning the word leaf from a flashcard, they are holding a leaf, they are comparing it with another leaf, they are deciding where to put it in a pattern, they are asking questions, they are creating something together.

And... suddenly, language has a purpose.

This is also why Land Art fits so naturally into an inquiry-based approach: children observe, wonder, make choices, experiment and create. There isn't always one “right” answer, which is exactly what makes the experience so valuable.

A simple autumn walk can become: “I wonder…” → “I notice…” → “I found…” → “What if…?” → “Let's create!”

For young English learners, these experiences provide a natural reason to use language while developing curiosity, creativity, collaboration and confidence.
And isn't that what learning should feel like?

🍂 Go outside. Look closely. Get curious. Create with what nature gives you.

🌈 Starting your Lessons with Circle Time

I like to start my English lessons with a familiar routine: Circle Time. It is a small moment, but it helps children settle down, switch into “English mode” and get ready for the lesson ahead. Repeated routines also give children plenty of opportunities to hear and use the same language in a natural way.

We usually begin with the day of the week. 📅

We sing our Days of the Week Song and, most importantly, we do the movements that go with it. 🎶🕺
I find this particularly important with younger learners. When children hear a word, say it, sing it and move at the same time, they create a stronger connection between the sound and its meaning.

Then we check the month. 🗓️
We sing our Months of the Year Song song and ask: “What month is it?”

Next comes the weather. ☀️🌧️🌈
We look outside, choose a weather flashcard and sing our Weather Song. Children can take turns saying:

“It’s sunny!”
“It’s cloudy!”
“It’s raining!”

Finally, we talk about our feelings.  Of course we have a feeling song, too! We use it with flashcards and encouraging children to use facial expressions to show how they feel. Children can choose a feeling card and say:

“I’m happy.”
“I’m tired.”
“I’m excited.”

For younger children, pointing to the correct face is already a great way to participate, while older children can ask a partner: “How are you today?”

I love these routines because they are predictable without being boring. Children know what comes next, but there is always room for singing, movement, creativity and conversation.

Circle Time is also a great opportunity to practice some of the simple English classroom phrases that children hear and use every day. If you need more ideas, have a look at Simple English Classroom Phrases for Young Learners Part 1 and Part 2.

And before we know it, English has already started! 💛

Here are a few things you might find useful for your classroom: 🛒

📅 A colorful classroom calendar to hang on the wall and use every day with your students! 

🌦️A Weather Chart

😊 Feelings / Emotions Posters

🗓️ Months of the Year Posters

🍂 Seasons Posters

🧸 Puppets

🎭 Emotion Flashcards

Once our Circle Time is over, I like moving on to a short, focused activity. For children working on early phonics, you might also enjoy Read, Find, Colour & Count, a playful way to practice sounds, reading and vocabulary.

📚✨When They Finish First… What Do You Give Them Next?

Hi all! ❤️

August is finished, and many of you are already getting ready to plan lessons that will meet the needs of your dear pupils.

In all of this, differentiation is a cornerstone of good teaching. And while we are usually very good at reducing, adapting or scaffolding the workload for children who struggle, we sometimes forget about those who learn quickly, finish early and are hungry for more.

You know that child.

The one who always finishes first, but whose reading level is still not quite strong enough to pick up a little book independently or follow lengthy, complex instructions without your help.

So what happens?

You give them another task. Then another. And before long, you find yourself spending precious time explaining something new to the child who has already finished, while the rest of the class is still working and needs your attention.

This is exactly where these phonics activity books come in.

They are designed to complement, not replace, your phonics lessons. The activity books come into play after each new group of sounds has been explicitly taught in class, providing children with meaningful opportunities to consolidate, review and practise what they have already learned.

They are particularly valuable for those children who are ready to work more independently, yet are not quite ready to access traditional reading materials on their own.

The activities are engaging, hands-on and carefully structured around the phonics children already know. The instructions are accessible, so children can understand what to do without needing you to sit beside them and explain every step.

That means purposeful practice for them—and more teaching time for you.

Because differentiation isn't only about giving less to the children who need support.

Sometimes, it's about making sure the children who are ready to move ahead have somewhere meaningful to go.

And because, let's be honest, being a fast finisher shouldn't mean sitting there waiting for the teacher. ❤️

So… I'm incredibly excited to finally share a project I've poured my heart into:

Read, Find, Colour & Count! ❤️

✨ A phonics activity series designed to make independent practice meaningful, accessible and fun.

Each booklet is designed to be used after a new group of sounds has been explicitly taught, giving children the opportunity to consolidate what they already know while developing confidence in decoding.

Another feature I carefully considered is the format of each booklet.

Every page has been designed so that children can successfully complete the activities, regardless of their confidence level. I strongly believe that experiencing success is essential for building motivation and self-esteem.

When children finish a page thinking “I can do this!”, they become more willing to keep learning and to tackle new challenges with confidence.

Each booklet offers four engaging learning experiences:

📖 Read – Read simple phonics words and develop decoding skills.

🔍 Find – Search for the target word among many others, strengthening visual discrimination, concentration and word recognition.

🎨 Colour – Turn every page into a relaxing colouring activity while reinforcing learning and developing fine motor skills.

🔢 Count – Count the matching pictures, combining early literacy with numeracy practice.

AND... GAMES! of course😁

🌀 Mazes
🧠 Memory
🐍 Snakes & Ladders
4️⃣ 4 in a Row
👏 Snap
🐟 Go Fish...

The books are photocopiable, making them perfect for classroom use, literacy centres, homework, independent practice, intervention groups, early finishers or homeschooling.

👧👦 They are especially suitable for children in the final year of kindergarten and Year 1 / Grade 1 who are beginning their reading journey.

🎁 And I have a little gift for you!

The first booklet in the series is available FREE as a PDF when you subscribe to the Miss Lucy's Teaching Fun newsletter.

It's my little way of saying thank you for joining this wonderful community of teachers and parents. ❤️

If you'd rather have the printed version—or explore the rest of the collection—you can find the books on Amazon:

👉 Read, Find, Colour and Count SATPIN

👉 Read, Find, Colour and Count CKEHRMD

or 👉  in my store on Payhip

As an English teacher, I've always believed that teaching children to read through phonics is one of the most practical and useful skills we can equip them with.

When children learn to decode words confidently, they don't just learn to read—they build the foundations to truly master the English language.

This is exactly why I created this series.

My dream is to help bring systematic phonics instruction into ESL classrooms, where this essential part of literacy is still often overlooked in favour of less systematic approaches to early reading.

In my experience, explicit phonics instruction—including the correct pronunciation of each sound—supports every aspect of language learning. It helps children become more confident speakers, more accurate readers and stronger listeners by enabling them to connect sounds, letters and meaning.

I truly hope these books help many little learners discover that learning to read can be meaningful, confidence-building… and lots of fun! 💛

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🌟 ¡Learning English doesn’t simply mean filling in the blanks! 🇬🇧✨

Many English as a Second Language (ESL) activities rely solely on “fill-in-the-blank” exercises ✏️… but the real goal should be to help children speak, understand, and use English naturally. 🗣️💬

🎨 Learning by doing makes it much easier, more fun, and more motivating!

And you’ll be surprised at how quickly children can start achieving real results. 🌈🚀

📚 If you’re looking for creative and engaging activities to make English learning more dynamic, check out my online store! 🛍️💕

👉 ESL Children's Worksheets

✨ Learn, play, speak, and grow! ❤️

5 No-Prep Vocabulary Games Every Teacher Should Know

Sometimes you finish a lesson before the hour is up, or you've planned an activity that just isn't taking off as expected. What do you do? Play a game!

Practice makes perfect, but only if students stay engaged. These no-prep games provide the repeated exposure vocabulary needs while keeping lessons lively and enjoyable.

Learning through play not only helps students remember new vocabulary more effectively, but it also creates a positive, relaxed atmosphere where they're more willing to use English.

Here are five no-prep vocabulary games that can rescue your lesson at a moment's notice.

If you're looking for more ideas to get children talking and moving, especially at the beginning of the school year, you might also like my post BACK TO SCHOOL: LET'S GET TALKING! 🎒❤️.

1. Guess My Word

Choose a vocabulary topic you're currently teaching. One student thinks of a word but isn't allowed to say it. Instead, they describe it while the rest of the class tries to guess.

For example: "You can eat it.";  "It's red."; "It's sweet." (Answer: apple) The student who guesses correctly chooses the next word.

2. Guess Your Word

This is the reverse version of the previous game.

Choose a student and secretly assign them a word without telling them what it is. Write it on a piece of paper or hold up a flashcard so that everyone except the chosen student can see it.

The student asks yes/no questions to discover the mystery word, while the rest of the class answers. For example: "Is it an animal?", "Can you eat it?", "Is it big?"

This game naturally encourages students to ask meaningful questions while reviewing vocabulary.

3. Flashcard Corners

Place four flashcards in different corners of the classroom. If you don't have flashcards, simply write four words on separate sheets of paper. Call out either a vocabulary word or a clue, depending on your students' level, and have them move to the correct corner. Instead of saying "Hat" try saying "Find something you wear." For younger learners, make movement part of the fun by asking them to travel like penguins, crabs, frogs, or robots.

4. Pass the Ball

All you need is a soft ball, or any small, safe object, and some music. Students pass the ball while the music plays. When it stops, the student holding the ball completes a vocabulary challenge.

For example: “Name a fruit”, “Say three animals”, “Tell me something blue”, “Use happy in a sentence”.

I always keep a soft ball in my teaching bag because it's one of those activities that works with almost any age group and requires virtually no preparation.

5. Category Race

Write a category on the board, for example, Food, and divide the class into teams. Each team has one minute (or longer for younger learners) to write as many words as they can that belong to that category. Possible categories include: Clothes, Transport, School objects and rooms, Animals of different kind, Verbs, Adjectives, etc. When time is up, compare the lists. The team with the most correct answers wins.

Variation: Categories A–Z

A fun extension is the classic Categories game (sometimes known as Things, Animals, Cities).

Students draw a table with several categories, such as Animals, Food, Countries, and Jobs, or anything you ‘d like to revise. Choose a letter of the alphabet, and teams race to write one word beginning with that letter in each category before time runs out.

This variation encourages students to retrieve vocabulary quickly while adding a competitive element that keeps everyone engaged.

These little games are a great way to create opportunities for children to speak English from the very beginning. If you are interested in building that habit from day one, you might also enjoy English from the First Hello

BACK TO SCHOOL: LET'S GET TALKING! 🎒❤️

The first week of school is the perfect time to get children moving, playing and, most importantly, talking in English!

After the summer break, I like starting with simple activities that help children feel comfortable, have fun and get to know each other. One of my favourite topics is LIKES AND DISLIKES.

🏃 I LIKE IT!

Many years ago, I shared a simple game called I LIKE IT! on this blog. The idea is very easy. Put a happy face 🙂 on one wall and a sad face 🙁 on the opposite wall. Children stand in the middle.

Show them a flashcard and say: "I like strawberries!" They will run to the happy face.

Then say: "I don't like strawberries!" They will run to the sad face!

It's a fun way to practise I like / I don't like while getting everyone moving. And you can use it with lots of different vocabulary: food, animals, hobbies, sports and more.

💬 FROM PLAYING TO SPEAKING

This year, I wanted to take the idea a little further. I've created a new set of worksheets and speaking activities to help children practise:

I like... / I don't like...
He/She likes... / He/She doesn't like...
Do you like...?
Does he/she like...?

The activities start with characters and guided practice and gradually move towards pair work, group speaking and personalisation.

Children can talk about things they know and love: 🍎 food, 🎮 playing, 📚 books and subjects, 🐶 animals, 🎵 music, 🎨 hobbies, 🎬 films, 📺 TV programmes, 🌍 places and more.

---

👯 LET'S TALK ABOUT US!

The best part is giving children the opportunity to ask their classmates:
"Do you like...?"
and discover what they have in common. Because the first week of school isn't only about revising English. It's about building relationships, creating a positive classroom atmosphere and making children want to communicate. So let's start the school year with some movement, some fun and lots of questions!

DO YOU LIKE...? ❤️You can find the complete Likes & Doesn't Like resource in my Payhip shop. 

Take a look at the Free samples here

Have fun and have a wonderful first week back!

What's the most memorable lesson your students still talk about years later? 💡

 

I truly believe that when a teacher manages to have fun, be surprised and learn something while teaching, their students will naturally do the same.

And that's how I found myself thinking back to some of the lessons that, I’m pretty sure, not even Alzheimer's will manage to erase from my memory! 😄

And perhaps that's why I have always loved the Tuning In phase of an inquiry.
When we create an experience that genuinely surprises us as teachers, it becomes much easier to create that same sense of wonder in our students.

Curiosity is contagious. 🧐✨

Years ago, I was teaching in an international school that was applying to become an IB World School for the Primary Years Programme. Every Unit of Inquiry was carefully planned, discussed and refined.

Yet, despite all that planning, there was one phase that everyone was always excited about...

The Tuning In.

Not because it came first.

But because it was the moment that made children want to learn. One Unit of Inquiry was "How Things Work", and we wanted students to explore the concept of energy. So, instead of introducing the topic with a PowerPoint or a textbook...

. ..we secretly transformed the classrooms overnight.

The electricity, water supply and heating were temporarily switched off. Black-and-yellow hazard tape and construction signs appeared everywhere. The next morning, the children walked in and froze.

"Why isn't the interactive whiteboard working?"

"How are we going to wash our hands?" (This was during COVID!)

"Why is it so cold?"

Within seconds, they were asking questions, making predictions and trying to solve the mystery. Nobody had asked them to be curious. The environment had done it for us.And that wasn't the only unforgettable Tuning In.

🕰️ During our "Where We Are in Place and Time" unit, we filled the classroom with photographs and artefacts from different historical periods. Without any explanation, students worked in groups to identify where each object belonged on a timeline, using only their prior knowledge. They debated, justified their thinking and realised just how much they already knew... and how much they still wanted to discover.

🌱 For a "Sharing the Planet" unit, we showed a short scene from WALL·E. Instead of explaining its meaning, we followed it with the classic See–Think–Wonder routine. The discussion that followed naturally led us towards questions about pollution, nature, plants and our responsibility towards the environment. The inquiry had already begun before we had even introduced the central idea.

That's the real power of Tuning In. It isn't simply an introduction to a new unit.

As Kath Murdoch, one of the leading experts on Inquiry Learning and author of the well-known the Power of Inquiry, and Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning , often points out that “Tuning In” is not meant to introduce a topic, but rather to “tune in to the students’ thinking.” 

The goal is not to assess how much they know, but to bring their ideas, beliefs, doubts, and misconceptions to light, so that the teacher can design the learning path based on what emerges.

Here are some more ideas to spark the TUNING IN phase of your inquiry — not as a checklist, but as provocations to help you uncover what your students already think, what surprises them, and what they are genuinely curious to find out:

🖼️ Image-Based Provocation:  Don’t just show students a picture! Choose an ambiguous, surprising or thought-provoking image and invite them to come up with different interpretations. It’s a great way to activate prior knowledge and get those little brains working! 👉 Here's an example

✏️ Question Pencil: Start with the questions your students naturally come up with and help them turn simple, factual questions into more open-ended and conceptual ones. For example, move from “How many…?” to questions that encourage deeper thinking and can lead to further inquiry. 👉Here's an example

🔺 Question Triangle: Once students have generated their questions, invite them to look at them more closely. Which questions are thin and which ones are deep? Can they transform a simple question into one that could lead to a much richer inquiry? 👉Here's an example

🔥 Hot Seat:  Put a student, an object, a historical character—or even a picture—in the hot seat! The rest of the class can ask questions to discover more. It’s a fun way to turn students from passive answerers into active questioners. 👉Here's an example

💭 What if...?  Sometimes all you need is a good What if...? question to open the door to an inquiry.

What if cities could float?
What if the Sun disappeared?
What if humans couldn't use plastic anymore?

Impossible? Maybe. But that's exactly what makes these questions so powerful! They encourage children to imagine, make connections and explore possible consequences. 👉 Here's an example

🧩 A Problem to Solve:  Instead of telling students what they are going to learn, give them a real problem they can't solve yet with what they already know.Let them problem-see before they problem-solve. The gap between what they know and what they need to know can be a f antastic starting point for inquiry! 👉Here's an example

🌍 Bring in the Real World

Sometimes the best provocation is a real person. Invite an expert, a family member, a community member—or even connect virtually with someone from another part of the world. A personal story, a real experience or a different perspective can make an inquiry suddenly feel much more meaningful. 

🎨 A Creative Provocation

A work of art, an unusual object, a photograph, a piece of music or even a short performance can become the starting point for a whole inquiry. Instead of explaining what students are looking at, simply ask: What do you notice? What do you think? What does it make you wonder? And then... let the conversation take you somewhere unexpected! 👉Here's an example

🎧🎬 A Multisensory Provocation

And remember: a provocation doesn't have to be a whole video or a perfectly prepared presentation. Sometimes a sound, a few seconds of video, an image without context, a mysterious smell or an object to touch and explore is enough. The goal isn't to give students information. It's to create just enough mystery and uncertainty for them to think: “Wait... what's going on here?” 👀 

And that's often where the real inquiry begins! 💡