It’s that time of year again – SATs practice questions are in full flow, the booster sessions have begun and the timetable is full of Maths and English – definitely no time for a sneaky art project!
As educators, we’re familiar with the challenges posed by SATs preparation, particularly in Year 6. The pressure to excel in tested subjects often leads to a narrowed curriculum and rote-learning methods, compromising the overall educational experience.
Outdoor learning emerges as a promising solution to these challenges. Studies have shown that outdoor experiences significantly enhance memory recall and engagement among students. The quality of outdoor experiences sustains engagement and supports memory retention, leading to better long-term knowledge retention. Comparative studies between outdoor and indoor instruction consistently demonstrate the superiority of outdoor instruction in terms of memory recall and content description.
The benefits of outdoor learning extend beyond academic attainment. Planned outdoor activities foster positive interactions, develop problem-solving skills, and promote mutual respect among students.
SATs revision games
One of the most effective ways to introduce outdoor learning to support your SATs provision is through quick and easy revision games. These can be used at transition times, as PE starters, or whenever you have a quick 5 minutes to revise a key concept. Here are 5 ideas to get you started!
Relay Race Review:
Divide the class into teams and set up stations around the outdoor area, each with a SATs-style question. Each team member must run to a station, answer the question, and then tag the next teammate to continue. The first team to complete all questions correctly wins.
Treasure Hunt Teasers:
Hide SATs-style questions or clues around the outdoor space, with each clue leading to the next. Students must solve each question to find the next clue until they reach the final destination.
Maths Obstacle Course:
Create an obstacle course with various physical challenges, each with a SATs-style question attached. Students must complete the challenge and then solve the corresponding question before moving on to the next obstacle.
Nature Scavenger Hunt:
Provide students with a list of SATs-related concepts or questions to find in the outdoor environment. For example, they may need to locate shapes, measure distances, or identify adjectives. This hands-on activity encourages observational skills and reinforces learning in a natural setting.
Four Corners:
Label the corners of the playground with 4 categories relevant to the subject you are revising eg. noun, adjective, verb and adverb for word classes. Read a related question and ask the children to run to the corner of the playground that is correct.
Would you like to find out more?
If you would like more support and ideas to harness the power of outdoor learning for KS2 SATs then click the link to the training below.
