When a pupil gets stuck, a teacher often has more information than the pupil can use. A marked worksheet, a remembered explanation and a comment in a book may all describe the same lesson, yet the next step remains unclear. One practical way to bring those clues together is to track how a learner’s thinking changes, rather than counting how many tasks they complete.
The solo taxonomy offers a useful lens for that kind of tracking. It describes how understanding can develop from noticing a single relevant idea, to connecting several ideas, and then using those connections to reason in a new situation. Teachers can use that progression to make feedback more specific without turning every piece of work into a score.
Record the thinking, not only the result
A correct answer can hide a shaky explanation. A wrong answer can contain a sound first step. If assessment records only right or wrong, the teacher loses information about what the pupil understands and what they are ready to try next.
Instead, collect brief examples of thinking over time. These might be a sentence explaining a choice, an annotated diagram, a spoken explanation noted after a conference, or a first attempt at a problem. The aim is not to create a portfolio of everything a pupil does. It is to keep a small number of useful samples that show a change in reasoning.
For instance, in a science unit on habitats, one early response might name a feature of an animal. A later response might connect that feature to shelter or food. A stronger explanation could use the connection to predict what might happen if the habitat changed. The teacher can then point to the pupil’s own earlier work and show what has developed.
Turn observations into a next move
Feedback helps when it identifies a manageable action. “Add more detail” gives a pupil little direction. “Explain how the animal’s colouring helps it avoid predators” names a relationship they can think through and express.
Teachers can use a simple sequence while reviewing work: What idea has the pupil noticed? What connections have they made? Can they use those connections to explain, predict or transfer learning? The answers need not become formal labels. They can guide a question, a short prompt or the next task.
For a class discussion, a teacher might ask pupils to explain one claim with evidence. If a pupil can name evidence but has not connected it to the claim, the next prompt can focus on that link. If the explanation is already coherent, a new example can test whether the pupil can apply the same reasoning elsewhere.
Keep the evidence trail manageable
A system that takes longer to maintain than to teach will not last. Choose a format that fits existing routines: a table in a planning document, a short note in the mark book, or a folder with a few dated samples. Record only evidence that can influence a teaching decision.
- Choose one learning goal for the sequence, stated in language pupils can understand.
- Keep an early example that captures how pupils first approach the idea.
- Use a common prompt or task when comparing later work, so the evidence is easier to interpret.
- Write brief notes about the reasoning, not general judgements about ability.
- Review the samples before planning the next lesson and decide what prompt or practice would help.
Consistency matters more than elaborate record-keeping. A few clear observations collected at sensible points can reveal patterns that a pile of marked pages cannot. Teachers should also avoid treating a single sample as a complete picture. Pupils may explain an idea more clearly aloud than in writing, or need time to transfer a concept from one context to another.
Make progress visible to pupils
Invite pupils to compare an early attempt with a recent one. Ask what they understand now, what connection helped, and what they still need to work out. This shifts review from “What mark did I get?” towards “What can I explain that I could not explain before?”
Keep the conversation concrete. A pupil might underline the sentence where they linked evidence to a claim, or add a note to a diagram showing how one part affects another. These small acts help learners see that progress involves changes in the quality and use of ideas, not merely finishing more work.
An evidence trail is most useful when it leads to action. The teacher adjusts a prompt or lesson; the pupil knows what to attempt next; and the next piece of work gives both a reason to check whether the thinking has moved on. That is enough structure to support better feedback without adding a new layer of marking.
