Children learn new knowledge by tethering it to prior knowledge. Concrete examples can be useful at giving meaning to the learning and supporting the working memory by linking to already existing schemas.
Many of the concepts we teach are fairly abstract in nature and in seeking to help pupils understand them we can build on their knowledge and experiences.
Using multiple concrete examples and encouraging pupils to develop their own models can allow us to check for misconceptions and ensure pupils can apply their knowledge to new situations.
Here are some examples in practice: