Bringing RE to Life: How Active Learning Can Enrich Religious Education Across All Faiths

by Bryn Llewellyn

In many UK primary schools - particularly Catholic schools - Religious Education takes up around 10% of curriculum time. That’s roughly 2 hours and 15 - 30 minutes each week dedicated to exploring faith, belief, and what it means to live well.

That’s precious time.

And if we want children to genuinely connect with scripture, religious teachings, worldviews, and core virtues, those lessons need to feel alive - not simply delivered.

This is where Tagtiv8 Letters and Move & Learn approaches can transform RE into something purposeful, memorable and joyful, not just in Catholic contexts, but across all religions explored in schools across the world.

What Is Tagtiv8 Letters?

Originally designed for phonics and spelling, Tagtiv8 Letters are tactile letter tags that children collect, build and manipulate during fast-paced, collaborative tasks. They’re:

Active
Flexible
Loved by both teachers and pupils

And their impact goes far beyond literacy. Schools are increasingly using them to deepen learning in RE through active, hands-on exploration of key concepts and vocabulary.

What Is Move & Learn?

Move & Learn is the pedagogy behind Tagtiv8. It embeds purposeful movement into lessons to boost engagement, memory and well-being.

Less sitting.

More thinking, talking, moving.

It’s a natural fit for Religious Education, where big ideas often benefit from concrete, embodied experiences.

Find out more about Move & Learn here.

Why Active Learning Matters in RE Across All Faiths

RE can sometimes feel abstract for younger learners - big words, big ideas, big life questions. But when children move, collaborate and physically build meaning, understanding becomes tangible. Active RE helps pupils to:

Anchor core concepts such as creation, belonging, justice, forgiveness, community, and morality across different religions.
Retain vocabulary more effectively by linking movement with meaning.
Engage more deeply, especially pupils who struggle with extended periods of sitting.
Connect body, mind and spirit - a powerful match for learning about belief, values and ways of living.

Whether pupils are exploring the Five Pillars of Islam, the Jewish celebration of Shabbat, Hindu deities, Sikh sewa, or the Buddhist Eightfold Path, active learning brings these ideas to life.

Practical Ways to Use Tagtiv8 in RE (for Any Faith Tradition)

Here are simple, effective examples that work across a wide range of religions:

1. Key Vocabulary Races

Children collect and build words such as:

charity, mercy, prayer, justice, pilgrimage
Torah, Ummah, dharma, guru, compassion

Then they discuss what each word means within the specific religion being studied.

2. Festival & Celebration Trails

Move between stations representing different religious festivals - Diwali, Eid, Easter, Hanukkah, Vaisakhi, Wesak - rebuilding key terms before exploring their symbolism.

3. Scripture or Story-Based Challenges

Rebuild jumbled key words from:

A Gospel story
A parable from the Qur’an
A story from the Torah
A Hindu or Sikh teaching story
A Buddhist Jataka tale

Then move to different “story stations” to retell, freeze-frame or represent the key message.

4. Virtues & Values in Action

Children build prompts such as:

“We show kindness by…”
“A good leader is…”
“Respect means…”
“Helping others is important because…”

They then role-play, discuss or reflect based on how these values appear across religions.

5. Cross-Curricular RE

Active RE can easily link with:

Geography: global communities of faith
Science: creation and stewardship
History: founders, saints, prophets, or important figures
PSHE: identity, morality, justice

Movement helps anchor concepts that span multiple subjects.

6. Active Collective Worship & Reflection

Whether Christian prayer, quiet reflection inspired by Buddhist meditation, or moments of gratitude seen across many faiths, movement can help create meaningful, inclusive experiences.

Whole-School Benefits

For Teachers

Fresh ways to bring existing RE schemes to life
Less reliance on worksheets
More inclusive sessions for diverse learners

For Pupils

Increased engagement and joy
Improved long-term memory
Greater confidence expressing ideas and beliefs
Deeper appreciation for similarities and differences across religions

For School Ethos

Active RE supports whole-child formation - intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional and social - whether within a Catholic setting or a school with a broad multi-faith curriculum.

A Simple Invitation

If your RE curriculum could use a lift - more energy, more collaboration, more “living the learning” - Tagtiv8 Letters and Move & Learn approaches might be a great place to start.

Even one active session per week can make a visible difference.

Curious how this could look in your school? We’d be delighted to share sample activities, planning ideas, or arrange a call or visit.

Let’s make RE active, meaningful and memorable - because faith and worldviews are not only taught, they’re experienced.