Primary Science

The EEF has released primary science guidance to support teachers in building students' curiosity and critical thinking. Language development is crucial for educational success, so the guidance focuses on scientific vocabulary and spoken word. Teaching scientific vocabulary explicitly helps students learn, especially those with reading or writing limitations. Front Lawn Primary Academy uses scripts to teach vocabulary consistently and reduce cognitive load. Oracy is important in the classroom, and embedding it in lessons helps students expand their vocabulary and gain confidence. The primary science guidance includes recommendations to close the attainment gap, such as identifying science-specific vocabulary and promoting collaborative environments and dialogue. Primary science. Back in November, the EEF released its long-awaited primary science guidance. A rigorous systematic review of available international evidence, it will support teachers and science leads to build pupils' curiosity and critical thinking, ultimately helping them to build a coherent understanding of the world around them. As shown time and time again, there is a stubborn gap in attainment between socio-economically disadvantaged pupils and their classmates. A 2021 EEF study on supporting oral language development states that, secure development of language is amongst the best predictors of educational success. Perhaps this is why the new primary science guidance focuses so heavily on scientific vocabulary and the spoken word. Scientific vocabulary can often be confusing and abstract. Everyday words can suddenly have new meanings when used in a science context. For example, the word force is used in everyday language to indicate an action undertaken with great effort or made to do something you don't want to do. In the world of science, a force represents pushes and pulls that can make things move, stop or change shape. Research shows that explicitly teaching scientific vocabulary is a key strategy to help pupils learn, in addition to focusing on the spoken word as it means pupils aren't hindered by limitations in their reading or writing skills. At Front Lawn Primary Academy, we support our children with their scientific vocabulary by ensuring time is dedicated to explicitly teaching vocabulary using scripts based around Recommendation 1, the EEF Improving Literacy Report, and from the work of Wayne Tennant and Isabel Beck. The use of a script has ensured consistency across the school as well as reducing the cognitive load for children as they know what to expect when learning new vocabulary, whatever the subject. Amy Gaunt, a primary teacher and oracy lead at School 21, says the first step in embedding oracy into your classroom is accepting that it already happens. Your students talk a lot and you can leverage that. After visiting School 21 last year, we at Front Lawn Primary Academy have been on a journey to embed oracy across the school. We have seen firsthand the impact that giving children every possible opportunity to expand their vocabulary and their interpersonal skills and to gain the confidence they've had. Introducing key actions to build, challenge, agree with other children has enabled every child to take part in conversations and the use of roles such as leader, reporter and scribe ensures that all children partake in group work. This is particularly useful in science when children are linking new learning to real world context. The new primary science guidance provides six practical recommendations aimed at closing the attainment gap, including identifying science-specific vocabulary, explicitly teaching new words, creating collaborative working environments and capitalising on the power of dialogue.