An English lead’s best ally is a science lead. Several pieces of research over the past couple of years shows…
They Do Knowledge-Rich Differently in the US
I’ve dug deep into students’ knowledge and reading comprehension over the summer. There is a lot of great research taking…
Why is Science and Humanities Subject Knowledge Important for Fiction Reading Comprehension?
There is growing recognition of the importance of disciplinary literacy – reading the kinds of texts written in science, human…
The Scarborough Reading Rope: what we need to be good readers
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of knowledge for reading comprehension. Today I wanted to share with you a hugely…
How Reading Comprehension Happens
Clue: it all depends on your background knowledge. I think we all agree don’t we? Reading is the most important…
Teacher Science Knowledge and Reading
Increasingly, reading specialists are realising that to be strong readers, pupils need strong background knowledge. When teachers teach subject knowledge,…
How Much Science Knowledge is Too Little?
Some people don’t know much science, but it doesn’t seem to hold them back. Is there a limit to how…
Reducing the Cognitive Load of Reading in Science Lessons
I suspect we all tried to get pupils to read a science explanation when we were training. I did. It…
Should We Explain a New Concept to a Class, or Ask Pupils to Read an Explanation Instead?
Could teachers make their lives easier by giving their pupils a well-crafted science explanation to read instead of explaining it…
Can We Use Stories to Teach Disciplinary Knowledge in Science?
When the Ofsted Science report came out in 2021, there was a lot of talk about substantive and disciplinary knowledge:…
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