Reading in Science

To have a greater understanding of science, students need to be able to read and understand complex technical literature.

Phoneme: The smallest unit of sound. Phonemes can be put together to make words. There are 44 sounds in the English alphabet.
Grapheme: A way of writing down a phoneme. Graphemes can be made up of:
- 1 letter: e.g p.
- 2 letters: e.g. sh.
- 3 letters: e.g. tch.
- 4 letters: e.g ough.
Decode: To read a word.
Encode: To spell a word.

As students learn to read, they move through three phases:
When students meet an unfamiliar word or phrase, they decode it using their phonic knowledge and their understanding of similar word patterns.
Once they recognise what the word says, they move towards the visual recall of this word and be able to read it as a whole, on sight.
Later, when they have read and understood the word on multiple occasions, it becomes automatic for them, and they become fluent.

1Why Literacy Matters in Science Education?

1.1Why Literacy Matters in Science Education?

1.1.1Why Literacy Matters in Science Education?

2The Language of Science

2.1The Language of Science

2.1.1Scientific Vocabulary

2.1.2Word Tiers

3Reading in Science

3.1Reading in Science

3.1.1Reading in Science

3.1.2Scientific Texts

4Writing in Science

4.1Writing in Science

4.1.1Writing in Science

Jump to other topics