What matters most here
| Rank | Practice | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connected science units with read-alouds and directly taught vocabulary (principle 10) | Evidence grade: Proven in classrooms Proven for science reading comprehension in grades 1–2 (Kim et al.(opens in a new tab)) |
| 2 | Explain and show first, then hands-on (principle 2) | Evidence grade: Strong Strong in general; few trials at this age |
| 3 | Revisit earlier units in oral warm-ups (principles 6, 7) | Evidence grade: Promising Promising at this age |
A lesson in this room
Oral warm-up: "What do plants need? What does a root do?" Teacher reads and explains a short text on seeds with a labeled picture. Students plant seeds and draw and label what they did, using the three unit words.
Leader look-fors
- Is science taught at its scheduled time?
- Are the activities tied to ideas the teacher has explained?
Stop doing
Science as a stand-alone activity day with no connected knowledge before or after. Cutting science time for more reading-skills practice.
Where the evidence runs out
The EEF review found very little evidence testing cognitive science strategies with the youngest children (Tes(opens in a new tab)). Recommendations here lean on the knowledge-building trials and general principles.