Why and how we should teach literacy in science lessons

A collection of newspaper headlines from 2020 during the Covid virus outbreak

Source: © Sean Gladwell/Getty Images

Scientific literacy is a key skill for all learners and it should feature in all our teaching, says Ben Rogers

Scientific literacy became a key skill for any informed citizen. Teacher Ben Rogers firmly believes the more confident our students become as readers of science, the richer their lives will be. So how do we prepare our students to read and understand chemistry? Read this article for why and how reading, speaking, listening and writing can develop literacy in the chemistry classroom.

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor. 

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

  • unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
  • teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
  • applications for funding to support your lessons

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.