A new volume written by IU School of Education researchers will help teachers align science of reading requirements with their science curriculum. “Teaching Science with Reading Strategies” includes research-backed ways to focus on teaching science while using reading strategies.

“Given the state requirements to use the science of reading in elementary schools, and the time commitments that teachers are required to put into the training, my colleagues and I wanted to help them have some ideas for how to use their hard work for other subjects, and particularly science given that science could tend to be left out in favor of literacy instruction,” said Valarie Akerson, professor of science education at the School of Education. 

Akerson authored the resource along with faculty members Gayle Buck and Adam Scribner and recent Ed.D. graduate Kristen Poindexter. Poindexter currently teaches kindergarten and says she wanted to learn as much about the science of reading as she could to be the best possible teacher for her students. 

“This research aims to help elementary classroom teachers who may be feeling squeezed for time and sadly needing to exclude science lessons from their daily instruction,” she said, adding, “It also aims to help students and instructors in preservice preparation programs to show how science instruction can easily be incorporated into literacy instruction along with preparing future teachers with ideas should they face limited classroom time in the future.”

“Teaching Science with Reading Strategies” includes examples of lessons teachers can pull into their own classrooms. Poindexter said teachers can think of this resource as a place to find other educators who have found creative ways to include science instruction in their classrooms: “Knowing that these lessons have been implemented with elementary and preservice teachers and that they were successful, would help me to confidently use these strategies when planning my own lessons.”

With a strong focus on reading, Akerson hopes the volume will help teachers realize how they can use science of reading methods to strengthen their students’ science knowledge as well.

“We wanted to highlight how these reading strategies could be used to help students with the ‘science of science’—in essence so teachers can use those strategies they have expertise in to support their students’ science learning as well,” she said. “Elementary teachers are often experts in literacy instruction, and also experts in interdisciplinary instruction. The lessons that were part of the research in this book share additional strategies using the science of reading to help teachers (and teacher educators) capitalize on the science of reading strategies for science teaching.”

As teachers adapt to changes within the education system, a resource like this one ultimately gives them more tools and support in their lesson planning. 

“In a time when science instruction is often not included in an elementary classroom due to lack of time or resources, our book provides preservice and practicing classroom teachers with helpful and creative strategies to ensure that students are receiving science instruction,” Poindexter said.