Background: A significant number of pupils in UK schools learn English as an additional language (EAL). Relative differences between the educational attainment of this group and monolingual, English-speaking pupils call for an exploration of the literacy needs of EAL learners. Aims: This study explores the developmental progression of reading and…

It is well-established that language skills are amongst the best predictors of educational success. Consistent with this, findings from a population-based longitudinal study of parents and children in the UK indicate that language development at the age of two years predicts children's performance on entering primary school. Moreover, children who…

Discusses what counts as understanding in primary school science (elementary school science) in the context of the United Kingdom's National Curriculum Order for Science. Considers the problems elementary school teachers face in pressing for understanding and suggests some ways to encourage teachers and enable them to support the construction of…

Discusses what counts as understanding in history at the elementary school (British primary school) level and describes some strategies that have been shown by research to be effective in supporting the construction of historical understanding. Identifies implications for teachers' practices. (SLD)

Discusses the nature of mathematical understanding for primary school (elementary school) students in the context of the National Numeracy Strategy of the United Kingdom. Suggests some ways in which the national curriculum does not seem well designed to support the development of mathematical understanding and advocates a return to some classroom…

Explores the prior knowledge children from Key Stage 2 (7 to 11 years) at one school in England had of rock classification and how they developed a more scientific understanding using strategies shown by research to support understanding. Findings for 60 Year 5 and 6 students show the importance of providing students with a conceptual model and…

Discusses what is meant by understanding in elementary school geography and considers the place of geography as a subject in current curriculum legislation in the United Kingdom. Provides some strategies teachers might use to support students in the development of their geographical understanding. (SLD)

Considers some of the ways in which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can support teaching for understanding in primary (elementary) schools. Previous research and research in progress about ICT training for teachers suggest that there are clear possibilities for improving learners' understanding using ICT. Identifies some barriers…

Considers what research has revealed about the development of understanding by young children. Discusses what the "Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage" of the national curriculum of the United Kingdom has to say in terms of that research. The published guidance makes it quite clear that the early years curriculum differs from…

Summarizes in chronological order the main issues that have been considered in defining primary English (elementary school English) in the United Kingdom as a subject. Discusses the English subject knowledge considered necessary, over time, for teachers to know. Concludes that primary English, when compared with other subjects, is a special case:…

This paper further develops an instructional method called here "process-object linking and embedding". The idea is to link the familiar mathematical processes to objects in a familiar situation, then re-embed the new link through mathematical symbols into their mathematical construction. It makes use of children's extra-mathematical,…