Literacy in Science

What book are you reading at the moment?

I ask this because reading is so important to all of us and if you don't read for pleasure, your vocabulary may be limited and you may be at a disadvantage when in exams or later in work. I am constantly adding to our list of general (tier 2) words that examiners assume that you all understand. Remember that what you read is less important that the fact that you read. Although I am a fan of horror fiction and thrillers, here are some of my favourite science books to try:

• Bill Bryson: A short history of nearly everything.

• Paul Strathern: Mendelyev's Dream.

• Sam Kean: The Disappearing Spoon.

• Robin Cook: Outbreak.

• Andy Weir: The Martian.

On each of the GCSE topic pages, I have added tier 3/subject specific terms. You will meet these words regularly in science and it is important that when you visit the pages, you are aware of them, what they mean and how to use them in sentences to answer questions.

Nothing that I can do here can replace the amazing impact that reading regularly has on us. If you think that you don't like reading, it is because you haven't found "your kind of book" yet. Keep looking.