WORKSHOP TITLE: Reading the Language of Science: A Literacy-Informed Workshop for Lower Secondary Science Teachers
DURATION: 3 hours
FACILITATOR: Mrs. Allyson Murray
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
Lower secondary science teachers bring deep content knowledge to their classrooms every day. This workshop builds on that strength by exploring how the language of science; itsvocabulary, its roots, its text structures can be made more visible and accessible to students who find reading challenging. The technical vocabulary of biology, chemistry and physics is built on Latin and Greek roots and discipline-specific conventions that, when taught explicitly alongside content, open the curriculum to a wider range of learners.
This workshop establishes the connection between the Science of Reading, based on an evidence-based body of research on how skilled reading is acquired and the daily instructional practices of lower secondary science teachers. Participants will explore how morphology (the study of word parts and their meanings), etymology (the origins of scientific terminology), and explicit vocabulary instruction can be embedded within existing science lessons without reducing content.
The workshop is structured in three modules. Module One provides a concise theoretical foundation, introducing the Simple View of Reading and the three tiers of vocabulary as they apply to CCSLC and CXC Integrated Science content. Module Two is the core activity of the workshop, engaging participants in structured morphological and etymological analysis using terminology drawn directly from their curriculum, followed by explicit vocabulary instructionmodelled through the Frayer Model. Module Three is a hands-on creation session. Participants will produce at least one classroom-ready resource to take away. The workshop closes with individual action planning and a group commitment.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Module One: Foundations: The Science of Reading and Vocabulary in Science
- Explain the Simple View of Reading and its relevance to science instruction.
- Distinguish between Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary and identify each tier within their own curriculum.
- Articulate the multiple literacy demands placed on students in a single science lesson.
Module Two: Morphology, Etymology and Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
- Identify Greek and Latin roots embedded in key CCSLC and CXC science terms.
- Apply a four-step morphemic analysis routine to decode unfamiliar polysyllabic science words.
- Generate word families from a single root to expand student vocabulary coverage.
Module Three: Create and Take Away
- Distinguish between incidental and explicit vocabulary instruction and apply the Frayer Model to a Tier 3 science word, incorporating the morphological root, definition, characteristics, examples and non-examples.
- Produce at least one classroom-ready literacy resource (morphology word web, Frayer card set, or vocabulary lesson plan) aligned to an upcoming lesson.
- Complete a personal action plan identifying one literacy-informed instructional change to implement within one week.
TARGET PARTICIPANTS:
Heads of Department (Science), lower secondary science teachers (Forms 1–3), and resource room / special education teachers supporting students in science classes at secondary schools in Barbados. The workshop is specifically relevant to schools servicing students who enter at lower Common Entrance score bands and those who present with identified or suspected literacy difficulties including dyslexia and language processing challenges.
MATERIALS REQUIRED:
Participants are required to bring a notebook, pen, laptop or any other type of electronic device. The workshop facilitator will provide all other materials.