Episode 12 – Writing in Homeschool Science: The Elementary Years

One of the three keys to teaching science is to keep a record. But what does writing in science look like? In episode 12 of the Tips for Teaching Science at Home Show, I am sharing the first part of a two-part series on tips for writing in science. This episode will look at the elementary years.

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The Highlights

During the early years, I believe that writing in science goes through three stages – oral, transition, and composition.

Stage 1 – Oral

• Students are focusing on the learning how to form their letters on paper.
• They won’t be doing any physical writing, only oral narrations.
• You will discuss the reading selection, ask for an oral narration, write down their narrations, and read it back to them.

Stage 2 – Transition

• Students are learning the mechanics of spelling and grammar.
• They will be copying a portion or all of their narrations.
• You will still discuss the reading selection, ask for an oral narration, write down their narrations, and read it back to them before they begin copying.

Stage 3 – Composition

• Students are working on getting their thoughts on paper in a more cohesive manner.
• They will be writing down their narrations with the goal of writing 3 to 4 sentences on the subject.
• You will continue to discuss the reading selection and have them give an oral narration before writing.

The main thing you are looking for is consistent progress year after year.

Additional Resources

Don’t miss the following book to gain a broad picture of the progression of writing skills:

• The Complete Writer by Susan Wise Bauer

Here are several articles to read about writing in science:

• Science Essential #3 – Keeping a Record 
• 3 Easy Steps for Notebooking 
• How to Record an Experiment 
• Did Charlotte Mason Espouse Notebooking? 

Learn more about how you can teach science with our programs!