Making Sense of Secondary Science: Research Into Children S Ideas

This is a great book for science teachers (and parents of kids). The three main sections, "Children's ideas about life and living processes," "...about materials and their properties," and "...about physical processes" are well researched and documented. The book examines the models that children develop in their structuring of the world, then addresses how educators can support those pieces that are correct and work to re-structure those that are incorrect.

This book should accompany any science text book because it is a reality check for teachers. The research is clear and comprehensive - no holds barred! After reading it from cover to cover I immediately modified my teaching practice. I reassessed my assumptions about what students know and can do then and changed course. I have a greater appreciation for my students' views and misconceptions and now my job is to steer them straight - or better still, to coach them to construct their own science knowledge and skills.