Speaking and Listening in Inquiry Stage One
In this stage, discussion and sharing within small groups is likely to be informal and focused on early wondering, surprise, questions, and connections to past experiences. Talking, describing and sharing ideas is part of the inquiry process at this stage. Students may articulate current understandings, respond to novel phenomena, and begin to speculate or make predictions.
Resources for Speaking and Listening in Inquiry Stage One
Doing What Scientists Do by Ellen Doris. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann, 1991.
This book is an introduction to the methods of teaching inquiry science.
The text contains numerous examples of children’s comments and written
work that illustrate the author’s points and make the material highly
accessible. In Chapter 5, “Sharing Work,” the author presents
the transcript from a group science meeting, where children are sharing
what they have observed about a guinea pig. The author gives helpful suggestions
about how to frame the discussion and includes several sections dedicated
to defining the teacher’s role in helping children articulate their
ideas. These samples of classroom science discussions are particularly
helpful in understanding the development of speaking and listening in
Inquiry Stage One.
Talking Their
Way into Science by Karen Gallas. New York, NY: Teachers
College Press, 1995.
This short book highlights the important role of science discussions in
the elementary classroom. Through specific examples, the author provides
insight into how children think and talk about science. Through the analysis
of “science talks” taking place in a second grade classroom,
the book examines how children build theories about how things work. It
emphasizes how the teacher can facilitate the growth of ideas and how
children share and build upon their own and each other’s ideas.
Because the nature of the science talks is exploratory and informal, this
book is particularly relevant to speaking and listening in Inquiry Stage
One.
Primary Science:
Taking the Plunge by Wynne Harlen. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2001.
This book offers detailed advice to elementary school teachers on how
to support children’s understanding of science through inquiry.
Chapters 3 and 4, “The Right Question at the Right Time” and
“Helping Children Raise Questions,” demonstrate how to effectively
encourage children to form and discuss productive questions. Through discussion,
teachers and students learn to ask “good, answerable questions”
that tend to stimulate problem-solving activities. The ability to discuss
ideas and formulate productive questions is central to the development
of speaking and listening skills in Inquiry Stage One.
