Developmental Levels
Developmentally, by the time pupils enter Key Stage 2, pupils are expected to be able to talk about the rules of communication, have a better ability to repair conversation breakdown and be less literal in their interpretation (Communication Trust, 2014: booklet).
What does the National Curriculum Say?
According to the current National Curriculum, In Maths and Science pupils are expected to understand complex technical vocabulary across a variety of topics such as regular and irregular polygons, reflex angles, proper and improper fractions, ratio and percentage, forces and movement, electrical circuits, orbiting and atmosphere. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are key factors in developing their scientific and mathematical vocabulary. They must be assisted in making their thinking clear to themselves as well as others, and teachers should ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using the discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions. (NC, 2014)
Research tells us learning is most effective when students are actively involved in the dialogic co-construction of meaning about topics that are of significance to them. Teachers should attempt to create the conditions for such dialogue by adopting an inquiry approach to the curriculum (Wells,2006:379)
In primary school, vocabulary acquisition is achieved when Pupils have the opportunities to learn language in context, where they can ‘make sense’ of their social environment (Cain et al.,2003).
This was very evident in my experience when we explored air resistance using a real, full-sized parachute and chocolate bars to explore fractions. I facilitated whole class and group discussions after the contextual experiences to allow pupils to talk about what they had discovered and learned. I observed the use of newly acquired technical language being used accurately by the majority of pupils.