Science and literacy: Summer reading for EYFS to KS3

Literacy and attainment 

Reading - both fiction and nonfiction - is a great way to expand on topics, develop scientific thinking and learn new vocabulary. At the bottom of this post, you can find a list of our top science-related books for pupils in EYFS to KS3, along with a link to a free downloadable book review template - perfect to set as independent learning over the summer holidays. 

Lessons by Developing Experts focus on both building literacy and enhancing knowledge retention. Strong reading skills are essential for knowledge retention across all subjects, not just English; yet, recent research suggests that literacy rates remain a key area for improvement among school-aged children.

Here’s why literacy and reading are important areas to focus on: 

• Children who find reading enjoyable are three times more likely to have good mental wellbeing than those who don’t;
• Only 1 in 3 children and young people report that they find reading enjoyable (the lowest it has been since 2005);
• Book ownership is an important factor in increasing reading performance;
• 40% of employers believe that young people lack the skills necessary for the job market (literacy and critical thinking being particularly crucial). 

Download our free book review template 

Our summer reading list offers the perfect solution to help your pupils stay engaged with their learning in science over the upcoming holidays. As an independent learning activity, reading is foolproof: it is screen-free, doesn’t require much intervention or resources (other than the book), and gives pupils the autonomy to choose a topic or story they’re drawn to. Books help pupils to ask questions, imagine experiments and learn independently, meaning they have the bonus of boosting working scientifically skills at KS1 and KS2. 

If you’re looking for some titles to choose from, here are some ideas to get you started: 

EYFS

• Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty 
• Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty 
• The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle 
• Oscar and the Bird: A Book About Electricity by Geoff Waring 

KS1 

• Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones 
• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires 
• Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System by Dominic Walliman 

KS2 

• George’s Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy & Stephen Hawking 
• Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka 
• Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin 
• The Last Bear by Hannah Gold 

KS3 

• Where the World Turns Wild by Nicola Penfold 
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman (13+)
• Phoenix by S.F. Said 

Choose a book from the list above (or somewhere else), print off our free downloadable book review template, and you have ready-made summer homework. This activity is a great way to link to an area of the curriculum you’d like to focus on (habitats, climate change, electricity, materials) while also encouraging discussions about real places, people and science stories. 

All you need to access the free book review template is an account with Developing Experts. You can sign up free trial and then download the template by clicking here or heading to ‘Curriculum Documents’ on your dashboard. 

Happy summer reading!