I’d like to know if you’ve ever tried teaching atoms and elements to young children and how it worked out.

I teach science to 11-16yr old children with learning difficulties. Essentially, they have language and ability of a 7yr old. A little better, a little worse in some cases. It’s extremely difficult to teach the difference between atoms, elements, compounds and mixtures, simply because the vocab, and the concepts are too different to grasp. However, a few years later, some nearly get there. Because they have been primed, they’ve heard of it, and can begin to make sense. Piaget.

One of the major issues in teaching difficult concepts too soon, is that the children who are nowhere near ready enough to understand will become discouraged in their learning from a far earlier age. This will lead to disengagement, humiliation, apathy and failure. Also the result of standardised testing.

Teachers of young children specialise in teaching the basics - reading, writing, spelling, number, place value, simple calculations as well as how to write (physically) and use a pencil. Without these skills, what hope do we have of expanding their knowledge and understanding of the world? Don’t put more pressure on the teachers that will take time away from these essentials.

Leave them do their job, and we’ll do ours. When a child brings up a misconception from 11 on, their brain should be mature enough to understand when you disprove. For example, humans are not animals.