Book Review: Inclusive & Accessible Secondary Science: How to teach Science effectively to students with Additional or Special Needs by Jane Essex.

This book is a fantastic resource and a timely publication with a global trend leading towards inclusive education, for those with disabilities and learning difficulties. Although the limited funding and research in science education for those with learning disabilities is acknowledged, the author, Jane Essex shares professional learning and empirical evidence to illustrate through practical examples how science can be taught to all learners. Too often science is seen as an ‘elite’ subject with high status, and only accessible for high achieving learners. However, paradoxically, the fact that science is seen as ‘hard’, success in the subject is highly rewarding for learners and enhances the self-esteem of those with learning disabilities. As many second level science teachers are subject specialists, they may lack competence in pedagogical approaches most appropriate for the various learning difficulties.