Teaching Science through CLIL in Cyprus Pre-Primary Education

Teaching Science through CLIL in Cyprus Pre-Primary Education

This is an event which follows on from a number of activities in partnership with the CLIL Coordination Centre at the Ministry of Education in Cyprus and the Pedagogical Institute, Nicosia.
This work all began in Plovdiv with visits from Ministry Experts, Inspectors and Trainers to see how we Put CLIL into Practice the Anglia-school way.
The trainings offered are here: https://www.factworld.info/en/Bulgaria-Course-Putting-CLIL-into-Practice. 
It was also during one of these visits that we focused on the idea of ‘sciencing’ the curriculum through English. The product of this week of work is FACT Journal 24 which includes the preschool science curriculum from Cyprus in translation with added columns for CLIL options and Language and which focuses entirely on adapting the Cypriot preschool science curriculum for CLIL classrooms.
FACT 24 (https://www.factworld.info/en/Bulgaria-FACT-Journals-Issue-24) 


School 26 Limassol
In 2024 we ran several trainings to popularize teaching Science in preprimary CLIL classes, and the model was well received to the extent that my colleagues in Cyprus asked me to repeat the same experience for 4 more groups in 2025. More than happy to oblige, I packed my story books, my drama masks, my Baron Bokluk cloak and crown and off we went.
The outcome of each day’s worshop is to have the colleagues examine new areas of their preprimary curriculum choosing any theme they are interested in, and adding the two columns with ideas in the form of a CLIL poster.

Day 1 of the 2025 trainings took place in School 26 in Limassol, where we welcomed 32 preschool teachers.

Limassol poster presentations
The first session presented the Anglia School approach to Science in pre-school. Session two put the colleagues into groups to choose their curriculum theme and begin brainstorming ideas. Session three had the teachers present their posters in plenary.

We now have a growing collection of plans for science CLIL in the preprimary curriculum!

Day 2 of the trainings in Cyprus for teaching Science through CLIL in Preprimary Education took place CLIL Coordinating Centre, Nicosia where we welcomed 35 preschool teachers.

Nicosia preschool teachers
An idea came out of discussion with this wonderful group. CLIL is about thinking ‘outside the box’ when teaching in English. Take a peak into the wider curriculum and see what you can take to use to develop English. Pilfer, pickpocket, pinch and reuse!

Example poster on bees

Nicosia preschool teachers poster presentations

Day 3 had teachers from surrounding villages near Nicosia, and 36 teachers can along to work with us on exploring science through CLIL for pre-school education again at the CLIL Coordinating Centre - the home of CLIL in Cyprus!

Sopihe Ioannou-Georgiou CLIL dynamo at the Ministry of Education says a few warm words of welcome!

Teachers from the surroundings towns and villages of Nicosia

Day 3 group discussions

Day 4 took us to Paralimni where the lovely preschool Georgiou was our host for the day. Thank you!
The 35 preschool teachers came from around the region.

Again, this group examined the Cyprus preschool science curriculum guidelines looking for areas to develop through English with their classes.


Paralimni teachers and their group presentation
By now, we had a substantial number of example project posters to share with the entire group of colleagues, and discussion moved quite naturally to taking the project further.


Paralimni poster on vegetables

What does that mean, taking it further? It means that we are now thinking about turning the thematic poster brainstorms into actual lesson notes with resources.
Imagine how this could become a bank of ideas for preschool science teaching. Plus, we will try and work the whole into a collection online for others to access.
My homework will be lifting out the links, and making them visible between themes, as well as making visible the curriculum command phrases and showing where there is repetition and possibility for an intelligent sequencing of the recycling of these ‘curriculum discourse functions’.
Something preschool teachers shared in feedback was that there is no need to be afraid of science with preschoolers through English as a foreign language. The language and concepts of science are extremely accessible to very young children, AND the procedures we employ in teaching and learning these concepts and language mean that our youngest children get the best preparation for their later years in schooling.
Some of the colleagues will come to join us in Plovdiv for future courses Putting Preprimary CLIL into Practice, indeed we hope some will join us for the 25th FACT Journal anniversary meeting in Plovdiv in May!
We are already formuating ideas for next year's visit to Cyprus where we will visit classrooms, co-teach and take project posters to the next level as lesson plans and resources.
It is a great privilege to be involved. Thank you once again to Elena, Maria, and Sophie for your continued investment in CLIL in Cyprus. You do amazing work! X
Keith
15.03.2025