Mathematics William Wynne-Willson of the Mathematical Association is a happy man. “It’s difficult to get our voice heard, so we’re pleased to be consulted for once.” he says. “So much of what the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority does is trivial, but this is a genuine issue.”

Like other subject bodies, the MA and the Association of Teachers of Mathematics are working to consider ways in which speaking, reading, writing and listening can enhance their subject in both primary and secondary schools.

Both associations see the question of a specialist mathematical language as central. Early evaluation of the 1995 key stage 3 national tests highlights the difficulty pupils have in answering questions that require an explanation. Pupils “show a paucity of mathematical vocabulary”, says SCAA’s mathematics officer Peter Lacey.

Marjorie Gorman, secretary of ATM, believes teachers must set up more situations in which pupils can talk about their mathematical work. “Being asked to give a view can raise their self-esteem,” she says. “But it can also make it easier for teachers to assess their progress.”

The associations are aware that their exercise is unlikely to be a ground-breaking one. “It’s not so much a question of our providing new thoughts, but pointing to where the existing ones are.“says William Wynne-Willson Music What contribution can language make to musical development and understanding? At what stage should teachers use technical musical language? What is the right balance between writing and speaking when pupils are analysing musical works? These are some of the key questions facing the music education bodies.

Among other issues, the Schools Music Association will look at the opportunities music can provide for pupils’ critical appraisal - of their own and others’ work.

Meanwhile, the Voices Foundation is looking at the nature of children’s songs, how accessible their language is, the way the structure of language affects categories such as folk music, and the question of musical vocabulary.

Michael Stokes, VF’s curriculum director, says primary teachers in particular need help on technical language. “Many get quite jumpy because they’re not trained as music specialists,” he says. “We want to help them to feel less intimidated.”

History “It’s not just to do with language, but with the social behaviour of children. We can’t go on forcing them to behave as if they’re working in an office. We’ve got to encourage them to talk and to have the discipline to listen.”

This is the view of John Fines, president of the Historical Association which is working with the National Association for the Advisers of History on implications for history teachers.

He believes a radical re-think is in order. “When you realise many children will never achieve a working literacy, you have to ask how fair a curriculum is which puts talking and listening so low.”

One of the many questions facing the HA’s primary sub-committee is that of historical language. It will suggest primary teachers organise and use historically-based word banks, which will help pupils to build their historical vocabulary.

The committee is also looking at ways in which history can contribute to the teaching of English; at the development of pupils’ reading skills through the use of non-fiction and narrative texts with historical content; and at improving writing skills in a variety of genres, including some which are specific to history, such as diaries.

The association will also discuss the use of computers - how much have they covered up children’s spelling errors or made teachers think that reading and writing are not going to be necessary skills for most children in the future?

Design and Technology The revised Orders may help to demolish design and technology’s reputation as a mere “hands-on hammering” subject.

Both the National Association of Inspectors for Design and Technology and the Design and Technology Association are preparing proposals for developing some of the ideas put forward by Bob McCormick of the Open University’s school of education.

In a discussion paper for SCAA to help the two organisations,he looks at issues such as specialised language, communication and language, personal thinking (writing and speaking) and interpersonal thinking (collaborative talk), suggesting that the latter may be richer in terms of ideas than anything that might take place between individuals.

Andy Breckon, chief executive of DATA, believes talk is much under-used in secondary schools. “We need to stress how language can help pupils to plan what they’re doing, to develop analytical skills, and to evaluate their work, ” he says.

At primary level, he suggests that the problem is to find an appropriate vocabulary.

“Most teachers haven’t had experience of doing design and technology, especially women who trained 20 or 30 years ago when the roles of the sexes were so much more stereotyped.”