ERIC Number: EJ1116131
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8148
EISSN: N/A
Gimme an "E"!
Hoisington, Cynthia; Winokur, Jeff
Science and Children, v53 n1 p44-51 Sep 2015
Early childhood educators have long debated how science should be introduced and taught to preschoolers. In the current Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education climate, this conversation has expanded to include the role of engineering in the preschool curriculum. Instructors and coaches in the professional development program "Cultivating Young Scientists" (CYS) worked with preschool teachers in Hartford, Connecticut, over five months as they implemented a unit on the topic of "Building Structures" (Chalufour and Worth 2004) in mixed-age classrooms of three-, four-, and five-year-old students. In this article, the authors share the seven overlapping and mutually reinforcing strategies teachers used that effectively supported children's learning in physical science and engineering: (1) Prepare the Environment for Investigating Structures; (2) Make Time for Teachers' Own Science and Engineering Investigations; (3) Sequence Building Explorations Intentionally; (4) Organize and Facilitate Children's "Minds-On" Building Explorations; (5) Integrate Opportunities for Language, Literacy, and Mathematics During Building Explorations; (6) Collect Assessment Data Related to Building From a Variety of Sources; and (7) Reflect On, Document, and Use Data from Children's Building Explorations.
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Science Instruction, Preschool Teachers, Preschool Children, Early Childhood Education, STEM Education, Preschool Curriculum, Physical Sciences, Engineering Education, Scientific Concepts, Young Children, Science Activities, Science Education, Hands on Science, Preschool Education
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Connecticut
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A