Vermont Early Literacy

Initiative
STEM
Karen Worth
Kworth@wheelock.edu

STEM: Some Definitions

S Science: Seeking and understanding the
natural world
T Technology: Products and processes
created by engineers to meet human needs
and wants
E Engineering: Application of knowledge in
order to design, build, and maintain
technologies
M Math: An approach to understanding
quantity and space that allows us to describe
rules and make generalizations

STEM Integration
SEL

Play
Math

Science

Art

Play

SEL
Engineering

Play

Technology

SEL
Literacy

Why Science for Young Children

Builds on childrens curiosity and
interest
Provides opportunities for children to
engage in cognitively challenging
and motivating learning experiences

Builds a foundation for the

development of important science
concepts
Provides opportunities for the
development of important language,
social, and physical skills

Privileged Domains

! Much of the research on young childrens learning

investigates cognitive development in language,
mathematics, and science. Because these appear to
be privileged domains, that is, domains in which
children have a natural proclivity to learn,
experiment, and explore, they allow for nurturing
and extending the boundaries of the learning in which
children are already actively engaged
Eager To Learn: Educating our Preschoolers
Barbara T. Bowman, M. Suzanne Donovan, and M. Susan Burns, Editors; Committee on Early Childhood
Pedagogy; National Research Council. 2001

Taking Science to School

Childrens thinking is surprisingly
sophisticated.
Children can use a wide range of
reasoning processes
Children starting school are
surprisingly competent
Executive Summary
National Research Council. 2007.
Duschl,RA, & Shouse, AW., eds.
Washington, Dc: National Academy Press

Taking Science to School

Conclusion
Children entering school already have substantial

knowledge of the natural world much of it implicit.

Young children are NOT concrete and simplistic
thinkers, they think abstractly long before coming to
school.
Children can use a wide range of reasoning
processes that form the underpinnings of scientific
thinking

Executive Summary
National Research Council. 2007.
Duschl,RA, & Shouse, AW., eds.
Washington, Dc: National Academy Press

STEM Integration
SEL

Play
Math

Science

Art

Play

SEL
Engineering

Play

Technology

SEL
Literacy

S(TEM) Content
Inquiry: Thinking and reasoning
processes and skills
Subject matter: carefully selected
concepts and topics
Dispositions

Inquiry

Inquiry is a dynamic process of being

open to wonder and puzzlement and
coming to know and understand the world.
(http://www.galileo.org/inquiry-what.html)

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Inquiry: National Science

Teachers Association
Scientific inquiry reflects how scientists come
to understand the natural world, and it is at
the heart of how students learn. From a very
early age, children interact with their
environment, ask questions, and seek ways to
answer those questions. Understanding
science content is significantly enhanced
when ideas are anchored to inquiry
experiences. (NSTA Position Statement)
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Inquiry Cycle And Practices

Explore/Investigate

Engineering Design Process

http://www.eie.org/eie-curriculum/
engineering-design-process
13

Practices
Raise questions, wonder
Explore objects, materials, and events
Engage in simple investigations
Observe, describe, compare, sort,
classify, and order

Use a variety of simple tools to extend

observations

Practices
Record/document observations,
explanations, and ideas

Reflect/ look for patterns and

relationships

Work collaboratively with others; and

Share and discuss ideas and listen to
new perspectives

Criteria for Subject Matter

Is interesting and engaging
Draws from childrens experience and
their play
Can be explored directly
Is open to deep exploration over time
Builds important science concepts
Is developmentally appropriate

Dispositions

Being curious
Questioning and seeking answers
Using evidence to support ideas
Cooperating
Persistence
Being open to the ideas of others

What Can You Do?

Choose an appropriate topic and learning

goals
Set up environment for inquiry and
design
Prepare self by exploring the topic
Plan key explorations for children

Wheelock College

What Can You Do?

Foster childrens questioning
Encourage and facilitate childrens science talk
Deepen understanding by asking questions and
making comments that draw childrens
attention to phenomena
Document childrens work
Encourage children to document their work
Wheelock College