Author: Mike FineOpening Remarks Learning in science begins in early childhood. This is a time when young minds are curious about science and ready to engage in the practices and language of science that form a foundation to be built upon and strengthened throughout a student’s K–12 education. If science is not taught in elementary school, this has a major impact on their learning as they progress from one grade level to the next. Elementary students should be encouraged to make observations, ask questions, and generally wonder about things they see and notice every day. Additionally, students should be working with multiple sources of information and building ideas through conversations and activities with classmates. Ignoring these ideas and delaying the development of science language and practices until students formally encounter science in middle school certainly violates what we know about systems: If one part is missing, it affects the other parts of the system. “Something may not work as well (or at all) if a part of it is missing, broken, worn out, mismatched, or misconnected.” —(AAAS 1994, p. 264). What does the research suggest? Starting in early childhood, children are capable of learning sophisticated science and engineering concepts and engage in disciplinary practices. They are deeply curious about the world around them and eager to investigate the many questions they have about their environment. Educators can develop learning environments that support the development and demonstration of proficiencies in science and engineering, including making connections across the contexts of learning, which can help children see their ideas, interests, and practices as meaningful not just for school, but also in their lives. Unfortunately, in many preschool and elementary schools science gets relatively little attention compared to English language arts and mathematics. In addition, many early childhood and elementary teachers do not have extensive grounding in science and engineering content. Source: National Academies of Science●Engineering●Medicine “Science and Engineering in Preschool Through Elementary Grades: The Brilliance of Children and the Strengths of Educators” 2021.
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AuthorPhenomenal Science Leadership Team Archives
February 2022
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