Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

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Science Chapter 7 HELPFUL TERMS Discovery Approach A teaching strategy that encourages children to find answers and information related to their interests and questions. Divergent Questions An approach to questioning that is open-ended and used to generate several ideas to solve a problem. Inquiry A process of studying and developing knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas and the natural world. We do this by observing, questioning, investigating, analyzing and predicting. Logico-Mathematical Knowledge that is gained when the learner creates Knowledge relationships among materials. National Science The outline developed by the National Academy of Sciences Standards of what students should know, understand and be able to do to be scientifically literate at different grade levels. Science A way of thinking and gaining knowledge that includes: becoming aware of a problem; wondering why, proposing possible ideas and explanations; finding out through experimentation and observation; and sharing results. Scientific Literacy An approach to identify and solve problems based on logic, rather than on the memorization of facts. 98
Science Chapter 7 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT In early childhood education, science curriculum allows children to investigate their world and to search for answers to questions that begin with words such as What? How? Why? and When? Science curriculum can develop the child’s innate ability to wonder, to discover new ideas, and to explore the world he or she lives in. In quality classroom environments, where science is an integral curriculum component, early childhood teachers: • observe, listen, facilitate and question; • recognize that learning is the process of exploring; • believe that the goal of teaching is not about right answers, but rather about the development of independent thinking and problem-solving dispositions; • know that children need time to explore and to take risks; • recognize that learning must be hands-on and minds-on; • provide learners of all abilities with opportunities to experience the wonder of questioning and discovery by making accommodations to the environment and to expectations; • model enthusiasm for science and discovery so children can see how exciting these pursuits are; • balance child-initiated activities with teacherprompted ideas; and • create relationships with families that encourage involvement in science at home. The National Academy of Sciences has developed National Science Education Standards for early childhood science curriculum as a comprehensive guide for educators and policymakers. The standards call for more than “science as process,” where students learn the skills of observing, inferring and experimenting. They suggest that, while these process skills are appropriate in early childhood science curriculum, there is also worthy and achievable science content for young children to learn in preschool. (National Research Council, 1996) This chapter includes: a. discussion of the teacher’s role in developing curiosity, including strategies and tips on preparation of the environment; b. an overview on the process of developing inquiry, including thinking skills and problem-solving abilities; and 99 c. making connections with the Connecticut Core Science Curriculum Framework, PreK- 10 and Connecticut’s Preschool Curriculum Framework, including ideas for ageappropriate investigations. DEVELOPING CURIOSITY Curiosity can be described as the disposition to know. From birth infants seek understanding, trying to grasp objects, exploring their environments and gathering information. Both environments and experiences affect children’s dispositions to be curious. A safe and encouraging atmosphere motivates young children to take risks, explore and discover. Questioning children is a strategy adults – educators and parents – can use to encourage curiosity. Questions may be either open-ended, encouraging divergent thinking and brainstorming, or closed, motivating the learner to gather specific information. Effective questions stimulate and expand children’s thinking or promote comparison, sorting or further experimentation. Questions may be used to: • Initiate discovery: “How can we learn more about this machine?” • Elicit predictions: “What will happen if this powder is mixed in the water?” • Probe for understanding: “Why do you think that block worked better in the ramp construction?” • Promote reasoning: “Why is this side a different color than that side?” • Serve as a catalyst: “What would you do differently?” • Encourage creative thinking: “If you could be any animal, which one would it be and why?” • Reflect on feelings: “Is this your best work?” A carefully prepared environment also promotes the development of curious children. The teacher, through observation, knows children’s abilities and interests, understands their developmental growth patterns, and uses this information to create a classroom that provides safe, interesting and satisfying challenges. Creating the typical science table with unusual items contributed by children and teacher is not enough. The science center must be an area of investigation. This is accomplished by keeping in mind the main theme in the science curriculum, “hands-on and minds-on.”
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Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

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