Exploring Science With Young Children

The Association for Science Education Book Award 2016, Finalist. Science in the early years is about more than developing understanding of key scientific concepts, it is about encouraging imagination, creativity and curiosity and nurturing key scientific skills to form a firm base for learning. Understanding how best to do this for young children aged 3-7 is the focus of the book. By concentrating on practical and naturally occurring experiences the authors look at meeting the needs of the curriculum with children at the centre of their own learning. Chapters look at how to work with children to: Find out and develop their own ideas Get them inquiring scientifically Use evidence to support their views This book will really help develop the whole child across the curriculum and make sure they have the skills they need for later learning.

Exploring Science in Early Childhood makes teaching a basic understanding of science skills to young people more achievable and successful than ever. In using this book to teach future educators, such top universities as Harvard recognize that the activities and applications presented in developmental sequence strongly support children learning. When put into practice, the approaches espoused in this edition will enable children to construct the concepts and skills imperative for learning a basic understanding of science. The same and skills also play an importance role in understanding mathematics and are closely related to reading and reading comprehension skills. Developed in cooperation with teachers at each developmental level, the concepts, skills, and instructional strategies are aligned with national standards in science, principles and standards for mathematics, and early childhood standards.

This book is a collection of ideas, activities and approaches for science learning, to support kids with learning differences aged 9+ to grow in confidence, recall and understanding. The multi-sensory and fun ideas and activities can be adapted to suit individual students' needs and skills, and curriculum stage. Written by an experienced science teacher, the book includes mnemonics, art, drama and poetry activities, board games, card games, and more. All of these strategies will aid neurodiverse students' science learning and memory through boosting their creative thinking, encouraging a play-based and exploratory approach to science. Whether you want to get creative, play a game or try out a fun experiment, you can dip in and out of the activities to suit your student's unique learning style. The activities in the book will help creative thinkers who learn differently to take alternative approaches to tricky topics, grasping a fundamental understanding of key scientific concepts, whilst gaining confidence as the scientists of tomorrow.

The Association for Science Education Book Award 2016, Finalist. Science in the early years is about more than developing understanding of key scientific concepts, it is about encouraging imagination, creativity and curiosity and nurturing key scientific skills to form a firm base for learning. Understanding how best to do this for young children aged 3-7 is the focus of the book. By concentrating on practical and naturally occurring experiences the authors look at meeting the needs of the curriculum with children at the centre of their own learning. Chapters look at how to work with children to: Find out and develop their own ideas Get them inquiring scientifically Use evidence to support their views This book will really help develop the whole child across the curriculum and make sure they have the skills they need for later learning.

"Much of the content in this book is adapted from Teaching Young Children (TYC), NAEYC's award-winning magazine ..."--Page [104]

Children's early SCIENCE experiences, at school and at home, are the foundation for future science learning and comprehension--throughout the school years and life. This collection of articles from NAEYC's journal Young Children showcases exciting ways to support children's science explorations from infancy through age 8. The authors offer ideas for science-rich environments and hands-on activities that promote young learners' investigations and discovery. The articles describe teaching approaches and child-initiated projects that introduce children to scientific and engineering practices, and concepts in the physical, life, and earth and space sciences and in engineering and technology. The book includes a professional development guide with questions and activities to help readers reflect on current science teaching practices and incorporate new ones. This book is part of NAEYC's best-selling Spotlight series--great resources for the college classroom and for professional development.

Giving early years practitioners and students the confidence to effectively support scientific exploration and investigation with young children, this book explains the science behind young children′s knowledge and understanding of the world. Linking theory to good early years practice, the emphasis throughout the book is on recognizing young children as competent, creative thinkers and building on their ideas. The reader is encouraged to think carefully about the role of the adult in supporting child-initiated learning and discovery by providing open ended resources, asking productive questions and observing carefully. The authors provide essential background information for all the key areas of scientific knowledge supported by practical ideas suitable for babies, toddlers and children aged 3 to 5 years. For each of these ideas, practice and theory are linked by highlighting the skills, attitudes and dispositions to observe and the questions to ask to challenge young children′s thinking and plan for the next stages in their learning. Chapters cover: - the place of science in early years curricula in the UK - the processes of science and the role of the adult in supporting young children′s scientific learning - using open ended resources to create a science-rich environment - essential background knowledge, covering all areas of early years science - ideas to use as starting points for exploration and investigation, indoors and outdoors - pointers for observational assessment and planning - suppliers of resources and equipment By making clear links to practice, and providing ideas to use with babies and toddlers as well as with 3-5 year old children, this book enables the reader to fully exploit the potential for exploration and investigation in any early years setting. Pat Brunton and Linda Thornton are both Education Consultants based in Cheltenham. They run their own training and consultancy company alc associates, and edit Early Years Update.

Most preschool teachers have musical instruments in their classrooms, but may not realize they can use them for science explorations.Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math--STEAM--these explorations are crucial for laying a solid foundation for later learning. In this book, discover 100 activities that let children ages 3-6 explore the science of music and sound using materials easy to find for a preschool classroom. Children will use their bodies to create sounds, explore the relationship between size and pitch, investigate how tempo affects the way we listen to sounds, create musical instruments, and much more. From the drops of rainwater to the tinkling of wind chimes, the science of sound is all around.You will indulge young children's curiosity and engage them in scientific inquiry as they explore, listen, observe, experiment, think, and discuss different kinds of sounds and the tools for making them. Through playful activities, explore:Acoustics--what is sound?Volume--loud and softTempo--fast and slowTimbre--sound qualityPitch--high and low