Question
How can STEM goals be incorporated in an early childhood classroom?
Answer
STEM should be incorporated in an EC classroom through play. We can do that in two ways: we can intentionally plan activities and we can use things that accidentally or spontaneously happen.
Planned experiences. Planned experiences may be lessons that you create, such as a small group lesson related to a STEM-type concept. An example may be using a book at circle time that targets something about the weather or about animals hibernating. Planned experiences are a great way to ensure that you are incorporating specific concepts for young children that they might not otherwise accidentally encounter. Our classroom environment is also something that we plan and that is very intentional. Set up the classroom with learning centers with materials that promote the learning of certain concepts. We have certain expectations for the materials that we put out for young children; we want children to engage with the materials in a way that will lead them to understand more about a particular concept. Part of that preparation of a classroom environment involves making sure that kids have an adequate amount of time to explore. Fifteen minutes for centers is not very long for children to explore. I've seen classrooms where children just pick out a center and want to play, and then it's time to clean up or switch to a different center. Ensuring that you plan enough time for the children to engage and explore within the environment is crucial. Within the classroom environment, plan the social atmosphere. If the atmosphere is conducive to children exploring, they will explore. If you have things that are out and people who are there who help guide children, they will explore them. If children are allowed to interact and question things, they are going to do that.
Spontaneous experiences. Another way that children can learn STEM concepts is through spontaneous experiences. These are things that you didn't plan. If you are aware that something is happening that would be a good experience for the children, you roll with it. You're flexible enough to make some adaptations in order to take advantage of the situation. Natural experiences happen that you don't want the kids to miss. In my classroom, many times it started snowing or something really interesting happened outside, and we stopped whatever we were doing in the classroom to go outside or look out the window. For example, we had a skunk that took up residence on our playground. The skunk was taken away in a trap (no harm was done to the skunk) and a few days later one of the children said, "Come see the skunk!" I thought about it for a minute. A little skunk had died on the playground. Instead of yelling at the children to move away, don't touch it, shield your eyes, etc. I put on gloves and we examined the skunk. We talked about what might have happened and we figured out that it was the mother skunk that had been taken away. She had babies on our playground. That was an opportunity that I hadn't planned. I never would've planned that but I couldn't pass up an opportunity for children to see a skunk that closes up. We ended up learning much more about skunks as a result - we looked up more things about skunks, and we read books about skunks because of that spontaneous experience. Take advantage of those teachable moments. A moment like that may not be in the schedule but you have to stop and take advantage of it when it does occur.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from a course entitled, Budget Friendly, Creative Play Ideas Targeting STEM Standards in the Early Childhood Classroom, by Amber Tankersley, PhD.
