What Math and Science Goals are Appropriate for an Early Childhood Classroom?

Question

Answer

Basic skills and goals to support math include:

• Counting
• Sorting and classifying
• Shapes and space
• Measuring

Basic skills and goals to support science include:

• Exploration and discovery
• Tools for inquiry
• Changes and reactions
• Problem-solving
• Vocabulary
• Application of information
• Reporting data

For early childhood math and science, these are basic ideas that would be incorporated in a classroom.

For math, tasks include counting items in a set and subtracting items from a set of things that we're counting. Sorting and classifying activities include matching games and putting items in order from longest to shortest. Math skills also include exploring shapes and space; shapes meaning geometric shapes and space referring to the area around things or the space that the shapes occupy (not outer space).  Another early childhood math skill would be measuring. Very early measuring skills that we work on with young children are measuring length, time, and learning about measuring tools.

With science, we are looking at very basic, beginning skills to build a foundation for children's future science learning. Some examples are building skills to explore and observe. We want children to get into materials and use their hands to explore things, rather than provide them with single-use objects. If materials are very simple and straightforward, then children don't have as much opportunity to explore them.

We want children to discover what things do. We also want them to discover the tools for exploration.  These tools might include a container to catch a bug in so that they can look at it more closely or magnifying glasses that we teach them how to use.

Through these tools and exploration, our goal is for children to learn more about the world around them. Another easy simple science concept that we often incorporate with young children is the idea of changes and reactions. One example is children noticing that the ice melts faster when the sun is out. They might notice that there are worms on the sidewalk after it stops raining. We can simply call attention to the fact that something has changed and they can look at that. Problem-solving is another scientific skill that children need to have experience with early on. We provide vocabulary for children in the area of science so that they have the words to talk about the world around them. Sometimes we think that children can't handle technical words, but often if they hear a word they will use it correctly. I can think of many examples of children using words such as "paleontologist" and "entomologist" correctly and impressing their parents who didn't think children would know such words. It is also important that we help children to apply the information that they're learning. If they get a little information about something that's happening on the playground, we want to help them see how it applies to other aspects of their life. If it's happening on the playground, maybe it's happening in their backyard as well. Being able to apply the information that they are gathering through their exploration and observation is key.

Another basic science skill that we can work on with children is having them report data. This also is a math skill. We want children to be able to give information based on their observations. One example of how I approached this skill in my classroom was with a hamster we named Mr. Critter. The children loved to watch him and I put a checklist next to his cage. They could check whether he had eaten his food, whether he needed water, whether his cage needed changing, etc.  They could report different things about what he was doing and they would tell the classroom about what they observed. It is important that children are able to give information to other people because that skill is needed in many aspects of life. In an early childhood classroom, we touch on different areas of science. My science background is limited but I can teach preschool and early childhood science. We can expose children to biological and life sciences through things like watching animals in the classroom or on the playground.  We can explore chemistry and physics concepts - not in a laboratory per se, but through play - to help children learn about the world around them. Through play activities involving weather patterns, clouds, and learning about the stars and the planets, children can learn about basic concepts in geology and meteorology.

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.