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Early STEM experiences should include exploratory learning, allowing children to learn content through the processes of inquiry. The STEM experiences teachers provide for young children can involve a variety of learning materials, including children鈥檚 literature, consumables and manipulatives, and web-based resources. In this issue we offer suggestions and examples to guide teachers鈥� selection of classroom STEM resources and materials.

Children鈥檚 literature and STEM learning

Use of high-quality STEM-focused children鈥檚 literature supports introducing and examining science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concepts in the early childhood classroom (Hong 1996; Patrick, Mantzicopoulos, & Samarapungavan 2008; Sharkawy 2012; Varelas et al. 2014). With the amount of children鈥檚 literature aimed at building concept knowledge, teachers may find it difficult to select appropriate books to introduce these ideas. Children鈥檚 picture books may contain information that is so oversimplified it can become misleading (Dagher & Ford 2005), leave out key scientific components (Smolkin et al. 2008), or contain little representation of practical or natural sciences (Ford 2005). In addition, finding literature that represents the physical sciences (like motion or astronomy) can be much harder than locating books on life sciences (plants or animals) (Ford 2005; Smolkin et.al. 2008). The difficulties in finding high-quality literature can be intensified when seeking literature about technology, engineering, and mathematics.

In addition to selecting books with high-quality artwork/pictures and text, below are two essential questions to consider before introducing STEM-focused children鈥檚 literature into the classroom:

• Does the book present content that is technically sound and appropriate for children鈥檚 developing understandings?
• Does the book effectively help students build both inquiry and content understandings?

Add loose parts and nonstandard materials for STEM explorations

Another important factor to consider when planningearly STEM experiences is the role open-ended materials can play in classroom learning experiences. STEM experiences often involve many different materials for exploration, but you do not need to purchase manufactured curricular materials. Giving children access to open-ended materials can broaden and extend children鈥檚 explorations while also limiting expenditures. Consider the theory of loose parts first proposed by architect Simon Nicholson in the 1970s. Loose parts are materials without a predetermined purpose that can be moved, combined, reformed, taken apart, and put back together in numerous ways(Nicholson 1972). Loose parts can be used alone or combined with other materials and can be both manufactured and natural. Nicholson wrote, 鈥淚n any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it鈥� (1972,6). Expanding children鈥檚 access to nontraditional STEM materials can serve to provide a wider range of learning opportunities in the classroom.

Consider Remida, the reclaimed materials center in Reggio Emilia, Italy, that houses a wide variety of loose parts and unique items for teachers to bring into their classrooms. This center can serve as a guide for teachers as they build a classroom collection of loose parts for use in STEM explorations.

In order to guide the selection of materials for inclusion in the classroom, think about the following essential questions:

• Can this material be added into a STEM experience or learning center to support student thinking?
• Does the material allow for exploration and inquiry?
• In what ways might children use it to explore the topic at hand?
• How does the material complement the items the children are familiar with?

Examples of High-Quality Children's Books

Life sciences.听Looking Closely in the Rain Forest, by Frank Serafini. All ages.

Frank Serafini has a wonderful series of books called听Looking Closely. ... This book, focusing on the rain forest, won the National Science Teachers Association鈥檚 (NSTA) Outstanding Science Trade Book (OSTB) award in 2011. The writing is almost poetic in its repetition but remains simple and clear enough for very young children to understand. All the books in this series introduce students to the notion of hypothesizing through close inspection, as each plant or animal is preceded by a close-up partial image and the text poses questions about what it might be.

Physical sciences.I Fall Down,听by Vicki Cobb. Ages 3鈥�6.

Vicki Cobb introduces the potentially difficult concept of gravity through easy-to-understand language and activities for young children. This NSTA 2005 OSTB award winner challenges children to drip, dribble, and drop different materials while experimenting with the forces of gravity. Other books in Cobb鈥檚 Science Play series include听I See Myself听(light and reflection),听I Get Wet听(properties of water), and听I Face the Wind听(properties of air and air currents).

Technology.听Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer,听by Diane Stanley. Ages 4鈥�8.

This is the story of Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord and Lady Byron. Credited for having her mother鈥檚 mathematical and scientific brain, coupled with her father鈥檚 creative imagination, Ada Lovelace was the first recognized computer programmer in history. The text offers insight into the history of computers, the Industrial Revolution, and the mechanical loom. Teachers and librarians can draw connections to history and other forms of technology.

Engineering.The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind听(picture book edition), by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. Ages 5 and up.

This book is based on the inspirational, award-winning memoir of 14-year-old William Kamkwamba, who built a windmill from scrap materials to produce electricity for his African village during a drought and famine. This true story about ingenuity, creativity, and persistence in the face of severe adversity will inspire children to imagine their own capabilities. An NSTA OSTB winner in 2012. (There are several books published with this title, so be sure to select the picture book edition.)

Mathematics听(numbers and counting).听Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives,听by Lola M. Schaefer. All ages.

Winner of NSTA鈥檚 OSTB in 2013,听Lifetime听is filled with charming mixed-media illustrations in numerically accurate pictures. Readers can count how many times a spider spins an egg sac (one) or how many baby seahorses a father seahorse carries in a lifetime (1,000). While younger children may not be able to count to the higher numbers, they can conjecture about听more听and听less, and the text and visual representations make it suitable for even very young audiences. This book also allows for incorporation of science concepts such as life spans and life cycles.

Mathematics (measurement).听How Tall, How Short, How Far Away?,
by David A. Adler. Ages 5 and up.

Adler delves into the history of measurement and encourages practical applications for students. This book, which won NSTA鈥檚 OSTB award in 1999, encourages readers to learn about and try ancient methods of measurement, as well as design their own tools to measure height and distance.

High-quality STEM web resources

While there are a lot of STEM-related resources available, here are three free tools we think early childhood teachers should know about.

PBS Kids (supports all STEM learning)

PBS Kids provides educational programs, resources for parents and teachers, and a thorough list of STEM games for children ages 2鈥�8. Resources are built around all STEM subjects and encourage students to problem solve through activities that include characters from PBS鈥檚 televised programs.听

Peep and the Big Wide World (science, mathematics, and engineering)

A clever and endearing look into science through the lens of a large urban park, Peep and the Big Wide World is an animated series aimed at 3- to 5-year-olds that can captivate viewers of all ages. Peep introduces children to easy-to-replicate science experiments using everydaymaterials. Renowned early childhood science educator Karen Worth is the show鈥檚 educational science advisor, and actress Joan Cusack narrates. The website includes videos, student experiments, and computer activities.听

Code.org (technology)

This nonprofit organization is dedicated to teaching K鈥�12 students how to code. While all students can benefit, a primary goal of Code.org is to provide technology opportunities to females and other students underrepresented in the computer science field. Videos explain what coding is, and users can access early childhood activities and lesson plans after creating a free account.听

Conclusion

We hope early childhood teachers are inspired to think creatively as they plan STEM integration. Teachers can support children鈥檚 exploration and learning by ensuring that they have many opportunities for playful engagement. Diversifying STEM materials and resources to include both traditional and nontraditional tools, high-quality STEM literature, and web-based resources deepens children鈥檚 daily engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

References

Dagher, Z.R., & D.J. Ford. 2005. 鈥淗ow Are Scientists Portrayed in Children鈥檚 Science Biographies?鈥澨�Science & Education听14 (3): 377鈥�93.

Ford, D.J. 2005. 鈥淩epresentations of Science Within Children鈥檚 Trade Books.鈥澨�Journal of Research in Science Teaching听43 (2): 214鈥�35.

Hong, H. 1996. 鈥淓ffects of Mathematics Learning Through Children鈥檚 Literature on Math Achievement and Dispositional Outcomes.鈥澨�Early Childhood Research Quarterly听11 (4): 477鈥�94.

Nicholson, S. 1972. 鈥淭he Theory of Loose Parts: An Important Principle for Design Methodology.鈥澨�Studies in Design Education Craft and Technology听4(2): 5鈥�14.

NSTA (National Science Teachers Association). 2016. NSTA Recommends.听.

Patrick, H., P. Mantzicopoulos, & A. Samarapungavan. 2008. 鈥淢otivation for Learning Science in Kindergarten: Is There a Gender Gap and Does Integrated Inquiry and Literacy Instruction Make a Difference.鈥澨�Journal of Research in Science Teaching听46 (2): 166鈥�91.

Reggio Children. 2005.听Remida Day.听Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children.

Sharkawy, A. 2012. 鈥淓xploring the Potential of Using Stories About Diverse Scientists and Reflective Activities to Enrich Primary Students鈥� Images of Scientists and Scientific Work.鈥澨�Cultural Studies of Science Education听7 (2):307鈥�40.

Smolkin, L.B., E.M. McTigue, C.A. Donovan, & J.M. Coleman. 2008. 鈥淓xplanation in Science Trade Books Recommended for Use With Elementary Students.鈥澨�Science Education听93 (4): 587鈥�610.

Varelas, M., L. Pieper, A. Arsenault, C.C. Pappas, & N. Keblawe-Shamah. 2014. 鈥淗ow Science Texts and Hands-On Explorations Facilitate Meaning Making: Learning From Latina/o Third Graders.鈥澨�Journal of Research in Science Teaching听51 (10): 1246鈥�74.