Science in the Early

Childhood years

SCIENCE
• A way of thinking
• A way of investigating

HOW CHILDREN LEARN IN EARLY

CHILDHOOD
• Science is learned through play
• Childen learn science everyday in their
world through natural phenomena
What is SCIENCE for you
ng children

Science is the body of The processes include

knowledge people build observing, classifying,
when they use a group of experimenting,
processes to make hypothesizing, and
discoveries about the natural communicating.
world.
 BABIES
The explore the world with their senses:
• They touch, look, smell, hear and taste.
• All children are curious to know about their
environment.
• They learn the grasping power.
• From crawling, standing and walking, once
they are grown, they are free to discover
more freely on their own.
TODDLERS
They sort things
• Toddlers are able to sort shapes following individual colors or
sizes.
• They are also able to pour sand and water into containers.
• The exploring and experimentation doe in the first years wil
help develop muscle coordination and the sense of taste,
smell, sight and hearning

INFANTS
They learn about:
• PRESCHOLL AND KINDERGARTEN
weights- when they cannot lift items of the
• Exploration continues to be the first step in dealing with
same size
• new situations.
Shape- some shapes stay put, others roll away
• They also learn to apply basic concepts to collect and
• Time sequence- they wake up feeing hungry
organize data. To be able to collect data, basic skills
and wet
• such as observation, counting, recording and organizing
Space- they discover small and bigger space
is needed.
as they learn to crawl.
Development of Science C
oncepts

BIRTH to AGE 2 AGE 2 to 8

Children will learn
Children will learn sets,
through observation,
problem solving, shape,
classifying and applying
communication the concepts
How SCIENCE concepts a
re acquired
• Children acquire fundamental concepts
through active involvement with their
environment.
• When they explore their surroundings,
theyr construct their wn knowledge.
• Specific learning experiences with
younger children may be naturalistic,
informal or structured.
How SCIENCE concepts a
re acquired
• Children acquire fundamental concepts
through active involvement with their
environment.
• When they explore their surroundings,
theyr construct their wn knowledge.
• Specific learning experiences with
younger children may be naturalistic,
informal or structured.
 Preschool
Attitudes
Your child's a little
devil at home but a
total angel at
preschool.
 At-Home Headache. If your
Class Act preschooler got a report card,
she'd likely be a straight-A
student. Her teacher says
she's helpful, attentive, and
kind to her buddies. But
around you, she turns into
someone the school wouldn't
recognize: cranky,
argumentative, and needy.
How can your child be so
sweet during class and so
sour the minute she gets
home?
Teacher Tip. The group
dynamic of school encourages
young kids to fall in line with
their peers and try to please
their teachers. They can only
maintain this model behavior
for a few hours, though. "Kids
need to let loose when they
leave the classroom," says
Jennifer Zebooker, a teacher at
the 92nd Street Y Nursery
School, in New York City. "It's
natural for them to push the
boundaries with Mommy."
 Teacher Tip: Instead of telling a 3-year-old
that he must share, ask if he'll take turns.
At-Home "Say, 'I see you don't want your sister to touch
Sharing your trains right now, but will you let her play
Headache: Your with them when you're done?'" suggests
child shared Johanna Booth-Miner, a director at Live &
beautifully Learn Early Learning. This approach gives
your child a sense of control: He gets a
during preschool chance to use the toy for a while, and he'll
, but now he (you hope) feel better about handing it over
refuses to give when he's ready. If he still says "No," try
giving him a time limit: "Wow, I see you're
his little sister a really having fun with that train. You can play
turn with his with it for five more minutes, and then your
trains. sister gets to use it." Be sure to give him a
one-minute warning before his time is up.
 Teacher Tip: Bring out your child's
Bathoom
At-Home independent side by mimicking the kid-
friendly environment of her preschool,
Headache: She advises Karen Klein, coordinator of the
learned to go to the Reibman Children's Center at
Northampton. Keep a child's-eye view
bathroom and wash in mind throughout the house: Set up a
her hands by stool by the bathroom sink so your child
can wash her hands on her own. While
herself at school, you're at it, install a coat hook that's low
but she always enough for her to reach. And keep
water-filled sippy cups on a low shelf so
seems to ask for she can help herself. Be sure to praise
help when you're her when she finishes the task: The more
enthused you are about her independent
around. behavior, the more psyched she'll be to
act like a big girl in the future.
 Teacher Tip: In class, your child has circle
time at the same hour each day, so she's
Storytime Problems At-Home Headache: She comfortable with the routine. Establish a
always sat quietly similar regimen at home by starting with a
through storytime at snack, then making a craft or doing a
school, but she suddenly puzzle together, and finally reading a book.
gets fidgety whenever Take a cue from teachers: "End an activity
you try to read her a before your child loses interest, so he
book. doesn't get bored," says Cecile Thorne, a
teacher at Marie Reed School, in
Washington, D.C. Don't worry if she can't
sit still for an entire Curious George book.
It doesn't mean she has an attention
problem. Try reading half of it now and the
other half at bedtime.
 Teacher Tip: Look for ways to give your
preschooler choices. At cleanup time, teachers
At-Home let kids decide how they'd like to get the job
Helpfulness done ("Would you rather pretend we're
Headache: Whe jumping frogs or galloping horses as we put
n the teacher things away?"). Giving your child options
asked your child will make her feel empowered and encourage
her to cooperate, says Zebooker. At naptime,
to do something, see whether she'd rather skip to her room or
she hopped to it. take a piggyback ride, so she feels she has
But when you some say in the matter. Try a similar strategy
when she's reluctant to leave a playdate: Ask
make a similar if she wants to give her friend a goodbye hug
request, she or a "thanks for having me" high five.
ignores you.
 Teacher Tip: "Kids this age can't
Snack time Scene At-Home grasp the concept of time," says
Headache: She Elaine Francisco, a teacher at the
Franklin D. Roosevelt School in
waited patiently for Daly City, California. Instead of
recess and telling a 3-year-old that class will
snacktime at school be over in half an hour, a teacher
but makes a scene might use a diagram that shows
where the clock's hands will be
if she doesn't get when Mommy comes to pick her
what she wants up. Use cues at home too. Explain
from you -- right time in segments your child can
easily comprehend in the future .
now!
 Guide Questions
1. Why attracting Young Learners to
Science a necessity
2. Identify the advantages and
disadvantages of Discovery Learning
Method
3. Cite a scenario where preschool
learners show different attitudes at
home and in school and how it is being
managed by you as future teachers.