Why Teach Science in Preschool?

I think that most educators will agree that an integrated curriculum is a good idea at any level of education - everything is connected.

At the early childhood level can science be the organizing framework for integrating the curriculum?  In my experience, a science focus makes it easier to accomplish this goal because of the intense interest children have in learning about the world around them.

One might ask how does this help in developing language and early literacy which is a major focus of preschool?  My answer would be that language and literacy have to be about something, and because children love science, it can be the vehicle for enhancing their language and pre-literacy skills.

 Science Is All Around Us

We actually do a fair amount of science in our everyday lives.  For example, if you consider all the answers to your children’s questions and the observations that they can make everyday, we are learning about science and nature all the time...in the kitchen, the bathroom, the garden, the garage, the playground. and when we are out and about.

With guidance, science and nature study can offer children a deeper relationship with the outdoors and, can form the foundation for scientific thinking.  Taking children on a nature exploration (in the backyard, a local park, or further afield) can build the skills necessary for scientific thought and critical thinking: observation, questioning, and predicting.

If we encourage our children to observe and ask questions about the world around them, most of that will involve science in one way or another. These repeated experiences become the building blocks of knowledge and understanding.  And if we don't know the answer to a question, we can help children learn how to find the answers by using the library, looking things up on the computer, and talking with an expert.  From this shared experience, some great family projects can emerge.