Teaching Science

Question 1

What processes are included in Science for young children?

Answer 1

Continuous wondering, finding out, knowing

Question 2

How should science be to get young children involved?

Answer 2

Available, appealing and appropriate

Question 3

What’s the goal of teaching science to young children?

Answer 3

Science experiences help them develop their ability to solve problems, acquire scientific knowledge & information, develop positive attitudes toward science

Question 4

How do you interact with preschoolers?

Answer 4

By talking. It helps children internalize their observations and start to involve in high or complex level of thinking which enables them to see the big picture

Question 5

How do you make science activity outside the class?

Answer 5

Bring the kids out in the park or playground, allowing them to make use of the environment surrounding them, letting them explore themselves

Question 6

What are some activities that teachers can consider?

Answer 6

• Block assembling
• Collecting (dead) leaves and sticks
• Planting a seed in a pot

Question 7

How does block assembling help children learn science?

Answer 7

Children can explore gravity when they build tall towers

Question 8

How does collecting (dead) leaves and sticks help children to learn science?

Answer 8

Teachers can ask them questions about trees, which part does the item they collected belong to, etc

Question 9

How does planting a seed help a student learn about science?

Answer 9

Watching it grow everyday and taking care of it teaches them the lifespan of a plant

Question 10

What is science in early childhood education?

Answer 10

• A way of thinking
• A way of investigating
• An inquiry & discovery

Question 11

How do children learn science in their early childhood?

Answer 11

Through play and everyday through natural phenomena (thunder, rainbow, tornado, floods)

Question 12

What science concepts do children from birth to 2 years learn?

Answer 12

Observation, problem-solving, number, shape 1 to 1 communication

Question 13

What science concepts do children aged 2 years to 9 years learn?

Answer 13

Sets, classifying and applying the concepts

Question 14

What are the benefits of using inquiry skills?

Answer 14

• Fosters curiosity
• Develops critical thinking
• Increases student responsibility
• Encourages independent thinking
• Supports reasoning skills

Question 15

Why are inquiry skills important?

Answer 15

Students would be required to be active participants as they gather information, analyse their findings and apply critical thinking of what they learn

Question 16

What are the steps in using inquiry learning?

Answer 16

• Ask a question
• Investigate answers
• Create new understanding
• Communicate findings
• Reflect

Question 17

How are science concepts developed?

Answer 17

“The best way to learn science is to do science”
By asking questions and conducting investigations

Question 18

How do children construct and use concepts?

Answer 18

• 1 to 1 correspondence: Passing an orange to each child seated at the table
• Counting
• Classifying
• Measuring

Question 19

How do babies explore the world?

Answer 19

With their 5 senses; touch, sight, smell, taste, hearing

Question 20

What do infants learn about?

Answer 20

• Weight
• Shape: Some stay put, others roll away
• Time sequence
• Space
• Spatial sense: Placed in a crib or playpen in a centre of a room

Question 21

How do toddlers sort things?

Answer 21

• By colours, sizes
• Able to pour sand and water into containers

Question 22

How do children acquire science concepts?

Answer 22

Through active involvement with their environment. It may be naturalistic / spontaneous, informal or structured

Question 22

How does exploration and experimentation help with a child’s development?

Answer 22

Develops their muscle coordination and their 5 senses

Question 23

What are naturalistic experiences?

Answer 23

• Initiated spontaneously by children as they go about their daily activities, major during the sensorimotor period
• The child controls the choice and action
• Adults’ role is to provide a rich environment for the child, as many things as possible for the child to use their 5 senses
• Adult should observe and acknowledge the child’s behaviors

Question 24

Examples of naturalistic experiences?

Answer 24

• A child takes a spoon from the drawer and says, “this is big” , mom says, “yes”
• A child sits on the floor and is sorting out color rings into plastic cups
• A child is painting, dabbing yellow paint on top of blue paint, saying, “Hey! I’ve got green now!”

Question 25

What are informal learning experiences?

Answer 25

• Initiated by adults as children are engaged in naturalistic experiences
• Not pre-planned
• When the child may be doing the right thing in solving a problem, but needs a little cue or encouragement

Question 26

Examples of informal learning experiences?

Answer 26

• A child has 4 balls with them, when asked to show how many they’re holding with their fingers, they hold up 3. Here an adult may correct them by pointing out another finger

Question 27

What are structured learning experiences?

Answer 27

• Planned lessons, activities and experiences
• Usually chosen by adults who gives direction to the child

Question 28

Examples of structured learning experiences?

Answer 28

• A teacher helps a child with the concept of a shape by suggesting a game to play and give them the direction to play the game
• After the child drew a painting of their hand on a board, the teacher later asks questions regarding the color, shape and numbers