"Boys and girls, look closely at the rocks you brought today," Mrs. Collins says. "Put your big rocks on one side of your mat, and put your little rocks on the other side." The children immediately begin sorting the rocks. "This one looks like a baseball," says Katrina. "All of mine are little," says Joey. "I'm finished," says another child.

Mrs. Collins has them sort the rocks by their different features-rough or smooth, sparkling or dull, light or dark. The children are interested because these are their own rocks they brought from home. They can look at, touch, feel, and smell the rocks to their hearts' content. They get to know their rocks well and begin to appreciate each one's beauty.

Mrs. Collins is conducting an excellent science lesson for preschool children. She is not "teaching" geology but facilitating the children's discovery about rocks. She is helping to lay a foundation upon which these children can build an understanding of geology, the earth, and its wonders.

Science is everywhere. Young children are inquisitive, interested, questioning, and naturally curious about their world. Science is an important part of the preschool child's day. However, science will be meaningful to children only when activities are based on the way they learn. Children, ages two to seven, exhibit at least four behavioral characteristics that are important to keep in mind when planning science activities.

1. Centering. A preschool child can focus, or center, on only one property of an object at a time. Centering prevents the child from noticing other features of an object (Smith, 1977).
   The rock activity above takes this characteristic into account. The caregiver asks the children to look at one feature of the rocks at a time, enabling the children to sort and classify successfully.
2. Nonreversible thinking. Children's thinking is not reversible; they can focus on the beginning or end state of something but not on the whole process or change. For example, it's hard for them to understand that ice is frozen water.
   This is not to say that learning activities involving simple changes need to be avoided. Cooking experiences are wonderful ways to introduce young children to changes in matter. A caregiver can point out these changes by asking the children what they think will happen next, and recording their observations to review later.
3. Inability to conserve. A preschool child is not able to recognize that when objects are rearranged, the number of objects is still the same (Smith, 1977). Stated another way, the amount of something doesn't change just because it occupies a different space. For example, most children believe there is more water in a tall, thin glass than a short, wide glass.
   Learning centers, especially the sand and water table, can offer a variety of experiences for children to test this problem for themselves. The care giver can provide many containers of different sizes and shapes. Given ample opportunities, children will develop an understanding of this principle of conservation.
4. Egocentrism. A young child believes, "The whole world centers around me." This characteristic makes it difficult for a child to imagine how an object or experiment might look from someone else's point of view, to share materials with other children, or to understand how another person might feel.
   By recognizing that preschoolers are egocentric,you can understand why it is important to provide ample materials for all children, allow them to freely explore the materials, and provide for choice within the activity.
   Understanding the way children think, will help the provider to plan appropriate science activities that will enhance the growth of logical thinking.

GUIDELINES FOR SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Robert F. Smith (1987) developed criteria for determining whether a science experiment or activity for preschoolers is appropriate. You can use these guidelines to develop or evaluate your own science activities.

• Are children naturally interested in the materials? Young children are interested in real things from their immediate environment: rocks, worms, seeds, bubbles, and frogs, for example. The younger the child, the more concrete the materials need to be. The concept of germs, although a valid science concept, is difficult to hold in a child's hand. Choose themes and activities that ensure children's active involvement with real materials, and frequently assess their interest in the theme.
• Do the materials allow total involvement of the senses? The preoperational child leans through the five senses-seeing, hearing , smelling, tasting, touching. Children need opportunities to manipulate materials while using all their senses. Provide materials that prompt children to discover differences in texture, color, size, shape, hardness, sound, taste and smell.
• Does the children's play with the materials provide opportunities to extend their learning? Can you ask questions or suggestions that stimulate children's thinking? You serve as a facilitator,someone who guides children into making discoveries for themselves. One way to do this is to ask open-ended questions: "What do you think will happen next? How can we find out the answer to that question? What happened when you put those two things together?"
  These questions have no right or wrong answers. They allow children to think for themselves, think creatively, and solve problems.
  
• Does the children's play with the materials allow for other materials to be added to extend exploration and discoveries? Asking the questions "What else could you use?" or "Do you see anything in the room that might help you solve this problem?" conveys the message that it is OK to try other things. Try to have related materials available. Ideally these extra items are introduced gradually, at a pace set by the children as they follow their curiosity.
  
• Does the children's play with the materials allow for differences in ability, development, and learning style? Materials such as bubbles, goop, and string are open-ended: There is no one right way to play with them. Such materials allow for differences in ability, development, and learning style. They allow exploration in ways that are developmentally appropriate for each child. One child may blow bubbles though different bubble makers to discover different shapes, while another child may blow bubbles at a target to discover something about speed and weight.
  
• Does the children's play allow them to freely interact with other children and adults? Interactions between one child and another and between children and adults build language skills. Children need opportunities to talk, wonder out loud, and share discoveries with their friends. "My rock has a shiny thing in it," one child says. "Let me see, let me see," says another. Through these interactions children also build the social skills of cooperation and communication.
  
• Does the children's play with the materials encourage them to observe, compare, classify, predict, and communicate? Observing, comparing, classifying, predicting, and communicating are important scientific skills that preschoolers can begin learning. Observing the growth of a plant, comparing the size of the blocks, classifying buttons by colors, predicting what will happen when pumpkin seeds are cooked, and communicating the feel of a cool, wet frog are examples of appropriate ways to include scientific skills in the preschool curriculum.
  

  SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE

  Science can be included in every learning center and every activity of a preschool day. The provider is responsible for arranging the center to facilitate scientific exploration, allow a sense of wonder, and lead children to make science discoveries.

  It is not necessary for a teacher to know everything about science. One needs only to be able to find answers to children's questions, have books available for them to find some of their own answers, and be willing to encourage science on a daily basis.

  Adapted from the article Science by Discovery by Kathy L. Morrison which appeared in the 1995 Fall issue of the Texas Child Care newsletter published by the Texas Department of Human Services in cooperation with the Corporate Fund for Children.

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