Providing a Science Rich Environment in Early Childhood
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Providing a science-rich environment in early childhood helps in the explicit development of cognitive and logical reasoning skills among children. Read more to learn how to provide a science-rich environment in early childhood on Desklib.
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1 NURSING How would you provide a science rich environment in the early childhood environment? With the present expansion of the transitional kindergarten and universal preschool and other associated childhood programs along with attention to childrenâs health related issues, environmental education plays an important role in early childhood development skills acquisition(Meier & Sisk-Hilton, 2017). According to Kanus (2013), children have a natural ability to learn from observations and daily living experiences. This in born sense of learning from experience and inquiry about the unknown lays the framework for science and mathematics in the early years of life. Verdine et al. (2014)proposed the use of building blocks as a source generating science rich environment. The arrangement of building blocks helps in gaining knowledge about size, colour matching, shapes and art of balancing smaller objects over bigger structure and basic idea about the surrounding infrastructure like the houses, buildings and bridges.Czalczynska- Podolska (2014)highlighted that use of water bath or water play as scientific learning. The use of water will help the student understand the basic characteristics of water for example, water is liquid in nature, it has no shape and colour and at the same time enlightens the students about the marine life.Fleer (2009)stated that designing play based program for the generation of the scientific environment for the early childhood science promotion and learning helps in the establishment of dialectical relations with the everyday scientific concepts. The dialectical relationship in turn promotes greater understanding about the basic science. The concept proper byFleer (2009)coincides with the theory of Vygosky (1987) who proposed that children learn science concepts at school when the act is designed based on the everyday practice(Poehner & Lantolf, 2014). However, Vygosky (1987) argued that for learning insulation, putting different fabrics around jars filled with hot water, to determine
2 NURSING which will stay warmer for long, will only be useful if it relates to everyday experiences of the child(Poehner & Lantolf, 2014). Separate approach must be undertaken while providing a science-rich environment for the Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islander Children because these groups of children experience educational and social disadvantage and the majority of them are not engaged with the concept of schooling and learning(Hackling et al., 2015). One of the effective approaches for providing science rich environment for the Aboriginal children includes collaborative, active and inclusive approach. Here it is role of collaborator to convey the message of inclusivity to the students and taking the studentâs suggestion into active consideration. Direct access to material for hands on activities helps to increase Aboriginal students participation in the science directed learning such that students in groups will be provided with small scientific tools or equipments to work with. Direct engagement with the tools and live experience helps to grow interest among the children(Hackling et al., 2015). What it is important? The involvement of the children in the science driven environment during early childhood helps in the explicit development of the cognitive and logical reasoning skills among the children. These skills help the children to flourish in the later stages of life, in their academic career. Grissmer et al. (2010) are of the opinion that proper understanding and constructing meaning about the world around them is a direct indicator of the early-year childrenâs scientific and mathematical learning along with reading and processing. In the domain of designing science rich environment for the child, it must be kept in mind that as a child grows; they come in contact with numerous new situations and objects. This coming across new objects lead to the development of misconception and it is the duty of an educator to clear up these misconceptions(Broström, 2015). However, Charlesworth
3 NURSING (2016) have warned against correcting all the misconceptions. Depending on the development of child, few misconceptions can be corrected and other need to wait until concept formation, like everything else, occurs sequentially(Broström, 2015). Thus I believe designing a scientific environment must not aim towards clearing up all the misconceptions and allowing children time to develop concept sequentially.At the end, I want to say that as anearly childhood educator, it is my duty to take an active role to build understandings of the child under science rich environments. My understanding is mainly guided by the study of Hatch (2010) which highlights that learning must be done by designing activity. Live activity will promote, curiosity, develop wonder promoting proper skills development and knowledge expansion in the children.According to the Early Years Learning Framework and Australian Curriculum (2010) the educators must promote learning during the early years in childhood under the environment that are flexible and open-ended and at the same time encourage children to indulge in both individual and collaborative learning process. I will bring change in the overall learning science-rich learning environment, by listening to the ideas of children and then implementing those ideas in designing the environment. This process is known as model inquiry process that takes help to the curiosity, imagination power and inquisitiveness of the child(Robbins, 2005).
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4 NURSING References Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace.(2010). Educators Belonging, Being & Becoming.Access date: 7thMarch 2019. Retrieved from: https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/educators_guide_to_the_early_ye ars_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf Broström, S. (2015). Science in early childhood education.Journal of Education and Human Development,4(2), 1. Czalczynska-Podolska, M. (2014). The impact of playground spatial features on children's play and activity forms: An evaluation of contemporary playgrounds' play and social value.Journal of environmental psychology,38, 132-142. Fleer, M. (2009). Understanding the dialectical relations between everyday concepts and scientificconceptswithinplay-basedprograms.ResearchinScience Education,39(2), 281-306. Grissmer, D., Grimm, K. J., Aiyer, S. M., Murrah, W. M., & Steele, J. S. (2010).Fine motor skills and early comprehension of the world: Two new school readiness indicators. Developmental Psychology, 46(5), 1008-1017. Hackling, M., Byrne, M., Gower, G., & Anderson, K. (2015). A pedagogical model for engaging Aboriginal children with science learning.Teaching Science: The Journal of the Australian Science Teachers Association,61(1), 27-39.
5 NURSING Hatch, J. A. (2010).âRethinking the Relationship between Learning and Development: Teaching for Learning in Early Childhood Classrooms. The Educational Forum74 (3)258-268. Knaus, M. (2013). Maths is all around You. Developing Mathematical Concepts in the Early Years.AlbertPark,Australia:TeachingSolutions.Retrievedfrom: https://www.teachingsolutions.com.au/sample_pages/Maths_all_around.pdf Meier,D.,&Sisk-Hilton,S.(2017).NatureandEnvironmentalEducationinEarly Childhood. Poehner, M. E., & Lantolf, J. P. (2014).Sociocultural theory and the pedagogical imperative in L2 education: Vygotskian praxis and the research/practice divide. Routledge. Robbins, J. (2005). Brown paper packages? A sociocultural perspective on young children's ideas in science.Research in Science Education,35(2-3), 151-172. Verdine, B. N., Golinkoff, R. M., HirshâPasek, K., Newcombe, N. S., Filipowicz, A. T., & Chang, A. (2014). Deconstructing building blocks: Preschoolers' spatial assembly performance relates to early mathematical skills.Child development,85(3), 1062- 1076.