EdD, MSc, BA, CPMA (II)
Lecturer, Practicum Supervisor, Researcher
Science is all
around us. An appreciation of nature and the environment should begin at an
early age. Science experiences provide an important avenue for young children to
observe and explore the world around them. Through participating in hands-on
Science activities, children become active and positive learners.
There are 3 components in a Science program which are 1) Science as an attitude,
2) Science as a process, and 3) Science as content or product. Over the years,
Science has shifted from ‘being a body of knowledge to be memorized and repeated
later on a test’ to ‘doing, questioning and understanding’. Hence, a Science
program especially for young children should emphasize the development of a
positive attitude and processing inquiry skills rather than the content or
product of Science. Young children should be encouraged to experiment, question,
think and problem-solve in a safe and hygiene environment and in the process,
develop a positive attitude towards Science.
A Science program for young children should encourage them to use their 5 sense
to learn about the world around them, and ask the following Qs –What? How? Why?
When designing and selecting hands-on science activities for young children,
care should be taken to ensure that they are developmentally appropriate, safe
and hygienic as well as focus on the process-inquiry, skills such as observing,
classifying, measuring, experimenting, predicting, problem-solving and
recording.
After a Science activity, children can be encouraged to share their experience
or findings with their teacher and peers. Although some of the findings may not
be accurate or reliable because of the materials or procedures, the important
objective of the activity should be to expose the children to the Science
experience as well as to inculcate in them a love for Science at an early age.
While it is important to expose children to commercially-made resources such as
the magnifying glass, weighing scales and so on, it is also important to expose
children to teacher-made equipment and materials as well as to use items found
in the school or home. This is to encourage children to be creative and
resourceful and to develop an awareness and appreciation of nature and the
environment. Children are holistic individuals who learn in holistic ways. The
various subject areas (Science, Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art
and Craft, Music and Movement, etc) are not separate entities but interact and
influence each other. Knowledge and skills are also not compartmentalized
according to the subject areas. Hence, Science should be integrated in the early
childhood curriculum, and activities should be planned based on the holistic
model of child development.
The role of the adult is important in a Science curriculum. The teacher
carefully plans, implements and evaluates each Science activity. Teachers can
keep parents informed on the progress of the children in the development of
their process-inquiry skills. Parents can also play a part in the Science
Curriculum by supporting the various activities planned by the teachers. They
can help to collect some specimens (example, a butterfly, a tadpole, a fish,
etc) or provide some materials (example, recycled containers, fruits, books,
books, etc) for the Science activities. For a Science activity to be successful,
both teachers and parents need to work together and support each
other.
