Creating Your Preschool Science Curriculum

Science exploration comes naturally to children. Yet it’s an area that many teachers struggle with. Ideas about on the internet about science for preschool. However, many of the preschool science activities that are available online or in stores are actually not appropriate for preschoolers. This workshop will give you a background in the types of preschool science experiences that children should have in an early care program. You will explore the specific factors that determine whether a preschool science activity is appropriate. We will go over the 4 characteristics of children’s thinking that cause them to be illogical and think everything is magical. You’ll also learn about the three types of knowledge that Piaget proposed. Understanding these types of knowledge and how they interact is crucial to choosing appropriate activities and teaching styles.

You will learn about setting up a science area. So often children do not use the preschool science area constructively. We will talk specifically about how to isolate activities and variables to get more engagement from the children.

We will also cover the 3 areas of the science curriculum that should be part of every early childhood classroom: physical science, life science, and earth and space science. You’ll learn what the appropriate content is for each area for area, common misconceptions about what each area includes for preschoolers, and many great activity ideas to implement in your preschool science area. Finally, we’ll talk about the difference between experiences and experiments. You’ll discover which is best for preschool science and why. You’ll also learn an easy way to determine if you are providing experiments or experiences for the children in your class.

Approved in OH (OA-L1 for SUTQ), MI, HI, IN, MN, & KY.
CDA Area: To advance physical and intellectual competence
Pending approval in NC.

Course Instructor

Dr. Jenni Jacobs Dr. Jenni Jacobs Author