Written by Amanda M. Lewig

As I walk around the classroom, four separate groups of six 6-year-olds are working at various, rather complex tasks. I overhear a group that has been assigned an engineering task communicating and problem solving as they realize their original design is not holding up. They work together, solve the problem, and at the end of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) class, come to me with a two-and-a-half foot tall self-supporting, paper snowman. This is a typical Friday STEM class in my kindergarten.

STEM class is a focused form of interdisciplinary, rigorous, and real-world application instruction that has become an integral component in my early childhood curriculum. Early childhood education (ECE) is often an eclectic buffet of teaching methodologies. Learning centers, circle time, shared and guided reading, and daily five are a few pedagogical methods common in ECE. Classrooms that are blending traditional pedagogy with the new essentials of the technology age, like STEM, are setting themselves apart.

A Picture of STEM in ECE
“In fact, just as the industrial revolution made it necessary for all children to learn to read, the technology revolution has made it critical for all children to understand STEM” (McClure et al., 2017, p. 4).

STEM education allows students to participate in team building and social activities that have not often been natural parts of the curriculum. The value of STEM is not what it teaches (problem solving, critical thinking skills, collaboration, etc.). It’s the hands-on manner of real world instruction.

A hands-on, inductive approach fits naturally in a developmentally appropriate early childhood setting where the focus is on setting a child’s developmental foundation for future learning (Hover, 2015). STEM is no longer a mere buzzword in education, but a necessary way to unlock higher-level thinking skills in young children

A STEM rotation in my classroom will show students simultaneously working on . . .

• a coding project with age-appropriate technology,
• an unplugged, team-building engineering project,
• a teacher-led science experiment with student-centered observations and predictions, and
• a multi-layered math center.

Balancing Traditional Pedagogy
STEM builds on traditional pedagogy. It does not replace it. For example, math instruction in my kindergarten classroom can illustrate the blending of traditional forms of pedagogy with STEM. Throughout the week my students have direct instruction within whole-group lessons and individualized, independent practice through traditional daily math centers. STEM Fridays expound on connected lessons and expand beyond the curriculum. Though math curriculum skills like geometry and problem solving are usually considered too advanced for early childhood instruction, STEM provides an opportunity to work beyond existing ECE curricula.

Final Goals
When approaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math instruction at the ECE level, there is not only one way in which a teacher can or needs to conduct this instruction. It is far more important for the teacher to focus on having clear and purposeful objectives with goals that are developmentally correct for the students. STEM is not simply plugging students into an iPad or giving them building blocks. Today STEM is a vital component of a well-formed, well-rounded pedagogical model.

Once, children were pushed less because they were considered to be too young. Now, we are seeing them unlock answers that amaze us. Age-appropriate STEM awakens a passion for learning in my kindergarten. Students look forward to STEM Fridays each week. This instruction still allows students to enjoy their age while opening their minds to deeper-level thinking. The hands-on approach of STEM shows the monumental ability young children have to manipulate their own learning. A well-rounded pedagogical model is the key to unlocking the potential of STEM in the kindergarten classroom.

Amanda Lewig (’08) is pursuing a Master of Science in Education from MLC with an emphasis in instruction.

References
Hover, A. B. (2015). How Student Enrollment in Kindergarten Readiness Classes Affects Future Academic Achievement. Journal of Research in Education, 25(1), 57–68.

McClure, E. R., Guernsey, L., Clements, D. H., Bales, S. N., Nichols, J., Kendall-Taylor, N., … Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. (2017). STEM Starts Early: Grounding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in Early Childhood. Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.