Written by Anne Marquardt

STEM. STEAM. STREAM. Which of these recent educational buzzwords can you decode? At first glance these acronyms—which stand for Science, Technology, Reading (or Religion), Engineering, the Arts, and Math—look like mnemonic devices for remembering the facets of classroom curriculum. Digging deeper, however, we find that STEM education is designed to make natural connections between curricular content and students’ preconceived notions about how the world works. Students who are engaged in real-world problem solving investigate science and engineering concepts, apply mathematical knowledge, and use the arts and technology to meet their goals. They creatively introduce solutions, refine their thinking when ideas fail, and construct new understandings of the world (Ansberry & Morgan, 2017).

STEM education is currently popular on college campuses down through the middle school levels. It involves higher-level thinking that even an elementary student can start to understand. But what about the littlest lambs that we serve? Is there really a place for STEM education at the early childhood level? I propose that STEM already naturally occurs in a developmentally appropriate way!

(Note: for this blog’s purposes, I will not focus on the R in STREAM, but we know that reading and religion are very important in early childhood education—religion most of all!)

Young Explorers
The infant who mimics an adult’s facial expression or the toddler who uses his senses to explore a new toy? Scientists! The preschooler testing the angles of a block ramp in order to make a car land in an exact spot? An engineer and mathematician! A second grader using Tinkercad to design and code? A computer programmer and artist!

Each aspect of STE(A)M education is present in an early childhood setting, seen as children do that at which they are best: play. Problem solving occurs wherever children are! Children have an innate desire to use their senses, exploring the physical properties of materials, tinkering with objects to discover how they are put together, building and retooling creative creations (Heroman, 2017). Even infants test physical hypotheses when they repeatedly simulate others (McClure, 2017) or grasp objects. Finally, children are natural engineers, because nothing is impossible in a child’s mind!

Intentional Support
The cross-curricular learning behind STE(A)M invites children to use their pre-existing knowledge to solve dilemmas and make new mental connections. In play, they are already doing just that! Early childhood teachers, however, can be intentional in guiding their young “STEM-ineers” by creating opportunities for exploration and reflection. In a supportive environment, children have the opportunity to use open-ended materials and their God-given imaginations to create ingenious inventions (Reyes, 2012).

The expectations and support needed for each level of early childhood STE(A)M education varies, but the impetus is the same: creating context from real or fictional obstacles. In my classroom, we call these “STEM challenges”—and how my students’ eyes light up when they hear that phrase! For example, after reading “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” the children were challenged to build a chair that could stand on its own. Younger students were more interested in tinkering with the materials; they were encouraged to describe and test the properties of the materials. Older students thought carefully about the materials they would use to build the chair, recognizing that some materials would not be as sturdy as others. Some children needed support while using tools, others during the design stage. A few students were even ready to follow exact specifications: the chair could not wobble and needed to hold a 5-pound object. They engineered a solution that could function on its own (Heroman, 2017).

Additional Benefits
Early childhood classrooms that provide open-ended play experiences are already laying the foundation of STE(A)M education. These experiences influence child development far beyond higher-level thinking and problem solving:

• Language and literacy skills are boosted as children find the words to discuss ideas and curiosities (Epstein, 2014).
• Students debate their hypotheses and conclusions, honing their understanding and application of mathematical and scientific knowledge (Epstein, 2014).
• Executive function skills are strengthened as students learn to organize information, think flexibly, make plans, and persist when plans go awry (Heroman, 2017). Children may also see daily obstacles in a new light and focus their attention on independently finding solutions.
• STE(A)M help develop empathy when teachers design activities that help children see the world through other people’s eyes (Blank & Lynch, 2018).
• Social collaboration motivates students in unique ways, as children persist longer, show more confidence in their abilities, and even have more fun when they are involved in group activity (Master, 2017).

Anne Marquardt (MLC ‘05) has a master’s degree in early childhood curriculum & instruction (Concordia ’15). She currently serves Gloria Dei Lutheran School-Belmont CA as early childhood teacher and director.

References
Ansberry, A. & Morgan, E. (2017). Picture-perfect STEM lessons, K-2: Using children’s books to inspire STEM learning. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers’ Association.

Blank, J. & Lynch, S. (2018, September). Growing in STEM. The design process: Engineering practices in preschool. Young Children, 73(4). Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org.

Epstein, A.S. (2014). The intentional teacher: Choosing the best strategies for young children’s learning. National Association for the Education of Young Children and HighScope Press.

Heroman, C. (2017). Making and tinkering with STEM: Solving design challenges with young children. National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Master, A. (2017, March 31). Make STEM social to motivate preschoolers [Web log post]. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from https://www.naeyc.org.

McClure, E. (2017, November). More than a foundation: Young learners are capable STEM learners. Young Children, 72(5). Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org.

Reyes, S. (2012). Engineer through the year. Peterborough, NH: Crystal Springs Books.