There are distinct thinking skills for STEM that are required to succeed. In order for preschoolers to learn the STEM disciplines it can be quite daunting or challenging. Sometimes we focus on a handful of activities that get repeated over and over again. This often creates disinterest from children or they only know how to follow one example.
Instead, we can approach STEM as a set of principles and develop higher order thinking in preschoolers. This will enable them to apply their knowledge to different settings in the various disciplines.
Here are the tools and 7 key principles we need to focus on to develop our preschoolers. This will begin to equip them with the thinking skills that will form a basis for learning the STEM disciplines as they become older.
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1. CHANCE
Chance is the possibility of an outcome occurring. At a preschool age, this is often based on a finite number of options such as the outcome of a coin toss (1 of 2 options) or the roll of a standard dice (1 of 6 options). It is the learning that an outcome happens regardless of any previous or future events.
Some ways you can incorporate this:
- Heads and tails game: This involves the outcome of a coin toss. Before you toss the coin, ask your child to put their hands on their head or bottom with their prediction of whether a head or tail will be thrown. Then throw the coin and determine if they were correct. Keep playing to show that it does not matter what happened previously, each throw is unique.
- Board games: Any board game which relies on the roll of a dice to have a turn can be used. Each turn is an example of chance when the dice is rolled. For younger children, you can just roll a dice (as large as you can access) and count the dots on the faces to begin teaching them this concept. Most toddlers love to be able to throw an object around!
- Spinners and wheels: Some board games have these as turns and they can be used for this concept. Think of the spinner from the game Twister. When you spin the arrow, it is an example of chance at play.
2. PROBABILITY
Probability is somewhat linked to chance. It extends the concept by describing the likelihood that a particular outcome will occur. It is measured by the number of favourable options out of the total number of options. It is often expressed as a percentage.
Some ways you can incorporate this:
- Weather forecasts: Discussing the weather forecast with the probability of rain/snow values that are often reported.
- Object Selection: Probability can be explained with selection of objects. If you fill a bowl or container with different objects and select them at random the probability of selecting a particular object can be determined. You can start simply with disks of two different colours. Start with 4 in a bowl (1 red disk and 3 yellow disks). Then get your child to cover their eyes and select one of the disks at random. Since there are 4 disks you can teach them that there is a 25% probability that it will be a red one and a 75% probability that it will be yellow. As you continue, you can change the probabilities based on what was selected on the previous turn. As they grasp this concept, then you can add more colours or more disks to the activity or try it with different objects.
3. CAUSE AND EFFECT
Cause and effect is the outcome of an event based on a particular input. Preschoolers are perhaps masters of this element already! It is the learning of the process that ‘if I do this’, then ‘this will happen’. This is learnt at a very early age when babies learn that crying will get your attention. They then carry this principle into toddler and preschool ages in a wide variety of ways which can be constructively used for learning in STEM.
Some ways you can incorporate this:
- Gardening: Showing children that if you water and nurture plants then they will grow and produce flowers or vegetables that can be admired or picked.
- Musical Items: Many musical items can be used for developing cause and effect. These types of items can be banged, shaken, blown or tapped to determine different sounds and results.
- Switches and Buttons: Any switch and button can work. Light switches, elevator buttons or traffic pedestrian buttons can be used to explain this concept. These are also useful as some with be instant results whilst others, like the pedestrian button, will cause a delayed response that requires patience and waiting.
- Preschool/Toddler toys: Many other toddler and preschooler toys will show some type of cause and effect example. Even an old fashioned ‘jack in a box’ toy shows that as a child turns the handle there is a point when the box will open and the toy springs out.
4. TRIAL AND ERROR
Trial and error is the process of experimenting with a range of options until you find the best or correct solution to a scenario. At a preschool age, it can be thought of as persistence at a particular activity. A child will continue to try different options until they find the solution that they want.
Some ways you can incorporate this:
- Puzzles: Any puzzle can be used that is age appropriate. At a baby age, these can include shape sorting puzzles until they progress into wooden peg board puzzles and through into jigsaw puzzles. Any puzzle that captures their interest can be used and trialling where the pieces fit until they get the end result will promote this learning skill.
- Building: Many building activities are a good example of trial and error learning. This can be with wooden blocks, Lego, sticks or anything of interest. There is often a learning curve that children go through to ensure the building is the tallest, longest or strongest design that they can make.
5. SEQUENCING
Sequencing is the following of events in a particular order. This is another attribute which becomes a learnt process from a very young age. Babies experience that their nappy goes on first prior to any clothes. Then as they become toddlers, we teach them that socks go on before shoes or jackets go over tops. This is indirect teaching of sequencing and as children age, we can become more deliberate with this attribute to transform it into a STEM learning quality.
Some ways you can incorporate this:
- Cooking: Cooking and the following of any recipe is a prime example of sequencing. Following a set of instructions and a method highlights that things must happen in a particular order. It can also be useful to show what happens when you don’t follow the sequence properly and the cooking fails.
- Music: Many musical items for preschoolers are based on colours and following the pattern of colours to play a song. These tunes often come with xylophones, bells or mini pianos. Following these instructions teaches children the art of a sequence.
- Robotics: Robotics is perhaps a classic for teaching sequencing. One of the great things about STEM these days is that there are tools and toys targeted towards under 5 year olds that will promote robotics and coding learning.
6. REASONING
Reasoning is the thinking of something in a logical, rational manner. A prime example of this is when you make pro’s and con’s lists. You are undertaking an analysis of a scenario or thing in a very controlled and deliberate way so that all of the facts are considered. At a preschool age, you can present it like gathering all the facts before a decision is made on something.
Some ways you can incorporate this:
- Risk Management: At a preschool age you can use risk management to teach kids about reasoning. For any type of activity that you are doing (cooking with hot elements, cutting with scissors, playing on different play equipment) you can talk to your children about all of the elements of that activity. That is, you can consider whether they have the skill set to be able to undertake a certain activity or whether it needs to be completed with adult help.
- Mystery Bag: Fill a bag with different items that you have around the house and initially start with items that the child would know. Try and include a range of shapes and textures. Ask the child to place their hand in the bag and feel for an item and describe what it feels like. Based on them gathering these facts from touch see whether they can determine what the object is. Continue until all of the objects have been done. This can be completely customised and altered depending on the age of the child.
7. PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem solving is the process of finding a solution to a particular problem. This is by far one of the most common attributes used in the STEM disciples and a great life lesson as well. Everyone encounters some type of problem in their lives that requires them to find a solution.
Some ways you can incorporate this:
- Puzzles: Again, puzzles can be used to show problem solving skills. Children will have all of the pieces and then they need to determine how to combine them all to form the complete picture.
- Mazes: Mazes are a great way to develop problem solving. Your child needs to determine the path to follow from the start to the end successfully. Most mazes only have one path that works. Resources you can use are drawn mazes, books or even outdoor mazes that may be local to where you live. Kids adore being able to get outdoors and figure out the ‘dead-ends’ and then backtrack to solve the maze.
- Lid Matching: Everyone seems to have a draw full of plastic containers. Turn this into a STEM activity by placing all of the bases in one pile and all of the lids in another pile. See if your preschooler can match the correct lids to the bases. It works best with a variety of different shapes or sizes but really you can use anything with a lid or 2 parts (i.e. saucepans, boxes, bottles).
Conclusion
These are 7 basic principles that we can focus on to teach our children. They all have major roles to play in the STEM disciplines. If, as parents, we are able to focus on teaching these qualities in a variety of ways then it will help our children to develop the cognitive abilities that are required for STEM.
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