Elementary teachers have to do it all, especially in self-contained classrooms. Finding time for science is challenging…and often a bit intimidating. Early childhood teachers often receive more dedicated training in reading and math, which can leave science education feeling like unknown territory.
But teaching science doesn’t have to be scary!
Use students’ curiosity to inspire discovery
Engaging, low-prep instruction is possible by tapping into students’ natural curiosity. Children are natural explorers. They play, uncover, question, examine, create, and observe the world around them. Build on students’ innate sense of wonder to connect their world to age-appropriate science topics in the classroom. Even with limited time in your daily schedule, connecting to what students see and observe helps science come to life authentically.
Why it’s never too early for science
Early science matters. Research shows that students who have yet to be exposed to STEM in early childhood are already likely to fall behind. The American Educational Research Association found that 62% of kindergarteners with limited exposure to science continue to struggle with science in elementary school and perhaps throughout their educational careers.
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) emphasizes learning science and engineering practices in the early years. These skills foster students’ curiosity and lay a foundation for K-12 science learning.
Building confidence in young scientists
With increased exposure to science topics, your classroom community will feel more confident (and excited!) about science learning. Inspire young scientists by fostering growth mindsets and building awareness about examples of science all around them.
Use bulletin boards to organize group discussions or display science vocabulary with real-world examples. For example, if your class is studying trees, include pictures of tree species found on the playground that students can recognize and revisit during recess. Boost science confidence by talking about famous scientists and STEM careers through literature, videos, and songs.
Support K-2 science with Science4US
Supplemental tools can also make elementary science time less stressful and more effective. Through literacy and math-infused science lessons built around the 5E Instructional Model, Science4Us helps students develop foundational science knowledge using interactive games, songs, virtual notebooks, hands-on science experiments, and more.
With Science4Us:
- Instruction focuses on core ideas and eliminates extraneous information that can inhibit comprehension. Science4Us is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and supports kindergarten, first, and second-grade science.
- A comprehensive curriculum includes 28 modules covering Inquiry, Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth and Space Science.
- Core ideas are well established throughout, and concepts are repeated in a variety of formats to make mastery more accessible for early learners.
- Activities can be played multiple times to allow students to discover connections on their own and reinforce connections through repetition.
- The curriculum is presented in an engaging and memorable way using digital technology.
- Activities and lessons are designed to be instructional and offer strong contextual support in the form of feedback and hints.
- The science content is heavily supported with visuals and audio cues for nonreaders and emergent readers.
- Teachers are provided with science pedagogy videos and thoroughly detailed lesson plans to help them feel at ease when teaching the content.
Science4Us gives teachers the tools to capture young students’ attention and tap into their natural curiosity, plus the resources to explain scientific concepts at grade-appropriate levels.
“I used to be a little apprehensive about teaching science because I never felt like I had the right tools to catch my students’ attention in a way that they would be able to understand the material. Now that I have used Science4Us, I know just how excited they are to watch the catchy videos, play interactive games, and explore all of the activities on the site. It makes it fun to teach science skills. Overall, my students seem more excited to do science activities. They ask me all the time if they can watch the video segments over again.”
–First-grade teacher
