Cylinders and spheres : toddlers engage in problem solving

Every day more six million infants and toddlers (children under 3 years of age) enter some kind of out-of-home care, with 22% of this group attending center-based programs. Studies on the quality of care in centers indicate that 40% of these children are in poor quality settings while 51 % are in mediocre to medium quality settings. Two factors contributing to these low ratings are lack of age-appropriate materials and lack of learning opportunities. To address these data Piaget\u27s theory of constructivism guided the design of a study to provide evidence of construction of knowledge that occurred when toddlers were provided with interesting objects and were allowed to play freely with those objects. The study took place in one classroom of a child care center located in a small rural town in the Midwest. Eight children 18 through 24 months old participated in the study. Materials selected for the study (clear cylinders and plastic spheres) were available to the children for two hours each day during activity time. Children were allowed to play freely with the materials. Adults in the classroom provided support but did not direct the activity. Two video cameras and descriptive field notes captured children\u27s actions with the materials. Data were analyzed to identify actions and sequences of actions that indicated construction of knowledge or problem solving. Findings from this study indicated that children progressively organized their actions as they explored the objects, identified problems, and worked to solve those problems. When given time and allowed to play freely with the materials, children were tenacious in their problem solving, often working on one problem over several days. The data revealed five components to the problem-solving process: exploration, contradiction, repetition, experimentation, solution. The types of problems children pursued were related to Piaget\u27s categories of reality: space, time and causality. Based on the findings, implications are provided for teachers (both pre-service and in-service) and teacher educators

Using a Computer Science-based Board Game to Develop Preschoolers\u27 Mathematics

Abstract is available to download

Using a Computer Science-Based Board Game to Develop Preschoolers\u27 Mathematics

There is a critical need to teach computer science (CS) in order to assure that our nation remains competitive globally [6]. CS is a new basic skill necessary for economic opportunity [6] but is rarely taught before age 6 and only using electronic devices [1]. This presents a challenge for those concerned with “screen time” inherent in electronic devices [2] and for children in poverty with little access to electronic devices [3]. Coding, creating a series of commands that a computer carries out, is a component of CS and can be introduced as early as preschool age and results in increased logical sequencing [5] (putting action commands in order). Missing from the research is the impact of coding with non-electronic formats on logical sequencing with children younger than age 6. Our study fills this need by using a non-electronic format with 4-year-olds. The purpose is to see if playing Robot Turtles, a board game designed to teach coding, will increase logical sequencing skills. Our hypothesis is that we will see a 10 times greater increase in logical sequencing in the children who play Robot Turtles than those playing Candy Land, a board game with no measurable effect on math skills [4

Spelling and whole language

A current trend in language arts programs in elementary schools is the shift from skills-based instruction to a focus on emergent literacy and whole language (Watson, 1988). Teachers are setting aside textbooks and are involving children in language activities that are functional and purposeful to them (Goodman, 1986). Nowhere is this instructional trend more obvious than in the area of writing. It is viewed as a recursive process in creating meaning (Graves & Stuart, 1985; Calkins, 1986)

Improving STEM teaching practices with R&P: increasing the full range of young children’s STEM outcomes

Ramps and Pathways (R&P) early physical science activities enable educators and young children (3–8 years) to explore and investigate what happens as marbles and rolling objects are released on constructed ramp structures and pathways using wooden cove molding. The R&P project challenged educators to transform their views of early science learning and instruction. Preliminary pilot and field-testing results demonstrate improved science achievement and teaching practices. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential impact of R&P investigations for children with and without disabilities: (a) on learning and development in general; and (b) STEM outcomes specifically according to Idaho teacher participants. This investigation will likewise explore teachers’ attitudes and firsthand experiences toward implementing R&P with young children. Teacher reflections revealed that teachers witnessed developmental benefits related to language and social emotional development during R&P. Although teachers as a group observed STEM learning and thinking for learners in general, the early childhood–special education teacher noted children with disabilities specifically learning and developing STEM concepts

Supporting Young Children’s Spatial Understanding: Examining Toddlers’ Experiences with Contents and Containers

One critical objective of high-quality education is to provide citizens literate in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to ensure economic success (as reported by Newcombe (Harnessing spatial thinking to support STEM learning (OECD Education Working Papers, No. 161), OECD Publishing, Paris, 2017). Many studies have found a correlation between STEM skills and spatial ability. A meta-analysis of studies (as reported by Hawes et al. (in Davis (ed), Spatial reasoning in the early years: Principles, assertions, and speculations, Routledge, New York, 2015) reported that interventions to teach spatial skills resulted in significant improvement, approximately doubling the number of people with spatial skills associated with being an engineer. Most educational programs lack a focus on spatial skills, especially in early years when children are developing their spatial sense of the world and building a foundation for later, more complex, spatial skills. Little research exists showing what young children do when allowed to explore materials with little or no adult direction. This qualitative study was designed to address that gap and provide evidence of spatial skills in young children, specifically toddlers (12–36 months old). A variety of common household materials were set out during free play time, and educators provided minimal guidance while children played. Trained videographers recorded for 10 h (twice a week for 1 h over a 5-week period). Video was open coded for spatial actions children displayed with the materials. The initial codes were then reviewed for common themes and compared to those found in previous studies. Results show that toddlers demonstrated a wide range of spatial skills without educator direction and stayed engaged for long periods of time. Based on these results, implications are presented for educators to support spatial development

Developing Preschoolers’ Coding Literacy Using a Computer Science-based Board Game

Abstract available in the Proceedings for the Joint Meeting of the Academic Business World International Conference and International Conference on Learning and Administration in Higher Education