Investigating Water with Young Children (Ages 3-8)

Water is a meaningful context for children to engage in inquiry, and to acquire and use science and engineering practices, such as developing spatial thinking and early concepts of water dynamics. This book shows teachers how to provide children with opportunities to engineer water movement through pouring and filling containers of various kinds and shapes, observing how water interacts with surfaces in large and small amounts, exploring how water can be moved, and using water to move objects. These experiences build a foundation that will support children's more complex study of this phenomena in later schooling, as well as encourage interest in STEM fields. The text offers guidance for arranging the social-emotional, intellectual, and promotional environments of the early childhood classroom; for integrating literacy learning; and for building essential partnerships with administrators and families to enhance STEM learning for our youngest learners.

Book Features:

• Introduces Waterworks, an integrative STEM experience developed by young children, their teachers, and early childhood researchers.
• Describes an approach that engages children in doing science and engineering, rather than teaching children about these fields.
• Offers children the opportunity to participate in STEM experiences every day in their classrooms alongside literacy learning.
• Illustrates ways to plan and use over 10 types of engineering experiences appropriate for children ages 3-8.
• Includes guidance for documenting children's learning over time.
• Aligns with the Early Learning Outcomes Framework and the Next Generation Science Standards.

Beth Dykstra Van Meeteren is director of the Iowa Regents' Center for Early Developmental Education and professor of literacy education at the University of Northern Iowa.