Category Archives: Early Years

Tips and classroom resources for early childhood school science educators. Click on a headline to read the entire post.

Soil erosion in miniature

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: May 13, 2013

With the heavy spring rains in my neighborhood there has been some erosion of soil on a slope in the park and soil from the baseball field has been washed across the sidewalk. There are not many fiction or non-fiction books for young children that include a discussion about soil erosion, or erosion in general. [...]

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What science happens in your sandbox?

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: April 19, 2013

A pile of sand, a sandbox or a sensory table full of sand are tools for imaginative play, sensory exploration and science investigations.  In the April 2013 issue of Science and Children, the Early Years column, I wrote about how children wondered what made a series of cone-shaped pits in a line in the sandbox. [...]

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Sensory experiences to invoke an environment described in a book

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: April 7, 2013

We did more than watch as early childhood educator Sarah Glassco read the book Senses at the Seashore by Shelley Rotner (Millbrook Press 2006) during her presentation on using imagination to explore science concepts. She had us feeling warm sand, holding a shell to our ears to listen, feeling and tasting clean salt water on our [...]

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Get what you need at conferences, big and small, national and local

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: April 2, 2013

I think of conferences as meetings with multiple science coaches, each of whom help me improve my teaching in some way—if I implement the updates or changes once I’m back at school. That may be a big if. Those updates happen best with administrative support and the support of other teachers who are also examining [...]

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Parts of a whole system

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: March 25, 2013

Teaching that uses the Project Approach is one way for children to learn deeply about a topic or concept. Early Childhood Investigations Webinars hosted Dr. Sylvia C. Chard, Professor Emeritus of the University of Alberta, speaking and sharing photographs about this approach that involves an integrated curriculum. In Engaging Children’s Hearts and Minds: Teaching and [...]

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Static electricity, something we experience before we’re old enough to understand it

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: March 6, 2013

It was a beautiful sunny winter day in the mid Atlantic region in the mid 40s with little wind when I went walking in a wetlands park wearing a synthetic fleece jacket and nylon pants. The boardwalk over the water is made of recycled plastic “lumber” and the handrail is metal. Walking along, my body [...]

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Planning to teach about life cycles?

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: February 26, 2013

There is something about the changes in the natural world due to seasonal changes in spring time that inspire us to talk about baby plants, baby birds, and baby anything. During a warm spell in January I was inspired to refurbish the garden box on the playground with some new potting soil and have all [...]

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Birding and Engineering Makes for a Great Week

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: February 17, 2013

Two worthy programs to participate in this year or mark on your calendar for next year. Great Outdoor Bird Count Monday is the last day for this year, so it’s not too late to take part in a citizen science project that will help scientists answer questions about bird populations (of not just North America, [...]

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Look for conferences near you…learn, share, drink coffee

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: February 5, 2013

If you have yet to experience a National Science Teachers Association conference, take a look at the multiple opportunities offered each year. Attend a conference to firm up your understanding of science and engineering concepts, learn teaching strategies, meet with other science-interested teachers, get resources and have fun.

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Resources about technology use in early childhood education

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: January 29, 2013

The NAEYC Technology and Young Children Interest Forum has put together many resources for early childhood educators looking for guidance on what, when and how to use the broad range of digital and analog devices we have or are considering using in our programs. These resources supplement the joint position statement by NAEYC and Fred [...]

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