STEAM Tips for Teachers and Parents.

STEM is about discovery. Be co-discoverers with your child! For many adults, STEM can be intimidating, especially if they didn’t have much exposure to math or science as a child or found

it difficult in school. STEM is about exploring the world around us and asking questions about how or why something works. It’s a lot of what you, as a teacher, are already doing. Children are great at this! As their partners in learning, you can make STEM part of children’s intentional play activities. Remember what it was like when you were younger (or even now) to look at the world with wonder and awe – that’s what children need to be encouraged to do. It’s helpful for adults to remember how amazing the world can be and make time to explore it too!

Use math concepts to talk with children. Point out the rectangular side of a truck and the

circle- or triangle-shaped sign as you wait at the bus stop or walk down the street. Help children

count the number of students in class each day and compare that to how many are absent or sort a variety of everyday objects according to size, color, shape or type.

• Look at the world around us! Observing is important in science. Communicate throughout

the day about what you see, feel, smell, taste or hear and ask students to describe the world as

they observe it:

“Wow that is a tall tower! How many blocks

did you use to make that structure? 1, 2, 3, 4.

You used four blocks to make that tower.”

“Do you have your raincoat and umbrella

today? How does the raincoat protect you

when it is cold and raining?”

“I noticed how you drew a triangle on top of

the square to make a structure with a roof.

How are those two shapes different?”

Ask open-ended questions. Ask children to wonder about the world around them using

phrases like “What would happen if… “Or “I wonder…?”

“I wonder if we can build a tower out of marshmallows or sticks;”

“What would happen if it started raining on our walk to school?”

“I wonder why the leaves are turning yellow and brown.”

Follow the child’s lead. Observe children closely and see what they are looking at, pointing to or

seem curious about. STEM is about exploration, and when children make their own discoveries,

they are making guesses or hypotheses while learning to make sense of the world around

them. This empowers them to continue this type of exploration outside of the classroom.

• Learn along with children! You don’t have to have all the right answers to help children learn

about STEM. You can respond by saying, “That’s a great question. How could we find out together?” It’s also okay if students give answers that aren’t quite right. Ask them to explain their thinking and you might find a really interesting explanation. Communicating and trying to make sense of the world – even if you don’t have all the correct answers – are important STEM skills!

• Use books. Incorporate books about animals, nature and science. You can use STEM words

during reading time to build vocabulary. Ask preschoolers if they can spot a mammal with

sharp claws, an insect with six legs, or a tree with yellow flowers.

• Sing! Songs with repetitive patterns like “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” “Wheels on the Bus,”

or “Los Cinco Hermanitos,” teach children about patterns and other STEM concepts.