Early Science Matters

Blogs

Engaging Preschoolers in STEM: It’s Easier Than You Think!

NSTA Early Science Learning Blog

Children’s Books

A Head Start on Life Science: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder by William Straits

A Head Start on Science, Second Edition: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder by William C. Ritz and William Straits

Amazon’s Best-Selling Children’s Science and Nature Books

Fifty Life Science Books for Preschoolers

Free Online Math and Science Books

NTSA Interactive eBooks for Children: Phenomenon-based, interactive STEM stories

NTSA Kids: Trade books dedicated to nurturing wonder and curiosity in young minds

NTSA Learning Center Early Science Education Books

Picture-Perfect Science: Science-related picture books aligned with the National Science Education Standards for K-6

Science Friday: Ten Awesome Science Books for Curious Kids

Science Learning in the Early Years: Activities for PreK-2 by Peggy Ashbrook

Sixty-Six Essential STEM Preschool Books to Read This Year

Stick Your Tongue Out: Early Biology and Other Free Online and Downloadable Books for Early Readers

Twenty-Five Physical Science Books for Preschoolers

Unite for Literacy eBooks for Kids

Glossary

Early Science Glossary

Informal Learning Spaces

Chicago Children’s Museum (Chicago, IL)

Discovery Center Museum  (Rockford, IL)

DuPage Children’s Museum (Naperville, IL)

Kohl Children’s Museum (Glenview, IL)

Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago, IL)

Top Children’s Science Museums Across the U.S. for Families 

Wonder Works Children’s Museum  (Oak Park, IL)

Professional organizations

Center for Standards, Assessment & Accountability: The CSAA website provides a map view of every state that has established early learning and science standards for children from birth to five, as well as a comprehensive list of learning standards by state. States that have established early learning standards for children from 0-5 include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.

Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: Little Scientists—Building Early STEAM Skills

National Association for the Education of Young Children: The NAEYC website focuses on ways to engage young children in scientific exploration and discovery, with topic areas that range from “Six Key Themes to Know About Early Childhood Science” to “Looking at the World: Children and Science.”

National Science Teaching Association: The NSTA website includes the NSTA Position Statement on Early Childhood Science Education, which offers guidance on how to foster the development of early science skills in young learners. The website also addresses topics such as how to help young children develop science skills and knowledge over time, how to engage young children in experiential learning and how to provide a wide variety of opportunities for children to engage in science discovery and exploration.

Standards

Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards

Next-Generation Science Standards by Grade Level: This link will take you to a page of kindergarten qualifications for science standards and acquaint you with the science skills that children should have at the kindergarten level.

Early Science Videos and Interactive Media

Hypothesizing About Bugs: A Teaching Channel video featuring an early childhood educator as she leads young children in an exploration of bugs.

PBS Learning Media Science: Explore natural phenomena and scientific practices with Pre-K science videos, lesson plans and interactive tools.

PEEP and the Big Wide World: Hatching new scientists every day! Videos and games designed to nurture young children’s innate curiosity and help preschool educators teach early science concepts.

Science in Pre-K: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum education specialists and preschool teachers visit the classroom to see science in action as preschoolers explore water, build structures and observe shadows while they are guided to understand physical science at work in their world.

Science in Pre-K Talks: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Early Childhood Museum Program Specialists talk about the value of using science talks to deepen children’s understanding of early science activities and concepts.

Twenty Online Resources for Fantastic Free Science Videos: Because seeing is believing, especially when it comes to science!

Using Inquiry in Pre-K Science: A Teaching Channel video featuring an early childhood educator as she encourages preschoolers to engage in scientific inquiry, bug exploration, making observations, creating hypotheses, hands-on learning, reasoning and using evidence.

Early Science Websites

Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: Little Scientists—Building Early STEAM Skills

Learn how to set up a science center in your classroom that will provide many opportunities for children to explore, discover and use their senses.

PEEP Science Curriculum for preschool educators

PreKinders Science Projects for the Classroom

Preschool Science Activities and Experiments

Preschool Science Lesson Plans

Preschool Science Worksheets and Printables

Science in Pre-K: This Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum website will give you the foundational knowledge and resources you need to bring basic science concepts to life for early learners.

Teach Preschool Science: With lesson plans, teaching notes and links to early science education articles and resources, this site will help you lead your early learners on a journey of scientific discovery.

Early Science Kit Materials

Discount School Supply is a great resource for the materials that we include in the Early Science Matters kits that we distribute to conference attendees and University of Illinois at Chicago students. The list below includes some of the items that we frequently use in these kits.

Item# COLCLY: Plastilina Premium Non-Hardening Modeling Clay, 3.3 lbs.

 

Item# WOOD50: Colorations® Wood Craft Rounds, 50 Pieces