Children use their natural curiosity to set a base for future scientific discoveries. Children do not just watch their world they engage in active learning as they make observations and discoveries. When they are outside they can watch a spider in a web, discover roly-poly bugs in the dirfind a worm and move it to the garden. As they explore their world they are using thescientific process of inquiry:observing, asking questions, forming hypothesis, investigating, gathering data, drawing conclusions, and building ideas that lead to new questions. (And, oh how they can ask questions!) Science Education should not be about memorizing achieved scientific knowledge, but about living a life of scientific inquiry according to the scientific method. David Hawkins,The Informed Vison: Essays on Learning and Human Nature
It is important to have a partnership with the children as they are engaged in discoveries of their world. Children are active constructors of their own understanding of the world around them and developmentally appropriate teaching practices provide the optimal balance of adult-guided and child-guided experiences. Copple and Bredekamp
There needs to be a balance between adult and child guided learning as the children explore their world. Sometimes the learning is more exploratory play and completely child guided, sometimes it is adult supported learning that allows the child to pursue their interests with an adult adding to the learning with their knowledge of the subject, while sometimes it is a blend of adult and child guided learning that allows a give and take learning based on interests, knowledge and observations.
These three types of scientific learning are happening every day as children investigate the world around them.
Flutter, flutter, Butterfly
Flutter, flutter, butterfly.
Floating in the bright blue sky
Floating by for all to see,
Floating by so merrily.
Flutter, flutter, butterfly,
Floating in the bright blue sky
CATERPILLAR/BUTTERFLY
Caterpillar, caterpillar
See him crawl See him crawl
Crawling on the ground
Crawling all around
See him crawl See him crawl.
Butterfly, butterfly
In the air, in the air
Flying up and down
Flying all around
Butterfly, butterfly
Bugs
Big bugs, small bugs, big bugs, small bugs,
See them crawl on the wall?
Creepy, creepy, crawling, never, never falling.
Bug, bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs.