What does STEM Look Like in Preschool? Tyra LaVerne, Early Literacy Specialist Jennifer Timmerman, Youth Services Manager

What We Hope You Will Take Away From This Workshop… Understand and learn ways to incorporate STEM based programs into your library. STEM begins and ends with a question? (So, it never really ends … ) STEM based programming does not cost a lot - encourage parents to continue exploring at home. Boone County Public Library

What is STEM What is STEM? Science Technology Engineering Math According to Dr. Sherri Killins, “What STEM does is give a label to what you are already doing… helping children to explore, observe, ask questions, predict, integrate their learning… it’s what we’ve always done in early childhood education.” Boone County Public Library

How To use STEM? Be intentional. Encourage questions and predictions. Use things that are available and everyday. Read-Talk-Explore format Importance of Play – Keeping it Fun! Boone County Public Library

How to promote Scientific Inquiry with Preschool Children? With preschool children, you want to emphasize the process. Ask open ended questions. – Begin statements with “I wonder…” Allow children to be hands-on. Boone County Public Library

STEM BCPL September 25, 6:30pm, ages 2-5 (we recommend ages 3-6) Began with Book: I Spy with My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs Touch Your Nose game: This is a fun rhyme and introduces the five senses? Boone County Public Library (follow actions) Touch your nose Touch your chin That’s the way this game begins. Touch your eyes Touch your knees Now pretend you’re going to sneeze! Aaaachooooo! Touch your hair Touch one ear Touch your two red lips right here Touch your elbow where it bends And that’s the way this touch game ends.

Our Plan 2 activities per domain: Science Sink or Float Shadow Science Technology Ipad Apps Boone County Public Library Engineering Locks and Keys 3 Little Pigs. (make a house out of straw, sticks, and bricks) Math Weigh and Measure Dice Games

BONUS 3 Sensory Tables – Rice – Corn – Shredded paper Boone County Public Library

What We Learned: Boone County Public Library  Focus on one specific topic.  Use 3-4 hands-on experiments related to topic. Example: Space Science Gravity: 1. incline planes 2. drop different objects Shadows: 1. make shadows with flashlight in a box 2. plastic globe to demonstrate how the earth rotates to make night and day. (shadow)

Focus on one specific Topic Breakdown STEM into each subject area and offer a program on one topic. – In the Spring we will be doing an Engineering BCPL for the whole family. We will incorporate our Three Little Pigs along with a variety of other building materials. – 1/explore-preschool-steam-huff-puff/ 1/explore-preschool-steam-huff-puff/ Use the 5 Sense as a guide and do a program around one of the 5 senses. Boone County Public Library

What we do at BCPL Sensory Tables at each location Discovery Centers – in progress at each branch Try to incorporate STEM in our weekly Storytimes. Traveling experiments like sink and float Boone County Public Library

After this Summer, how to keep STEM alive in your library Sprinkle STEM related activities into your regular programs and Storytimes. – One library in Central Oregon is incorporating “Math Minute” and “Science Spot” into their regular Storytimes. STEM based programs and themed events. – At BCPL, Space Science and Engineering Family Programs as well as programs geared especially for Preschoolers. Have interactive Discovery Centers at each location Boone County Public Library

Resources Koester, Amy. “FullSteam Ahead: Injecting Art and Creativity into STEM.” School Library Journal. 3 October Lee, Kathy L. and Lesli M. Richards. The Homegrown Preschooler. Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live. Gryphon House, Boone County Public Library

Resources Mother Goose Programs. “What’s the Big Idea? Making Math and Science Come Alive for Children and Families in Your Library.” Vermont Center for the Book, TYC. Teaching Young Children/Preschool published by NAEYC Boone County Public Library

STEM Education Coalition. bigidea.mothergooseprograms.org Boone County Public Library

Questions? Boone County Public Library

PLAY Boone County Public Library

The End! Boone County Public Library